#030926

God, You know that I need You. I'm sorry for all the times I've pretended that I'm fine on my own. Please forgive me. Today, I come to You just as I am, and I give You all of my anxieties, cares, burdens, and worries. Please replace worry with peace, anxiety with hope, and concern with confident trust. I know that I am safe with You, and You can handle my problems, In Jesus' name, Amen.

God is near. Ask Him to meet you where you are, and trust Him with your thoughts and feelings.

PSALMS 90:2 Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God.

God chose to create time and step into it, while still remaining outside of it. Think about that, and then give God whatever praise comes to mind.

1 PETER 4:19 So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.

What do you need prayer for today? Make your requests known to the God who hears you.

God, in every season, You are good, and You are in control. And I am so grateful that You choose to love me everyday. Today, show me glimpses of Your divine nature and everlasting love. Draw me closer to You and show me how I can love others just as You have loved me. in Jesus' name, Amen.

DAILY BIBLE READING: DEUTERONOMY 8-10 MARK 11:19-33 A CALL TO REMEMBER AND OBEY 1“Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good. When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God. Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good. 17He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ 18Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath. VICTORY BY GOD'S GRACE “Listen, O Israel! Today you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land belonging to nations much greater and more powerful than you. But recognize today that the Lord your God is the one who will cross over ahead of you like a devouring fire to destroy them. He will subdue them so that you will quickly conquer them and drive them out, just as the Lord has promised. It is not because you are so good or have such integrity that you are about to occupy their land. The Lord your God will drive these nations out ahead of you only because of their wickedness, and to fulfill the oath he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. REMEMBERING THE GOLDEN CALF A NEW COPY OF THE COVENANT A CALL TO LOVE AND OBEDIENCE He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. change your hearts and stop being stubborn. “For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed. 18He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. You must fear the Lord your God and worship him and cling to him. Your oaths must be in his name alone. JESUS CLEARS THE TEMPLE “Have faith in God. 23I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. 24I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. 25But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.” THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS CHALLENGED Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.”

GENESIS 25:7-11 THE DEATH OF ABRAHAM 7Abraham lived for 175 years, 8and he died at a ripe old age, having lived a long and satisfying life. He breathed his last and joined his ancestors in death. 9His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite. 10This was the field Abraham had purchased from the Hittites and where he had buried his wife Sarah. 11After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who settled near Beer-lahai-roi in the Negev. INSIGHT Abraham’s faith journey began when he was seventy-five years old: “Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran” (Genesis 12:4). He took his last breath one hundred years later: “Abraham lived for 175 years, and he died at a ripe old age, having lived a long and satisfying life. He breathed his last and joined his ancestors in death” (25:7-8 nlt). What a beautiful end-of-life scene! Yet, while Abraham’s dying “at a ripe old age” or “full of years” (niv) was an accomplishment, he’s most known for being “fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised” (Romans 4:21). One doesn’t have to be full of years to be full of faith. Today, as we experience times of loss and hardship, our true quality of life and satisfaction comes from faith in the living God, who has revealed Himself in Jesus.

By: Arthur Jackson

TRUE SATISFACTION IN GOD Thirty years ago, I participated in an activity at an unemployment workshop that I still remember today. My fellow laid-off coworkers and I were asked to write our retirement speeches. Huh? We were looking for work and far from retirement age. But the facilitator revealed the purpose of the activity by saying, “Your speech will probably have little to do with your work.” She explained to us that a job really isn’t the center of our lives. And while we may be grieving the loss of a job, our lives mean much more than being employed.

The details about the end of Abraham’s life remind me of this lesson. He died at a “ripe old age” and had lived a “long and satisfying life” (Genesis 25:8 nlt). Throughout Scripture, we read about Abraham’s faithfulness in following God’s instructions, but we don’t read much about his work. The faith the patriarch displayed (15:6) reminds me of the Teacher’s conclusion in Ecclesiastes: “To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness” (2:26). The Teacher said this after considering the meaning of life and how one can find enjoyment in the midst of work or toil (vv. 24-25).

Even during times of loss and anxiety brought by unemployment, it’s helpful to reflect on Abraham’s example and the Teacher’s words—pointing us to true satisfaction found only in God.

By: Katara Patton

REFLECT AND PRAY What do you believe you’ll be known for? How does focusing on your legacy help you live today?

Dear God, please remind me to live faithfully as I walk with You—experiencing satisfaction in Your presence. in Jesus' name, Amen

MORE OF HIM, MORE LIKE HIM DESIRING HIM OVER POSSESSIONS

MATTHEW 6:19 19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.

Observation

How does the passage describe the man? Compare it to Luke 18:18-23.

Despite all he had, what was he searching for?

How would you categorize the commandments enumerated in verse 20 which the man claims he has kept from his youth?

What were the sources of his security?

What did he lack? What did Jesus want him to do? Why did Jesus want him to do that?

MARK 10:17-30

Reflection

The story portrays a person who needs eternal life. What lesson can someone who has God’s assurance of salvation learn from this passage?

What are some sources of security that people strive for in their lives? What are you filling your life with or surrounding yourself with that gives you security in life?

“One thing you lack.” Reflect on those words for a moment and ask God to reveal to you anything in life that hinders you from becoming the person that God wants you to be.

Application Prayer Write a prayer to Jesus using some of the words of Paul in Philippians 3:7-10.