Author: Larry Soape

Re:Verse reading–Daniel 6 (day four)

Daniel was in exile in Babylon, but God had commanded His people to prosper and serve their enemies. Daniel had served Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar faithfully…now he is serving Darius. Even as he served, Daniel faithfully worshiped God and gave witness His glory.

So when Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den, did God deliver him because he was such a good man and it was unfair the way he was being treated? No. God saved Daniel so the Babylonians would see His glory and worship Him. In verses 26-27, Darius proclaims God as the eternal, living God. Daniel was the recipient of redemption to bring glory to God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8)

When God brings redemption to your life, do you give glory to God? It is not our goodness…it is His grace.

Re:Verse passage – Jeremiah 29:1-14 (day four)

It is not exactly the way that the Israelites would have written the script…70 years in exile in a foreign land, hosted by a conquering enemy.  What was God thinking?  ‘We are His chosen people…surely our enemy will be defeated and we will return to our land.’  But God had a plan of rescue and redemption.  In the meantime, Israel was to be a blessing to the Babylonians.  They were to pray for them and seek the welfare of the city where they were exiled.

In Acts 16, Paul and Silas found themselves beaten and locked away in the depths of a prison.  They would not have chosen this experience, but they witnessed to God’s goodness in spite of their circumstances.  God had a plan of rescue and redemption for them and He received the glory.

Where has God got you now?  Are your circumstances difficult? Regardless…good or bad…allow God to work through your life to bring redemption to others and glory to Himself.

Re:Verse reading—Psalm 27 (day four)

I have a friend who is deployed.  He is in a war zone…one of the hotspots of the world.  He is a warrior like King David.  When he reads Psalm 27:1-3, it is with different eyes than mine.  Can we really have confidence that God is with us…even in the battles of life?  Absolutely! David did not just write Psalms out of the experiences of his life…these words were inspired by the Holy Spirit.  They are the words of God.

So…when God makes a promise, can we trust Him to keep it?  Most assuredly…YES!  God keeps His promises…it is His character and He will never act contrary to His character.  Can we have courage when life gets difficult?  When Scripture says “fear not”, can we really stand firm in our faith?  Yes and Yes.  “He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.” (Psalm 91:4)  He redeems us from fear.

Re:Verse reading—Psalm 23 (day four)

Sheep depend on their shepherd to provide rest…protection…provision…comfort…direction… goodness…and lovingkindness.  Everything that they need is provided by the shepherd.  The same is true for us…our Shepherd, Jesus, provides for our every need.  Why then, do we seek other sources for our needs?  Why do we seek what the world has to offer, when Jesus will abundantly provide?  We take elaborate steps to ‘do it our self.’  It is pride!  We think we can do it without help from anyone when, in fact, we are completely dependent on others for everything.

When we humble ourselves before God and, in faith, trust in Jesus, we find rich and lasting provision.  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…what more could we ask for?  Are you looking for guidance, provision, protection, or comfort?  Look to the Shepherd!

“Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.”  (1 Peter 5:6)

Re:Verse reading–2 Kings 5 (day four) 

It is a common belief…even when we don’t recognize that we are doing it.  If we work hard enough and our good works outweigh the bad, we will have redemption.  It is known as ‘salvation by works.’  This belief may be common, but it is misguided and false.  We cannot be saved by anything we can do.

Naaman just needed to know what steps he needed to take.  Being a great warrior, he knew he would have to work hard for his cure (redemption).  When the only thing he was asked to do was to wash in the muddy Jordan River, he thought he had been had.  He’d come all this way only to discover he had been deceived.  His wise and loving servants persuaded him to simply act in faith and he was healed.  “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9.

Re:Verse reading–Ruth 2:1-12, 17-23; 4:1-14 (day four)

Naomi had a difficult run of circumstances.  She had lost her home, her husband, two sons and her livelihood.  When she returned to Bethlehem, she was embittered.  Even though she trusted God, she was focused on her circumstances rather than Him.  Naomi judged God’s love for her by her circumstances rather than judging her circumstances by God’s love for her.  God’s sovereignty was never demonstrated better than His use of Boaz as the kinsman/redeemer for the family lineage of His promised Messiah.  God’s vast love was being demonstrated and Naomi missed the bigger picture.

Has life brought difficult and maybe unbearable circumstances for you?  Could it be that God is seeking to bring His love and redemption to bear in your life?  Naomi and Ruth returned to Bethlehem with no idea what the future held for them.  They had no clue of the eternal significance of their circumstances.  When it is most difficult, we need to trust in God’s sovereign plan.

Re:Verse reading–Genesis 37:14-28, 50:15-21 (day four)

When Joseph was first sold into slavery, He did not understand what God’s ultimate plan was.  He did trust in God though.  Joseph had had dreams and he knew that God had a plan for his life.  The more his life unfolded, the more he learned of God’s faithfulness.  Joseph saw the events of his life in perspective to God’s will.  In chapter 50, when his brothers feared that Joseph had not fully forgiven them and that they were in danger of receiving their just reward, they once again begged his forgiveness.

Joseph was able to see the bigger picture.  Verses 19-21 of chapter 50 reveal the maturity of Joseph’s relationship with God.  He could not have responded this way if he had not put aside personal rights and emotions in favor of God’s perfect will.  God had a servant that was prepared to be a savior for the sons of Israel.  What lies ahead for you?  Are you prepared to follow God’s will for your life?

Re:Verse reading–Genesis 22:1-19 (day four)

Abraham…who was he?  A prophet, one who feared God, promised to be the Father of a nation, and eventually, a Hall of Faither in Hebrews 11.  From our earliest encounter with Abraham, he was hearing the voice of the Lord, obeying the voice of the Lord, and maturing in his relationship with God as he walked with God in obedience.  Abraham’s fear of the Lord had been developed over time.  When God first promised to send Abraham a child through Sarah, it was 25 years until it was fulfilled.  All the while, Abraham’s character was being built.  In chapter 22, when God gave the command to sacrifice Isaac on a mountain…Abraham knew enough about God and trusted His power to raise even from the dead.  He did not have the crisis of belief that we would expect if the command had come out of the blue.

When we face crisis in our lives, we need a history of walking with the Lord to prepare us for the time of need.  Instead of asking, “Where is the lamb?”, we can know that obedience brings blessing.  God will rescue us in our moment of need.