Author: judyinthesky91

Daily Word

Matthew 7

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Read Matthew 7 – Boundaries – Don’t get lost. Live wise, examine yourself and walk close to Jesus as he gives us some boundaries for life.

I was a little confused between :1 ‘Judge not’, and :6 ‘Don’t give dogs what is holy’. There has to be some judgment in order to know who the dogs and pigs are, right? So I looked to the commentators and found David Guzik gave me understanding, “Our love for others must not blind us to their hardened rejection of the good news of the kingdom…. The Christian is called to show unconditional love, but the Christian is not called to unconditional approval.”

We live in trying times, and the world likes to tell us we are judgmental for upholding biblical values. We must not let the lines get blurry lest we divert from the narrow gate. Jesus says, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.” :13

And how about when he says we are to ask, seek and knock? (:7-11) Boundaries dictate that we must ask… the kingdom of heaven is not the default. We must seek and knock… we don’t just get in, there is a door. Jesus cautions us in verses :21-23 that many will assume they are getting into heaven, they will knock, only to be told the truth by Jesus, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” :23

Our chapter ends telling us the crowds were astonished at the authoritative way Jesus taught. May each of us be astonished as well and take his words to heart. JESUS IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. ❤

Daily Word

Matthew 6

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Read Matthew 6 – Treasure awaits! Our chapter gives some of the most life-giving instruction you’ll find anywhere. Jesus teaches us!

First, he cautions us not to be outwardly religious for the admiration of others, and not to pray long-winded, flowery prayers meant to impress the hearer with little regard for the LORD. Take a fresh look at what we call ‘The Lord’s Prayer’. It is structured with praise and adoration first, then agreement with God’s will, a plea for daily need, a petition for forgiveness tied to one’s own forgiveness of others, and ends with a request to guard one from temptation and deliver from the evil one.

Beloved, how often is the Lord’s Prayer recited with little thought about what the words actually say? Remember, Jesus said, “This is how you should pray.” :9 and not ‘this is WHAT you should pray’.

Do not worry. Don’t you love that Jesus tells us this? I don’t know why it seems purposeful to worry when that is a giant lie! Jesus gives us the most peaceful examples of God’s great love for the birds, and the way he clothes the lilies…. He says, “If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith.” :30 O YOU OF LITTLE FAITH???? Is that a title we want? NO! So let’s believe Jesus and do what he says – stop the worry!

Jesus tells us to simply, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” :33-34

Amen and amen!

Daily Word

Matthew 5

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Read Matthew 5 – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” :4 – The crowds had gathered, Jesus went up a hill and sat down, and these are the first words out of his mouth.  He sat down, isn’t that a curious thing?  Most teachers would stand, but Jesus sat down like a friend.  

This section is called the Beatitudes, and sometimes the Sermon on the Mount.  It covers how to live all the way into one’s heart.  “Thou shall not kill.”  Most people can go through life keeping that commandment, but Jesus cares about the heart and further explains, “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.”  Yikes.  We all get angry.  Jesus teaches us to settle the matter quickly, and do not even bring gifts to the altar until the matter is settled.  Do you see how this takes the ‘holier than thou’ right off the table?  Jesus had no room for the proud or fakers.  

He applied the same teaching to sexual purity.  He went past, ‘do not commit adultery’, and explained that even looking at another lustfully is the act of adultery in one’s heart.  

Jesus’s teaching is revolutionary.  You are to turn the other cheek, go the second mile, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.  What surprised you as you read through?  What do you need to surrender?  Were you tempted to think in your heart, “He didn’t really mean….”  We can be masters of justification because we compare ourselves to other people.  The standard Jesus uses is holiness.  

The late Pastor Chuck Smith said, “The man who truly sees God sees himself in truth.”  May you look with clear eyes into our Scriptures and make every change the Lord leads you to.

Daily Word

Matthew 4

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Read Matthew 4 – It’s go time!  Jesus’s ministry is launched in a big way.  First he prepares by fasting in the desert and the devil comes along and tempts him.  There is a verse in 1 John 2:16 that says every sin can be summed up as ‘the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.’ Satan hits Jesus with every one of these and Jesus stands on the Word to overcome every temptation.   

Remember, Scripture is the sword of truth (Ephesians 6); it is what we fight with!  Would you give some thought to the sins you have faced, whether you overcame them or fell.  Use your hindsight and the way Jesus overcame temptation to prepare yourself for the next time.

Jesus begins preaching in Galilee, fulfilling another prophecy.  His message is clear, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”  :18 And it hasn’t changed all these years later.

Jesus calls his first disciples, Simon Peter and his brother, Andrew.  Scripture records that Jesus said, “Follow me,” and they left their fishing nets on the spot!  (my paraphrase :19-20)  Next he calls James and John and they also left everything and came immediately. 

As Believers we are called to a brand new life.  Would you say you left everything to follow Jesus?  What are you holding on to?

Jesus begins healing the sick and preaching the good news.  As I read through :23-25 the enormity of all he was doing really grabbed me, yet our humble Savior simply summarizes it in 3 little verses.  Jesus was teaching, preaching and healing, news spread, and large crowds followed.  

Beloved, life with Jesus is never boring. 

Daily Word

Matthew 3

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Read Matthew 3 – Revival! Meet John the Baptist – he’s an odd duck, hanging out in the wilderness, eating locusts and honey (which I understand to be quite nutritious), wearing strange attire, preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. ” And yet Scripture records that masses were going out to him to be baptized (:5).

Revival is like that, it sweeps through, awakening souls to the deep need to repent and be saved.

Even the religious leaders came out, and John was not about to let them fake it. He called them a brood of vipers and told them there would be no resting on their pedigrees. John’s simple statement is the true sign of a born again life, “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. ” :8

Beloved, does your life stand up to this? Every day is a second chance for a brand new start.

And in the midst of this revival, Jesus shows up! This was an important moment in his rescue mission. Jesus stepped in the place of sinful man, was baptized and rose from that water… it’s so beautiful… you simply must read it from your bible and not merely this encouragement.

Did you identify with John when he felt ill equipped to baptize Jesus (:14)…. Remember, if Jesus calls you to something, he will make you able. And, as God spoke those words over Jesus, did your heart leap for joy(:17)?

Beloved, pray for revival to sweep through your family, friends, workplace, community, our nation and the whole world. Wear your joy like a banner. The kingdom of heaven is near.

Daily Word

Matthew 2

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Read Matthew 2 – Do you know the Holy Spirit?  Are you able to discern his voice over the chatter of life?   Will you read our chapter with an eye for all the ways he intervened in the lives of Joseph, and the Magi?  Will you consider the priests and scribes who knew Scripture and the prophecies concerning Messiah, yet did nothing! They did not seek to find Messiah, rejoice or worship. They had knowledge, but no love. 

Joseph really stands out as a true man under God and spiritual leader of his household.   It is him the angel of the Lord addresses to flee to Egypt, then return, but to Nazareth and not Judea. 

Men, will you pray for deeper sensitivity to the Holy Spirits lead for you and the family God has entrusted to you? Women, will you pray for your men, spouse, father, son, brother and anyone else the Lord puts on your heart to know and pursue Jesus? 

Beloved, we are living in an age where spiritual wisdom and discernment are more important than ever.   Matthew 2 has so much to wake us up to! 

Daily Word

Matthew 1

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Read Matthew 1 – Foundations – I just finished a study comparing different religions and belief systems to biblical Christianity. An important thing each person should know is the foundation of their faith. How did it start? What evidence is there? When was it recorded? These are good things for Christians to know and they are good questions to ask people of other faiths.

Matthew begins with the lineage of Jesus to show how he fulfilled the prophecy that the Messiah would come from the line of David. What did you notice from these names? How many were familiar? Did the precision of verse :17 stand out? It was fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to exile in Babylon, and fourteen from exile to Jesus.

Then Matthew speaks of the virgin conception and Joseph’s experience of angelic confirmation. In just a few verses Matthew ties Old Testament prophecy to the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Beloved, your bible is true and reliable. Jesus, our Savior, is who he says and fulfilled all he purposed to for sinners like us! Your faith has a foundation that is trustworthy and substantiated.

Daily Word

Psalm 41 (again)

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Read Psalm 41 again – Celebrate! Psalm 41 marks the end of our time in the book of Psalms for now. Scholars have broken the book into five sections the first of which is 1-41.

It reminds me of another celebration. My husband and I were flying over to Las Vegas to celebrate my mother and father-in-law’s 40th wedding anniversary. Their gift was a very nice bottle of champagne, and I brought along some champagne flutes because drinking this delicious bubbly out of a hotel cup was out of the question. But somewhere in my travel bag the base of these flutes broke off. Rather than despair, I thought how much more perfect, that they were endless glasses and not to be set down, but to be cherished and held until the last drop! It was quite a hit with my in-law’s too.

“In my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever.” :12

As I mentioned yesterday, I got caught on this verse and have spent some time untangling my thoughts in prayer and through the wisdom of bible commentators. That is where I found this excellent commentary by Charles H. Spurgeon; it gave me clarity and tied it to the memory of celebrating with my in-law’s, and as if to seal it firmly, I tipped over a freshly washed stemmed glass that was drying on the counter, and the base broke off just like before!

“Thy power enables me to rise above the reach of slander by living in purity and righteousness. Our innocence and consistency are the result of the divine upholding. We are like those glasses without feet, which can only be upright while they are held in the hand; we fall, and spill, and spoil all, if left to ourselves. The Lord should be praised every day if we are preserved from gross sin.” Charles Spurgeon

Beloved, picture it, your very life is held in our Father’s most protective hand; you are not set down, but held and preserved by our Savior, Jesus Christ.

“Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and amen.” :13

Tomorrow we will begin the book of Matthew. It is the first book of the New Testament. It opens with a genealogy…. You may want to revisit your own today to open your heart to the fascination of lineage.

Thank you, Beloved, for taking this journey through God’s Word with me!

Daily Word

Psalm 41

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Read Psalm 41 – Jesus is here.   It has been said that the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed and the New Testament  is the Old Testament revealed (Saint Augustine).  I say that to draw a correlation between David’s plea for himself, and the multifaceted way it also reflects our need, and gives prophetic whispers of Jesus.

“Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble.” :1  Because of the blessings we have received,  we are also called to be a blessing to those in need.  Jesus is the perfect model of this when he lived out his earthly, human mission with great regard for the weak, like me and you, hallelujah!  

“Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me. ” :9. We don’t know the exact situation David is referring to, but we know this is how Judas was identified by Jesus at the last supper (Matthew 26, John 13, Mark 14).

“But you have upheld me because of my integrity,  and set me in your presence forever.” :12 

This verse proved a giant block for me.  I thought David was bragging about his own integrity, which is contrary to the very need for a Savior, not to mention false, as the bible recorded David’s lapse in integrity most clearly.  Yet I know the bible is true and does not contradict itself, so it is my responsibility to dig deeper… and was I ever blessed by the effort!  

But I’ve used enough words for today, so I will share more tomorrow.  Keep reading Psalm 41, as I have been re-reading it daily since my last post.  It only grows more meaningful each time.

Daily Word

Psalm 40

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Read Psalm 40 – we read this recently (as a reprieve during Deuteronomy) , yet the word of God is living and I know it will speak to you in brand new ways today.

In verses :1-4 we are blessed to trust in the LORD. In him there is rescue, firm footing, a new song and wonders galore! “The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.” :5

Jesus and the new covenant are hidden within these verses. In verses :6-8 we read that sacrifices and offerings are not what God requires, but a pure heart that is set on Him. That would have been shocking news to the Jewish community, but that is the good news of Jesus!

David urges the reader to, “Wait for the LORD, and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it. ” :34

And again he assures the reader, “Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace…Salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in times of trouble. ” :37, 39

Beloved, where are you today? Jesus will meet you there. Do you need rescue? Reassurance? Look back and remember his rescue. Look ahead, the best is yet to come! Take refuge in the LORD.