Keep Growing
By now you’ve probably heard Pastor David say that the COVID-19 pandemic has made us more aware that we are all responsible for our own spiritual formation.
If you’re unfamiliar with the term spiritual formation, it is simply…
Your Spiritual Formation
By now you’ve probably heard Pastor David say that the COVID-19 pandemic has made us more aware that we are all responsible for our own spiritual formation.
If you’re unfamiliar with the term spiritual formation, it is simply a phrase to describe the process of discipleship—becoming more like Christ. In order to become more like Him, you need to get to know Him well. And nobody can do that for you. There are some everyday disciplines you can practice to help you cultivate your personal relationship with the Lord:
Stillness
Psalm 46:10
Schedule time to meditate on the word of God and just be quiet before Him. For most of us, it takes a lot of effort to learn to be still. It means we have to shut off all our technology, get alone, and ramp down the noises in our heads.
Tip: Have pen and paper handy so that when random, “urgent” thoughts crowd in, you can jot them down and deal with them later.
Prayer
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Talk to God. Pour out your heart to Him. Ask for forgiveness and the strength to forgive others. Bring your concerns and requests.
Scripture
2 Timothy 3:16
Read the Bible. Knowing the Bible is how we learn to know God, because it is His inspired word. There are many types of Bible studies. Find one that works for you. Then try another one. A few suggestions:
If you’re new to the Bible, you may want to start by studying the life of Jesus in the gospels (begin with John, then go back to Matthew, Mark, and Luke).
Spend time in the Psalms.
Read the One Year Chronological Bible.
Study one book of the Bible extensively. Then another.
Use the technique of Lectio Divina.
Read scriptures in the Amplified Bible to see extended meanings of different words.
Learn the proper context of scripture passages, then memorize and pray the word appropriately.
Don’t own a Bible? You can read the Bible free online at biblegateway.com. You can also download the YouVersion Bible app to your device.
Obedience
James 1:22-25
Scripture teaches us what God requires of us. When you learn from the Bible, put it into practice.
Cooperation with the Holy Spirit
Romans 8:5-6
The Holy Spirit is the one who brings us to Christ in the first place. He is our Comforter, Helper and Counselor. As we learn to be sensitive to His leading, He will teach us how to follow Jesus.
Worship
Hebrews 13:15-16
God deserves our worship. The more we come to know Him, the more we love Him. It gives Him joy when we express our love to Him. Praise Him throughout the day, every day.
Community
Acts 2:42-47
God’s family grows when we fellowship together, learn from each other, serve each other, care for each other, and learn to love in a greater capacity. If you attend Living Streams, we encourage you to join a Life Group
Serving the Poor
Proverbs 19:17
God’s heart is for the poor. He requires us to share what we have been given.
Sharing Our Faith
Acts 20:24
Whether we feel it or not, God wants us to reach out to a hurting world with the good news that is found in Christ. We don’t have to be eloquent. We just need to prayerfully share from our hearts what little we know with anyone who needs to hear it.
Step by Step
Spiritual formation is a process. One foot in front of the other. Reading God’s word today. Stillness before the Lord today. A sacrifice of praise today. An act of obedience today.
The Lord makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
–Psalm 37:23-24
One foot in front of the other is how spiritual formation progresses. One step at a time, one day at a time, you need to cultivate biblical spiritual practices. Read and meditate on God’s word today. Be still before the Lord today. Give the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving today. Spend time in prayer today. Do an act of service today.
Patience and perseverance are required. You are not transformed over night, but over a lifetime. Step by step you are becoming more Christlike when you lay down your own will, your own way of doing things, and in obedience you follow the path he has set before you. It isn’t always comfortable and it certainly isn’t easy; but press on and you will grow. And you will change.
This is the walk of faith—moving forward, ever maturing, despite what you feel. Emotions are deceptive. Reject feelings of discouragement, unworthiness, failure. Look ahead with eyes of faith, believing in the things you cannot see, things hoped for, things promised. And stay the course.
Along the way you will make mistakes. You will stumble. But do not despair! You will not fall. The Lord upholds you with his hand. He is your salvation. He is your redeemer. He is with you and he is for you. Delight in him and he will make your steps firm.
Scripture is from Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
He Knows Me
O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O Lord, You know it all.
You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it……How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You...…Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.
–Psalm 139:1-6, 17-18, 23-24
How comforting to think of the heart of God! Nothing is hidden from Him. He knows each of us intimately. He understands our thoughts and knows our ways—every thought, every action. Everything! But does He turn away from us? No! He loves us! He surrounds us and lays His hand upon us.
His thoughts toward us are precious—thoughts of forgiveness, renewal, perfecting. He plans for us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). His mercy and love are overwhelming! And He waits for us to respond to His great love.
An appropriate response is to awaken to His love:
To humble ourselves.
To ask Him to reveal to us our hurtful ways so that we can repent.
To speak to Him in prayer, with a posture of reverence, adoration and gratitude.
To come to know Him by reading and meditating on His word (Scripture).
To spend time with Him in stillness.
To praise Him with words as well as to worship Him with acts of obedience.
Scripture is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
The Power of Gratitude
“Give thanks in all circumstances.” Easier said than done. When things aren’t going our way, we definitely do not feel thankful. But then, the Bible doesn’t tell us to feel thankful.
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
–1 Thessalonians 5:16-18Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.
–Hebrews 13:15
“Give thanks in all circumstances.” Easier said than done. When life gets turned upside down, we definitely do not feel thankful. But then, the Bible doesn’t tell us to feel thankful. It tells us to give thanks—and to offer a sacrifice of praise.
Our options.
This means we have a choice. We can choose to complain about our present circumstances, or we can choose to praise and give thanks, despite our circumstances.
It can be a tough choice—especially when we are hurting, angry or scared. In those times, giving thanks becomes a sacrificial act of obedience. It requires a shift in our thinking. We stop focusing on the negative, and start enumerating the good things the Lord has done in our lives—and then we praise and thank Him for who He is and what He has done.
An example.
In Acts 16 we read of Paul and Silas being brutally beaten and thrown into a dark, filthy jail. Despite their physical pain and concern for their future, they began to pray and sing praises from their humble, grateful hearts.
This particular story ends happily with a heavenly jail break. But more importantly, the jailer was so moved by their heart posture, that he asked them what he and his family needed to do to be saved.
The beautiful testimony here is that Paul and Silas praised God while they were in an incredibly tough situation—before they knew the outcome of their circumstances. They left a timeless example of how Jesus followers should handle a crisis.
The power of continual gratitude.
Praising and giving thanks is a powerful practice that, when done daily, throughout the day, will deepen our relationship with God. Here are some ways that giving thanks can transform us:
Giving thanks takes our focus off of what we don’t have. It changes our attitude.
The more we bring to remembrance what God has already done for us, the more we trust Him to care for us now and in the future.
We become more humble as we acknowledge that we are not in control, and that we are dependent on Him.
Giving thanks continually helps us develop a truly grateful heart…
…and a grateful heart makes us more Christ-like.
Lectio Divina
by Veronica Morrison, Pastor of Women’s Ministry
I love studying God’s Word! Not so that I can know more information or look smart; but I find that studying is the process that leads me to an intimate, transformational encounter with the Lord.
by Veronica Morrison, Pastor of Women’s Ministry
…but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither
whatever they do prospers.
–Psalm 1:2-3 (NIV)
I love studying God’s Word! Not so that I can know more information or look smart; but I find that studying is the process that leads me to an intimate, transformational encounter with the Lord. God’s Word teaches me about who God is, what He is like, what is important to Him, how He sees me, and how He wants me to live.
A mentor once told me that the Word of God is something to be chewed—meaning we are to savor it. So, when studying, it is good to take small portions of Scripture to meditate on the context, the meaning, and the significance.
There are seasons in my life where the Lord will have me study one passage of Scripture for months on end. Each reading is unique in what the Lord brings to my awareness. And one of my favorite tools for studying it is Lectio Divina.
Lectio Divina is Latin for Divine Reading. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that God’s Word is alive and active. In our Life Group Leadership Handbook we reference Chris Eaton’s definition of Lectio Divina as: a Bible reading method that allows the Holy Spirit to speak to us, teach us, and guide us through prayerful listening.
Below is the process we use to facilitate a time of Lectio Divina. You can use this with a group, or you can simply walk yourself through some intentional study.
I pray that it blesses you as much as it blesses me.
Lectio Divina
Choose a passage of Scripture. You will read this passage several times. Listen and record the Lord’s prompting for each reading.
Reading #1: Eyes to See
Pray: Father, you have told us that your Word is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. I pray your Word would pierce my heart with what it is you want me to learn. I pray that, as I read this passage the first time, you would highlight to me a word or phrase.
For this first reading, be on the lookout for a word or phrase from the text that jumps out at you.
Read this through twice. Feel free to write down the word or phrase that you hear. After reading the passage twice, spend about a minute in silence.
Reading #2: Ears to Hear
Now read the passage a third time. This time think about the word or phrase that you wrote down. Be on the lookout for what God is teaching you or saying to you through this passage. Have a conversation with God, and ask Him what He is wanting to teach you. Ask for Him to reveal more to you. Feel free to write anything that you hear.
Reading #3: Change to Make
Pray for this reading: Father, you have told us that the Word became human and made His home among us—full of unfailing love and faithfulness. (John 1:14). May my encounter with you through your Word be as real as if Jesus were here in the room speaking with me face-to-face. Grant me the wisdom to know what changes to make and the strength to do it.
In this reading, ask God to show you anything you need to change. It could be something you need to start (or stop) doing. Maybe it’s a change in perspective. It might be something big, or something small.
Read the passage slowly one final time.
Write down anything that God is asking you to change. Give yourself a few minutes of silence to reflect on this.
Why Spiritual Formation?
by Daniel Riccio
Living Streams Church Elder (and Bible scholar)
Why do we talk about spiritual formation? Sometimes, when I look back at my life, I’m embarrassed by my past struggles or naïve things that I thought while considering myself mature. I am, however, encouraged
by Daniel Riccio
Living Streams Church Elder (and Bible scholar)
Why do we talk about spiritual formation? Sometimes, when I look back at my life, I’m embarrassed by my past struggles or naïve things that I thought while considering myself mature. I am, however, encouraged that I can look back and see change. But then I think, “What might future me think of current me?” I realize I will continue to be formed and changed over the course of my entire life.
The shape of our lives is most influenced by how we answer the question "What do you want?” Our struggles in life come from disordered loves; promoting the wrong things to the place of our ultimate pursuit. The aim of spiritual formation is to put our hearts in order.
Some discipleship approaches only teach correct answers to the question “What do you Want?” If we stop at right answers, we won’t reach the affections of the heart and remain unchanged.
Consider the fictional story of explorers who find a magical place that grants whatever they truly want—not what they say they want, but their deepest unspoken desires. The explorers realize the danger of entering the enchanted place. They hesitate and consider the devastation that might ensue if they don’t want the right things. We too can pause and ask, “What would happen if the things we desire most were granted?” Not what we say we want, but what we really want.
In order to bridge the gap between "what is good for us to want" and "what we actually want", we engage in practices of spiritual formation. Reaction to our out-of-place desires can come in two extremes: either suppressing them or indulging and allowing our longings to rule over us. As a biblical third option, we can learn to have our desires reshaped. Our desires can be formed.
It’s a bit like my taste for coffee. As a young adult I occasionally “tolerated” a cup of coffee. But then I was introduced to frozen, sweetened coffee drinks. In a short time, I developed a habit. I eventually learned that the cost and calories of stylized coffee was too much. So, I eliminated the expensive sweeteners, but not the rich, dark, caffeinated daily retreat. Now, some twenty years later, I rarely go a day without it.
We don’t need to eliminate our desires—we need them reshaped. Addictive behaviors, whether substances or forbidden romance (real or in images), signal a deeper, unmet desire. Underneath these fruitless searches is the desire to find what satisfies the deepest longings of the soul. Desire is not the problem. Shaping or connecting to the deepest human desire is the way forward. We’ve settled for a pottage of bad stew when our birthright tells us we’ve been invited to a banquet of endless delight.
So how do we shape desire? The church word for spiritual practices that shape us is liturgy. Simply defined, liturgy is the work of the people. Besides “church” liturgies, we live in the midst of cultural liturgies without recognizing them. Imagine two young fish swimming along when an older fish comes swimming past. The older greets the two younger fish saying “How’s the water, boys?” The two younger fish swim away and finally one fish asks “What the hell is water?” We don’t realize the “secular” liturgies we live in. We might say, with the fish, “what the hell is a secular liturgy?”
Consider how culture shapes what we want. In ritual fashion we check our phones. We watch our TV’s and take in messages about what the good life is. These are liturgies that have power to form our desires as they whisper the promise that obtaining what’s offered will provide satisfaction for our souls. If we buy in, we will give our life’s energy to obtain what we’ve been led to believe will satisfy our heart. The more energy we spend chasing, the more devoted our hearts become to any given desire.
With spiritual formation, we engage in practices that free us from settling for bad stew. We want to be oriented to true north—to know what’s behind the different versions of the good life being offered. We take part in what frees us from spending our life’s resources on empty things.
The Prophet Isaiah said it like this:
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk, without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.” – Isaiah 55:1-2
An 18-Day Devotional
So, the world seems crazy right now! I heard someone say, ”We are living through a future generation’s history class.” It’s just weird and confusing. It all can feel a bit dizzying.
Spiritual Practices - An 18-day devotional
Jump to:
Introduction
How to Use This Study
Day 1 Stillness
Day 2 Stillness
Day 3 Prayer
Day 4 Prayer
Day 5 Scripture
Day 6 Scripture
Day 7 Obedience
Day 8 Obedience
Day 9 Cooperating with the Holy Spirit
Day 10 Cooperating with the Holy Spirit
Day 11 Worship
Day 12 Worship
Day 13 Community
Day 14 Community
Day 15 Serving the Poor
Day 16 Serving the Poor
Day 17 Sharing Your Faith
Day 18 Sharing Your Faith
Introduction
So, the world seems crazy right now! I heard someone say, ”We are living through a future generation’s history class.”
It’s just weird and confusing. It all can feel a bit dizzying.
I went to the store the other day and was almost trampled by people running for toilet paper. I walked down empty aisles, and I couldn’t find hand soap to save my life. People seemed desperate and scared.
It would be easy to be swept up in the hysteria of it all. Easy to panic. Easy to freak out. Easy to get spun around again and again.
But doing so would be forgetting God. In the uncertainty of the moment, He is certain. In the confusion, He is clear and steady. In the fear and hysteria, He is calm and faithful.
He is a God who has walked His people through famine, through war, through walls of water! He has been there while His people were in exile, in slavery, and as they wandered in the wilderness. He is no stranger to wild and crazy times.
When a dancer spins around and around and around, they are only able to stay up, by “spotting.” They whip their head around and then fix their eyes on a single location. This enables them to be steady through the spinning.
For the next 18 days, we hope to equip you to do the same. To whip your head around, and focus on what is steady and constant: Jesus. Then when the world seems dizzy, we can show them why we’re not.
— Brittany Stockton
How to Use This Study
This study is meant to be used daily. We cannot congregate, so we are hoping to stay on the same page until we can meet again! We will be going through the spiritual disciplines, just like we would be on Sunday mornings!
The guide is meant to be used by your household. This can be your family, your roommates, or if you have to be alone during this time, by you and God (remember you’re never really alone).
You will read a passage of scripture each day, and then discuss, or if it just you, journal the following...
Retell the passage. You can do this creatively (act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next till you have finished, rewrite it in your own words…).
What does this passage tell us about God, Jesus, or His plan?
What does this passage tell us about humans?
According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?
Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?
Then there is an activity that goes along with the discipline for the day. We encourage you to do it, even if it sounds a little silly. Make it work for your household even if you have to change it just a bit.
We want to stay connected, so if you want to, feel free to post your pictures, your songs, your best time (I promise that will make sense) or anything the Lord is teaching you to Living Streams social media (@livingstreamschurch)
Also, if you need someone to talk to you can call the church 602-957-7500 during working hours (there is always a pastor on call). Or, contact your ministry leader, or your life group leader. We are praying for you, and we love you!!!
—Brittany Stockton
Day 1 - Stillness
Elijah
1 Kings 19:11-17 (NIV)
The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anointJehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.
Discuss or journal the following:
Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…
What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?
What does this passage tell us about humans?
According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?
Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?
Activity
Play the “Quiet Game” as a household. Post best time!
Day 2 - Stillness
Moses
Exodus 14:10-14 (NLT)
As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’”
But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”
Discuss or journal the following:
Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…
What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?
What does this passage tell us about humans?
According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?
Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?
Activity
Watch the sunset with your household (or enjoy it by yourself, if alone). This could mean opening the curtains, walking down the street, or going for a drive or hike. Turn off the media, and, instead of talking, sit silently. If you want to take a journal handwrite things down, you can, but try to be silent.
Day 3 - Prayer
Joshua and Moses
Exodus 33 (NIV)
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.”
When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no one put on any ornaments. For the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.’” So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb.
The Tent of Meeting
Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses. Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent. The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.
Moses and the Glory of the Lord
Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”
The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”
And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”
Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”
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. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
hen the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock.When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”
Discuss or journal the following:
Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…
What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?
What does this passage tell us about humans?
According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?
Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?
Activity
Designate a prayer tent for the next few weeks. This could be an actual tent, a closet, or even under a bed. Spend some time there as a household, and on your own.
Day 4 - Prayer
Hezekiah’s Prayer
2 Kings 19 (NIV)
When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the Lord. He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. It may be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the Lord your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.”
When King Hezekiah’s officials came to Isaiah, Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master, ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Listen! When he hears a certain report, I will make him want to return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.’”
When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.
Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the king of Cush, was marching out to fight against him. So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: “Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.’ Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my predecessors deliver them—the gods of Gozan, Harran, Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? Where is the king of Hamath or the king of Arpad? Where are the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah?”
Hezekiah’s Prayer
Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.
“It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord, are God.”
Isaiah Prophesies Sennacherib’s Fall
Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria. This is the word that the Lord has spoken against him:
“‘Virgin Daughter Zion
despises you and mocks you.
Daughter Jerusalem
tosses her head as you flee.
Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed?
Against whom have you raised your voice
and lifted your eyes in pride?
Against the Holy One of Israel!
By your messengers
you have ridiculed the Lord.
And you have said,
“With my many chariots
I have ascended the heights of the mountains,
the utmost heights of Lebanon.
I have cut down its tallest cedars,
the choicest of its junipers.
I have reached its remotest parts,
the finest of its forests.
I have dug wells in foreign lands
and drunk the water there.
With the soles of my feet
I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.”“‘Have you not heard?
Long ago I ordained it.
In days of old I planned it;
now I have brought it to pass,
that you have turned fortified cities
into piles of stone.
Their people, drained of power,
are dismayed and put to shame.
They are like plants in the field,
like tender green shoots,
like grass sprouting on the roof,
scorched before it grows up.“‘But I know where you are
and when you come and go
and how you rage against me.
Because you rage against me
and because your insolence has reached my ears,
I will put my hook in your nose
and my bit in your mouth,
and I will make you return
by the way you came.’“This will be the sign for you, Hezekiah:
“This year you will eat what grows by itself,
and the second year what springs from that.
But in the third year sow and reap,
plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
Once more a remnant of the kingdom of Judah
will take root below and bear fruit above.
For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant,
and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors.“The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
“Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria:
“‘He will not enter this city
or shoot an arrow here.
He will not come before it with shield
or build a siege ramp against it.
By the way that he came he will return;
he will not enter this city,
declares the Lord.
I will defend this city and save it,
for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.’”That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.
One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelek and Sharezer killed him with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son succeeded him as king.
Discuss or journal the following:
Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…
What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?
What does this passage tell us about humans?
According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?
Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?
Activity
Go through the ACTS prayer:
A – Adoration (who God is)
C – Confession
T – Thankfulness
S – Supplication (bring your requests to God)
Day 5 - Scripture
A Psalm of David
Psalm 19:7-10 (NIV)
The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
Discuss or journal the following:
Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…
What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?
What does this passage tell us about humans?
According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?
Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?
Activity
Take the time to pray about, and start memorizing a household Bible verse. This could be one for this season, for the year, or one that represents you for all time.
Day 6 - Scripture
Reading the Law
Nehemiah 8:1-8 (NIV)
All the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.
So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.
Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standingabove them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear[a] and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.
Discuss or journal the following:
Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…
What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?
What does this passage tell us about humans?
According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?
Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?
Activity
Continue the memorization (see the Activity from Day 5).
Day 7 - Obedience
Noah
Genesis 6:11–7:5 (NIV)
Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress[c] wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around, Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”
Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family,because I have found you righteous in this generation. Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.”
And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.
Discuss or journal the following:
Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…
What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?
What does this passage tell us about humans?
According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?
Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?
Activity
Play Simon Says or Mother May I. If you are older and that does not appeal to you, try asking the Lord if there are any places you need to be obedient to Him. Sometimes we know when we are being disobedient, and sometimes we are clueless. Write it down and hang it up somewhere!
Day 8 - Obedience
Jericho
Joshua 6:1-20 (NIV)
Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.
Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”
So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.” And he ordered the army, “Advance! March around the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark of the Lord.”
When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the Lord went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!” So he had the ark of the Lord carried around the city, circling it once. Then the army returned to camp and spent the night there.
Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the Lord and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets kept sounding. So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! The city and all that is in it are to be devoted[a] to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.”
When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.
Discuss or journal the following:
Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…
What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?
What does this passage tell us about humans?
According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?
Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?
Activity
Everyone sit down. Now stand up. Now spin around. Sit down. Did you do it? You passed today’s assignment.
Day 9 - Cooperating with the Holy Spirit
The Year of the Lord’s Favor
Isaiah 61 (NIV)
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
Strangers will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
And you will be called priests of the Lord,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.Instead of your shame
you will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,
and everlasting joy will be yours.“For I, the Lord, love justice;
I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
and make an everlasting covenant with them.
Their descendants will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness
and praise spring up before all nations.
Discuss or journal the following:
Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…
What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?
What does this passage tell us about humans?
According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?
Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?
Activity
Write on a piece of paper, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to…”
Then listen. See if the Lord gives anything specific to you!
Day 10 - Cooperating with the Holy Spirit
Sampson
Judges 15:14-17 (NIV)
As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands. Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men.
Then Samson said,
“With a donkey’s jawbone
I have made donkeys of them
With a donkey’s jawbone
I have killed a thousand men.”When he finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone; and the place was called Ramath Lehi.
Discuss or journal the following:
Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…
What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?
What does this passage tell us about humans?
According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?
Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?
Activity
In order to cooperate with the Spirit, we have to know the Spirit. In order to know the Spirit we have to spend time in the presence of God. As a household, find a way to do that. You could worship, go for a hike, sit in silence… whatever works for your crew!
Day 11 - Worship
Miriam’s Song
Exodus 15:1-21 (NIV)
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:
“I will sing to the Lord,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
he has hurled into the sea.“The Lord is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The Lord is a warrior;
the Lord is his name.
Pharaoh’s chariots and his army
he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers
are drowned in the Red Sea.
The deep waters have covered them;
they sank to the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, Lord,
was majestic in power.
Your right hand, Lord,
shattered the enemy.“In the greatness of your majesty
you threw down those who opposed you.
You unleashed your burning anger;
it consumed them like stubble.
By the blast of your nostrils
the waters piled up.
The surging waters stood up like a wall;
the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.
The enemy boasted,
‘I will pursue, I will overtake them.
I will divide the spoils;
I will gorge myself on them.
I will draw my sword
and my hand will destroy them.’
But you blew with your breath,
and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
in the mighty waters.
Who among the gods
is like you, Lord?
Who is like you—
majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
working wonders?“You stretch out your right hand,
and the earth swallows your enemies.
In your unfailing love you will lead
the people you have redeemed.
In your strength you will guide them
to your holy dwelling.
The nations will hear and tremble;
anguish will grip the people of Philistia.
The chiefs of Edom will be terrified,
the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,
the people of Canaan will melt away;
terror and dread will fall on them.
By the power of your arm
they will be as still as a stone—
until your people pass by, Lord,
until the people you bought pass by.
You will bring them in and plant them
on the mountain of your inheritance—
the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling,
the sanctuary, Lord, your hands established.“The Lord reigns
for ever and ever.”When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen[e] went into the sea, the Lordbrought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. Miriam sang to them:
“Sing to the Lord,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
he has hurled into the sea.”
Discuss or journal the following:
Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…
What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?
What does this passage tell us about humans?
According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?
Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?
Activity
Pass one sheet of paper around. When it’s your turn, write one line to a worship song. (Think about something God has done, or something you like about him.) Read it aloud when you’re done.
Day 12 - Worship
A Psalm of David
Psalm 103 (NIV)
Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.Praise the Lord, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
Praise the Lord, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.Praise the Lord, my soul.
Discuss or journal the following:
Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…
What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?
What does this passage tell us about humans?
According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?
Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?
Activity
Spend some time in worship as a household. Maybe someone can play or maybe you just put on a song. (Challenge yourself to close your eyes if you never have, raised your hands, get on your knees or dance around!)
Day 13 - Community
David’s Mighty Men
Samuel 22:1-2 (NIV)
David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.
Discuss or journal the following:
Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…
What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?
What does this passage tell us about humans?
According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?
Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?
Activity
Play a game together with those in your household—maybe a favorite, or try something new! If you have to be alone at this time, make a list of all the people who are part of your community and connect with them somehow (text, call, pray for, write a letter).
Day 14 - Community
Naomi & Ruth
Ruth 1:1-17 (NIV)
In the days when the judges ruled,[a] there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.
Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.
Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem
When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.
Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. May the Lord grant that each of you will find restin the home of another husband.”
Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.”
But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons—would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!”
At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye,but Ruth clung to her.
“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”
But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”
Discuss or journal the following:
Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…
What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?
What does this passage tell us about humans?
According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?
Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?
Activity
As a household, talk about the people you are the most grateful for. Then, think about people who you know are lonely. Get out some paper and write a letter to those both groups, those you are grateful for, and people who might be lonely. You can drive and deliver the letters, or mail them!
Day 15 - Serving the Poor
Boaz & Ruth
Ruth 2:1-10 (NIV)
Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelek, whose name was Boaz.
And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.”
Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek.
Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The Lord be with you!”
“The Lord bless you!” they answered.
Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, “Who does that young woman belong to?”
The overseer replied, “She is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi. She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.”
So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”
At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”
Discuss or journal the following:
Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…
What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?
What does this passage tell us about humans?
According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?
Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?
Activity
Collect a few items (this could be from your own pantry, or someone could brave the store. (As we are dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, please take the proper precautions, and follow the instructions of your local leadership!) Make a small box to donate. You could donate to the Living Streams Food Pantry. There are also numerous other places who would take a donation.
Day 16 - Serving the Poor
A Proverb
Proverbs 19:17 (NIV)
Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will reward them for what they have done.
Discuss or journal the following:
Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…
What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?
What does this passage tell us about humans?
According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?
Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?
Activity
Pray and ask God if there is someone you could serve—and how. There are so many ways to serve those in need. You could write a letter, send a video, help financially, drop off a goodie basket, donate clothing or food. Listen! And be creative.
Day 17 - Sharing Your Faith
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
Daniel 3:5-30 (NIV)
As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”
Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
At this time some astrologers[a] came forward and denounced the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what godwill be able to rescue you from my hand?”
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us[b] from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”
They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”
He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God,come out! Come here!”
So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.
Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”
Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
Discuss or journal the following:
Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…
What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?
What does this passage tell us about humans?
According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?
Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?
Activity
Think about someone you know that does not know the Lord. Start today by praying for them, and praying for a way to share your faith with them. Ask God for specifics and also ask that He would ready their heart to hear.
Day 18 - Sharing Your Faith
Elijah
1 Kings 18:22-39 (NIV)
Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.”
Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”
Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” So they took the bull given them and prepared it.
Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.
At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.
Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.” With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.”
“Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.
“Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.
At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”
Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.
When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”
Discuss or journal the following:
Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…
What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?
What does this passage tell us about humans?
According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?
Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?
Activity
Today, put the plan from Day 17 into action. Or if you sense it is not time, pray more, but continue to ask for an opportunity. You can share your faith face to face (if it is prudent to do so during this time of Covid-19 awareness). You can call someone, text back and forth, or write a letter. God uses all kinds of scenarios for this. So just pray and trust Him.