Judges 7:2-7

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

 

 

² The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength. ³ Therefore, tell the people, ‘Whoever is timid or afraid may leave this mountain and go home.’” So 22,000 of them went home, leaving only 10,000 who were willing to fight.

⁴ But the Lord told Gideon, “There are still too many! Bring them down to the spring, and I will test them to determine who will go with you and who will not.” ⁵ When Gideon took his warriors down to the water, the Lord told him, “Divide the men into two groups. In one group put all those who cup water in their hands and lap it up with their tongues like dogs. In the other group put all those who kneel down and drink with their mouths in the stream.” ⁶ Only 300 of the men drank from their hands. All the others got down on their knees and drank with their mouths in the stream.
⁷ The Lord told Gideon, “With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home.”




Self-sufficiency is an enemy when it causes us to believe we can always do what needs to be done in our own strength. To prevent this attitude among Gideon's soldiers, God reduced their number from 32,000 to 300. With an army this small, there could be no doubt that victory was from God. The men could not take the credit. Like Gideon, we must recognize the danger of fighting in our own strength. We can be confident in victory only if we put our confidence in God and not ourselves.




Joe

















 

Judges 6:14-16

 

 

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

 

 

 

¹⁴ Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!”
¹⁵ “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!”
¹⁶ The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.”



"I will be with you," God told Gideon, and God promised to give him the strength he needed to overcome the opposition. In spite of this clear promise for strength, Gideon made excuses. Seeing only his limitations and weaknesses, he failed to see how God could work through him.
Like Gideon, we are called to serve God in specific ways. Although God promises us the tools and strength we need, we often make excuses. But reminding God of our limitations only implies that He does not know all about us or that He has made a mistake in evaluating our character. Don't spend time making excuses. Instead spend it doing what God wants.





Joe














 

Judges 6:6-7

New Living Translation (NLT)


 

⁶ So Israel was reduced to starvation by the Midianites. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.




Again the Israelites hit rock bottom before turning back to God. How much suffering they could have avoided if they had trusted Him! Turning to God shouldn't be a last resort; we should look to Him for help each day. This isn't to say life will always be easy. There will be struggles, but God will give us the strength to live through them. Don't wait until you're at the end of your rope. Call on God first in every situation.



Joe

















 

Judges 2:17

 

 

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

 

¹⁷ Yet Israel did not listen to the judges but prostituted themselves by worshiping other gods. How quickly they turned away from the path of their ancestors, who had walked in obedience to the Lord’s commands.

 

 

 

Why would the people of Israel turn so quickly from their faith in God? Simply put, the Canaanite religion appeared more attractive to the sensual nature and offered more short-range benefits {sexual permissiveness}. One of its most attractive features was that people could remain selfish and yet fulfill their religious requirements {hmmm...sounds familiar}. They could do almost anything they wished and still be obeying at least one of the many Canaanite gods. Male and female prostitution were not only allowed, but encouraged as forms of worship.

 

 

Faith in the one true God, however, does not offer short-range benefits that appeal to our sinful human nature. The essence of sin is selfishness; the essence of God's way of life is selflessness. We must seek Christ's help to live God's way.

 

 

 

 

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joshua 24:23

New International Version (NIV)

 

 

²³ “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”



Joshua told the Israelites to throw away their foreign gods, or idols. To follow God requires destroying whatever gets in the way of worshipping him. We have our own form of idols - greed, wrong priorities, jealousies, prejudices - that get in the way of worshipping God. God is not satisfied if we merely hide these idols. We must completely remove them from our lives.




Joe








 

Joshua 24:15

The Message (MSG)

 

 

¹⁵ “If you decide that it’s a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you’d rather serve—and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you’re now living. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”




In taking a definite stand for the Lord, Joshua again displayed his spiritual leadership. Regardless of what others decided, Joshua made a commitment to God and he was willing to set the example of living by that decision. The way we live shows others the strength of our commitment to serving God.



Joe













 

Joshua 23:8

New International Version (NIV)

 

 

 

⁸ But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.




Joshua was dying and so he called all the leaders of the nation together to give them his final words of encouragement and instruction. His whole message can be summarized in this verse, "Hold fast to the Lord your God." Joshua had been a living example of those words, and he wanted that to be his legacy. For what do you want to be remembered, and what do you want to pass on to your children and associates? You can leave them nothing better than the admonition to hold on to God and to the memory of a person who did.




Joe




















 

Joshua 22:5

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

 

 

⁵ But be very careful to obey all the commands and the instructions that Moses gave to you. Love the Lord your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul.”

 

 

 

 

Here Joshua briefly restated the central message Moses gave the people in Deuteronomy: Obedience should be based on love for God. Although the Israelites had completed their military responsibility, Joshua reminded them of their spiritual responsibility. Sometimes we think so much about what we are to do that we neglect thinking about who we are to be. If we know we are God's children, we will love Him and joyfully serve Him. We must not let daily service take away from our love for God.

 

 

 

 

Joe

 

 

www.mynorthlife.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joshua 21:43-45

New International Version (NIV)

 

 

 

⁴³ So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. ⁴⁴ The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hands. ⁴⁵ Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

 

 

 

 

God proved faithful in fulfilling every promise He had given to Israel. Fulfillment of some promises took several years, but "every one was fulfilled." His promises will be fulfilled according to His timetable, not ours, but we know that His word is sure. The more we learn of those promises God has fulfilled and continues to fulfill, the easier it is to hope for those yet to come. Sometimes we become impatient, wanting God to act in a certain way now. Instead we should faithfully do what we know He wants us to do and trust Him for the future.

 

 

 

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joshua 3:9

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

 

 

⁹ So Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the Lord your God.”




Just before crossing over into the promised land, Joshua gathered the people to hear the words of the Lord. Their excitement was high. No doubt they wanted to rush on, but Joshua made them stop and listen. We live in a fast pace age where everyone rushes just to keep up. It is easy to get caught up in our tasks, becoming too busy for what God says is most important - listening to His words. Before making your schedule, take time to focus on what God wants from all your activities. Knowing what God has said before you rush into your day may help you avoid foolish mistakes.




Joe






 

 

 

Joshua 2:8-13

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

 

⁸ Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them. ⁹ “I know the Lord has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. ¹⁰ For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. ¹¹ No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.
¹² “Now swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that ¹³ when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families.”



Many would assume that Rahab - a pagan, a Canaanite and a prostitute - would never be interested in God. Yet Rahab was willing to risk everything she had for a God she barely knew. We must not gauge a person's interest in God by his or her background, life-style, or appearance. We should let nothing get in the way of our telling people about God.



Joe

Deuteronomy 14:22-23

 

 

 

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

The Giving of Tithes

²² “You must set aside a tithe of your crops—one-tenth of all the crops you harvest each year. ²³ Bring this tithe to the designated place of worship—the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored—and eat it there in his presence. This applies to your tithes of grain, new wine, olive oil, and the firstborn males of your flocks and herds. Doing this will teach you always to fear the Lord your God.

 

 

 

The Bible makes the purpose of tithing very clear - to put God first in our lives. We are to give God the first and best of what we earn. For example, what we do first with our money shows what we value most. Giving the first part of our paycheck to God immediately focuses our attention on Him. It also reminds us that all we have belongs to Him. A habit of regular tithing can keep God at the top of our priority list and give us a proper perspective on everything else we have.

 

 

 

 

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deuteronomy 11:26-28

New Living Translation (NLT)



 

²⁶ “Look, today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse! ²⁷ You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today. ²⁸ But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the Lord your God and turn away from him and worship gods you have not known before.




 
It is amazing that God set before the Israelites a choice between blessings and curses. It is even more amazing that most of them, through their disobedience, chose the curses. We have the same fundamental choice today. We can live for ourselves or live in service to God. To choose our own way is to travel on a dead end road, but to choose God's way is to receive eternal life (see John 5:24 below).




Joe


 

John 5:24

New Living Translation (NLT)

²⁴ “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.







 

Deuteronomy 10:12-13

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

 

A Call to Love and Obedience

 

 

¹² “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? 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. ¹³ And you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.

 

 

 

Often we ask, "What does God expect of me?" Here Moses gives a summary that is simple in form and easy to remember. Here are the essentials: 1.) Fear God {have reverence for Him}. 2.) Walk in all His ways. 3.) Love Him. 4.) Serve Him with all your heart and soul. 5.) Observe His commands. How often we complicate faith with man-made rules, regulations and requirements. Are you frustrated and burned out from trying hard to please God? Concentrate on His real requirements and find peace. Respect, follow, love, serve, and obey.

 

 

 

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deuteronomy 8:11-20

The Message (MSG)


 

^11-16 Make sure you don’t forget God, your God, by not keeping his commandments, his rules and regulations that I command you today. Make sure that when you eat and are satisfied, build pleasant houses and settle in, see your herds and flocks flourish and more and more money come in, watch your standard of living going up and up—make sure you don’t become so full of yourself and your things that you forget God, your God,

the God who delivered you from Egyptian slavery;
the God who led you through that huge and fearsome wilderness,
those desolate, arid badlands crawling with fiery snakes and scorpions;
the God who gave you water gushing from hard rock;
the God who gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never heard of, in order to give you a taste of the hard life, to test you so that you would be prepared to live well in the days ahead of you.

^17-18 If you start thinking to yourselves, “I did all this. And all by myself. I’m rich. It’s all mine!”—well, think again. Remember that God, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth so as to confirm the covenant that he promised to your ancestors—as it is today.
^19-20 If you forget, forget God, your God, and start taking up with other gods, serving and worshiping them, I’m on record right now as giving you firm warning: that will be the end of you; I mean it—destruction. You’ll go to your doom—the same as the nations God is destroying before you; doom because you wouldn’t obey the Voice of God, your God.





In times of plenty, we often take credit for our prosperity and become proud that our own hard work and cleverness have made us rich. It is easy to get so busy collecting and managing wealth that we push God right out of our lives. But it is God who gives us everything we have, and it is God who asks us to manage it for Him.




Joe










 

Deuteronomy 8:3

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

 

³ Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. 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.

 

 

 

Jesus quoted this verse when the devil tempted Him to turn stones into bread {Matthew 4:4}. Many people think that life is based on satisfying their appetites. If they can earn enough money to dress, eat and play in high style, they think they are living "the good life." But such things do not satisfy our deepest longings. In the end they leave us empty and dissatisfied. Real life, according to Moses, comes from total commitment to God, the one who created life itself. It requires discipline, sacrifice, and hard work, and that's why most people never find it.

 

 

 

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deuteronomy 6:10-13

New International Version (NIV)

 

 

¹⁰ When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, ¹¹ houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, ¹² be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
¹³ Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.



Moses warned the people not to forget God when they entered the promised land and became prosperous. Prosperity more than poverty, can dull our spiritual vision because it tends to make us self-sufficient and eager to acquire still more of everything - except God. The same thing can happen in our church. Once we become successful in terms of numbers, programs, and buildings, we can easily become self-sufficient and less sensitive to our need for God. This leads us to concentrate on self-preservation rather than thankfulness and service to God.




Joe




















 

Deuteronomy 6:5

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁵ And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.
 
Jesus says that loving God is the first and greatest commandment {See Matthew 22:37-39 below}. This command combined with the command to love your neighbor {See Leviticus 19:18 below}, encompasses all the other Old Testament laws.
 
 

Matthew 22:37

New Living Translation (NLT)

³⁷ Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’
 

Leviticus 19:18

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁸ “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
 
Joe

Deuteronomy 5:8-9

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

 

 

⁸ “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. ⁹ You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.

 

 

 

 

How would you feel if someone took a picture of you, framed it, stared at it a lot, showed it to others, but completely ignored the real you? God does not want to be treated this way either. He wants a genuine relationship with us, not mere ritual. He wants us to know Him. God knows that if we put anything other than Him at the center of our lives, we will not reach our potential and become all that He wants us to be.

 

 

 

 

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Numbers 20:3-5

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

 

 

³ The people blamed Moses and said, “If only we had died in the Lord’s presence with our brothers! ⁴ Why have you brought the congregation of the Lord’s people into this wilderness to die, along with all our livestock? ⁵ Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates, and no water to drink!”



After 37 years in the desert, the Israelites forgot that their wanderings were a result of their parents' and their own sin. They could not accept the fact that they brought their problems upon themselves, so they blamed Moses for their condition. Often our troubles result from our own disobedience or lack of faith. We cannot blame God for our sins. Until we face this reality, we will have little peace and no spiritual growth.




Joe
{Please pray for my daughter Abby as she visits her first high school on Friday in preparation for the next chapter in her life.}





















 

Numbers 11:23

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

 

 

²³ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Has my arm lost its power? Now you will see whether or not my word comes true!”





How strong is God? It is easy to trust God when we see His mighty acts, but after a while, in the routine of daily life, His strength may appear to diminish. God doesn't change, but our view of Him often does. The monotony of day-to-day living lulls us into forgetting how powerful God can be. As Moses learned, God's strength is always available.






Joe
















 

Numbers 10:29-32

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

 

²⁹ One day Moses said to his brother-in-law, Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, “We are on our way to the place the Lord promised us, for he said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised wonderful blessings for Israel!”
³⁰ But Hobab replied, “No, I will not go. I must return to my own land and family.”
³¹ “Please don’t leave us,” Moses pleaded. “You know the places in the wilderness where we should camp. Come, be our guide. ³² If you do, we’ll share with you all the blessings the Lord gives us.”



By complimenting Hobab's desert skills, Moses let him know he was needed. People cannot know you appreciate them if you do not tell them they are important to you. Complimenting those who deserve it builds lasting relationships and helps people know they are valued. Think about those who have helped you recently. What can you do to let them know how much you need and appreciate them?





Joe













 

Numbers 9:23

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

 

 

²³ So they camped or traveled at the Lord’s command, and they did whatever the Lord told them through Moses.

 

 

 

The Israelites traveled or camped as God guided. When you follow God's guidance, you know you are where God wants you, whether you're moving or staying in one place. You are physically somewhere right now. Instead of praying, "God, what do you want me to do next?" ask, "God, what do you want me to do while I am right here?" Direction from God is not just for your next big move. He has a purpose in placing you where you are right now. Begin to understand God's purpose for your life by discovering what He wants you to do now!

 

 

Joe

(Check out Northlife Community Church... www.mynorthlife.com)

Leviticus 25:35-37

Amplified Bible (AMP)

 

 

 

³⁵ And if your brother has become poor and his hand wavers [from poverty, sickness, or age and he is unable to support himself], then you shall uphold (strengthen, relieve) him, [treating him with the courtesy and consideration that you would] a stranger or a temporary resident with you [without property], so that he may live [along] with you.

³⁶ Charge him no interest or [portion of] increase, but fear your God, so your brother may [continue to] live along with you.

³⁷ You shall not give him your money at interest nor lend him food at a profit.

 

 

 

 

 

God said that neglecting the poor is a sin. Permanent poverty was not allowed in Israel. Financially secure families were responsible to help and house those in need. Many times we do nothing, not because we lack compassion, but because we are overwhelmed by the size of the problem and don't know where to begin. God doesn't expect you to eliminate poverty, nor does He expect you to neglect your family while providing for others. He does, however, expect that when you see an individual in need, you will reach out with whatever help you can offer, including hospitality.

 

 

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leviticus 19:33-34

New Life Version (NLV)

 

 

 

 

³³ ‘If a stranger lives with you in your land, do not do wrong to him. ³⁴ You should act toward the stranger who lives among you as you would toward one born among you. Love him as you love yourself. For you were strangers in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.




How do you feel when you encounter foreigners, especially those who don't speak your language? Are you impatient? Do you think or act as if they should go back where they came from? Are you tempted to take advantage of them? God says to treat foreigners as you'd treat fellow countrymen, to love them as you love yourself. In reality, we are all foreigners in this world because it is only our temporary home. View strangers, newcomers, and foreigners as opportunities to demonstrate God's love.




Joe