Read Luke 19:1 through 20:47 He called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. “Put this money to work,” he said, “until I come back” (Luke 19:13). Jesus’ followers hoped that He would overthrow the Roman government and establish His kingdom. To let them know that this wouldn’t happen soon, Jesus told a parable of a king who …
Seek God’s Kingdom
Read Luke 12:22–48 In Luke 12 Jesus spoke to His followers about their values. He first consoled those who needed confirmation of their worth in God’s sight. He then addressed the wealthy and the sin of greed. To summarize the topic, He differentiated between worldly and eternal treasures. “Seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as …
Seek His Face
Read 1 Chronicles 13:1 through 16:43 Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always (1 Chronicles 16:11). King David wanted to bring the ark of God back to Jerusalem. The first attempt to move the ark was disastrous because he didn’t follow God’s commands for transporting it. Putting the ark on an oxen-drawn cart was all wrong. …
Mission Possible
Read Luke 7:11–35 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother (Luke 7:15). This verse is a powerful reminder of God’s incredible power. If you ever wonder if God can help you through a troubling circumstance, the fact that He can raise the dead puts to rest any concern over God’s …
Pressing Mute in Life
Read Luke 4:31 through 5:11 The mute button on a remote control is a powerful thing. Any time a commercial on television comes on that is loud, inappropriate, annoying, or saturated in temptation, a simple push of the mute button silences all the irritating noise. Life offers too many distractions and temptations. No doubt, Satan is often the noise in …
Learn to Value Time
Read James 4:1–17 What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes (James 4:14). The last words written in Sir Walter Scott’s diary were, “Tomorrow we shall . . . .” For Scott, there were no more tomorrows. He was living with a forward focus but he was living on borrowed time, …
Brighten Your Corner
Read 2 Samuel 19:1 through 20:26 Now go out and encourage your men. I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, not a man will be left with you by nightfall. This will be worse for you than all the calamities that have come upon you from your youth till now (2 Samuel 19:7). King David had …
The Battle of Life
Read 2 Samuel 8:1–14; Psalm 60:1–12 Jenna’s life seemed to be unraveling. She lost her job, her car broke down, and her sister was mad at her—again. It just didn’t seem fair. I love God, she thought, so why am I experiencing all this difficulty? These thoughts fed her feelings of self-pity. For 2 days she did nothing but sit …
Battle Cry
Read 1 Samuel 16:1 through 17:58 In 1876 missionary Mary Slessor sailed to Africa. Three years later she returned to Scotland to recuperate from malaria. Undaunted, she returned to Africa, this time living with natives. She spoke against cruel local punishments that killed people over minor issues. Through sharing the gospel, she changed many customs and superstitions. In 1915 Slessor …
God’s Vice-Regents
Read Judges 20:1 through 21:25 Last year, God-fearing people watched the news as Terry Schiavo was being put to death by the courts and judges of our land. These judges are vice-regents of God and as such bear a tremendous responsibility to God and will answer to Him. In Genesis 9:5,6, God gave human government. Its main purpose is to …