KJB Daily
Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Sunday, March 13, 2016
Chapters: Judges 3-5
Message: Judges: To Prove Them
Hello My Friend,
Prove, To try; to ascertain some unknown quality or truth by an experiment. If you ever wondered why God puts His people in the midst of a world that hates God, this is the reason, to prove us. To prove what? To try us. He is going to prove by experiment, whether or not we are going to remain faithful to Him. “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates. Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates.” - 2 Corinthians 13:5-7.
Being a Christian or even walking with God before Christ came has never been about following a bunch of rules, it has been about choosing God, loving Him unconditionally, and making Him apart of our lives. Are we always going to be jumping for joy in our faith every day? Of course not, but He ought to get some part of our lives every day, even if it is to thank Him for getting you through another day. We can fall and get into some serious trouble when we forget to talk to God, even for a day. It did not take long after Joshua died before Israel began living in then world, and since they thought they knew better and did not need God telling them what to do. God allowed the Canaanites to remain amongst them, He did it to prove their faithfulness to Him, and they failed miserably.
“Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan; Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof; Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath. And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites: And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.” - Judges 3:1-7.
“and forgat the LORD their God,” Do you think people forget God overnight? All it takes is one day to begin the pattern that can cause any of us to forget God. I get it, some days it is tough, you feel like God does not hear you, and no matter what you do you swear you are being punished for something. It is times like these when we have to remind ourselves that God loves us, that He is has something great prepared for us, and if we endure His test we will see it. I can get angry at God for my struggles, but what good would it do, I would still have them with or without Him. At least with Him, I know something good will come out of it. “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” - 1 Peter 4:12,13.
God uses every willing person to get His people to see that they need Him more than just for their salvation, whether a man or woman. Now do not get me wrong, there are some things that God does not want a woman to do in His ministry, such as being the head of a church, but He does want is to be ministers, which just means to serve Him unconditionally according to His word. God knew that as long as Israel had a godly leader they would remain faithful to Him,so over the years he appointed judges to govern them, but only when they cried out to Him. Israel was lead by judges periodically for more than three hundred years, this time he used a woman.
“And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel. And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand. And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go. And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.” - Judges 4:3-9.
“for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Back then and in many parts of the world today, if a man was lead by a woman it was a disgrace to the man. Deborah knew this, but she still obeyed God and led the people peaceably for forty years. God uses every willing soul for His work, if the men will not step up, He will appoint a woman to do it. I do not know how many times I get a man telling me that I am to remain silent about teaching the Bible. God never said that a woman cannot teach the Bible, He said that a woman is not to have authority over the man in His church, and she is to remain silent from arguing the views of a man who is head of His church. “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” - 1 Timothy 2:11-14.
Subjection, The state of being under the power, control and government of another. We can expect God to try us, to prove us so that we will learn to be in subjection to His power. The key to enduring all the challenges we are faced with is offering ourselves to Him willingly and unconditionally. The faster we learn that God is in control and we subject ourselves to His authority the faster we will past that test with an A+++. After their victory to Caanan, Deborah led the people in a song praising God for their victory.
“Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel. LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel. They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel? My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.” - Judges 5:2-9.
“when the people willingly offered themselves.” See, this is what it is all about, willingly offering ourselves to God. When we willingly offer ourselves to Him He will bless us, yes, He will place things before us to make sure we will be faithful to Him, but they will not last. Never confuse something from the devil as something from God, while God will prove us by His word, the devil will tempt us to go against His word. If we are being tempted to go against the standards of God run because it is not from God. “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” - 1 Corinthians 10:12,13.
Jesus Christ Revealed: Today, Jesus is revealed through Othniel, who God delivered Israel from their oppression. Jesus delivers all from oppression when they believe in and receive Him as their Saviour. “Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;” - 2 Corinthians 1:10.
Today's Prayer: God, I know that I am nothing without You and that everything in my life, good, bad, and the ugly, are allowed to prove my faith in You. Lord, purge me from the things that prevent me from being who You want me to be, lead me and guide me, help me to find strength to stand before You as a virtuous vessel of honor, let me be an encouragement to others, be strong for those who may need a helping hand, and to keep serving You however You lead me. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Date: Sunday, March 13, 2016
Chapters: Judges 3-5
Message: Judges: To Prove Them
Hello My Friend,
Prove, To try; to ascertain some unknown quality or truth by an experiment. If you ever wondered why God puts His people in the midst of a world that hates God, this is the reason, to prove us. To prove what? To try us. He is going to prove by experiment, whether or not we are going to remain faithful to Him. “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates. Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates.” - 2 Corinthians 13:5-7.
Being a Christian or even walking with God before Christ came has never been about following a bunch of rules, it has been about choosing God, loving Him unconditionally, and making Him apart of our lives. Are we always going to be jumping for joy in our faith every day? Of course not, but He ought to get some part of our lives every day, even if it is to thank Him for getting you through another day. We can fall and get into some serious trouble when we forget to talk to God, even for a day. It did not take long after Joshua died before Israel began living in then world, and since they thought they knew better and did not need God telling them what to do. God allowed the Canaanites to remain amongst them, He did it to prove their faithfulness to Him, and they failed miserably.
“Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan; Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof; Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath. And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites: And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.” - Judges 3:1-7.
“and forgat the LORD their God,” Do you think people forget God overnight? All it takes is one day to begin the pattern that can cause any of us to forget God. I get it, some days it is tough, you feel like God does not hear you, and no matter what you do you swear you are being punished for something. It is times like these when we have to remind ourselves that God loves us, that He is has something great prepared for us, and if we endure His test we will see it. I can get angry at God for my struggles, but what good would it do, I would still have them with or without Him. At least with Him, I know something good will come out of it. “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” - 1 Peter 4:12,13.
God uses every willing person to get His people to see that they need Him more than just for their salvation, whether a man or woman. Now do not get me wrong, there are some things that God does not want a woman to do in His ministry, such as being the head of a church, but He does want is to be ministers, which just means to serve Him unconditionally according to His word. God knew that as long as Israel had a godly leader they would remain faithful to Him,so over the years he appointed judges to govern them, but only when they cried out to Him. Israel was lead by judges periodically for more than three hundred years, this time he used a woman.
“And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel. And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand. And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go. And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.” - Judges 4:3-9.
“for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Back then and in many parts of the world today, if a man was lead by a woman it was a disgrace to the man. Deborah knew this, but she still obeyed God and led the people peaceably for forty years. God uses every willing soul for His work, if the men will not step up, He will appoint a woman to do it. I do not know how many times I get a man telling me that I am to remain silent about teaching the Bible. God never said that a woman cannot teach the Bible, He said that a woman is not to have authority over the man in His church, and she is to remain silent from arguing the views of a man who is head of His church. “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” - 1 Timothy 2:11-14.
Subjection, The state of being under the power, control and government of another. We can expect God to try us, to prove us so that we will learn to be in subjection to His power. The key to enduring all the challenges we are faced with is offering ourselves to Him willingly and unconditionally. The faster we learn that God is in control and we subject ourselves to His authority the faster we will past that test with an A+++. After their victory to Caanan, Deborah led the people in a song praising God for their victory.
“Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel. LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel. They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel? My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.” - Judges 5:2-9.
“when the people willingly offered themselves.” See, this is what it is all about, willingly offering ourselves to God. When we willingly offer ourselves to Him He will bless us, yes, He will place things before us to make sure we will be faithful to Him, but they will not last. Never confuse something from the devil as something from God, while God will prove us by His word, the devil will tempt us to go against His word. If we are being tempted to go against the standards of God run because it is not from God. “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” - 1 Corinthians 10:12,13.
Jesus Christ Revealed: Today, Jesus is revealed through Othniel, who God delivered Israel from their oppression. Jesus delivers all from oppression when they believe in and receive Him as their Saviour. “Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;” - 2 Corinthians 1:10.
Today's Prayer: God, I know that I am nothing without You and that everything in my life, good, bad, and the ugly, are allowed to prove my faith in You. Lord, purge me from the things that prevent me from being who You want me to be, lead me and guide me, help me to find strength to stand before You as a virtuous vessel of honor, let me be an encouragement to others, be strong for those who may need a helping hand, and to keep serving You however You lead me. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
Receive The KJB Daily Devotions In Your Email: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
Read Previous Devotions: http://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/
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