Scripture Focus: 1 Chronicles 22:17-19 \u201cNow devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant . . . into the temple\u201d (1 Chronicles 22:19). ------------------------------------------------------------------------
King David was a man after God's own heart. In fact, he spent a lifetime trying to know God better. Though he endured frightening circumstances, faced daunting challenges, and owned up to the darkest of sins, David's truest mark of valor was his relentless quest to know God intimately.
When preparing for the construction of the temple, David commanded the Israelite leaders to first devote themselves to seeking God. The Hebrew word translated \u201cfirst\u201d means to give, or figuratively, to make a present of. David was inferr \u201cMore important than the work of your hands is the preparation of your hearts! God with great enthusiasm and then begin to build. Your hearts are a gift far more precious to Him than the hundred thousand talents of gold and the million talents of silver we have amassed for the temple.\u201d
David\u2019s instructions are crucial to our priorities. Too often we focus on the work ahead and tackle our plans with hearts unacquainted with the spiritual hunger of the shepherd boy who became a king. INSIGHT: God can entrust enormous tasks to those who understand His value
system. He appreciates our work, but He treasures our hearts.
Skywriting
Scripture Focus:
Psalm 19:1-6 \u201cThe heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge\u201d (Psalm 19:1-2). ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Living in a community surrounded by glacier-carved lakes, this Scripture passage is
Some sunsets are magnificent. It\u2019s as if an invisible artist boldly paints great sw
God\u2019s glory is written across the heavens for all to see. Every day the divine skywriting announces God's presence, power, and stunning creativity. INSIGHT: Knowing God exists is as simple as looking up. The psalmist sings that
the skies proclaim His handiwork in a universal language.
The Enemy Is Me
Scripture Focus:
Romans 8:5-8 \u201cThe mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and
\u201cLord, deliver me from myself.\u201d So pleaded 17th Century physician and writer Th Brown. He obviously understood that often our biggest hindrance to knowing God is our
The writer of Romans explains that we must set our minds on the Spirit's desires, not on
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The goal of God-seekers is to not allow their lower natures to shape their decisions or to
INSIGHT: Submitting to God is not demeaning. It means to fit in with another's plans, and
God's plans for us bring peace and life.
Walking in the Midst
Scripture Focus:
Psalm 138 \u201cThough I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your
\u201cAfter viewing the lab results, I'm inclined to suspect Vikki does have a maligna
That was great news, but the horror of hearing the \u201cc\u201d word that morning
Where do you go with such devastating news? My husband also was facing lung
INSIGHT: We are God's people and the psalmist rests in the glorious truth that He
will never abandon us, no matter how threatening the troubles.
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The First Figs
Scripture Focus:
Jeremiah 24:3-7 “I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart” (Jeremiah 24:7). ------------------------------------------------------------------------
“What do you see, Jeremiah?” asked the Lord. “Two baskets before the Temple,” he
Israel’s warm climate permits more than one annual fig crop. The figs harvested in
Greater than their national destiny was God's promise to give them a heart to know
INSIGHT: It's often in times of lingering captivity, the struggling, painful places, that
God produces the prized sweet fruit He most appreciates in our lives.
“June! June!”
Scripture Focus:
1 Samuel 3:8-10 “The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, `Samuel! Samuel!'
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youngster blurted. June wasn't an Indian; she was a seven-year-old Episcopalian.
God’s hand was on June’s life. Like Samuel, the Lord had revealed Himself to her
Hearing the Master’s summons so early in life is awesome, but both June and
INSIGHT: Let's not dismiss children's cute antics while “playing church.” A budding
prophet may be in our midst!
On Our Own
Scripture Focus:
1 Samuel 2:12-36 “Eli's sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the Lord. . . . This sin of the
“He didn't love God, he just fancied Him.” Let's consider this anonymous quote
“She has done a beautiful thing.” Jesus countered the disciples' outrage at such
“Lord, what is my alabaster jar?” I ask. What is my precious nard that I may pour it out as an offering like this woman?” Luxury cars, hot fudge sundaes, vacation cruises, attractive people -- these are
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INSIGHT: God never views lavish displays of genuine love as a waste, whether they are
being extended to Him or to one another.
Safe and Warm
Scripture Focus:
Deuteronomy 33:27-29 “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you . .
The self-appointed sin-spotters brought a woman to Jesus whom they had caught
Jesus did not answer directly, but bent down to write on the ground with His finger.
Jesus read her heart, and knowing that someday He would bear the condemnation
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Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life'" (John 8:12). ------------------------------------------------------------------------
A thrilling part of the ceremonies of the Feast of Tabernacles came when the priests
This time the people enjoyed the symbol without recognizing that the reality was in
Our world is full of darkness and spiritual delusion. Evil holds whole nations in its
INSIGHT: Though you were born in darkness, you can step into the light and live
there as you trust Jesus and follow Him daily.
I See Him
Scripture Focus:
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knew Him! The Greek translation for “to know” literally means to see. Paul was
The brave apostle confidently walked God's often painful path for him until the day
INSIGHT: Do your spirit's eyes see Christ clearly? Knowing about Him is not
necessarily synonymous with knowing Him.
The Main Event
Scripture Focus:
Luke 10:38-42 “She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.
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INSIGHT: If your heart can't sing in the kitchen, stop the preparations! It's time to sit
a spell with the One you serve.
Idol Makers
Scripture Focus:
Exodus 20:1-6 “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in
Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire observed, “If God made us in His image, we
Knowing God is a revelatory experience through the power of the Holy Spirit. The
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“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you” (Isaiah 46:4). ------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Listen up! From the instant your seed was planted in your mother's womb, I drew
“What about later? When I am old and feeble,” a man wonders. “Will You then pass me by?” “I am the One who remains! We walk together uninterrupted. As death approaches,
So are God’s amazing promises. From cradle to grave the Voice thunders, “I am
Many years ago, I frantically shouted to the heavens, “Are You real?” The reply was
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Nouwen was enthralled with the residents' prayers as he listened to their directness
God wants us to receive the things of the Spirit with childlike trust, not as we so
A religious scholar was once asked, “What is the most vital theological truth you
INSIGHT: God doesn't expect us to stop using our minds to seek Him. But He does
ask us to submit our minds to His loving sovereignty.
Penetrating Light
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Son's power at work in us. They assume the positive things we do come from our
INSIGHT: When Jesus takes up residence in our hearts, we can finally make
friends with the Light that streams from His presence.
Fenced In
Scripture Focus:
Psalm 55:22-23 “I call to God, and the Lord saves me. . . . Cast your cares on the Lord and he will
The Hebrew root for “sustain” means to keep in, and it infers being contained for nourishment. When we cast our cares on the Lord, He protectively fences us in and
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Learning to Lean
Scripture Focus:
Psalm 3:5-8 “I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear
The Hebrew word “sustain” is multifaceted. In today’s verse it literally means to be propped up! It infers leaning on or taking hold of someone, just as King David kept
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we give is irrelevant. What feelings are triggered as the collection plate approaches
The word translated “cheerful” doesn’t quite capture the Greek hilaros in describing
How sad for God to observe us being coaxed into parting with our resources. Who
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Surviving the Great Depression, continually threatened with separation during
INSIGHT: Keeping the dew of our love fresh toward the Lord requires our utmost
attention. It must come before all else.
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Dazzled by God
Scripture Focus:
1 Peter 1:3-9 “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him