God's Word For Life
Daily Devotions
January 31
January 31, 2023
Joshua 6:22–25 22 But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot’s house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her. 23 And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel. 24 And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. 25 And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. Biblical Insight Because of her simple act of faith, Rahab and her family were saved from destruction; Rahab’s devotion to God had a positive impact to save her entire family. Furthermore, they were also fully incorporated into the nation of Israel, where they lived out their days. In His grand foreknowledge, God also knew Rahab’s protection would be significant for Israel, as she would become King David’s great-great-grandmother. Furthermore, she is eternally significant as she is one of the few women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:5. Her faithfulness is also recorded in Hebrews 11:31. Daily Devotion Rahab was making her way through the market on that dry, desert day. She was used to the whispers and dirty looks she would get from the townspeople. She had learned to tune out their banter and their raised eyebrows. She did not have the greatest reputation, but she was trying her best to turn her life around. She knew she was made for more. When she encountered the spies that afternoon, she knew, even though it put her family at risk, that she had to help. So she did. She nervously hid the men, and that became a turning point for her. Her story shifted, and now her lineage would birth the Messiah. Rahab did not let the labels placed upon her by society dictate her future. She stood scarlet-cord strong and through her obedience and decisions, the world would never be the same. How has the world attempted to brand you? You have the choice to follow Jesus, even if those around you believe you are not worthy of the call. Take some time to pray today and allow God to strengthen you in the call He has placed on your life to follow Him.
January 30
January 30, 2023
Joshua 6:18, 20–21 18 And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. .... . 20 So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. 21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword. Biblical Insight The Hebrew word herem in verse 18 is translated “accursed” in the KJV can also be translated as “banned” or “devoted to the Lord for destruction;” in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, herem is translated to the Greek anathema, the same word famously found in I Corinthians 16:22. When the people shouted in verse 20, they did so before they had achieved victory, but their act of faith and worship caused the walls to come tumbling down. Daily Devotion Faith is a funny thing. It requires you to be fully and completely reliant on God, even when you cannot see the road ahead of you. Shouting before a victory is just not logical. It really doesn’t make much sense, but God does not always ask for sensical devotion. We know faith to be the substance of things we hope for and the evidence of things not yet seen (Hebrews 11:1). Could we even take the text another step and add that faith is the substance of “things not heard”? Imagine how the Israelites felt. Perhaps some wondered why in the world they were walking around the walls over and over again. And even more so, why were they causing so much racket? The reality is that God knew the victory was on the way, even when they did not. He also knew how they would achieve that success. Their obedience opened the door to triumph. Praising in advance may feel unorthodox, but putting volume behind your faith may be exactly what God is waiting on. Speak to that situation. Shout before the victory. The walls are ready to fall!
January 27
January 27, 2023
Joshua 6:17, 19 17 And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. ... 19 But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the Lord: they shall come into the treasury of the Lord. Biblical Insight Everything in Jericho was designated for destruction with two exceptions: Rahab and her family, who feared God and helped the spies exploring Jericho (Joshua 2:1–24); and precious metals to be stored in the Lord’s treasury presumably for Tabernacle worship, for God had designated these precious metals as consecrated and holy. When Achan later sinned by keeping gold and silver from Jericho for himself (Joshua 7:21), perhaps the most severe aspect of his sin was the fact that he was technically robbing from God’s treasury items dedicated to the Lord. Daily Devotion Rahab was labeled a harlot in her day. In the world’s eyes, she appeared to be tainted—both used and unusable. However, her place in the Kingdom was special. Rahab would be part of God’s orchestrated plan for redemption. The woman who deserved a scarlet letter, instead lowered a scarlet cord and was saved along with her household. The beautiful thing to note about this story is that God saw fit to save His most precious jewels—Rahab included. The people of that day tried to steal and devalue what meant so much to the Savior. He saw beauty in what was branded as broken, and He consecrated it unto Himself. He looked past her past and saw the rare gem she would become. What others see as worthless, God may already be setting aside for a greater purpose, even if the story does not make sense in the present.
January 26
January 26, 2023
Joshua 6:12–16 12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13 And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the Lord, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets. 14 And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days. 15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times. 16 And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city. Biblical Insight This Scripture in the Book of Joshua records the second time the Ark of the Covenant served as the focal point of God’s deliverance for His people. In Joshua 3, the priests entered the river carrying the Ark, allowing the Israelites to cross over. God told the children of Israel that the river crossing would serve as proof “that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you” the inhabitants of Canaan (Joshua 3:10). The river crossing served as a template for how they would defeat their enemies moving forward, by following God’s presence and leading symbolized by the Ark. Daily Devotion Following the Ark served as a literal portrait of faith. It symbolized following God’s presence, yes, but it also showed the people that God does not always work according to how we imagine. The Ark went before them. They were given the command to follow, nothing more, nothing less—just follow. That process of obediently following is how you walk through the waters that seem to intrude on your path. You put one foot in front of the other, and you follow where His presence leads. It might not add up, but faith would not be faith if you had all the answers. Keep following in His ways, and you will end up victorious and right where you need to be. Consider how you’re doing at following the presence of God. Think about your time in prayer, in God’s Word, and in listening for God’s voice. Ask God to bless your efforts to follow Him.
January 25
January 25, 2023
Joshua 6:1–7 1 Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. 2 And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. 3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. 5 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him. 6 And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord. 7 And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the Lord. Biblical Insight Two words are used here to describe the trumpet: the Hebrew word yobel is translated as “ram’s horn” and the word shofar is translated as “trumpet.” Yobel is typically used as a descriptor of shofar, although it can be used on its own to refer to a wind instrument. Both terms are also found in Exodus 19:13, 16, where the sound of the shofar frightened the children of Israel at Sinai. Now the same sound served to frighten their enemies, the people of Jericho. In both instances the sound represented God’s power and presence and dominion over the situation. Daily Devotion Located in Orfield Laboratories in Minnesota is a room that is known to be the quietest place on earth. It is tortuously silent. In fact, according to a Smithsonian Museum writer, the longest anyone has been able to handle the room has been no more than forty-five minutes. God has a way of exercising His power in the capacity it is needed. He will get the attention of His children, and their enemies, however He needs to. When the shofar was sounded, it could not be missed. Even in our quiet places— the ones we attempt to shut God out of—He is there. He may not always shout. He may not always roar, but He always makes sure He is heard in exactly the capacity He needs to be. Wherever you find yourself today, let Him sound the alarm to your enemies that He is in control.
January 24
January 24, 2023
Joshua 3:15–17 15 and as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) 16 that the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. 17 And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan. Biblical Insight While there are many similarities between the crossing of the Jordan and the Red Sea, two unique distinctions exist. While Moses simply raised his staff to make the Red Sea part (Exodus 14:16, 22), at the Jordan God required the priests to physically enter into the raging current of the river before the waters would rescind: a literal step of faith. Additionally, at the Red Sea the waters stood up as walls on both sides of them (Exodus 14:22). However, at the Jordan only the waters coming from upstream stood up as a heap, while the waters downstream simply dried up as any river would that has lost its source, only at a miraculously accelerated pace. Daily Devotion In C. S. Lewis’s Prince Caspian, the youngest of siblings, Lucy, questions Aslan, who represents God in the story. In her innocence she asks, “Why didn’t You show Yourself? Why didn’t You come roaring in like last time and save us?” He gently responds with a simple yet pointed answer, “Things never happen the same way twice, dear one.” Her childlike faith caused her to ask why. She had seen Him do the miraculous before. She had witnessed His glory on full display in the past, so why did He not come in the same thunderous manner again? Maybe the people crossing the Jordan felt the same. Even though they stepped out in faith, their feet may have been shaking a bit. They had heard the stories, and seen the victories, so why didn’t God just do it that way again? Perhaps in His sovereign, unpredictable way, He wanted them to navigate the uncharted waters without a map, so He could wholly be their guide. Could it be that He is asking the same of you?
January 23
January 23, 2023
Joshua 3:12–14 12 Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man. 13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap. 14 And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; Biblical Insight The selection of the twelve men seems to be in preparation for the memorial of stones that would be erected in Joshua 4:1–9. These stones would be erected in the middle of the Jordan as a testimony of God’s provision to the children of Israel forever. Interestingly, these men were selected prior to the miraculous occurrence; the Lord already had begun planning arrangements for the memorial and testimony because, from His perspective, the miracle was a sure thing. The language of the waters standing in a heap evokes even more Red Sea imagery; Moses famously sang that those waters also stood up in a heap (Exodus 15:8). Daily Devotion God has always known the future since the beginning of time. He knew that Adam and Eve would fall. He understood that sin would always be part of humanity, even when He walked blamelessly toward Calvary. He also knew there would be a whole lot of good to be brought about by His people. He knew the outcome of the men in this passage, and what victories they would see. They may not even have understood the brevity of their calling and assignment, but their God, our God did. He was already making plans for their triumph before they ever even thought about a battle. Maybe you are in the middle of a trial and have lost hope of ever seeing a victory, but God has already gone ahead of you and has started to build a memorial and testimony to your steadfastness. He has begun to prepare a place for you. Jesus is going to help you cross the finish line. He always knew you’d finish strong. The process of building memorials is so valuable. In the same way memorials helped the Israelites teach the next generation about God’s faithfulness from the past, remembering God’s faithfulness in our lives today helps build our faith (Joshua 4:21– 24). Use the space below to journal about a miracle God has done for you in the past that strengthens your faith in difficult times.
January 20
January 20, 2023
Joshua 3:9–11 9 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the Lord your God. 10 And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites. 11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan. Biblical Insight Except for the Hivites, all other tribes mentioned in verse 10 are also mentioned in Genesis 15:17–21. In the Genesis text, God made a covenant with Abraham, promising these lands to Abraham’s descendants. Echoes of this original promise can also be found in Exodus 13:5, Exodus 33:12, Exodus 34:11, and Deuteronomy 7:1, among other places. Now, through Joshua, God echoed and reaffirmed that covenant. While God was not obligated to redemonstrate His commitment to His original covenant, the miracle of the Jordan would serve as yet another physical demonstration of God’s ability to defeat their enemies and His fidelity to His promises. Daily Devotion One young adult tells the story of singing the song “I Will Look Up” by Elevation Worship at a final chapel with other group members. The group was full of nostalgia as they looked back over the years. A portion of the song describes in a simple manner God’s closeness and provision in every season of life: “I will look back and see that You are faithful. I’ll look ahead believing You are able.” As meaningful as those words were to the group in reflection of their past, the lyrics also resonated beyond those moments. The message reaches all the way back to the Garden of Eden. From day one of Creation, He provided. If we want to know if God cares and is in control, all we have to do is look back. Though He does not always carry out His provision and miracles the same way twice, His assurances are still “yes and amen.” He may change His approaches, but He will never change His promises. Write a prayer request in the space below. Take time this week to surrender your need to God in prayer, knowing He is faithful.
January 19
January 19, 2023
Joshua 3:6–8 6 And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people. 7 And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. 8 And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan. Biblical Insight The Ark served as a visible representation of God’s presence in the midst of the Israelites. By the Ark going first, God demonstrated His precedence, clearing the way and making provision for His people. Part of God’s purpose in this miracle was to evoke memories of the Red Sea miracle in the minds of the people to solidify Joshua’s position as the new Moses. God’s same supernatural power that directed Moses to part the Red Sea caused this miracle; the people could easily see the correlation and the same God working both wonders. Daily Devotion If you’ve ever taught, volunteered, or been a guest in an elementary school, you know that line leaders are a big deal. Being able to go in front of your classmates and lead them onward is basically the same thing as winning a million dollars in a kid’s world. It is not a responsibility to be taken lightly. God was the providential “line leader” in the aforementioned passage. He went ahead to prepare the way, as He always does. Historically, we understand that He always leads His people, whether it is beside still waters or right to the face of raging seas that seem to block the intended route. Friend, perhaps sometimes you feel the nights get so dark you cannot see in front of you, but keep walking. Keep trusting. Keep pushing forward with the knowledge that the wonder-working God of the universe is not only walking beside you, but He has already cleared the way before of you. Today take a moment to bring your obstacle to God and leave it with Him in faith.
January 18
January 18, 2023
Joshua 3:1–5 1 And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. 2 And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host; 3 and they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. 4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore. 5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you. Biblical Insight The Israelites were to follow two thousand cubits (about three thousand feet) behind the Ark of the Covenant. In preparation for this endeavor, Joshua told the people to “sanctify yourself,” perhaps interpreted as “make yourself holy or consecrate yourself.” The consecration was in preparation for God to do wonders. The command for consecration is presented as the expected preparation for God to do the miraculous; if one expects miraculous provision, one must first undergo sanctification. Daily Devotion There is a process in various ecosystems known as “prescribed burns.” This practice is where trees and plants are set on fire for the good of the entire harvest. A designated area is burned to revive and supplement the land’s health. Upon completion, a new ground is ready to be tilled and purposed after the refining of the excess. Believe it or not, this practice is a safe alternative to letting the forests and bionetworks run rampant and wild. You see, when nature is left to its own devices and not redirected and kept guarded, it will grow uncontrollably. Try willing your grass to stop growing on its own, or the weeds to not overtake your yard without some sort of correction. Nature grows until intervention channels its growth. The same goes with people. God can sanctify us on a daily basis through our time in His presence, and His work in us should be progressive. This refining, this “prescribed burning” away of what does not belong, helps us become become holy. We don’t simply receive the Holy Ghost and then leave our spiritual selves unchecked. We daily seek Jesus’ work in our hearts to cleanse us, shape us, and prepare us for our journey from now to Heaven. Jesus never promised a life of comfort and ease. A painful purifying will occur, but there will be glory after it. Think about your prayer time. Are you making room for God to cleanse and shape your heart?
January 17
January 17, 2023
Numbers 13:30–33 30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. 31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. 32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. 33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. Biblical Insight After Caleb suggests taking possession of the land, the spies who brought back an evil report changed their report. While they had first reported a land that “floweth with milk and honey” and provided ample sustenance for the inhabitants, they then reported that the land “eateth up the inhabitants thereof.” This new description of the land as an unhealthy and dangerous place to live may have been a reference to the frequent warfare between Canaanite and city states, or it may simply have been an exaggeration. Daily Devotion Not far from the shores of the Pacific Ocean lies the Nazca Desert in Peru. For centuries the desert has been a source of fascination because the desert’s 170 miles of hard, red soil is broken by a series of trenches. From the ground level, the trenches appear to be lines, and for centuries people believed the trenches were remnants of ancient roads or ancient irrigation. These hypotheses changed in 1939 when Dr. Paul Kosok flew over the desert in an airplane and discovered that the lines formed symbols and pictures. The random lines only gain meaning when seen from the sky. Oftentimes we can regard situations in our life as having no purpose simply because we cannot see its purpose. We can find ourselves in the presence of our promised land and deem it too dangerous because we only see things from the ground level. It is important to remember that God’s perspective is different. God sees the entire picture where we only see trenches. Therefore our faith cannot be dictated by what we see. Take a moment to brainstorm how to trust God during seasons when we can’t see the end result.
January 16
January 16, 2023
Numbers 13:26–29 26 And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. 28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. Biblical Insight Milk and honey were frequently mentioned in reference the Israelite promised land, so much so that the phrase is used colloquially today to refer to prosperous times and places. In the ancient world, milk and honey were indicators of a land’s sustainability because both foods can be harvested without destroying the source of the product. In contrast, the eating of seeds, fruits, vegetables, eggs, or meat will stop future life from developing. Thus, descriptions of land flowing with milk and honey can be interpreted to mean that the land could sustain a large group of people such as the Israelites for a long period of time. Daily Devotion One day, while playing with his toys, two-year-old Chase was singing, “Yes means yes. No means no. And yes means yes. So no means no.” Amused, his parent asked, “If yes means yes and no means no, what does wait mean?” Without looking up from his toys, Chase said, “God.” One of the most difficult times in our life is the waiting period. It can be exhausting physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Sometimes you may wonder if the promise will ever come to pass. You may even second-guess if you heard God correctly. When God says wait, He is not saying no or never. The season of waiting is a personal invitation into a deeper relationship with God because waiting is meant to be active. We actively wait by trusting in the Lord, doing good, being faithful, delighting in the Lord, and committing to God in all of our ways (Psalm 37:3–5). Trust His timing.
January 13
January 13, 2023
Numbers 13:21–25 21 So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath. 22 And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23 And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. 24 The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence. 25 And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. Biblical Insight The timeframe of forty days appears several times in the Bible. Moses spent forty days on the mountain with God twice, both before and after the golden calf incident (Exodus 24:18; 34:28). Forty days was the length of time Goliath threatened Israel before David fought and killed him (I Samuel 17:16). When Elijah fled from Jezebel, he spent forty days traveling through the wilderness to Mount Horeb (I Kings 19:4– 8). Jesus famously spent forty days in the wilderness being tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1–2). While biblical scholars must be careful not to read too much into numerology, the timeframe of forty is frequently used to indicate instances of struggle and decision-making. This trend might reflect that during the spies’ forty days in the promised land, they were struggling to believe God would deliver the land to them. Daily Devotion How many choices have you made today? It is estimated that an adult makes approximately 35,000 conscious decisions each day and 226.7 of those decisions are regarding food (Wansink and Sobal, The 200 Daily Food Decisions We Overlook). Neuroscientists discovered that many of our daily decisions are resolved in approximately ten seconds whereas larger decisions can take months or even years. Researchers have also found asking for opinions can decrease or increase the time it takes to make decisions. When asking a few, well-informed individuals for advice, decisions are made faster and with greater accuracy. In contrast, the more people one asks, it takes longer to make decisions and the accuracy is greatly diminished. When facing decisions in life, it is biblical to seek wise counsel (Proverbs 12:15). However, we often seek the counsel of people before seeking the counsel of God. We tend to want instant feedback and affirmation. When facing large decisions, it is important for us to turn to God first. We need to make sure we can differentiate His voice among others. Think back over your prayer time the last week. Did you make time to listen for the voice of God? Spend some time now being quiet in God’s presence.
January 12
January 12, 2023
Numbers 13:17–20 17 And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain: 18 and see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many; 19 and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds; 20 and what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes. Biblical Insight The word translated “southward” is often left untranslated in many modern translations and simply transliterated as “Negev” or “Negeb.” This word could refer to the southern region by that name, simply mean “desert” or “dry place,” or could also refer to a southern direction. In Hebrew it is not uncommon for descriptive words to be used as general directions; for example, the word for sea (yam) is also sometimes used to mean “west.” This definition makes sense when considering Israel’s geography; the most significant body of water, the Mediterranean, made up most of their western border. In any case, God instructed Moses to take inventory of the land He had promised. Daily Devotion At the beginning of Daniel Defoe’s 1719 novel, the protagonist, Robinson Crusoe, is apathetic towards others, self-serving, and driven by money. His outlook changes when Crusoe becomes the sole survivor of a shipwreck on a deserted tropical island. There Crusoe struggles with isolation and despair, realizing everything he once had valued meant nothing to him anymore. The piece of gold he once had sacrificed everything for was now worthless. The only thing of value on the island was the very thing he once treated with apathy— the Bible. Through reading and meditating on God’s Word, Crusoe realized he could no longer find contentment in material things. Sometimes instead of feeling contentment in God, we become fueled by a list of never-ending wants. It is in the deserts and wildernesses of life that God wants to reorient our priorities from being driven by wants to finding contentment in Him. Write a prayer declaring your passion to prioritize God above all else.
January 11
January 11, 2023
Numbers 13:1–3 1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them. 3 And Moses by the commandment of the Lord sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel. Biblical Insight This mission was not instigated by Moses or any other Israelites leadership; this operation was commanded by God. The characteristics and identities of the twelve spies also were very important. Not just any twelve men could go. God commanded each one be a ruler (verse 2), also translated “chief” (ESV) or “leader” (NKJV). As leaders these men had authoritative status and cultural influence; their responses would help sway public thought. Moreover, they were representatives of the people; their responses would be in part illustrative of general Israelite opinion. Daily Devotion Cranberries and cranberry sauce were once considered a staple food in the eastern states and a delicacy in the western states. Today cranberries and cranberry sauce have almost disappeared from American cuisine, aside from Thanksgiving. This change is due to “The Great Cranberry Scare of 1959.” Seventeen days before Thanksgiving in 1959, Cabinet Member Arthur Fleming warned that cranberries could be contaminated with an herbicide that caused cancer in rats. Immediately, supermarkets took cranberries off their shelves, governors banned the sale of cranberries, and newspaper headlines decried even touching cranberries. When the cranberry industry fought back, it was revealed that cranberries had not been tested before Secretary Fleming linked cranberries to cancer. By Thanksgiving shoppers could buy cranberries, but the damage was done. The words from one leader ignited the cranberry scare that wiped out hundreds of small growers, laid off workers, and changed the way American cuisine culture views the small, tart berries decades later. In a much different realm, think about the power of your speech. Your words have influence in the lives of those you lead. What legacy will your words leave in their lives? What can you do this week to make a positive impact?