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He Who Is Humble and Contrite in Spirit

H - "'All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares Yahweh. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.'" - Isaiah 66:2E - Isaiah, living around 700 bc, is prophesying about the end of history. God will bless the righteous and punish the wicked. He is on the side of believers and against unbelievers. Human beings have a choice. Much of that choice comes down to one's attitude of humility or pride.A - ...

A Word that Shall Not Return

H - "'Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn. From my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.'" - Isaiah 45:22-23E - Isaiah describes how God will raise up a king named Cyrus through whom Israel will be restored to her land. Many will believe Israel is finished, and that the God of Israel is powerless. But at the right time God will a...

Holy, Holy, Holy

H - "In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: 'Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory!'"E - Judah and Israel are in decline as the power of Assyria grows greater and greater. King Uzziah has just died,...

Rend Your Hearts and Not Your Garments

H - "'Yet even now,' declares Yahweh, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. And rend your hearts and not your garments.' Return to Yahweh your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love, and he relents over disaster." - Joel 2:12-13E - Joel first announces judgment upon the people and land of Israel. A huge army is coming, probably a reference to Assyria. But in Joel 2:12, the whole tenor changes. If Israel returns...

The Fortunes of Israel

H - "'I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them. They shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them,' says Yahweh your God." - Amos 9:14-15E - After the Tribulation, in Jesus' 1000-year Millennial kingdom, God will restore the remnant of Israel to their land and bless them wit...

The Children of Israel Shall Return

H - "Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek Yahweh their God and David their king, and they shall come in fear to Yahweh and to his goodness in the latter days." - Hosea 3:5E - Yahweh, through the prophet Hosea, likens Israel to an adulteress because she has chosen to worship Baal instead of him. For a long time, Israel will be disciplined. But in the latter days, Israel will return to Yahweh and to his goodness. Israel will again be the people of Yahweh (Romans 11:26-29).A - Thi...

The People of Nineveh Believed God

H - "Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, 'Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!' And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them." - Jonah 3:4-5E - God gives Jonah a second chance to go to Nineveh and warn its people of coming judgment. This time Jonah goes and delivers God's message. The people actually listen! They believe the warning and humble themselves bef...

Exceeding Fear of Yahweh

H - "So [the men] picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared Yahweh exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh and made vows." - Jonah 1:15-16E - The sailors saw Yahweh's dealings with Jonah, and it gave them a great respect for the God of Israel. It took a great storm and then its sudden stoppage to instill this fear.A - Father, so many in New Zealand and the West have no fear of you. You are totally irrelevant to their daily li...

Those Who Are with Us Are More

H - "[Elisha] said, 'Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' Then Elisha prayed and said, 'Yahweh, please open his eyes that he may see.' So Yahweh opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha." - 2 Kings 6:16-17E - Elisha, the man of God, has been informing the king of Israel about the war plans of the king of Syria. The king of Syria is fed up with this and sends an e...

A Double Portion of Your Spirit

H - "When they had crossed [the Jordan], Elijah said to Elisha, 'Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.' And Elisha said, 'Please let there be a double portion of your Spirit on me.'" - 2 Kings 2:9E - Elisha has followed Elijah as a disciple for many years, and now God will take up Elijah to heaven. Elijah asks Elisha what he wants before he, Elijah, is taken up. Elijah wisely asks for a double portion of Elijah's spirit. Probably this is a reference to the Holy Spirit who has ...

I Will Speak

H - "But Micaiah said, 'As Yahweh lives, what Yahweh says to me, that I will speak.'" - 1 Kings 22:14E - Hundreds of prophets are giving Ahab and Jehoshaphat the go ahead to attack Syria, but they are not true prophets of God. Micaiah is a true prophet who speaks on God's behalf. He is resolved to speak whatever God says to him. He is not a man-pleaser.A - Father, what would you like me to speak? Do I have the resolve to speak it?R - "See that today's church in New Zealand is like the early chur...

Yahweh Listened to Elijah

H - "And Yahweh listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived." - 1 Kings 17:22 E - Ahab, the king of Israel, has chosen to marry Jezebel of Sidon, worship Baal, and make an Asherah. For this a great drought has come upon Israel, as announced by Elijah. Elijah has now come to stay with a widow in Zarephath, and the widow's son is close to death. But Yahweh resuscitates the boy at Elijah's request. A -  Father, how can I be a mighty man o...

A Heart Turned Away

H - "And Yahweh was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from Yahweh, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice." - 1 Kings 11:9E - God appeared twice to Solomon and gave him extraordinary wisdom. God had set up Solomon for success. But Solomon's heart turned away from God because of his wives and their false gods. Even though God had personally appeared to Solomon twice, nevertheless Solomon's heart turned away from God.A - Father, I am a church leader, and you have appe...

She Makes Her Arms Strong

H - "She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong." - Proverbs 31:17E - The mother of King Lemuel is instructing him in wisdom. She urges him to find an excellent wife who will bring him gain. A woman of excellence is a woman of strength.R - Father, I am so thankful for my wife, Averil. Every morning, first thing, she makes her arms strong through exercise. She is bouncing on the trampoline with arm weights as I type. Though she has breast cancer, she is not defeated. Her discipli...

Restraining Our Words

H - "Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise. When he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent." - Proverbs 17:27-28E - These are proverbs of Solomon (Proverbs 10:1), inspired by the Holy Spirit. To be wise believers, we are to restrain our words, have a cool spirit, keep silent, and close our lips.A - Father, am I talking too much?R - "Under most circumstances, ask for permission before y...

Running without Stumbling

H - "Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. I have taught you the way of wisdom. I have led you in the paths of uprightness. When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble." - Proverbs 4:10-12E - Solomon is instructing his sons (Proverbs 4:1) based on how his father, David, instructed him (Proverbs 4:4). The passing down of wisdom from father to son is God's way. If we walk in wisdom, we will walk without being hampered an...

Sound Wisdom for the Upright

H - "For Yahweh gives wisdom. From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright." - Proverbs 2:6-7E - God gave Solomon extraordinary wisdom, and now Solomon is writing that wisdom down on a scroll. He wants his own son to understand that Yahweh is the source of wisdom. He stores it up for the righteous, for those who walk in integrity. God loves to share his wisdom with us. He is for us, not against us.A - Father, I desire your wisdom, knowledge, and unde...

If You Will Walk before Me with Integrity

H - "And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my rules, then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father saying, 'You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.'" - 1 Kings 9:4-5 E - Solomon has just prayed a prayer to dedicate the new temple in Jerusalem. God tells Solomon that he has heard his praye...

An Understanding Mind to Govern

H - "'Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?' It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this." - 1 Kings 3:9-10E - God has established Solomon as king, but Solomon is young and inexperienced. He feels inadequate to govern Israel. God allows him to ask for anything he wants, and Solomon asks for wisdom to govern God's people. This was a very wise request and one Yahweh wa...

Peace for David Forevermore

H - "But for David, for his seed, for his house, and for his throne there shall be peace from Yahweh forevermore."  -  1 Kings 2:33 E - David has died, and Solomon is consolidating his power over Israel. He is Israel's rightful ruler, and he must do some housecleaning. He follows his father's instructions in dealing with certain men who have opposed David and his interests. Solomon believes in the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7). A - Father, thank you for the Davidic covenant that leads ...

Praise Him for His Excellent Greatness

H - "Praise him for his mighty deeds. Praise him according to his excellent greatness!" - Psalm 150:2E - The Psalms end with this song of corporate praise to God. The reason we are to praise him is because of what he has done and who he is. We simply must praise God, for he is our Creator (Psalm 149:2). It is necessary and right to praise him continually.A - Father, how can I praise you more regularly in my life? So often I dwell on my own failures and problems and am not thankful. I struggle wi...

I Have Gone Astray Like a Lost Sheep

H - "I have gone astray like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments." - Psalm 119:176E - The great Psalm 119 ends with this verse. It's an interesting way to end. It shows the author is not perfect. But in his wandering he remembered God's commandments, his Torah. God is happy to seek those who remember his word. It's like Jesus' parable of the prodigal son.R - Father, in my university days I went away like a lost sheep. I wanted to be cool and to experience what ...

A Companion of All Who Fear You

H - "I am a companion of all who fear you, of those who keep your precepts." - Psalm 119:63E - The psalmist continues to extol God's word. He fears God and wants to be with others who fear God. As a disciple, he is a companion of other disciples.A - Father, will you send me more companions...those who fear you and keep your precepts? I long to be with like-minded disciples!R - "Yes, of course. This is a great request, very acceptable to me. Treasure those disciples who are already around you. Sp...

Turn My Eyes from Worthless Things

H - "Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things and give me life in your ways." - Psalm 119:37E - The psalmist is in danger of looking at worthless things. So he asks God to turn his eyes from those things in order to experience life in God's ways. The prayer is for God to turn his eyes and to give him life.A -  Father, are the eyes of my heart looking at anything worthless? Am I experiencing life in your ways? How can I experience more of your life?R - "This verse is a prayer, not ...

Great Reward

H - "...By [your rules] is your servant warned. In keeping them there is great reward." - Psalm 19:11 E - David wrote Psalm 19. He understood the importance of God's word, which warns the believer and offers the believer great reward if kept. A - Father, am I listening to the warning of your Torah? Am I keeping your rules? R - "Jeff, remember that only in Christ, and Christ in you, can you keep my rules. Spend as much time with me as you can. Don't continually pour yourself out in ministry witho...