Proverbs 14:22-24 In a previous devotional we talked about the saying “Loose lips sink ships,” which was a by-word in World War II. Those who were working in the war effort were cautioned to be extremely careful about what they shared with others. They didn’t want any information to leak out to the enemy. We also have an enemy, and he uses our very own words as ammunition against us. We forget that the devil cannot read our minds, but he can give us thoughts and can hear what we say. A lot of the time we do his dirty work for him just by being careless in our words.

This proverb says that the talk of lips tends to poverty. Another proverb says he that keeps his lips keeps his soul from troubles. When we speak too much, we often let out information to the enemy that he will use against us. We serve a God who owns all the cattle on the hills and the entire universe. He is rich and wants to bless us with many of His resources, but often we rob ourselves of His blessings by speaking the wrong things. I have caught myself actually speaking curses over my own life by the words I say. I will say things like, “We’ll never have enough money to do this or that.” I also can bring poverty to my own soul by speaking things like, “I’m so depressed,” or “I’m an emotional wreck.” Pretty soon our souls will pick up on what we are saying, and the emotional area of our souls will respond to our words.

We can enrich our souls by what we speak also. David learned this lesson, and he often spoke to his soul: “Why are you cast down, O my soul; hope in God.” We can speak encouraging words to our soul when we feel down. The Bible teaches us to speak in faith and often calls for us to call those things that are not as though they are. The Bible says, “Let the weak say they are strong.” I’ve tried to practice this in my life, and if I am having negative feelings, I try to speak just the opposite. People sometimes feel this is not being honest, but when we are weak, in the Lord we are strong. When we are down, in the Lord we are joyful. When we are confused, in the Lord we have peace of mind. We need to speak what the Lord is in our lives no matter how we feel. Emotions are deceptive, and often the enemy wants us to wallow in our emotions rather than confess the Word of God in faith.

Many of the troubles we have are brought upon ourselves by what we speak. Make it your goal today not to speak any negative words. Ask the Holy Spirit to stop you if you begin to speak negatively. A prayer I pray almost every morning is:

Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to You. You are my strength and my redeemer. Amen.

READ: Judges 19:1-20:48; John 3:22-4:4; Psalm 104:24-35; Proverbs 14:22-24

Psalm 104:1-24 This psalm is so beautiful in its description of the majesty of God. This would be a great psalm to read when you are at a low point in your life. As I read about the creative power and manifold works of our God, confidence welled up within me, and I knew without a doubt that God could handle my every problem.

Let’s look at some of the statements made about our mighty God in this psalm. Let the verses settle deep in your spirit, and meditate on them all day long. Meditation is like worry in the sense that you keep thinking about the same thing over and over again. However, meditation is creative and restorative, and worry is destructive. When we establish a pattern of meditating on God’s Word all the day long, we will have little time to worry.

*    God covers Himself with light as with a garment. God literally inhabits our praises, and as we praise Him, the intensity of the light around Him increases because He girds Himself with praise. We have the privilege every day to dress God with garments of praise.

*    God stretches out the heavens like a curtain. Isaiah 40:12 tells us that God measures the heavens with the span of His hand. God is big, and He can perfect everything that is a concern to you today.

*    God lays the beams of His chamber in the waters. Isaiah 40:12 also tells us that God can hold all the waters on earth in the hollow of His hand. God is big enough to handle every problem you may face today.

The psalm continues listing all of God’s marvelous works, with verse 24 summing it all up: “O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of your possessions.”

After reviewing all of God’s riches on earth, we can only end with praise as the psalmist does: “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. May my meditation of Him be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the Lord” (vv. 33-34).

Let your meditation of Him be sweet today as you meditate on Psalm 104.

READ: Judges 17:1-18:31; John 3:1-21; Psalm 104:1-24; Proverbs 14:20-21

John 2:1-25 My husband and I lead tours to Israel, and we are about to take our sixth trip together there. We always make sure we do not miss the lovely chapel that now marks the place where Jesus turned the water into wine at the wedding of Cana. The presence of the Lord is always so strong in this place.

One of the greatest mysteries on earth is marriage, and it is not surprising Jesus performed His first miracle at a wedding since He is our bridegroom. It is always our custom when visiting this chapel to take a few moments to pray in the courtyard before we go into the chapel. We pray for marriages, and we also pray for the singles who want to be married. The scripture we always pray for the singles is one I found in Isaiah: “Search from the book of the Lord, and read: not one of these shall fail; not one shall lack her mate. For My mouth has commanded it, and His Spirit has gathered them” (Isa. 34:16).

After praying this at the Cana chapel on several trips to Israel, I decided to look that scripture up again. When I read it in context, I got a good chuckle. This promise is not for people, but for birds. The verse before this promise speaks of gathering owls and vultures. Of course, I never told our lovely singles about my discovery, and in spite of my mistake, many of those we prayed for got married. Wedding wine is sold just outside the chapel, and our tour people always insisted I buy some for the wedding of our three sons. I always said, “That wine will turn to vinegar before the boys get married.” God is faithful, however, and all three of our sons were married in a space of nine months, and we now have grandchildren. The oldest son was thirty-five when he married.

Mary said something we should all take note of and heed. When the wine ran out she said, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” David DuPlessis (often called Mr. Pentecost) tells of having a private audience with the pope. In this meeting he shared with the pope that even though their faiths differed a little, they did have one thing in common. He said, “We both believe in doing whatever Mary tells us to do.” He was referring to these words Mary spoke just after Jesus began His public ministry. We all need for these words to resound in our ears daily. “Do whatever Jesus tells you to do.”

Lord, help me to listen carefully to Your instructions daily. Most of Your instructions to me are found in Your Word, but You also speak quietly to my heart by Your Holy Spirit. Don’t let me miss out on anything You want me to do. When I hear what You want me to do, empower me by Your Spirit to do it.

READ: Judges 15:1-16:31; John 2:1-25; Psalm 103:1-22; Proverbs 14:17-19

John 1:29-51 How many times have you called a person, only to receive a taped message? Because of great advancements in the technology of the computer and satellites, we have become a faceless society. At the same time we also have a society in which there is no privacy. Even though my face may not be known to others because I never have face-to-face communication with them, my whole life is known to others. Via the computer and satellite others know all about me—my buying habits, how much money I have in the bank, my age and the number in my family.

This is why I take comfort in our reading for today. In this passage of John, we see how the Lord Jesus knows everything about us. Even though today we do not have face-to-face communication with Him, He sees us and knows us. He even counts the number of hairs on your head. Jesus knows your character, your strengths, your weaknesses and your secret desires. Most importantly, He knows your heart. This passage in John tells us how Jesus knew everything about His disciples before they even met Him. The moment He saw Simon, He called him by name: “Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone” (v. 42, KJV). Then Jesus saw Nathaniel and said, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in which is no guile!” Nathaniel asked Jesus how He knew him, and Jesus said to him, “Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.” Nathaniel responded with this great confession, “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel” (vv. 47-49, KJV).

What is so exciting about this personal knowledge Jesus has of each one of us is that we can tap into this knowledge daily through prayer. If we will seek Him as we intercede for others, He will tell us many things about those we are praying for, such as the strongholds in their lives that need to be pulled down. We can also daily ask Him to show us ways we can better serve those around us. One of the questions I ask Jesus daily is, “How can I make life easier for my husband, my sons and their wives, and all those I will see today?” He never fails to give me inspiration and instruction about little things I can do that will make their day better. Often my family members will ask me, “How did you know I needed that?” I usually don’t reveal my source of information, but now you know my secret.

Jesus was touched with the feelings of our infirmities (weaknesses), and He was tempted in every way we are tempted, yet He never sinned. Ask Him today to share with you how you can make life easier for those around you.

Lord, show me little things I can do that will help brighten the day for others.

READ: Judges 13:1-14:20; John 1:29-51; Psalm 102:1-28; Proverbs 14:15-16

John 1:1-28 John begins his letter with the words “In the beginning was the Word.” The Word was Jesus. He is the living Word. The Father is a Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the breath of God and Jesus is the Word of God. The Word of God took the form of flesh and came to live here on earth. I like to say God decided to put on an earth suit so He could come live with us. Jesus was with the Father from the foundation of the earth. When God said, “Let there be light,” the light of Jesus began to shine on this earth. Jesus is the true Light that lights every man who comes into the world.

Science is always proving the Bible to be correct. With the recent development of test tube babies, an interesting occurrence happens at the time sperm meets with egg. Observers noticed that the moment sperm meets egg, a flash of light occurs. That light is the Light that lights every man who comes into the world. Jesus is present at every conception because He is life. At the moment of conception Light has shown into darkness. The sad part is that many have chosen to walk in darkness.

Jesus is still bringing the light of His countenance to us daily. In my witnessing to people I have noticed that those who receive Christ suddenly glow like a light bulb. Jesus has shone out of darkness into their hearts to give them light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. When I had a vision of Jesus’ face, I asked Him why I could not take a picture of His face to the whole world because I knew when they saw the love in His eyes they would instantly repent. He spoke this to my heart: “I have not chosen to reveal Myself in this way to the world. I have chosen to reveal Myself through My body on earth (the church). You are the one to show My face through your face to the world.”

David writes that the Lord is the light of His countenance. When our son Ron was in China teaching, several of his students would come up and ask him, “What makes your face shine?” Ron was shining the light of Jesus to China, a very dark land. “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Cor. 4:6-7, KJV).

Lord, let the light of Your countenance always be upon me. Today I want to allow Your light to shine out of my heart and face to others.

READ: Judges 11:1-12:15; John 1:1-28; Psalm 101:1-8; Proverbs 14:13-14

Psalm 100:1-5 Every morning I try to have an hour with the Lord. Many people call this time their devotional time or their prayer time, and some call it their quiet time. My quiet time is not very quiet.

During my quiet time I am doing every thing listed in this psalm. This psalm tells us how to enter into God’s presence, and it is interesting to see the sequence of steps. They are as follows:

1. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord. The call to worship was the shofar, which was blown loudly several times.

2. Serve the Lord with gladness. We need to approach the Lord with a servant attitude by offering ourselves to our Master to do His service.

3. Know you that the Lord He is God. We cannot know the Lord apart from His Word. A portion of our quiet time needs to be spent in God’s Word.

4. Acknowledge that you belong to God. We are the sheep of His pasture. We did not make ourselves. We all have our agenda for the day, but we must recognize who is our main boss. Without the Lord we can do nothing. He created us to glorify Him on earth, not to do our own thing.

5. Enter His gates with thanksgiving. We need to be grateful and thankful. The Jesus attitude is one of gratitude. I thank Him for many things in the morning. Grace abounds to us through thanksgiving.

6. Enter into His courts with praise. Praise is the next step into His courts. When we praise the Lord we are not just thanking Him for what He has done for us. We are praising Him for who He is.

7. Bless His name. I try to review the names of God like Jehovah Shalom (the Lord my peace), and Jehovah Jireh (the Lord my provider). I’m thankful His name is higher than any name named on this earth.

8. Think of His character. I review His name and His character. He is good, and His truth endures to all generations.

I usually am up with the sunrise, and I always notice how the birds are singing very loudly as the sun comes up. They are praising God, and I am so privileged to be able to join their serenade of praise. Make a joyful noise this morning to the Lord, praise and bless His holy name, and give thanks to Him. He is worthy.

READ: Judges 9:22-10:18; Luke 24:13-53; Psalm 100:1-5; Proverbs 14:11-12

Luke 23:44-24:12 This passage tells about Joseph of Arimathea, who provided the sepulchre for Jesus’ burial place. Luke describes Joseph of Arimathea as a counselor, a good and just man. He also had refused to condemn Jesus. The name Joseph in Hebrew means “provider.”

My husband had a precious experience when he went to be alone for a day at Stone Mountain. He felt it was time to seek the Lord about some things and he just wanted to be alone in the presence of the Lord. As he was praying, he heard the Lord say, “I call you Joseph.” It was not an audible voice, but Tom heard it with his spiritual ears. When he came home and shared this experience with me, I began to do research on the name Joseph in the Bible and discovered that all the Josephs mentioned were providers.

There are three Josephs mentioned in the Word of God: Joseph, the son of Israel who was sold into slavery, went ahead of his brothers to Egypt and was able to provide food during famine not only for his brothers, but also for all of Egypt. Joseph, the guardian father of Jesus, provided a safe childhood, family and home for Jesus. Joseph of Arimathea provided the burial place for Jesus.

God has a special name for each one of His children. If we miss finding out what this name is on earth, we will know it in heaven. We learn in Revelation that those who overcome will be given a white stone, and on the stone will be written a name (Rev. 2:17). The Lord knows each one of us personally, and it is His joy to give a special name to each of His children. My husband truly is a “Joseph” because his motivational gift is “giving.” I joke with people and tell them my motivational gift is spending, so we make a good team. Whatever name Jesus has chosen for you, I am sure it will reveal your special calling here on earth. I know one name He has chosen for each of us, and that is “Precious.”

Lord, it is so wonderful to know You love me so much and Your delight is to give me a new name. Names are so important to You, but more important to You are the people who bear those names. I’m so glad to be called by Your name (a Christian and a child of God).

READ: Judges 8:17-9:21; Luke 23:44-24:12; Psalm 99:1-9; Proverbs 14:9-10

Psalm 97:1-98:9 Our own righteousness is as filthy rags, but the Lord’s righteousness is filled with blessing upon blessing. We can only tap into the Lord’s righteousness when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. From that moment on we are considered righteous, not because of our own righteous deeds, but because of the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for us. Because of His blood that provided our forgiveness, cleansing, justification, sanctification, glorification and righteousness (right standing with God), we are now dressed in His robe of righteousness. We begin a life journey of blessing if we continue to abide in His Word and His love and obey His commandments. Of course, we will experience trials and temptations (and probably many of them) before we go to heaven, but Jesus the Righteous One will fight our battles, and the ultimate victory will be ours.

Here are some of the things we inherit because we have been made righteous through Jesus Christ:

1. Preservation of our souls
2. Deliverance from the hand of the wicked
3. Light that is always shone on our path
4. Gladness always in our hearts
5. Rejoicing in the Lord a part of our daily lives
6. Only our deeds and words judged for reward, but we ourselves saved eternally

This should make our hearts (which may sink from time to time) sing for joy. God has a wonderful word for us when we feel condemnation. This is always the tactic of the enemy. First he tempts you to sin, and then he makes you feel guilty because you had such a thought. Another great inheritance of the righteous is freedom from condemnation. John tells us, “For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment” (1 John 3:20-23, KJV).

Isaiah 54:17 gives us the most powerful weapon against condemnation, and it is the fact that our righteousness is of the Lord and this is our inheritance as His servants. Joy! Joy!

READ: Judges 7:1-8:16; Luke 23:11-43; Psalm 97:1-98:9; Proverbs 14:7-8

Luke 22:55-23:10 This passage in Luke tells about Peter’s denial of Jesus. Yesterday we talked about the sinking feeling we experience when we face certain difficult situations. Fear and discouragement can cause the sinking feeling. Today we see an even deeper level of emotional turmoil. When Peter denied Jesus, he had more than a sinking feeling. He had a sinking heart. His heart was broken. When the Lord turned and looked at Peter after the cock crowed, Peter remembered the word of the Lord and how He told him that before the cock crowed he would deny Him three times. Peter left the scene and wept bitterly.

Peter had a broken heart, but more was broken in Peter than his heart. Something broke in Peter that changed his life. Earlier Jesus warned Peter that Satan wanted to sift him as wheat. Jesus said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (v. 31-32, KJV).

Peter responded confidently, “Lord I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death” (v. 33, KJV).

What did Jesus mean when he told Peter “when you are converted, strengthen the brethren”?

Wasn’t Peter already converted? After all, he was the very disciple who confessed exactly who Jesus was by saying, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Then why did Peter have to be converted? On that fateful day when Peter denied Christ three times, more than his heart broke. Peter’s pride was broken. He was converted from the confident, independent Peter to the broken, dependent Peter. On that day Peter experienced his own crucifixion—the crucifixion of his own flesh.

It is not easy to die to ourselves. Daily we are exhorted to reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to Jesus Christ. When the Holy Spirit reveals who we are without Christ, the picture is overwhelming and we have a sinking heart. We sigh and ask, “Lord, am I that wicked?”

Just as Jesus went to the cross and Peter had his cross experience on the day he denied Jesus, we must also have our cross experience. It happens when we lay down our self-sufficiency, pride and independence, and when we recognize that without Jesus we have the capability of being just as wicked as Charles Manson the murderer. It is only when we recognize our weakness that we can then turn to Jesus to be our strength. A broken, contrite heart Jesus will not despise. We all have our appointment with the cross when we die to ourselves so we can live in the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. Have you been converted?

READ: Judges 6:1-40; Luke 22:55-23:10; Psalm 95:1-96:13; Proverbs 14:5-6

Psalm 94:1-23 Everyone during their lifetime experiences that sinking feeling. It may be fear that usually hits us with a racing heart and a sinking feeling in the pit of our stomachs. It may be discouragement. The saying goes that when the devil created the tool of discouragement, he then ceased from his works. We may have that sinking feeling when we are experiencing the loss of a loved one. When we receive the report we have been turned down for an interview, once again that sinking feeling overwhelms us. The psalmist David was quite familiar with the sinking feeling. Flight and fight were his constant companions during his lifetime. In this psalm he reveals how he was able to survive the sinking feeling. He writes, “Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence. When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O Lord, held me up. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul-.-.-.- They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood. But the Lord is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge” (vv. 17-19, 21-22, KJV).

David knew to whom he could turn when he had that sinking feeling. In an earlier devotion I shared about the vision a friend had about how the Lord walks with us through life. She said the Lord never turns His back on us. He is face to face with us always, and as we walk through life, He is walking only a few steps in front of us with His hands outstretched to catch us if we start to fall. As she shared this vision, I pictured a loving father teaching his year-old child how to walk. Lovingly he stretches his arms out toward the child, and he stoops to eye level with the child. Then he coaxes the child by saying, “Come on, you can do it. Daddy is here to catch you if you begin to fall.” Then slowly the father moves backward so the child will move forward to be near him.

When you have that sinking feeling, Jesus is face to face with you with His arms outstretched to catch you when you start to slip down. In Psalm 26:1 David prays, “Vindicate me, O Lord; for I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the Lord; I shall not slip.”

In Psalm 37:31 David speaks of a righteous man: “The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.”

Today remember the Lord is your help, your defense, and in His mercy He will not let you sink.

READ: Judges 4:1-5:31; Luke 22:35-54; Psalm 94:1-23; Proverbs 14:3-4