deaf devo Through the Bible Series #3 God s Great Leaders

Transcription

1 deaf devo Through the Bible Series #3 God s Great Leaders

2 Volume 39 September, October, November, December 2018 Issue 3 Editor-in-chief: Chad Entinger Editor: Jo Krueger Assistant Editor: Mavis Brink Layout: Joseph D. Josselyn DEAF DEVO (ISSN ) is published every four months by Deaf Missions, Greenview Road, Council Bluffs, Iowa (Phone: 712/ Voice/ TTY; Videophone: 712/ ; Fax: 712/ ; Website: com). No subscription fee is charged, unless more than one copy of each book is sent to an address. Freewill offerings are accepted to help pay for the publication. Third-class postage paid at Council Bluffs, Iowa Copyright Printed in the United States. Scripture quotations, except where noted elsewhere, are from The Holy Bible: Easy-to-Read Version (formerly English Version for the Deaf), published by World Bible Translation Center, Inc. Copyright 1987, 1999, 2006, 2010 by World Bible Translation Center, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas Used by permission. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Deaf Missions, Greenview Road, Council Bluffs, Iowa

3 Book of Judges Today we begin a study about some of God s great leaders. This study will cover many of the Old Testament books from Judges through Malachi. These great leaders were judges, kings, prophets and other people that God used to lead the Israelites. When Joshua died, the Israelites did not have a leader. Judges 2:16 tells us who God chose to lead His people. Then the Lord chose leaders called judges. These leaders saved the Israelites from the enemies who took their possessions. God was with these judges, but the Israelites did not always pay attention to them. Instead of following God, the Israelites worshiped false gods. When the Israelites stopped worshiping God, bad things happened to them. So they cried out to God and asked Him to help them. Each time, God felt sorry for the people and sent a new judge to lead them. But when that judge died, the Israelites started worshiping false gods again. The Israelites were stubborn and refused to obey God. The Israelites remind me of some people I know. When things are going well in their lives, they think they don t need God. But when something bad happens, they turn to God for a short time. God wants us to worship and obey Him all the time. Obey God and pay attention to His word today! Jo Krueger Judges 2:16-3:6 Saturday, September 1 2 Tell Others about God Joshua led the Israelites in battle to conquer the land of Canaan. God did many wonderful things to help the Israelites win their battles. But after Joshua died, something terrible happened. Judges 2:10-11 tells us what happened. After the whole generation died, the next generation grew up. This new generation did not know about the Lord or what he had done for the Israelites. So the Israelites did something very evil before the Lord. They began serving the false god Baal. Why did this new generation not know about God? Because no one had taught them about God. No one shared the stories about how God loved the Israelites and took care of them. Every Christian has the responsibility of telling the next generation the Good News about Jesus. Maybe you don t have any children. Maybe you are still young yourself. But you still have the responsibility of setting a good example and telling others what God has done for you. Read Bible stories to your children or grandchildren. Teach a Bible study for young people. Invite neighborhood children to watch Christian videos in your home. Look for ways today to share God with the next generation. God will be with you and bless you. Gayle Thorn Judges 2:6-15 Sunday, September 2

4 Trust God s Plan Yesterday we talked about the new generation of Israelites that did not know about God. Because those people did not worship God, He stopped helping them in their battles. So the Israelites were forced to live among people who did not love and serve God. God became angry with the Israelites. Judges 2:21-22 tells us what God said. So I will no longer defeat the nations and clear the way for the Israelites. Those nations were still in this land when Joshua died, and I will let them stay in this land. I will use them to test the Israelites. I will see if the Israelites can keep the Lord s commands as their ancestors did. It is sad that many people in the world today are like the pagan people who lived among the Israelites. These people reject God and live wicked lives. And sometimes these evil people influence Christians to stop loving and serving God. You may wonder why God doesn t protect Christians by removing evil people from the earth. Some day Jesus will come again, and evil people and their influence will be gone. But in the meantime, we need to trust God and His plan for our lives. Faithfully serve and obey Him every day! Gayle Thorn Spirit of Power Judges 3:10 tells us about the first judge that God chose to lead Israel. The Spirit of the Lord filled Othniel, and he became a judge for the Israelites. He led the Israelites to war. The Lord helped Othniel defeat King Cushan Rishathaim of Aram. After this, the Israelites lived in peace for twenty years. The book of Judges tells us that God s Spirit filled other judges such as Gideon and Samson. God gave these men power through His Spirit so they could defeat Israel s enemies and lead God s people. After the time of the judges, God gave wisdom and power to kings, prophets and the early church leaders. God also gives His power to Christians today. His power encourages us to serve Him, to strengthen other Christians and to share the Good News about Jesus with the world. God s Spirit helps us so we can do the things He wants us to do. God s Spirit will help us as we serve other people, teach about God, comfort people and give to others. And God s Holy Spirit will strengthen us as we share the Good News about Jesus with people around us. God s Spirit has given you special skills to use in His kingdom. Ask Him to show you how to use these skills for His glory. Matt Keller Judges 2:20b-3:6 Judges 3:7-11 Monday, September 3 3 Tuesday, September 4

5 Deborah We have been learning about the judges who led Israel. Deborah was a woman prophet. God chose her to be a judge. She led the Israelites when the people of Canaan were trying to destroy them. Deborah told a man named Barak that God wanted him to lead an army against the people of Canaan. But Barak was afraid. Judges 4:8 tells us what Barak said to Deborah. Then Barak said to Deborah, I will go and do this if you will go with me. But if you will not go with me, I will not go. It was very unusual for a woman to go into battle. But Deborah agreed to go. God helped Israel defeat the army of Canaan. A woman named Jael killed the leader of the Canaanite army when he was hiding from the Israelites. Then Deborah and Barak sang a special song praising God for His help in defeating the Canaanites. Deborah is a good example to us. She was willing to do God s will, even when it meant going into battle. Also, after Israel won the battle, Deborah took time to praise God. Always be willing to do what God wants you to do. And be ready to praise God for what He has done. Are you willing and ready to serve God today? Matt Keller Prophet Forty years after Deborah led Israel, the Israelites disobeyed God again. So God allowed the Midianites to invade the land. The Bible does not tell us the prophet s name, but we can read what he said in Judges 6:7-8. The Midianites did all these bad things, so the Israelites cried to the Lord for help. The Lord sent a prophet to them. He said, This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says, You were slaves in the land of Egypt. I made you free and brought you out of that land. This prophet reminded the Israelites that God delivered them from Egypt. And God promised to protect them as long as they obeyed Him. But God was allowing the Midianites to hurt the Israelites because Israel had disobeyed Him. The Bible does not tell us any more about this prophet. But in these few verses we can learn some important things. First, we see that God always hears our cries for help. Second, we see that God always keeps His promises. We can also see that God did not use His prophet to scold the Israelites. The prophet just told them the truth. God s truth, the Bible, is still clear today. We can boldly share God s Word with the people around us. Matt Keller Judges 4:1-10 Wednesday, September 5 4 Judges 6:1-10 Thursday, September 6

6 Bad News Yesterday we learned that the Midianites came into the land where the Israelites lived. Judges 6:5-6 tells us the bad news about what happened to the Israelites. The Midianites came with their families, animals, and tents. They were like a swarm of locusts! They and their camels were too many to count. They came into the land and ruined it. The Israelites became very poor because of the Midianites. So the Israelites cried to the Lord for help. In the past, God had done many wonderful things for Israel. He led them safely out of Egypt and did many miracles for them as they traveled to their new home. But later the Israelites forgot about God. That s when God allowed other people to bother the Israelites. Their crops were ruined, and they became poor and hungry. Today there is a lot of bad news in the world. Terrible things are happening to people. Many of these terrible things happen because people disobey God. God is not happy with all the wrong things people do against Him and His Word. When you see bad things happening to other Christians today, pray to God and ask for His guidance. God will always be your source of strength when troubles happen. He will never fail you! Opal Cochran Gideon (1) God spoke to an Israelite named Gideon. He told Gideon that He was helping Israel. We can find Gideon s response in Judges 6:13. Then Gideon said, Pardon me, sir, but if the Lord is with us, why are we having so many troubles? We heard that he did wonderful things for our ancestors. They tell us that the Lord took them out of Egypt. But now it seems the Lord has left us and is letting the Midianites defeat us. God told Gideon to use His power to save the Israelites. But Gideon did not believe he could lead the Israelites against the Midianites. He thought that he was weak and too young. So God assured Gideon that He would be with Him and help him defeat the Midianites. Later, Gideon obeyed, and he was able to save Israel and overcome the Midianites. Some people today think that they can fight evil in the world by themselves. But we cannot do that without God s power. Many times throughout the Bible, God tells us that He will be with us to give us strength and help us overcome evil. God helped Gideon lead the Israelites to a victory over their enemies. And He will give us victory over sin through His Son, Jesus! Opal Cochran Judges 6:1-10 Judges 6:11-18 Friday, September 7 5 Saturday, September 8

7 Gideon (2) In yesterday s devotion, we learned that God talked to Gideon. Judges 6:24 tells us what happened next. So Gideon built an altar there to worship the Lord and named it The Lord is Peace. It still stands in the city of Ophrah, where the Abiezer family lives. That same night, God spoke to Gideon again. He asked Gideon to tear down his father s altar. That altar was built to worship the false god, Baal. Gideon was afraid to do this. So he decided to tear down the altar at night when no one would see him. It seems that it was easy for Gideon to build a new altar to God, but it was hard for him to tear down the altar built for Baal. It is the same in our lives. It is easy for us to make promises to God and to go to church. But it is much harder for us to get rid of something sinful in our lives. God s Word shows us our sins and tells us to stop doing wrong things. It may be difficult for us to stop sinning, but that is what we should do. Repent and ask God to forgive you. Fill your life with God s Word and try to obey Him every day. Thank God for His goodness and His forgiveness today! Beverly Eliason Gideon (3) God told Gideon that he would lead the Israelites against their enemies. God s Spirit was with Gideon, and he called the Israelites to prepare for battle. But Gideon wanted to be sure that God would be with him. Judges 6:36-37 tells us what Gideon said to God. Then Gideon said to God, You said that you would help me save the Israelites. Give me proof. I will put a sheepskin on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the sheepskin, while all the ground is dry, I will know that you will use me to save Israel, as you said. God did what Gideon asked. There was dew on the sheepskin, but not on the ground. Then Gideon asked for more proof. He asked for the sheepskin to stay dry, while the ground around it was wet with dew. Again, God did what Gideon asked. Sometimes people today are like Gideon. They ask God to prove that His words are true. God does not want us to keep asking for proof that He will keep His promises. God wants us to accept His words in the Bible and trust Him. When you read the Bible, you can know that it is true. And you can depend on God to love and protect you today. Opal Cochran Judges 6:19-27 Judges 6:33-40 Sunday, September 9 6 Monday, September 10

8 Samson (1) In Bible times, a Nazarite was a person who made a special promise to serve God. Samson was a Nazarite. Before Samson was born, God s angel spoke to Samson s mother. Judges 13:4-5 tells us what the angel said. Don t drink any wine or any other strong drink. Don t eat any food that is unclean, because you are pregnant, and you will have a son. He will be dedicated to God in a special way. He will be a Nazarite. So you must never cut his hair. He will be God s special person from before he is born. He will save the Israelites from the power of the Philistines. God had a special plan for Samson s life. Samson grew up, and God gave him great physical strength. God helped him lead Israel against their enemies, the Philistines. Maybe you wonder what it would be like to be a person who serves God in a special way. Christians are people who promise to serve and obey God. That is the same as a Nazarite making a special promise to God. So, if you are a Christian, you are a very special person, too. God has a plan for your life. He will lead you to do special things for His kingdom. Ask God to give you strength to serve Him today. Samson (2) Often God asks us to do special things for Him. But sometimes our friends or relatives do not agree with what we are doing. That happened to Samson. Judges 14:2 tells us what Samson wanted to do. When he returned home, he said to his father and mother, I saw a Philistine woman in Timnah. I want you to get her for me. I want to marry her. Samson s parents were not happy that Samson wanted a Philistine wife. The Philistines were enemies of the Israelites. They thought that Samson should choose an Israelite woman to be his wife. But Samson s parents did not know that God wanted Samson to choose this woman. Why? Because God had a plan to do something against the Philistine people. Samson s parents did not understand or trust Samson s decision. But Samson knew that he should follow God. Maybe you think that God has asked you to do something special for Him become a missionary, lead a Bible study or tell a friend about Jesus. First, study the Bible so you can know what God wants you to do. Then, trust and obey God, even if some people do not agree with you. God will bless you for following and obeying Him! Steve Brink Steve Brink Judges 13:1-7 Judges 14:1-14 Tuesday, September 11 7 Wednesday, September 12

9 Samson (3) Samson s Philistine wife died. Then he fell in love with another Philistine woman named Delilah. The rulers of the Philistines asked Delilah to trick Samson into telling her the secret of his great strength. Delilah kept bothering Samson and asking him about his strength. Judges 16:17 tells us what happened. Finally, Samson told Delilah everything. He said, I have never had my hair cut. I was dedicated to God before I was born. If someone shaved my head, I would lose my strength. I would become as weak as any other man. It is hard for me to believe that Samson told Delilah the secret of his great strength. When I read about Samson, I feel sorry for him. When Delilah knew the truth, she told the Philistines. They cut Samson s hair, and his strength was gone. Then the Philistines easily captured Samson. But even though Samson made a mistake, God stayed with him. When Samson asked God to give him strength one last time, God answered his prayer. God turned Samson s mistake into victory. God can do the same for you. He can help you overcome your mistakes. He can change your failures into victories for Him. Steve Brink The Church (1) The church is not only a place where we receive good training in how to live for God. It is also where we experience some important relationships. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul talks about several relationships in the church. The first relationship involves the church leaders who guide, teach, discipline and protect the church. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 tells us about these leaders. Now brothers and sisters, we ask you to recognize the value of those who work hard among you those who, as followers of the Lord, care for you and tell you how to live. Show them the highest respect and love them because of the work they do. The second relationship is about serving and caring for people who are facing problems. God gives each of us gifts to help us encourage these people. The third relationship is the support we receive from other Christians. They help us to always be full of joy and to give thanks. The fourth relationship is with God. He gives us strength to serve Him and binds us together as one in Jesus. The church needs all four of these relationships so we can be complete in Jesus. Ask God to show you how you can develop these relationships in your church. Bob LaForge Judges 16:1-31 Thursday, September Thessalonians 5:12-24 Friday, September 14

10 The Church (2) Some Christians become discouraged and stop reaching out to other people. They sit in their church building and wait for someone to come to them. These Christians are very lonely people. They are not doing all that God wants them to do. God is loving and kind. But He is not focused on Himself. God is focused on us, and He wants us to be like Him. In Acts 4:32, Luke tells us that the early Christians were focused on serving each other. The whole group of believers was united in their thinking and in what they wanted. None of them said that the things they had were their own. Instead, they shared everything. When Jesus lived on earth, He was not selfish. He showed compassion to people who were sick, lame, lonely or sad. But Jesus did not sit and wait for these people to come to Him. Instead, He went out and found needy people and showed them His healing and love. When we follow Jesus example of reaching out to hurting people, we experience God s grace and power. Look for needy people around you today. Love them, help them and tell them the Good News about Jesus. Bob LaForge The Church (3) History tells us about many great leaders. But all of those leaders died. And often their kingdoms were destroyed when they died. Jesus is the leader of the church. He died, too, but He did not stay dead. Three days after Jesus died, He arose from the dead. He is alive today and will always lead His followers. Paul talks about this in Colossians 1: The Son was there before anything was made. And all things continue because of him. He is the head of the body, which is the church. He is the beginning of everything else. And he is the first among all who will be raised from death. So in everything he is most important. God s church will always stand strong. It is not something temporary that will pass away. Even though many Christians will be persecuted, the devil will not succeed in destroying the church. The church continues to be made up of sinners who have been cleansed by Jesus blood. These Christians have been rescued from hell and given eternal life with God. Thank God for His church! Praise Him for His Son, Jesus, who died to make us holy and complete in Him. Bob LaForge Acts 4:32-37 Colossians 1:15-27 Saturday, September 15 9 Sunday, September 16

11 The Church (4) The earth is a very interesting planet. Its center is a core of iron that is 1500 miles across. But the earth s surface is filled with beauty and variety. The earth has cold polar regions as well as tropical rain forests. In these areas there are millions of different kinds of animals, fish, birds and insects. God made all parts of the earth to work together in harmony. The church is similar to the earth. It is made up of people who are very different and who serve God in different ways. There are mega churches in North America and small underground churches in Asia. Some churches have exciting worship celebrations, while other churches have quiet solemn gatherings. But at the center of the church is a core that binds everyone together. This core is made of seven things that Paul mentions in Ephesians 4:4-6. There is one body and one Spirit, and God chose you to have one hope. There is one Lord, one faith and one baptism. There is one God and Father of us all, who rules over everyone. He works through all of us and in all of us. The church is diverse in many ways, but it is united as one body under the leadership of Jesus. Let us all work together to praise God and share His message of salvation with the world! Bob LaForge The Church (5) Many years ago, prisoners were treated very badly. They lived in prisons that were dirty and filled with disease. Prisoners were often starved. People who walked by a prison could hear the prisoners cries of suffering. People who do not love and follow Jesus are prisoners of their sins. They are filled with bitterness, anger, greed and selfishness. But when these people cry out to God for help, He offers them salvation through Jesus. When people love and obey Jesus, God gives them gifts. These gifts help them work and serve in the church. Paul tells us about this in Ephesians 4: And that same Christ gave these gifts to people: He made some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to go and tell the Good News, and some to care for and teach God s people. Christ gave these gifts to prepare God s holy people for the work of serving, to make the body of Christ stronger. If you are a Christian, God has given you a gift that will help you serve Him. Find a place of service in your church. Maybe that place is in the church nursery taking care of children, in your kitchen preparing meals for sick people, in a classroom teaching young adults or out in the world helping prisoners and homeless people. God will strengthen you as you use your gift for Him! Bob LaForge Ephesians 4:1-6 Monday, September Ephesians 4:7-16 Tuesday, September 18

12 The Church (6) Sometimes we read about a wealthy person who has died and left a lot of money in his bank account. But then we see that while he was alive, he was selfish and never used his money to bless other people. We realize that kind of person was very foolish. Some Christians are like that wealthy person. God has given them many blessings and taken care of them every day. But instead of giving thanks and being joyful, these people are always complaining and trying to hurt other people. These people are foolish, too! God does not want us to complain, look sad all the time and hurt others. The Bible uses the words rejoice, glad, happy, celebrate and joy more than 600 times! God wants us to be happy about what He has done for us and to praise Him. Psalm 100:4 tells us how God wants us to act. Come through the gates to his Temple giving thanks to him. Enter his courtyards with songs of praise. Honor him and bless his name. God wants His church to be made up of Christians who are filled with thanksgiving and praise. When people outside the church see Christians being joyful, they will want to know more about God and His plan of salvation. God has blessed you so much! Thank and praise Him today! Bob LaForge The Church (7) The church needs to look to the past, the present and future. When Christians look at the past, they can see how God worked with the nation of Israel for many years. Then they can see that God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for their sins. Paul talks about this in Titus 2:14. He gave himself for us. He died to free us from all evil. He died to make us pure people who belong only to him and who always want to do good. Finally, Christians can see how the early church grew and made an impact on the world. When Christians look at the present, they see that they need to resist sin and stand strong for God. They also see the many people in the world who do not know Jesus. It is their responsibility to share the Good News with these lost people. When Christians look to the future, they should be filled with thankfulness and rejoicing. When Jesus comes again, He will take the church as His bride to live forever with Him. That time will be filled with eternal happiness, praise and worship! So don t forget to look at the past and thank God for what He has done for you. Then look around you and see where you can serve and honor God in His kingdom. And finally, look to the future and await the time when Jesus will come again. Bob LaForge Psalm 100:1-5 Wednesday, September Titus 2:11-15 Thursday, September 20

13 Ruth (1) Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, were widows their husbands had died. Naomi wanted to leave Moab and go back to her home in Judah. Ruth decided to go with her. They made the long journey together to the city of Bethlehem. Ruth helped Naomi by gathering food for them to eat. Later, Ruth met a man named Boaz. Ruth 2:11 tells us what Boaz said to Ruth. Boaz answered her, I know about all the help you have given to your mother-in-law Naomi. I know you helped her even after your husband died. And I know that you left your father and mother and your own country and came here to this country. You did not know anyone from this country, but you came here with Naomi. When Ruth arrived in Judah with Naomi, she was a stranger. Sometimes I feel like a stranger when I am in a new group of people at church. Some of these people are from a different part of the country or speak another language or are of a different age. But they are very kind to me. They welcome me into their group. I am happy to meet new brothers and sisters in Christ. And I am thankful for their patience with me. I know that we can all work together to share the Good News about Jesus. Ruth (2) Yesterday we talked about Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. Ruth gathered food from Boaz fields. Later, Boaz decided to marry Ruth. He went to the city leaders to tell them what he wanted to do. Ruth 4:11 tells us more about this. So all the elders and the people who were near the city gates said, We are witnesses to all of this. And may the Lord bless this woman who is coming into your home to be like Rachel and Leah. They are the ones who had many children to make the people of Israel strong. And may you become powerful in the tribe of Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem! Rachel and Leah were wives of Jacob. They came from a foreign country, but they were accepted by Jacob and his family. Now Boaz was accepting Ruth as his wife. God blessed Boaz and Ruth with a son named Obed. Obed grew up and had a son named Jesse. Jesse became the father of King David. Many years later, a special baby was born into this family line. That baby was Jesus, God s Son. God used Ruth in a wonderful way. He can use you in your church and your community, too. I pray that God will help you teach many people about Him. Anonymous Anonymous Ruth 1:1-2:23 Friday, September Ruth 3:1-4:22 Saturday, September 22

14 New Day Have you ever done something wrong and then wished you could start over again? I believe that everyone in the world has wished this at least once in their life. Zacchaeus was a man who was given a new start. He was a wealthy tax collector. At that time, tax collectors worked for the Roman government. And often when they collected money, they were dishonest and kept some money for themselves. For those reasons, the Jews did not like tax collectors. One day Jesus was in the city of Jericho where Zacchaeus lived. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, so he climbed a tree to get a good view. When Jesus walked by, He stopped and told Zacchaeus that He wanted to stay at his house. So Jesus went to Zacchaeus house. Luke 19:8 tells us that Zacchaeus changed his life when he met Jesus. Zacchaeus said to the Lord, I want to do good. I will give half of my money to the poor. If I have cheated anyone, I will pay them back four times more. Did you know that you can have a fresh start, too? Today is a new day with new hopes and opportunities. You can put aside the bad thoughts and feelings from yesterday. Think about God s mercy and the joy and hope that Jesus gives you. Have a wonderful day! Explore the Bible Geologists study to see where there might be gold deposits on the earth. Then they explore by drilling to see if they can find traces of gold. This exploration is very valuable to someone who wants to find gold. The Bible is filled with information and teachings that are even more valuable than gold. As Christians, we should want to explore God s Word and find these truths that will help us grow spiritually. We need to read the Bible, think about what we read and then apply that to our lives. In 2 Timothy, Paul wrote to Timothy, a young preacher. Paul gave Timothy some words of encouragement in 2 Timothy 2:15. Do your best to be the kind of person God will accept, and give yourself to him. Be a worker who has no reason to be ashamed of his work, one who applies the true teaching in the right way. Paul reminded Timothy that he needed to use God s Word in the right way. But before Timothy could use God s Word wisely, he needed to study it and then apply that teaching to his own life. Take time today to explore the Bible. Ask God to show you all the valuable teachings in His Word. Lynette Denton Karen Coleman Luke 19: Timothy 2:14-18 Sunday, September Monday, September 24

15 Hannah s Promise Hannah was a woman who loved God. But Hannah was very sad. Why? Because she did not have any children. Each year she and her husband went to the Lord s house at Shiloh to worship God. Year after year Hannah was reminded that she didn t have any children. One time when Hannah was at Shiloh, she was very sad. She cried out to God and asked Him to give her a son. Hannah promised God if He gave her a son, she would give him back to God to serve Him. God answered Hannah s prayer and gave her a son. She named him Samuel. Hannah kept her promise to God. When Samuel was old enough, she took him to the Lord s house and left him with Eli, the priest. 1 Samuel 1:28 tells us what Hannah said to Eli. And now I give this child to the Lord. He will serve the Lord all his life. Then Hannah left the boy there and worshiped the Lord. Hannah kept her promise to God. And later God blessed her with three more sons and two daughters. This is an example for us. Keep the promises that you make. Think about this as you communicate with other people today. Norma Mezoe A Man of God Eli was the high priest of Israel soon after the time of the judges. He was a good man, but his sons were evil. 1 Samuel, chapter 2, tells about all the bad things they did. Eli could not control his sons or make them stop what they were doing. This made God very angry. So God sent a prophet, a man of God, with a message for Eli. The man of God said that God would not allow Eli s descendants to serve Him. He said there would be violence in Eli s family and that God would choose a new person to serve Him as high priest. 1 Samuel 2:30 tells us part of the man of God s message. The Lord, the God of Israel, promised that your father s family would serve him forever. But now the Lord says, That will never be! I will honor people who honor me, but bad things will happen to those who refuse to respect me. The man of God s message was a terrible one. Maybe it was not easy for him to tell Eli the message. But the man of God told Eli anyway. Sometimes it is hard for us to tell someone they are sinning. It may not be easy to tell them about Jesus. But we must tell them if we want them to be saved. We need to speak boldly, like this man of God. Matt Keller 1 Samuel 1:9-28 Tuesday, September Samuel 2:27-36 Wednesday, September 26

16 Samuel We have learned that Hannah had a son named Samuel. She promised that if God gave her a son, the son would belong to God all his life. So God caused Samuel to be born. Hannah kept her promise and took Samuel to be raised by Eli, the priest. Samuel was a Nazarite. This means that he was dedicated to the Lord. Samuel never drank wine and never had his hair or beard cut. God chose Samuel to be His servant and the leader of Israel. 1 Samuel 3:19-20 tells us how God blessed Samuel. The Lord was with Samuel while he grew up. He did not let any of Samuel s messages prove false. Then all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, knew that Samuel was a true prophet of the Lord. But when Samuel was old, the people of Israel wanted a king. God told Samuel that the people were not rejecting Samuel, but they were rejecting God. So God told Samuel to pour oil on the head of a man named Saul. This showed that God had chosen Saul as king of Israel. Later, Saul stopped following God. Then God told Samuel to choose David to be the new king. After that, Samuel did not lead Israel. Samuel is an example of a man who loved and faithfully served God. Always try to be like Samuel. Matt Keller Markers If you travel on highways in the United States, you will often see mile markers along the side of the road. People use these mile markers to help them know how far they have driven or to check their speedometer. Sometimes people watch these markers to help the drive seem less boring. As I go though my life, I need to have markers, too. These markers let me know where I am, where I am going and how far I have come. 1 Samuel 7:12 tells us that Samuel set up a marker to help him remember what God had done for him. After this Samuel set up a special stone to help people remember what God did. Samuel put the stone between Mizpah and Shen and named the stone Stone of Help. Samuel said, The Lord helped us all the way to this place. It is important for us to make progress in our spiritual lives. Here are some questions that can serve as markers in our lives. Do you live better than before? Is your prayer life improving? Do you study the Bible and give your money to God s kingdom? Do you have good relationships with other Christians? Remember what God has done for you. And be sure you are growing spiritually and becoming a stronger Christian. Duane King 1 Samuel 3: Samuel 7:7-14 Thursday, September Friday, September 28

17 Kings The nations around Israel had kings to rule over them. The Israelites did not have a king, but they wanted to be like the other nations. So, the people told Samuel that they wanted a king, too. Samuel decided to talk with God. 1 Samuel 8:9 tells us what God said to Samuel. So listen to the people and do what they say. But give them a warning. Tell the people what a king will do to them. Tell them how a king rules people. Samuel told the Israelites God s message, but they still wanted a king. So God gave the Israelites many kings. The first three kings each ruled for 40 years. These kings were Saul, David and Solomon. There were many kings who followed God, but many other kings disobeyed God. These bad kings encouraged the Israelites to disobey God and to worship false gods. The bad things that God said would happen to the Israelites really happened! God knew what was best for the Israelites. He also knows what is best for you. You can learn what is best for you by reading the Bible. God loves you, and He has a plan for your life. Trust Him to lead you in the right way every day of your life. Jo Krueger Group of Prophets Saul and his servant were looking for some lost donkeys. They went to the prophet Samuel to ask where the donkeys were. God had caused the donkeys to be lost so that Saul would go to Samuel. Samuel poured oil over Saul s head to set him aside to be king of Israel. Then Samuel told Saul a prophecy to show Saul that all that had happened was from God. Samuel told Saul he would meet a group of prophets and that he would prophesy with them. Here the word prophesy means that God s Spirit took control of a person. Then that person would sing or dance and worship God. The group of prophets was a group of people who worshiped God that way. God s Spirit came on Saul and he prophesied with the other prophets. 1 Samuel 10:11 tells us more about this. Some of the people who had known Saul before saw him prophesying with the prophets. So they asked each other, What has happened to Kish s son? Is Saul one of the prophets? It was very unusual for Saul to worship God this way. So this was a sign to other people that God was working in Saul s life. God is working in your life today, too. And when you follow and obey God, other people can see Him at work in your life, too. Matt Keller 1 Samuel 8:1-22 Saturday, September Samuel 9:26b-10:16 Sunday, September 30

18 God s Way Saul was finally king of Israel. The Israelites were preparing to fight a war with their enemies, the Philistines. God s prophet, Samuel, told Saul to wait until Samuel could come to Gilgal. When Samuel would arrive at Gilgal, he would make a sacrifice to the Lord. Saul and his army waited and waited. But Samuel did not come. Then they became afraid. So Saul decided not to wait for Samuel. He offered the sacrifice himself. But God was not pleased with Saul. Why? Because Saul did not obey His instructions. Samuel told Saul that he had been foolish. 1 Samuel 13:14 tells us what else Samuel said to Saul. But now your kingdom won t continue. The Lord was looking for a man who wants to obey him. He has found that man and the Lord has chosen him to be the new leader of his people, because you didn t obey his command. Sometimes we know what God wants us to do, but we do things our way instead. Like Saul, we might think we are pleasing God, but what we are really doing is disobeying God. God always knows what is best for us. If we truly want to please God and serve Him, we will do things His way, not our way. Matt Keller Obeying God God wants you to obey Him so He can help you become a strong Christian. If you obey God, He will bless you. But if you do not obey God, you will miss many wonderful things that God has planned for you. The Bible gives us many examples of people who obeyed God and examples of people who did not obey Him. Adam and Eve did not obey God. They ate the fruit from the tree that gives knowledge of good and evil. Abraham obeyed God by being willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Yesterday we read that Saul did not obey God. In 1 Samuel 15:22-23, Samuel tried to explain to Saul how he had disobeyed God. But Samuel answered, Which pleases the Lord more: burnt offerings and sacrifices or obeying his commands? It is better to obey the Lord than to offer sacrifices to him. It is better to listen to him than to offer the fat from rams. Refusing to obey is as bad as the sin of sorcery. Being stubborn and doing what you want is like the sin of worshiping idols. You refused to obey the Lord s command, so he now refuses to accept you as king. We all face decisions in life. We should ask God to help us obey Him in every situation. God has promised to bless us when we obey Him. Anonymous 1 Samuel 13: Samuel 15:10-23 Monday, October 1 17 Tuesday, October 2

19 Chosen (1) When Saul disobeyed, God rejected him. Today and tomorrow we will learn about David, who was chosen to be the new king. And we will talk about a couple of things we can learn from 1 Samuel, chapter 16. Several years ago, the weather in the United States was very strange. Places where it was usually warm were very cold. Many plants became brown and wrinkled. These plants seemed to be dead. But experts were called in to look at the plants. They examined the plants and said that they were still alive. God sent Samuel to the family of Jesse to choose a new king. When Samuel saw Eliab, Jesse s oldest son, he thought that God had chosen Eliab. 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us what God said to Samuel. But the Lord said to Samuel, Eliab is tall and handsome, but don t judge by things like that. God doesn t look at what people see. People judge by what is on the outside, but the Lord looks at the heart. Eliab is not the right man. The experts looked at the inside of the plants to see if they were alive or not. In the same way, God looks inside us. He does not judge us by the way we look on the outside. God knows us and sees what is inside our hearts. Chosen (2) We are all given some special opportunities in life. Maybe someone asks us to lead a Bible study or speak at a conference. Or maybe we are chosen to learn a new skill. I am thankful for opportunities like these that have happened in my life. But I know that it is really God who has chosen me to do these special things. Jesse showed seven of his sons to Samuel. Each time, Samuel said that son was not the one God had chosen. After Samuel had seen all seven sons, he told Jesse that God had not chosen any of them. But then Samuel saw Jesse s eighth son, David. 1 Samuel 16:12 tells us what happened. Jesse sent someone to get his youngest son. This son was a good-looking, healthy young man. He was very handsome. The Lord said to Samuel Get up and anoint him. He is the one. God chose David to have the special job of being the king of Israel. And I know that God has chosen me to do special things for Him, both now and in the future. God has some special things planned for you, too. Give your life to God and let Him lead you to do these special things. Suzanne Austin-Hill Suzanne Austin-Hill 1 Samuel 16:1-23 Wednesday, October Samuel 16:1-23 Thursday, October 4

20 Big Troubles Some days I don t want to get out of bed. I peek over the covers and wish that I could stay home. But I know that I must get up and face the new day. That means I must face whatever troubles might happen that day. The Israelites had big troubles! Their enemies, the Philistines, gathered their armies to make war on Israel. The Philistines had a champion fighter named Goliath. He was over 9 feet tall! Each day he would come out and challenge the Israelite soldiers to fight him. King Saul and his army were very afraid of Goliath. David, the young man God had chosen to be the next king of Israel, heard Goliath shouting things against Israel. David decided that he would be the one to fight Goliath. David must have looked very small compared to the giant Philistine warrior. 1 Samuel 17:47 tells us what David said to Goliath. All the people gathered here will know that the Lord doesn t need swords or spears to save people. The battle belongs to the Lord, and he will help us defeat all of you. God helped David. With his sling and a stone, David defeated Goliath. God will be with us, too. Even when we face big troubles, God will give us courage and strength to stand strong for Him. Jonathan It is wonderful to have good Christian friends. My Christian friends love me, care for me, support me and encourage me. They also help me stay strong in my faith in God. King Saul wanted to kill David. But King Saul s son, Jonathan, and David became good friends. 1 Samuel 18:3-4 tells us more about their friendship. Jonathan loved David as much as himself, so they made a special agreement. Jonathan took off the coat he was wearing and gave it to David. In fact, Jonathan gave David his whole uniform including his sword, his bow, and even his belt. Jonathan blessed David in many ways. Here are a few ways that their friendship was a blessing to David. Jonathan loved David and spoke good words about him. Jonathan was willing to do anything to help David. One time, he even saved David s life. And most importantly, Jonathan helped David find strength in God. You can do the same things for your Christian friends. Tell them that you love them. Share good words about your Christian friends with other people. Be willing to help them. And, encourage them to always keep their faith in God. Chad Entinger Bonnie Hall 1 Samuel 17: Samuel 18:1b, 3-5 Friday, October 5 19 Saturday, October 6

21 Prophets at Ramah Yesterday we mentioned that King Saul wanted to kill David. Why did Saul want to do this? Saul was very jealous of David. David had won important military victories, and many people praised him and wanted to follow him. One time Saul tried to kill David, but Saul s daughter, Michal, helped David escape. Then David went to Samuel and told him what Saul was doing. So Samuel took David to a place where a group of prophets lived. Saul heard that David was at the prophets camps. 1 Samuel 19:20 tells what Saul did next. So he sent some men to arrest David. But when they came to the camps, there was a group of prophets prophesying. Samuel was standing there leading the group. The Spirit of God came on Saul s messengers and they began prophesying. Finally, Saul went to arrest David himself. But God sent His Spirit to control Saul, and Saul began to worship, too. This story may seem very strange. But it shows us how God protects people who are faithful to him. Instead of killing Saul to protect David, God caused Saul to worship Him with the prophets. We need to trust God to take care of us. But we also need to know that God does not always work in ways we can understand or expect. Matt Keller Nabal Nabal was a rich man. He was also a cruel man. One day Nabal took his sheep to Carmel to be sheared. David and his men were in the desert nearby. They were protecting Nabal s men. But David and his men did not have any food or water, so David sent ten of his men to ask Nabal for food and water. Nabal refused to give David s men any food or water. When David heard that Nabal refused, he was angry. He wanted to kill Nabal and his men. But a servant told Nabal s wife, Abigail, about David s plan. 1 Samuel 25:15 tells us what that servant said. These men were very good to us while we were out in the fields with the sheep. David s men were with us the whole time, and they never did anything wrong to us. They did not take anything from us. Abigail knew that killing her husband s men was wrong. Nabal was the one who had refused to feed David and his men. So Abigail went to David and pleaded with him to not kill the men. Then David decided to not kill Nabal s men. Abigail intervened and saved the men from death. When Jesus died on the cross, He intervened and saved us from eternal death and separation from God. Jesus accepted the punishment for our sins. Isn t that wonderful? Thank Jesus today for what He did for you. Donna Howard Sunday, October 7 1 Samuel 19: Samuel 25:1-35 Monday, October 8

22 Reserved Seating (1) My friends were traveling by plane. When they arrived at the gate, they were not allowed to reserve a certain seat on the plane. That airline offered open seating instead of reserved seating. That means that when my friends got on the plane, they could pick any empty seat that they wanted. But there was no guarantee that they could sit in a window seat or an aisle seat. In John, chapter 14, Jesus talked with His special followers. They were upset that Jesus was going away. So in John 14:2, Jesus told them about the place He was preparing for them. There are many rooms in my Father s house. I would not tell you this if it were not true. I am going there to prepare a place for you. Jesus told His followers that He was saving a place for them in heaven. And He is saving a place for you and me, too. We don t need to reserve a special room. Jesus has already saved a place for us. We will live there with Him forever. While you are working, going to school, playing or shopping today, share the Good News about Jesus with people you meet. Then they can live forever with Jesus, too! Suzanne Austin-Hill Reserved Seating (2) Yesterday we talked about my friends who were flying. They learned that the airline had a policy of open seating. Also, they learned that the passengers got on the plane by groups. My friends were in the last group to get on the plane and choose a seat. Some people thought that policy was not fair. Jesus told a story about some farm workers. Some worked for a long time. Others worked for a short time. But the boss paid each worker the same amount of money. The people who worked a long time complained. They felt that the boss was not fair. Matthew 20:14-15 tells us what the boss said to the people who complained. So take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same pay I gave you. I can do what I want with my own money. Why would you be jealous because I am generous? Some Christians die and they have served God all of their lives. Others people may become Christians only a few years before they die. But they all have a place in heaven with Jesus forever. They will live with Jesus, no matter how many years they have served Him. Remember that all of us are important to God. He treats every Christian the same. Look forward to living with Him forever! Suzanne Austin-Hill John 14:1-7 Matthew 20:1-16 Tuesday, October 9 21 Wednesday, October 10

23 Ezra s Example Ezra was a Jewish priest. While Ezra was serving God as a priest, God allowed another nation to defeat the Israelites. Then Ezra and many other people were forced to live in Babylon. Babylon was far away from Ezra s home in Israel. Ezra could have been upset that he was captured and taken to Babylon. But he wasn t. How could Ezra accept this situation? I think we can find the answer in Ezra 7:10. Ezra had always given his time and attention to studying and obeying the law of the Lord. He also loved to teach its rules and commandents to others in Israel. Ezra was a person who copied the Old Testament by hand. He carefully studied God s Word. Ezra knew what God commanded, and he wanted to obey God. Later, the king of Babylon allowed Ezra to return home to Israel. Then he taught the Jewish people about God s laws. Ezra is a good example for us. No matter what happened to him, he depended on God and His Word. We should be like Ezra. Depend on the Bible to guide you every day. Then you can share God s message with others and lead them to Jesus. Anonymous God s Plan Many people think that praying to God is like ordering fast-food you tell God what you want, you wait a few minutes and then you get what you asked for. The story of Nehemiah reminds us that God answers prayers in His own time and in His own way. Nehemiah was a Jew who had been taken into captivity. He became a wine servant to King Artaxerxes. Nehemiah learned that the wall around the city of Jerusalem had been broken down. This made Nehemiah very upset. Nehemiah 1:4 tells us what he did. When I heard this about the people of Jerusalem and about the wall, I sat down and cried. I was very sad. I fasted and prayed to the God of heaven for several days. Nehemiah had a plan to ask the king if he could help rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. But first, Nehemiah prayed to God and asked Him for help. Maybe Nehemiah expected God to answer his prayer that day. But it was four months before Nehemiah was able to talk to the king about his plan. Even though Nehemiah prayed and planned, he still had to wait for God to answer his prayer. Most people do not want to wait for God s answer. Be patient like Nehemiah. Remember that God answers prayers according to His plan, not our plan. Steve Brink Ezra 7:1-10 Thursday, October Nehemiah 1:1-11 Friday, October 12

24 Great Faith Yesterday we learned that Nehemiah wanted to ask the king to help him rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. So Nehemiah prayed and asked God to give him success when he talked to the king. But Nehemiah was sad when he went to see the king. Servants of a king were expected to always act happy and not let their personal problems bother their work. If a servant did not please the king, the king could have him killed. Even though Nehemiah was sad, he brought some wine to the king. The king asked Nehemiah why he was sad. Nehemiah was afraid, but he told the king about the wall around Jerusalem. Then the king asked Nehemiah what he needed. We can read Nehemiah s reply in Nehemiah 2:8. I also need lumber for the heavy wooden beams for the gates, walls, the walls around the Temple, and my house. So I need a letter from you to Asaph, who is in charge of your forests. The king gave me the letters and everything I asked for. The king did that because my God was kind to me. Nehemiah is a good example for us. Why? Because Nehemiah showed great faith. The king could have killed him, but Nehemiah had faith that God would take care of him. Always remember to have faith when you pray to God. Pray First While Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, he faced many problems. Many people did not want the wall rebuilt. Some of these people said bad things about Nehemiah and tried to scare him and the builders. So, Nehemiah posted guards to always watch for these troublemakers. God was with Nehemiah and the people who rebuilt the wall. Nehemiah 6:15 tells us how fast they worked. So the wall of Jerusalem was completed on the 25th day of the month of Elul. It had taken 52 days to finish building the wall. Nehemiah spent a lot of time praying to God about the wall. He prayed before they started building and while they were building. And he prayed and thanked God when the wall was completed. Nehemiah knew that he should not do anything important or make any important decisions without first asking God to help him. He knew that God would help him succeed. We should be like Nehemiah. If we have an important job to do or a decision to make, we should first pray and ask God to help us. Then we can know that God will be with us and give us wisdom. Take time to talk to God today! Steve Brink Steve Brink Nehemiah 2:1-10 Nehemiah 6:15-7:3 Saturday, October Sunday, October 14

25 Thank God During Old Testament times, it was very important for a city to have a strong wall around it. Then, when enemies came, the city would be safe. The wall around the city of Jerusalem had been destroyed. This made the Israelites very sad. With the help of the king, Nehemiah traveled back to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall. Yesterday we learned that the wall was rebuilt in only 52 days. After that, Nehemiah had a special celebration to dedicate the wall to God. Nehemiah 12:27 tells us about this celebration. The people dedicated the wall of Jerusalem. They brought all the Levites to Jerusalem. The Levites came from the towns they lived in. They came to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem. They came to sing songs of praise and thanks to God. They played their cymbals, harps, and lyres. God helped the people rebuild the Jerusalem wall in a very short time. That was a very special thing. God does special things for us, too. He heals our sicknesses and helps us solve problems. He protects us and comforts us. But often we forget to thank Him for the many ways He blesses us. Think about something special that God has done for you recently. Then thank Him for His goodness! Jo Krueger Esther (1) For several days, we will be talking about a woman named Esther. The story of Esther is found in the Old Testament. Esther 2:7 tells us a little background about Esther. Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah. She didn t have a father or a mother, so Mordecai took care of her. Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter when her father and mother died. Hadassah was also called Esther. She had a very pretty face and a good figure. We do not know for sure who wrote the book of Esther or when it was written. Some people think that Mordecai wrote the book. The book may have been written between B.C. Esther lived in Persia. Today that area covers the countries of Iran and Iraq. Many different groups of people lived in Persia. All citizens had equal rights. The king allowed each group to keep their own culture and traditions, as along as they did not rebel against him. The king mentioned in the book of Esther is King Xerxes. Sometimes he is also called Ahasuerus. The main theme of the book of Esther is that God puts people in places where they can serve Him. God used Esther to save the Jewish people from destruction. God will use you to serve Him, too. Mavis Brink Nehemiah 12:27-30 Monday, October Esther 1:1-2:23 Tuesday, October 16

26 Esther (2) Some people today do not like beauty contests. Why? Because God does not want us to judge other people by their beauty. But a long time ago, God used a beauty contest to save the Jewish people from destruction. King Xerxes held a beauty contest to find a new queen. Esther was the winner of that beauty contest. She was beautiful, and she loved God. And God used her beauty to make her the queen of Persia. Esther s family must have taught her to honor God. When she found out about a plan to kill all the Jews, she was willing to risk her own life to save her people. In Esther 4:14, her cousin, Mordecai, encouraged her to tell the king about the plan. If you keep quiet now, help and freedom for the Jews will come from another place. But you and your father s family will all die. And who knows, maybe you have been chosen to be the queen for such a time as this. Esther saved her people because of her great faith in God. In the same way, God can use each person to serve Him. Maybe you know God s plan for your life. Or maybe you don t know God s plan yet. No matter if you are beautiful or ugly, tall or short, Deaf or hearing, God has a plan for your life. Ask God to show you what He wants you do. Mavis Brink Esther (3) The book of Esther tells us about a man named Haman. He was a wealthy, proud and powerful man. One Jewish man, Mordecai, refused to bow down and give honor to Haman. So Haman hated Mordecai and all the Jewish people. Then Haman made a plan to kill Mordecai. He built a special tall pole. This was where Haman wanted to hang Mordecai. Haman was sure that the king would praise and honor him for killing Mordecai. But later, the king heard about the plan, and he became very angry. The king s servants killed Haman. Esther 7:10 tells us what King Xerxes ordered to be done with Haman s body. So they hanged Haman on the hanging post he had built for Mordecai. Then the king stopped being angry. I know some people who are just like Haman. They only think about their own desires and pleasures. These people use other people to make themselves wealthy and powerful. We need to be sure that we do not start doing bad things like Haman did. We need to let God control our lives. Then we will do things that please Him. Think about your life today. Are you looking for ways to serve God and do things that please Him? Mavis Brink Esther 3:1-4;17 Esther 5:1-7:10 Wednesday, October Thursday, October 18

27 Esther (4) Esther s cousin, Mordecai, followed and obeyed God. He refused to bow down and honor Haman, who was a proud and evil man. Mordecai was faithful to King Xerxes. Two of the king s officers wanted to kill the king. When Mordecai found out about this, he told the king about the plan. Later, Mordecai learned about the plan to kill all the Jews. Mordecai knew that the Jews were God s special people and that God did not want them destroyed. Mordecai also knew that God had made Esther the queen so she could save the Jews. Mordecai raised Esther when her parents died. He taught her to respect and follow God. Mordecai was wise and honest. Because Mordecai followed God, He honored him. Esther 10:3 tells us how Mordecai was honored. Mordecai the Jew was second in importance to King Xerxes. He was the most important man among the Jews. His fellow Jews respected him very much, because he worked hard for the good of his people and brought peace to all the Jews. Be like Mordecai. When you face problems and temptations, always stay faithful to God. God has promised to take care of you whether you are facing good times or bad times. Mavis Brink Job (1) The Old Testament tells us about a man named Job. Job loved and obeyed God. God allowed the devil to attack Job. So one day all of Job s children, animals and servants were killed. Job thought that God had forgotten him. But Job still hoped that God would pay attention to his prayers and have a close relationship with him. Of course, Job was very sad when all these bad things happened to him. But Job 1:22 tells us something very important about Job. Even after all this, Job did not sin. He did not accuse God of doing anything wrong. Some of Job s friends came to visit him. They tried to convince Job that the bad things happened because he had sinned. But finally Job understood that God was with him. He also understood that it isn t important to know why bad things happen. It is important to know that God is in control. The end of the book of Job tells us that God rewarded Job s faithfulness. He lived a long life and had many more children. God will reward your faithfulness, too. When you experience bad times, don t give up. God will always be with you and take care of you! Gayle Thorn Friday, October 19 Esther 8:1-10:3 26 Job 1:1-22 Saturday, October 20

28 Job (2) Yesterday we learned about the terrible things that happened to Job. But we don t know much about Job s wife. She is only mentioned three times in the whole book of Job. But we do know that she lost her children, her servants and her income, too. After these terrible things happened, Job faced another bad situation. He had painful sores all over his body. Job sat on a pile of ashes and used a piece of broken pottery to scrape his sores. Wow! Job was really suffering! Job s wife was very upset. Job 2:9 tells us what she said to Job. His wife said to him, Are you still holding on to your faith? Why don t you just curse God and die! Job s wife thought that Job s suffering happened because he had sinned and refused to repent. She wanted him to give up his faith and curse God. Sometimes the devil may attack us like he attacked Job and his wife. But there is only one way to stand up against the devil s attacks. We must fill our minds with God s Word and pray to Him continually. You may face bad situations today. Don t give up. Stay close to God, and He will help you stand strong. Job (3) If you want to find something that will hold you up and support you, would you use a spider s web? Probably not! In Job, chapter 8, one of Job s friends spoke to him. In Job 8:15, Job s friend talked about a spider s web. When they lean against it, it will break. When they reach out for it, it will not hold them up. Many people in the world today are searching for something to hold them up and support them. They want someone they can depend on to help them and give them support. But often these people forget God. Instead, they depend on leaders of false religions, politicians or people who are wealthy and famous. People who don t depend on God are like plants that dry up before they are harvested. They have no hope of growing or becoming what God wants them to be. People who refuse to honor and serve God have no hope of His blessings or salvation. It s your decision today. You can forget God and have nothing to look forward to. Or you can serve God and experience His wonderful blessings, now and forever! What will you decide? Jo Krueger Gayle Thorn Job 2:1-13 Job 8:1-22 Sunday, October Monday, October 22

29 Job (4) In Job, chapter 28, Job talks about how difficult it is to get earth s treasures such as gold, silver and copper. He explains about mining in Job 28:3-4. Miners carry lights deep into caves to search for these rocks in the deepest darkness. Far from where people live, they dig deep into the ground, down where no one else has been before. They work all alone, hanging from ropes. Mining is a tough job. It is considered the fourth most dangerous job in the world. The average life expectancy of a miner is around 49 years. Miners often work 10 to 14 days in a row, 12 hours a day. The mines can be damp and dark. Often miners must work on their knees or backs in small spaces. And there is always the risk of cave-in. Miners work very hard to find treasure. Job says that searching for wisdom is even harder than mining. It is difficult to find wisdom in today s world. Many people try to find it through false religions, drugs or acquiring lots of money and possessions. But true wisdom can only be found in God s Word, the Bible. God does not promise that it will always be easy to study His Word. But He does promise that the wisdom from the Bible will change your life! Job (5) We have talked about all the terrible things that happened to Job. His wife wanted him to curse God. Job s friends came to talk with him, and they accused him of sinning. But still Job obeyed and worshiped God. Finally, God spoke to Job. He told Job about all the wonderful things He made in the world. And God reminded Job that He was the All-Powerful God of the universe. Job told God that he was ashamed of himself and that he promised to change his heart and mind. Job finally realized how powerful God was. And he was thankful for all that God had given to him. Then God gave Job more animals than he had in the beginning. He also gave him seven sons and three daughters. Job 42:16-17 gives us a summary of how God blessed Job. So Job lived for 140 years more. He lived to see his children, his grandchildren, his great-grandchildren and his great-great-grandchildren. Job lived to be a very old man who had lived a good, long life. We should be like Job. Job loved God and always wanted to humbly serve Him. No matter what happens, never stop loving and obeying God. Jo Krueger Bob La Forge Job 28:1-28 Tuesday, October Job 42:1-17 Wednesday, October 24

30 Sharing Parents and teachers want children to share. They begin teaching children at an early age to not be selfish. It might surprise you, but most adults are selfish, too. So it is important that even adults be reminded about sharing. Galatians 6:6 tells us about Christians sharing with each other. Whoever is being taught God s Word should share the good things they have with the one who is teaching them. Our pastors and Bible study teachers share what they have learned with us. So we should share with them, too. What good things do we have to share with people who teach us about God? First of all, we can share our thanks for their teaching. Second, we can give them our time maybe babysit their children for an evening or run errands for them. Third, we can show them our appreciation by doing something for them giving them a special gift, preparing a meal for them or giving them a hug. Pastors and teachers are like you and me. They get tired and discouraged, too. At times, they may even be tempted to stop doing God s work. We can encourage them to continue by praying with them and by sharing the good things we have with them. Pam Davis Trails If you live where it snows in the winter, you know how beautiful the snow can be in the morning. If no one has yet walked in the snow, it is clean and white and sparkling. But if someone walks through the snow, they leave a trail of footprints behind. Our lives are like a trail in the snow. Everything we do leaves a footprint. If we look back on our lives, we can see the times when we did good things, the times we did bad things, the times we were happy and the times we were sad. We can t go back and change the trail we have left, but we can ask God to help us honor and serve Him in the years ahead. In Colossians 3:17, Paul told the Colossian Christians how they could honor and serve God. Everything you say and everything you do should be done for Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus. Maybe you are young and have many years ahead of you. Or maybe you are old and have only a short time on this earth. Whether you are young or old, serve and honor God the rest of your life. Then you will leave behind a trail of good things that you have done for God. Do everything for Jesus today! Linda Lamb Galatians 6:6-10 Colossians 3:15-17 Thursday, October Friday, October 26

31 Be Wise Psalm, chapter 1, shows us that it is very important that we choose the right friends. Why? Because our friends can influence us to do good or to do bad. We need to be very wise about choosing our friends. Psalm 1:1 gives us some good advice. Great blessings belong to those who don t listen to evil advice, who don t live like sinners, and who don t join those who make fun of God. If we choose friends who disobey God, we might be tempted to do the wrong things they do. If we are with friends who are planing to do something wrong, we might be accused of wrongdoing, too. Or, if we listen to our friends make fun of God and say nothing, we are following their example. God has a better plan for people who are willing to obey His Word and want to follow Him. But if we want to know God s plan, we need to study the Bible and think about what we read. Then we can ask God to help us use that knowledge so we can be wise and make right choices. We all make choices to do right or wrong every day. Follow God s Word and you will be happier and more successful in life. And, you will be honoring and pleasing God. Marj Pike Psalm 23 For many people, Psalm 23 is their favorite psalm. Sometimes young people memorize this psalm in Bible school. Preachers often read this psalm for mourning family members at a funeral. And people who are sad or hurting are often encouraged by reading this psalm. There was a farmer who was dying. His daughter read Psalm 23 to him again and again. The words gave him comfort. He thought about the green pastures and calm pools of water that he had enjoyed during his life of farming. He also thought about God being with him, even as he was dying. Psalm 23 is very comforting to many people. It also reminds us of the ways God blesses us. He gives us everything we need, and He gives us strength. God shows us His goodness and helps us to not be afraid. Psalm 23:6 tells us another way that God blesses us. Your goodness and mercy will be with me all my life, and I will live in the Lord s house a long, long time. Maybe you need God s comfort, strength, encouragement and mercy today. Read Psalm 23 and think about all the wonderful things God does for you. Thank Him for leading you and being your Shepherd! Eileen Wood Psalm 1:1-6 Saturday, October Psalm 23:1-6 Sunday, October 28

32 God Forgives People like to remember good things that happen to them. Sometimes they will make a scrapbook of photos and clippings so they can remember an important event in their life. But often we do not like to remember bad things that happen to us. Psalm 38 was written by King David. In this psalm, he talks about something bad that happened to him. David did something wrong, and God punished him. When David sinned, he was filled with guilt, and his guilt was like a terrible sickness. In Psalm 38:4-5 David tells us how he felt. My guilt is like a heavy burden. I am sinking beneath its weight. I did a foolish thing, and now I have infected sores that stink. David was very sad about his sin. He realized that He had been foolish. Later in the psalm, David says that he admitted his sin to God and asked God to help him. That is what we should do, too. When we sin, we should tell God that we have done something wrong. Then we should ask God to forgive us. Finally, we should ask God to help us not do that wrong thing again. Confess your sins to God today. He loves you, and He will forgive and comfort you. Eileen Wood Psalm 74 Psalm 74 tells us about something very sad. Israel s enemies had destroyed God s Temple in Jerusalem. Soldiers cut down the temple with axes and hatchets and then burned it. It took many years for the Israelites to build that Temple, but it was destroyed in a very short time. But the writer of this psalm is not sad that the building is gone. He is sad because the Temple was the place where God lived. It was the place where God s people came to worship Him. So the writer reminds God of His greatness and power. And he asks God to live among His people again. Psalm 74:2-3 tells what the writer said to God. Remember the people you bought so long ago. You saved us, and we belong to you. And remember Mount Zion, the place where you lived. God, come walk through these ancient ruins. Come back to the Holy Place that the enemy destroyed. Maybe you feel that your life has been ruined by sin. Maybe you feel like God is not in your life any more. You need to do what the writer of Psalm 74 did remember the wonderful things God has done for you and ask Him to live in your life again. No matter what is happening in your life right now, God wants to be with you and share His blessings with you. Ask Him to live with you today! Steve Husting Psalm 38:1-22 Psalm 74:1-23 Monday, October Tuesday, October 30

33 Praying to God Many people do not feel comfortable when they pray to God. They think that their prayers are not holy enough or that their language is not fancy enough. Some people even think, God already knows what I need. Why do I need to ask Him for things? The writer of Psalm 79 knew how to pray to God. So we can learn some things about prayer from this psalm. First, the writer was honest with God. He told God what was happening in his life. He explained how people from other nations were attacking the Israelites. Second, the writer told God in Psalm 79:8 exactly how he felt. Please don t punish us for the sins of our ancestors. Hurry, show us your mercy! We need you so much! Third, the writer was humble when he asked God to save him and forgive his sins. And last, the writer thanked God and praised Him for what He had done for the nation of Israel. The writer closed this psalm by telling God that he would praise Him forever. Take time today to tell God how you feel. Praise and thank Him for all He has done for you, and confess your sins to Him. And remember to be honest with Him. Communicate with God just like you would if you were sitting down to talk to a friend. God will pay attention to your prayers! Steve Husting Shortest Chapter The shortest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 117. It is only two verses long. Because it has only two verses, we might think that this chapter is not very important. But this chapter has a message that every person needs to know. The writer of Psalm 117 begins by telling all nations and all people to praise the Lord. It is very important for us to praise God all the time. We should praise God even when we are having a bad day or when we are sad or discouraged. We should praise God when we are facing problems. No matter what is happening in our lives, we can still look for God s blessings and praise and thank Him. Psalm 117:2 tells us something very important about God. He loves us very much! The Lord will be faithful to us forever! Praise the Lord! That is another reason we should praise God. He loves us, He forgives us, and He guides us. This verse also reminds us that God s faithfulness to us will never end. It will last forever. As you go through this day, think about these two short verses. Maybe you can memorize them and repeat them every day. Then take some time to praise God for what He has done for you. Bonnie Hall Psalm 79:1-13 Wednesday, October Psalm 117:1-2 Thursday, November 1

34 Middle Chapter If you count all the chapters in the Old Testament and the New Testament, Psalm 118 is the chapter right in the middle of the whole Bible. This psalm tells us a lot about God. It is a good chapter to think about every day. The writer of this psalm begins by talking about God s faithful love. He says that it will last forever. Then the writer tells us that he was in trouble and God helped him. He goes on to say that he will not be afraid because God is always with him. Throughout the rest of the chapter, the writer talks about many more things that God does: He gives us strength, He shows His great power, He answers prayers, He saves us and He gives us new opportunities to serve Him every day. Psalm 118:28-29 is the end of the psalm. It is a praise to God. Lord, you are my God, and I thank you. My God, I praise you! Praise the Lord because he is good. His faithful love will last forever. Every time I read this psalm, I am encouraged to know that God will be with me every day of my life. He will help me whenever I am in trouble, and He will give me strength when I am facing problems. Then I can praise Him and thank Him for always being with me! Bonnie Hall Middle Verse Yesterday we talked about the middle chapter of the Bible. Today we will talk about the middle verse. If you add up all the verses in the entire Bible, Psalm 118:8 is the middle verse. This verse gives us some very good advice. It is better to trust in the Lord than to trust in people. Life experiences teach us that Psalm 118:8 is very true. Sometimes we depend on people to help us. But instead, they refuse to help us or they may even do bad things to us. We are disappointed and hurt when other people use our troubles and confusion to benefit themselves. When people fail us, we need to learn to depend on God. God will give us love, peace and guidance. When we trust God more and more, we will be happier in life and look forward to the time when we can live forever with Him. It may be easy to trust God with today, but it is harder to trust Him with the future. We do not know what will happen to us tomorrow or next year. But we still need to trust God in every situation. God knows what will happen in the future, and we can trust Him to do what is best for us. I hope you are putting your trust in God today and for the rest of your life. He will never fail you! Bonnie Hall Psalm 118:1-29 Psalm 118:1-9 Friday, November 2 33 Saturday, November 3

35 Longest Chapter Psalm 119 has 176 verses. It is the longest psalm and also the longest chapter in the Bible. This psalm is made up of 22 sections, each containing 8 lines. Every section begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Psalm 119 praises God for His great wisdom and teaches us how we can please God. In Psalm 119: , the writer shows us how we can stay close to God. First, he says that he gets up early in the morning to pray to God. Then he stays awake at night thinking about God s words. Second, the writer says that he stays close to God and trusts His commands. Psalm 119: tells us more about this. But you are near me, Lord, and all your commands can be trusted. Long ago, I learned from your rules that you made them to last forever. We should be like the writer of this psalm. Pray and study God s Word, the Bible. Stay close to God and follow His commands. When we follow God s commands, we will make wise decisions and do things that please God. Take time to talk with God and read the Bible today. Think about God s Word as you work and play. Then trust God to lead you every day. Stand Firm in God There are many people in the world who do not believe and follow Jesus. Maybe you know some of these people. They are involved in doing evil things. They are successful and have everything they want. They are proud and hateful. These people don t struggle to survive. It seems they have an easy life. The writer of Psalm 73 certainly understood this. He saw wicked people around him who were successful. These people were healthy and didn t have to struggle like he did. The writer admitted that he was tempted and almost began to sin. Like the writer of this psalm, we need to be careful. When we look at other people who do not follow God, we may be tempted to sin like they do. Don t let that happen to you. The writer gives us some good advice about this in Psalm 73: Maybe my mind and body will become weak, but God is my source of strength. He is mine forever! God, people who leave you will be lost. You will destroy all who are not faithful to you. Stand firm in God and His Word, the Bible. Remain faithful to Him every day! Chad Entinger Bonnie Hall Psalm 119: Sunday, November 4 34 Psalm 73:1-28 Monday, November 5

36 God Made Us A personal computer comes ready to use right out of the box. The company that made the computer decides certain settings for the computer. These settings may be brightness of the screen, the size and type of print and other things. These are called default settings. Some default settings can be changed by the user. Other settings may require special permission from the manufacturer. Sometimes I become frustrated when things don t go the way I want them to. I put off doing things that need to be done now. I miss opportunities to help other people because I am thinking about myself. Whenever I face new situations or meet new people, my first feeling is fear. These are human reactions. God made us to be like Him truly good and holy. Those are the default settings that He built into us. The writer of Psalm 139:14 talks about how God made us. I praise you because you made me in such a wonderful way. I know how amazing that was! But the world is full of sin, and we are sinners. So sometimes we react differently than God wants us to. God can make a difference in your life. He can change your frustration and fear into positive things. Trust God to bring out the best in you today. Suzanne Austin-Hill Children Sometimes an adult laughs and says, I am in my second childhood! That usually means that they have done something exciting or fun. Then after that, they go back to acting like an adult. When Paul was writing a letter to the Christians in the city of Corinth, he gave a warning about childish thoughts and actions. We can find that warning in 1 Corinthians 13:11. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, and I made plans like a child. When I became a man, I stopped those childish ways. As Christians we should not be doing childish things that do not please God. Often children will talk and talk, but they will not pay attention to others. God wants us to pay attention to His Word, the Bible, and to pay attention to advice from mature Christians. Children are sometimes very impatient. They want to have everything right now! God wants us to be patient with Him as He answers our prayers in His own time and way. Finally, children are often very selfish. They do not include others in their plans. God wants Christians to think about other people and to show love and kindness to them. Don t act like a child today. Do things that please God! Pam Davis Psalm 139: Corinthians 13:1-13 Tuesday, November 6 35 Wednesday, November 7

37 No Records Sometimes when a person applies for a job working with children, they must go through the process of having a background check. Later, the employer will receive information about that person from the government. If they are notified that there are no records about that person, it means that person has nothing in his past that would prevent him from working with children. As Christians, our sins have been forgiven and washed away by the blood of Jesus. Colossians 2:13 tells us what God has done for us. You were spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were not free from the power of your sinful self. But God gave you new life together with Christ. He forgave all your sins. Jesus took our sins upon Himself. He accepted the punishment for our sins and died in our place. When we follow and obey Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our sins are forgiven. Then there are no records about our past sins. We have been united with Jesus through His death. And if we continue to have a close relationship with Jesus, we have the promise of eternal life with Him. Praise God today for sending Jesus to die on the cross so your sins can be forgiven! Dave Lewicki Ecclesiastes (1) Today we will begin a series of devotions from the book of Ecclesiastes. It is a short book in the Old Testament that is filled with great wisdom and poetry. Most people believe that King Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. In this book, Solomon talks about many different aspects of life that he has experienced. We can learn a lot about life and about God by reading this book. King Solomon may have been the wisest man who ever lived. But a wise person has a big responsibility. Solomon talks about this in Ecclesiastes 1:18. With much wisdom comes frustration. The one who gains more wisdom also gains more sorrow. A wise person is sad when he sees how foolish other people can be. There are two very important things in the book of Ecclesiastes that Solomon wants us to remember: 1) God is in control of everything; and 2) We should be content with what we have. As we continue our study of Ecclesiastes over the next few days, I hope you will learn to trust God and be satisfied with what He has given to you. Kaylene Powell Colossians 2:13-15 Thursday, November 8 36 Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 Friday, November 9

38 Ecclesiastes (2) In Ecclesiastes, chapter 1, Solomon talked about how all things are meaningless and not important. In Ecclesiastes 2:11, Solomon said that even pleasures in life are meaningless. But then I looked at everything I had done and the wealth I had gained. I decided it was all a waste of time! It was like trying to catch the wind. There is nothing to gain from anything we do in this life. Many times we do something new or buy something new. We are happy for a short time, but soon we look for something else to make us happy. Some people think that it is very important to have lots of money and many possessions. But when people die, their wealth stays on earth. Solomon tried to find pleasure in his life. He had great wealth and 700 wives! But when Solomon was old, he realized that these things did not make him truly happy. Solomon s wives worshiped other gods. These wives led Solomon to worship other gods, too. We need to focus our lives on God and not on getting a lot of money or things. Money and things only give us pleasure for a short time. But God s love and salvation are eternal. Today you can choose to focus on things or on God. You will please God if you choose to pay attention to Him and His Word. Ecclesiastes (3) Solomon goes on to remind us that there is a right time for everything that happens in our lives. In chapter 3, he has a long list of events that may occur in our lives. In one verse, Solomon says that there is a right time for us to hate and a right time to be sad. God hates evil things, and we need to hate those things, too. And we may be sad when we are sick or when someone we love has died. But sometimes we do not understand the things that God does. Then we might begin to doubt that God is really in control of the world. If we understood everything that God does, then we would be as wise as God. We need to respect God and know that He is all-powerful and all-knowing. Solomon tells us more about God s power in Ecclesiastes 3:14. I learned that anything God does will continue forever. People cannot add anything to the work of God, and they cannot take anything away from it. God did this so that people would respect him. As Christians we need to trust God and His decisions. Remember that God always does what is best for us, even if we don t understand what He is doing. When we realize that God is doing what is best for us, we will have true peace and joy in our lives. Kaylene Powell Kaylene Powell Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 Saturday, November Sunday, November 11

39 Ecclesiastes (4) God does not want us to be alone. From the beginning of the world, God made people to live with other people. When God created Adam, He saw that Adam needed someone to help him. So God made Eve and gave her to Adam to be his wife. In Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, Solomon says that two people together are better than one person alone. Two people are better than one. When two people work together, they get more work done. If one person falls, the other person can reach out to help. But those who are alone when they fall have no one to help them. Solomon also gives examples of how two people can keep each other warm or work together to defeat an enemy. It is good if you have a friend, family member or co-worker who will help you face your problems. If you and another person work together, you can solve problems more quickly. And two people working together can encourage and strengthen one another. God wants us to have good relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ. These relationships will bring us joy and strengthen God s kingdom. Thank God for the people who bless and encourage you! Ecclesiastes (5) You have probably been in a worship service or Bible study when some children started running around, acting wild and bothering other people. Usually their mother or father will tell them to settle down and stop running. At the time, these children probably did not understand why they were told to stop running. But when they grew up, they realized that their parents were teaching them to show respect for God and for other Christians. Ecclesiastes 5:7 reminds us that we should show respect for God. You should not let your useless dreams and bragging bring you trouble. You should respect God. God is very great, and we are very small. We should show respect for God no matter where we are. If we show respect for God, we will say and do things that please Him. Each day we need to focus more on God and focus less on ourselves. Then we will become more like God. We will also realize that God is powerful and can help us with our problems. Take some time today and think about God. Thank Him for all He has done for you. Kaylene Powell Kaylene Powell Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Monday, November Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 Tuesday, November 13

40 Ecclesiastes (6) In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon tells us about his search for the meaning of life. He looks at things like money, work and wisdom. Solomon s conclusion was that these things are meaningless. But in Ecclesiastes 5:18-19, Solomon talks about enjoying life. I have seen what is best for people to do on earth: They should eat, drink, and enjoy the work they have during their short time here. God has given them these few days, and that is all they have. If God gives some people wealth, property, and the power to enjoy those things, they should enjoy them. They should accept the things they have and enjoy their work that is a gift from God. Solomon s words encourage us to be satisfied with what God has given us. We should enjoy the work we have to do each day. Why? Because it is a special gift from God. If we are satisfied, we will spend less time worrying and more time living for God. Think about your life today. Remember the good things God has given to you: your family and friends, your home, food to eat and most important of all salvation through His Son, Jesus. Then thank God for what He has done for you. Kaylene Powell Ecclesiastes (7) One thing Solomon encourages us to do is to think about things in the right way. In Ecclesiastes, chapter 8, he tells us to think about the events in our lives in the right way. Ecclesiastes 7:8 talks about being patient and gentle. It is better to finish something than to start it. It is better to be gentle and patient than to be proud and impatient. If we are trying to solve a problem, sometimes we may become angry and impatient. But we should pray about the problem and wait for God s help. That is the right way to think about our problems. Solomon says that we should not compare the past with the present. We need to remember that God was with us in the past, He is with us now, and He will be with us in the future. We should be satisfied with the way God takes care of us through every phase of our lives. Solomon also reminds us that God has a purpose for both the good times and bad times in our lives. We can thank Him for loving and guiding us, no matter what is happening in our lives. If we can remember these things, we will be able to trust God more each day. Kaylene Powell Ecclesiastes 5:10-20 Ecclesiastes 7:8-14 Wednesday, November Thursday, November 15

41 Ecclesiastes (8) In Ecclesiastes, chapters 11 and 12, Solomon talks about young people and old people. First, he says that it is great if a young person can have a relationship with God. Then they can spend their whole life serving Him. Next, Solomon talks about old people. He describes things that might happen to people as they age losing strength, losing teeth and the ability to hear, hair turning gray, and in the end, death. Finally, Solomon encourages us in Ecclesiastes 12:6 to begin a relationship with God when we are young. Remember your Creator while you are young, before the silver rope snaps and the golden bowl is crushed like a jar broken at the well, like a stone cover on a well that breaks and falls in. Maybe when Solomon wrote these words, he was thinking about the way he lived in the past. Maybe he wished that he had always had a good relationship with God. If you are older, these verses in Ecclesiastes will encourage you to love and serve God every day. If you are young, continue to follow God and seek His will for your life. Kaylene Powell Ecclesiastes (9) Today is our last devotion from the book of Ecclesiastes. In the last chapter of the book, Solomon writes that all of his wise teachings come from God. He compares his teachings to a sharp stick that a shepherd uses to guide his sheep. Solomon also encourages us to be careful about people who try to teach us things that are not from God. Solomon explored many things in the world. In Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, he tells us what we should learn from his experiences. Now, what should we learn from everything that is written in this book? The most important thing a person can do is to respect God and obey his commands, because he knows about everything people do even the secret things. He knows about all the good and all the bad, and he will judge people for everything they do. Solomon had many great things in life wealth, power and wisdom. He met famous people and experienced things from all around the world. But he finally decided that the most important thing is for people to respect God and do what He wants them to do. Follow Solomon s wise advice today and every day of your life. Remember that all that really matters in life is God! Kaylene Powell Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:7 Friday, November Ecclesiastes 12:9-14 Saturday, November 17

42 Patience Many years ago, a man set out to climb Mount Saint Helens in the state of Washington. While he was climbing, he found a small flowering dogwood tree. He dug up the tree and transplanted it in the front yard of his home in Vancouver. It was a beautiful tree for many years. Then the man moved across town. He dug it up and transplanted it again at his new home. This time, when the flowers died, it did not blossom again. The twigs became brittle. The tree looked dead. But because winter was coming soon, the man decided to be patient and wait until spring. When spring came, the tree blossomed and was beautiful once again. As Christians, we face times of suffering. We have a choice. We can just give up and stop following God. Or we can be patient through the times of suffering. James tells us in James 1:4 what happens when we are patient. If you let that patience work in you, the end result will be good. You will be mature and complete. You will be all that God wants you to be. I want to be a mature and complete Christian. I hope you do, too! Depend on God today to strengthen you as you face suffering. He will help you be patient. Ray Gilbert True Christian A young man asked an older man some questions. He asked, What does it mean to be a Christian? and How can I know that I am doing what God wants? This young man honestly wanted to know what it means to be a true Christian. The New Testament book of James was written to Christians. These people wanted to live for Jesus. In James 1:27, James talks about two groups of people widows and orphans. The worship that God wants is this: caring for orphans or widows who need help and keeping yourself free from the world s evil influence. This is the kind of worship that God accepts as pure and good. Widows are women whose husbands have died. Orphans are children who have no parents. These groups represent people who are helpless and without hope. It is our job as Christians to help these people and share Jesus hope with them. If we want to be true Christians, we need to do more than just go to church and read our Bible. We need to let the Bible come alive in our lives by serving and helping other people. Do you know someone who needs help or encouragement? Be a true Christian by reaching out to them with God s love today! Rick McClain James 1:1-8 James 1:19-27 Sunday, November Monday, November 19

43 First Love Do you remember your first love? Most people remember the first person they fell in love with. Maybe they were in high school or college. Maybe this person was very attractive or athletic. This person made them feel special. When they looked at that person, their heart skipped a beat. Song of Songs, also called Song of Solomon, is an Old Testament book written by King Solomon. The book tells the love story between Solomon and a woman he loved. In Song of Songs 2:2-3, Solomon and his love describe each other. My darling, among other women, you are like a lily among thorns! My lover, among other men, you are an apple tree among the wild trees in the forest! I enjoy sitting in my lover s shadow; his fruit is so sweet to my taste. Many people believe that this love story symbolizes God s love for His people. God s love makes me feel very happy and special. I am excited to know that He loves me. He loves me so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for me. You are very special to God! He wants to be your Father and to share His blessings with you. Thank God today for His love and all the good things He does for you. Suzanne Austin-Hill Lamentations (1) Jeremiah was one of God s prophets. He wrote the books of Jeremiah and Lamentations in the Old Testament. Sometimes Jeremiah is called the weeping prophet because the messages he shared with Israel were so sad. In Lamentations, chapter 1, Jeremiah talked about the city of Jerusalem that was destroyed by Israel s enemies. In Lamentations 1:2, he described the broken-down city of Jerusalem. She cries bitterly in the night. Her tears are on her cheeks. She has no one to comfort her. Many nations were friendly to her, but not one of them comforts her now. All her friends have turned their backs on her and have become her enemies. When the Israelites heard this message from Jeremiah, they probably thought there was no hope for Israel. Most of us have probably felt like that at one time in our lives. Maybe there was sickness or death in our family. Or maybe we were facing financial or family problems. When we think there is no hope, we need to completely depend on God. God will never fail us. He will always help us face bad times. Maybe you are feeling today that you have no hope. Don t give up! Trust God to be with you and strengthen you. Norma Mezoe Song of Songs 1:15-2:3 Tuesday, November Lamentations 1:1-6 Wednesday, November 21

44 Lamentations (2) Yesterday we talked about the prophet Jeremiah and his sad messages for the Israelites. Most of the time these messages were about death and destruction. Jeremiah felt depressed about the sad things he was sharing with God s people. Much of the time, Jeremiah was crying and asking God to help Israel. But in the middle of the book of Lamentations, Jeremiah shares some good news for himself and the Israelites. Even though life was terrible, Jeremiah found a reason to have hope. He talked about this in Lamentations 3: We are still alive because the Lord s faithful love never ends. Every morning he shows it in new ways! You are so true and loyal! I say to myself, The Lord is my God, and I trust him. As Christians, we have hope because God is faithful. Even though Jeremiah knew that there was sin and destruction, he also realized that God is faithful through it all. Bad things happen to us today, too. But God is always faithful to us. Think about the times in your life when God has been faithful to you. Maybe He healed you from a sickness, gave you comfort when a loved one died or kept you safe from danger. As you think about these things, thank God that He will never leave you. Lamentations (3) When troubles happen, some people blame God. They say it is not fair that they have to suffer. But God never promised that we would have an easy life. In fact, the Bible tells us that because we are Christians, we will face troubles. When bad things happen, we should not blame God. Some troubles happen just because we live in a sinful world. Other troubles happen because we choose to disobey God and His Word. Jeremiah reminds us in Lamentations, chapter 3, that no person should complain when God punishes us for disobeying Him. Some people say that if God really loved us, He would take away our troubles. But God does not need to prove His love in that way. God has already proved His love by sending Jesus to die and accept the punishment for our sins. Because of God s love, we should always follow Him. Jeremiah talked about this in Lamentations 3:40. Let us check and see what we have done. Then let us turn back to the Lord. If you are facing troubles today, don t tell God that you deserve better. Instead, turn to Him. Pray and ask Him to forgive you and show you how you can stay close to Him. Bob La Forge Kaylene Powell Lamentations 3:19-26 Lamentations 3:37-41 Thursday, November Friday, November 23

45 Integrity (1) Hebrews, chapter 11, tells us about people who had great faith in God. These people obeyed God, even when they faced problems. Some of the people mentioned in Hebrews are Gideon, Samson, David and Samuel. Hebrews 11:33 tells us more about these people. All of them had great faith. And with that faith they defeated kingdoms. They did what was right, and God helped them in the ways he promised. With their faith some people closed the mouths of lions. Daniel was also a man who obeyed God. The book of Daniel tells us about some of Daniel s exciting adventures. Many times Daniel and his friends had to make important decisions about obeying God. Often they faced situations where they might lose their jobs or their families or even die. One word that describes Daniel and his friends is integrity. People who have integrity stand strong, even if other people do not agree with them. People who have integrity are honest and trustworthy. Daniel and his friends were men of integrity. For the next few days, we will learn more about Daniel and his friends. They faced many problems, but they always stood strong for good. Christians should have integrity, too. Ask God to show you how to be honest and trustworthy today. Debbie Klahn Integrity (2) Daniel and his friends were strangers living in a foreign country. The Babylonian army had captured the Jewish nation. Many Jews were taken away from their homes. Often the Babylonians did not treat these people well. But Daniel and his friends were trained to be leaders. They were to be special workers for the king. The Babylonians asked Daniel and his friends to eat meat that had been sacrificed to foreign gods. Daniel and his friends knew that if they ate the meat, they would be disobeying God. So, they refused to eat the meat. They did not know what would happen to them. But God was with them and blessed them. Daniel and his friends had integrity. They respected the leaders of Babylon, and the king was pleased with them. Daniel 1:20 tells us about these men. Every time the king asked them about something important, they showed great wisdom and understanding. The king found they were ten times better than all the magicians and wise men in his kingdom. Sometimes a person may ask you to do something wrong. Then you must make a decision. Be a person who has integrity. Remember that God will help you stand strong and make the right decisions. Debbie Klahn Hebrews 11:32-38 Saturday, November Daniel 1:1-21 Sunday, November 25

46 Integrity (3) Daniel, chapter 3, tells us about three of Daniel s friends. This is a favorite Bible story for many people. This story teaches us that no matter what happens, God is always with us. Daniel s friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were in a bad situation. The king had them thrown into a very hot furnace. Why? Because they refused to worship a golden idol. These three men had integrity. They refused to disobey God. They were willing to die for what they believed. God rescued Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They were not harmed by the hot furnace. Daniel 3:28 tells us what the king said about the three men. Then Nebuchadnezzar said, Praise the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Their God has sent his angel and saved his servants from the fire! These three men trusted their God and refused to obey my command. They were willing to die instead of serving or worshiping any other god. God may save us from dangers that we face. Or God may choose to allow us to suffer and die. But, no matter what happens, we can know for sure that God will always be with us. Trust and obey His Word today! Debbie Klahn Integrity (4) As Daniel became older, he served under several different kings. But Daniel always stayed faithful to God. He continued to be a man who had integrity. Some men were jealous of Daniel because he was a good man and he had an important job in the government. These men tried to catch Daniel doing something wrong. But Daniel always did what was right. So these men decided to trick Daniel. They encouraged the king to make a new law. This law said that for thirty days, all people had to pray to the king. If someone did not obey, they would be thrown into a cage of lions. Daniel refused to pray to the king. So he was thrown into the lions cage. But God rescued Daniel and kept him safe. Daniel 6:26 tells us what the king said after Daniel was rescued. I am making a new law. This law is for people in every part of my kingdom. All of you must fear and respect the God of Daniel. Daniel s God is the living God; he lives forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed. His rule will never end. Most of the time, we do not face dangerous situations like Daniel faced. But we may have friends who ridicule us because we read the Bible and pray. We should always be like Daniel and be people of integrity. Debbie Klahn Daniel 3:1-30 Daniel 6:1-28 Monday, November Tuesday, November 27

47 Integrity (5) In Daniel, chapter 2, we can read a prayer that Daniel prayed after God helped him interpret the king s dream. This prayer shows us that Daniel truly loved and worshiped God. In Daniel 2:23, Daniel praised God. God of my ancestors, I thank you and praise you. You gave me wisdom and power. You told me what we asked for. You told me about the king s dream. The past few days we have learned about Daniel and his friends. They refused to eat the king s meat. Then Shadrach, Mechach and Abednego did not bow down to the king. Later, Daniel was thrown into the lions cage. Daniel and his friends could have said, We must follow the culture of the Babylonian people and worship other gods. But they did not want to do anything that was against God. Daniel obeyed God when he was young. Are you young? Are you obeying God like Daniel did? Daniel obeyed God when he was old. Are you old? Are you still trying to serve and please God? It is not important what age you are. You should try to be a person who has integrity whether you are at the beginning, the middle or the end of your life. Think about Daniel s example and be a person of integrity every day of your life. Nebuchadnezzar A few days ago we mentioned King Nebuchadnezzar. One time he had a dream, but he could not understand it. So God helped Daniel explain the meaning of the dream to the king. Later, Nebuchadnezzar became very proud. He did not give God the glory for the good things that happened. So God punished Nebuchadnezzar. God made all the things in Nebuchadnezzar s dream came true. Daniel 4:33 tells us what happened. These things happened immediately. Nebuchadnezzar was forced to go away from people. He began eating grass like an ox. He became wet from dew. His hair grew long like the feathers of an eagle, and his nails grew long like the claws of a bird. God punished Nebuchadnezzar by changing him into a strange creature. Later, Nebuchadnezzar prayed to God, and God made him a normal man again. God gave Nebuchadnezzar back his kingdom. And he had more wealth and power than ever before. God is truly great. He wants us to be humble and realize that our blessings come from Him. Praise Him today for the wonderful things He has done in your life! Carol Whitney Debbie Klahn Daniel 2:14-23 Wednesday, November Daniel 4:1-37 Thursday, November 29

48 Belshazzar Life can teach us some good lessons. For example, if I drink hot milk, it will burn my mouth. But the next time I drink hot milk, I will blow on it to cool it first. I should learn from my mistakes. King Belshazzar was the grandson of King Nebuchadnezzar. But Belshazzar did not learn from his grandfather s mistake. One time Belshazzar had a drunken party. He ordered the holy cups, taken from the Temple in Jerusalem, to be brought to him. The people at the party drank from these special cups and praised their false gods. In the middle of the party, King Belshazzar received a message from God. Daniel 5:5 tells us what happened. Suddenly, a person s hand appeared and began writing on the wall. The fingers scratched words into the plaster on the wall, near the lampstand in the king s palace. The king was watching the hand as it wrote. The king called David to interpret the message on the wall. He told Belshazzar that his kingdom would be taken away and given to other countries. That same night Belshazzar was killed. We should learn from the past and not repeat the same mistakes. Don t become proud and arrogant. Be humble before God. Jolly Herbert Christmas Season Today is the 1st day of December. Many people around the world are excited to start celebrating the Christmas season. Our devotion today is about Jesus birth. We will learn more about the Christmas story throughout the month of December. We don t know a lot about Mary s husband, Joseph. The Bible tells us that he was a good man and worked as a carpenter. The Bible doesn t tell us how old he was when Jesus was born or when he died. Joseph and Mary were engaged to be married. I wonder how he felt when Mary told him that she was pregnant with God s Son. He was probably afraid of what other people would think about Mary s pregnancy. Maybe he wondered if he could be a good earthly father to God s Son. Matthew 1:20-21 tells us how God encouraged Joseph. But after Joseph thought about this, an angel from the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel said, Joseph, son of David, don t be afraid to accept Mary to be your wife. The baby inside her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son. You will name him Jesus. Give him that name because he will save his people from their sins. Joseph trusted God to help him be a good husband and a good father. You can trust God today to help you, too! Donna Howard Daniel 5:1-31 Matthew 1:1-25 Friday, November Saturday, December 1

49 Hosea (1) In our previous devotions, we have talked about God s prophets. We learned about a group of prophets and about Daniel and Jeremiah. Hosea is another prophet that God used to tell the Israelites something that would happen in the future. Hosea shared a message from God in Hosea 11:1. The Lord said, I loved Israel when he was a child, and I called my son out of Egypt. About 700 years later, that prophecy was fulfilled. In Matthew, chapter 2, we learn that King Herod wanted to kill God s Son, Jesus. So Joseph took Mary and Jesus to Egypt during the night. They stayed in Egypt until King Herod died. This fulfilled Hosea s prophecy. God knew ahead of time that Joseph, Mary and Jesus would have to leave Israel and go to Egypt to escape King Herod. After Herod died, Joseph, Mary and Jesus went back to Israel and lived in the town of Nazareth. God is all-powerful. He knows everything. He knows what has happened in the past, what is happening right now and what will happen in the future. God loves you and always wants what is best for you! Isn t God amazing? Chad Entinger Hosea (2) Hosea is the only prophet from the northern kingdom of Israel who wrote a book of the Bible. Hosea s prophecies warned Israel that God would punish them. God punished Israel because the people of Israel turned away from God. Many of them worshiped idols. God used the army of Assyria to attack Israel. Then the Assyrians sent the people of Israel to other countries. Israel was not a nation anymore. But God did not leave the people of Israel scattered forever. Many years later, God gathered His people together again. Yes, God punished the people of Israel, but He still loved them. God used Hosea s life as an example of His love. God commanded Hosea to marry a woman who was not faithful to Hosea. Hosea s wife left him and lived with another man. But Hosea did not stop loving her. Hosea went to his wife and brought her back to him. In the same way, Israel was not faithful to God. God punished Israel, but Hosea 3:5 is a prophecy that says God would someday restore Israel. After this, the people of Israel will come back and look for the Lord their God and for David their king. In the last days they will come to honor the Lord and his goodness. Remember today that God will never stop loving you! Hosea 11:1-12 Sunday, December 2 Matt Keller Hosea 3: Monday, December 3

50 Disasters I read about a city that had a hail storm, and then a tornado hit. Electric lines were down for several days. The water supply to the area was cut off. Some of the people were so frustrated that they yelled at the repairmen who were working 16-hour shifts to fix the power lines. Other people grumbled because they were not able to go to school or work for many days. They wondered why God had allowed this disaster to happen to them. The book of Joel teaches us that disasters will happen. Joel 1:19-20 describes what happened in Israel. Lord, I am calling to you for help. Fire has changed our green fields into a desert. Flames have burned all the trees in the field. Wild animals also need your help. The streams are dry there is no water! Fire has changed our green fields into a desert. We may have a comfortable life today, but tomorrow something bad could happen to us and the place where we live. If that happens, we should not grumble and complain. Our reaction should be to turn to God for help and to make sure we are obeying His Word. Thank God today for the safety of your family and home. And ask Him to take care of you and help you stay close to Him every day. Beverly Eliason Amos The prophet Amos was a shepherd from the city of Tekoa, in Judah. God sent him to preach in the city of Bethel, in Israel. Bethel was the place where many Israelites went to worship. At the time when Amos preached, there was peace in Israel. No armies were threatening to invade Israel. But God told Amos that soon things would change. God would punish Israel for all their sins, and the time of peace would end. But the people did not want to listen to Amos. Amaziah, a priest at Bethel, tried to get Amos in trouble with the king. He also told Amos not to preach in Bethel anymore. Amos 7:15 tells us Amos reply. I was a shepherd and the Lord took me from following the sheep. The Lord said to me, Go, prophesy to my people Israel. Amos told Amaziah that God sent him to preach. Amos obeyed God instead of obeying men. We should be like Amos. When people tell us not to talk about Jesus, we should not listen to them. They may do bad things to us to try to stop us from speaking about Jesus. But we should not be afraid. Always remember that it is better to obey God than to obey people who don t love God. Matt Keller Joel 1:13-20 Amos 7:10-17 Tuesday, December 4 49 Wednesday, December 5

51 Amazing Things There are many things about the Christmas story that are amazing. Today we will talk about a few. The universe is estimated to have over 100 billion galaxies with each galaxy containing billions of stars. Yet Jesus, the One who created all this, became a small, helpless baby. That should fill us with wonder and amazement. God sent Jesus to earth to be born as a baby. But God did not choose to have Jesus born into a family that was rich and famous. Instead, Jesus was born into a simple family who loved and followed God. This should amaze us, too. God told about Jesus birth 700 years before it happened. There are over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament that tell us about the coming of God s Son, the Messiah. God s angel came to Joseph in a dream and explained about Mary s pregnancy. In Matthew 1:22, the angel mentioned one of these prophecies. All this happened to make clear the full meaning of what the Lord said through the prophet. These prophecies are truly amazing! As you make plans to celebrate the birth of Jesus, think about all the amazing things that happened. And thank God for His wonderful plan of salvation and eternal life. Bob La Forge Obadiah The Edomites were relatives of the Israelites. God used the prophet Obadiah to warn the Edomites that He would judge them for what they had done to the Israelites. God was not pleased with the Edomites. They were proud people. When the Israelites were being attacked by the Babylonians, the Edomites refused to help them. We can find Obadiah s warning in verse 10 of the book of Obadiah. You will be covered with shame because you were very cruel to your brother Jacob. So you will be destroyed completely. Obadiah s message was that God would destroy the Edomites. The Edomites were not kind to the Israelites. So God punished them. When we do unkind things to other people, we do not have God s love in us. While Jesus was on earth, He taught His disciples many things about love. He told them they should love each other. Then their love would show other people that they were His followers. Jesus wants us to be humble and loving, too. Then our love and humility will encourage us to do kind things for other people. When we do kind things, we please God and also set an example for the people around us. Paul Dymoke Matthew 1:18-25 Thursday, December 6 50 Obadiah 1-21 Friday, December 7

52 Jonah (1) The prophet Jonah lived during the time when Jereoboam II was the king of Israel. One prophecy that Jonah spoke is recorded in 2 Kings 14:25. This prophecy said that Israel would take back some of the land that other nations had captured. Most people remember Jonah because of the book in the Old Testament that is named after him. This book tells about a time when Jonah disobeyed God and He punished Jonah. Jonah 1:17 describes God s punishment. When Jonah fell into the sea, the Lord chose a very big fish to swallow Jonah. He was in the stomach of the fish for three days and three nights. Later, God caused the fish to vomit Jonah onto dry land. Then Jonah did what God told him to do. But Jonah was not happy about what he was supposed to do. So God used a vine and a worm to teach Jonah another lesson. The book of Jonah teaches us about being obedient to God. It also teaches about God s love and forgiveness for all people. By studying the book of Jonah, we can learn that we need to have a good attitude about serving God. We can love all people, because God made them and He loves them, too. Matt Keller Jonah (2) God told Jonah to go to the wicked city of Ninevah to preach to the people. But Jonah did not want to do that, so he ran away. Yesterday we learned that God punished Jonah by having him swallowed by a big fish. While Jonah was in the fish, he prayed to God. Jonah told God about his pain and suffering. In Jonah 2:9 we learn that Jonah ended his prayer with thanksgiving and praise. I will give sacrifices to you, and I will praise and thank you. I will make special promises to you, and I will do what I promise. Salvation only comes from the Lord! This is a wonderful example of prayer. But there is more to the story. God heard Jonah s prayer and saved him. But then Jonah became angry with God. Why? Because He showed mercy to the people of Ninevah. The people changed from their wicked living, so God did not punish them. That made Jonah very upset. Sometimes we are like Jonah. We want God to forgive our sins, but we also want Him to punish other people for their sins. God is fair and just. He offers forgiveness to all people who will repent and obey Him. Be thankful today that God forgives your sins. And also be thankful that He is a God of mercy and love. Diana French Jonah 1:1-17 Jonah 2:1-10 Saturday, December 8 51 Sunday, December 9

53 Hope, Joy and Peace Christmas is a time when many people around the world are happy. They enjoy family and church traditions that help them remember Jesus birth. Even people who face many problems throughout the year seem to enjoy a time of happiness at Christmas. This happiness happens because of the hope, joy and peace that God gives to us through Jesus. Paul talked about this in Romans 15:13. I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit. No matter what is happening in the world around us, we can have hope. As Christians we have the hope that Jesus will come again. Then all pain and suffering will be gone. Living forever with God will be wonderful! Even when we are facing problems, we can have joy. That joy comes because Jesus was willing to die on the cross and accept the punishment for our sins. We have joy because we do not have to face God s punishment. Then our hope and joy bring us peace. We can be at peace with God because of Jesus sacrifice. May your Christmas season be filled with God s hope, joy and peace! Christmas Prophecy God used the prophet Micah to make a prophecy telling people EXACTLY where Jesus would be born. And this prophecy was told at least 600 years before Jesus was born. We can read Micah s prophecy about Jesus birthplace in Micah 5:2. But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, are the smallest town in Judah. Your family is almost too small to count, but the Ruler of Israel will come from you to rule for me. His beginnings are from ancient times, and from long, long ago. In Matthew, chapter 2, we learn that this prophecy came true. Jesus was born in the exact town where Micah said he would be born Bethlehem. Joseph and Mary were from the town of Nazareth. But they had to travel to Bethlehem to register for a census. While they were in Bethlehem, Jesus was born. God is amazing! There are so many cities and towns in the world almost too many to count. Bethlehem was a small town. It was not like New York City or London. God knew the exact small town where His Son, Jesus, would be born long before it happened. Only the one true God could know what would happen, tell people before it would happen and make it truly happen. Praise God! Chad Entinger Jo Krueger Romans 15:1-13 Monday, December Micah 5:2-4 Tuesday, December 11

54 Nahum We do not know much about the prophet Nahum. The first verse of the book of Nahum tells us he was an Elkoshite, which means he was from a town called Elkosh. He probably lived at about the same time as other prophets such as Zephaniah and Jeremiah. Many years before Nahum, God sent the prophet Jonah to preach to the people of Ninevah. The people listened to Jonah and were sorry for their sins. So God forgave them. But later, the people of Ninevah began sinning again. God became angry with them a second time. Then God gave Nahum a sad message about the city of Ninevah. This is recorded in the Old Testament book of Nahum. In Nahum 1:7-8, Nahum tells us about God s goodness and His plan for the people of Ninevah. The Lord is good. He is a safe place to go to in times of trouble. He takes care of those who trust him. But he will completely destroy his enemies. He will wash them away like a flood and chase them into the darkness. God is patient and very forgiving. But if we turn away from Him and continue sinning, He will punish us. Think about your life today. Repent of any sin that is keeping you from serving God. He loves you and will forgive you! Faithful It is exciting to celebrate the arrival of a newborn baby. Parents are eager to have their baby grow up to be healthy and strong. Some parents ask their trusted friends to guide them as they raise their child. Jesus has always been God s Son. But when God sent Jesus to earth, He chose Joseph and Mary to raise His Son. God knew that Joseph and Mary would be good parents. Both of them were willing to accept the responsibility of raising God s Son. Luke 1:35 tells us what God s angel said to Mary. The angel said to Mary, The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High God will cover you. The baby will be holy and will be called the Son of God. Mary said that she was willing to accept God s plan for her life. Joseph and Mary took good care of Jesus. Soon after He was born, they took Jesus to the temple to obey the Jewish law. Luke, chapter 2, tells us that every year Joseph and Mary went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast. God gave Joseph and Mary a special job to do, and they were faithful to obey Him. I hope that you will be faithful and obedient to God, too. Pam Davis Matt Keller Nahum 1:1-13 Luke 1:26-38 Wednesday, December Thursday, December 13

55 Jesus Names Have you ever thought about your name? Many people have no idea why their parents chose to name them what they did. But others know that they were named after an honored relative or friend. Maybe they have the same name as their father, grandmother or great-uncle. The Bible calls God s Son by several names. The most common names are Jesus, Christ and Lord. Matthew 1:23 gives us another name for Jesus. The virgin will be pregnant and will give birth to a son. They will call him Immanuel. (Immanuel means God with us. ) Immanuel came to earth to live among people many years ago. Even though He is not living here on earth now, He is still with you and me today. That is hard for me to understand or explain. But I know it is true. Immanuel is with me when I am afraid, sick, lonely or sad. But He is also with me when I feel safe, healthy, loved and happy. I have many family members and friends who love me. But they will not always be with me. Immanuel is with me now and will always be with me. Remember today that you are not alone. Jesus is with you to be your helper, friend and guide. Praise God for sending Jesus to die for you! Pam Davis Habakkuk (1) Habakkuk lived at the same time as the prophet Jeremiah about 600 years before Jesus. Habakkuk wrote a book that is in the Old Testament. This book is a conversation between Habakkuk and God. Habakkuk told God that all the people in Judah were doing evil things. Then Habakkuk asked why God was not punishing those people and how He could watch good people being destroyed. Habakkuk 2:1 tells us that Habakkuk waited for God to answer his question. I will stand like a guard and watch. I will wait to see what the Lord will say to me. I will wait and learn how he answers my questions. Soon God answered Habakkuk. God said that He would cause the Babylonians to destroy Judah and capture all the people. Habakkuk said that the Babylonians were more evil than the people of Judah. He did not understand why God would use them to punish Judah. God told Habakkuk that after the Babylonians had captured Judah, He would punish the Babylonians for their evil. Habakkuk saw that God s plan was perfect, and he praised God. We need to be like Habakkuk and trust God every day. He always knows what is best for us. Matt Keller Matthew 1:18-25 Friday, December Habakkuk 1:1-2:1 Saturday, December 15

56 Habakkuk (2) God responded to Habakkuk s questions in Habakkuk, chapter 2. Habakkuk 2:4 tells us what God said about His message. This message cannot help those who refuse to listen to it, but those who are good will live because they believe it. We need to have faith in God and believe His messages in the Bible. But what is faith? Faith is a strong belief. As Christians, we have faith that God is the one true God. We have faith that Jesus is God s Son. We have faith that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. We have faith that the Holy Spirit is God s gift to us and that He will comfort, strengthen and encourage us. We should have faith in God and His Word all the time. We shouldn t just trust Him on certain days or when we are facing problems. Trust God and rely on His strength seven days a week. Our faith should also be real. As Christians, we should never be afraid to tell people why we have faith in Jesus and His plan of salvation. Also, our faith should not be hidden. People should be able to look at us and know that we are different. When they look at us, they should be able to see God living and working in us. What about your faith? Are you depending on God today? Gayle Thorn Zephaniah (1) The prophet Zephaniah lived at the same time as Jeremiah and Nahum. God gave a prophecy to Zephaniah for the city of Jerusalem and the area of Judah. This prophecy is written in the book of Zephaniah. God told Zephaniah He would punish the people of Judah for their sins. The people said they worshiped God, but they turned away from Him and worshiped idols instead. Zephaniah 3:1-2 talks about this. Jerusalem, your people fought against God. They hurt other people, and you have been stained with sin. They didn t listen to me or accept my teachings. Jerusalem didn t trust the Lord. Jerusalem didn t go to her God. Zephaniah wrote that the teachers in Judah were teaching wrong things. The people in Judah didn t keep their promises to God. They were doing many bad things. But God still loved them and tried to warn them to do good things. God gave them many opportunities to stop sinning. But the people did not stop sinning. So God had to punish them. Don t be stubborn like the people of Judah. If you have sins in your life, get rid of those sins! Let Jesus help you stop living a life full of sin. Let Him show you how you can live the way God wants you to live. Matt Keller Habakkuk 2:2-4 Zephaniah 3:1-13 Sunday, December Monday, December 17

57 Zephaniah (2) Yesterday we learned that the people in Judah turned away from God and were sinning. Zephaniah shared God s message with those people. He told them that God would punish them by allowing another country to conquer them and take some of the people away to be their slaves. All of the things that Zephaniah told the people really did happen later. Zephaniah, chapter 3, records the last part of Zephaniah s message. Most of it is sad. In Zephaniah 3:19, he closes with some encouraging words for the people. At that time I will punish those who hurt you. I will save my hurt people and bring back those who were forced to leave. I will give them praise and honor everywhere, even in places where they suffered shame. Zephaniah told the people of Judah that God would show them how much He loved them. God would end their punishment and bring them back to the city of Jerusalem. Then the people would be happy again. Sometimes we face problems, and we become sad and discouraged. But someday our sadness and discouragement will all be over. Jesus will come again to take His followers to live with Him. Then we will be happy and blessed forever. Eileen Wood What They Did (1) Today and for the next few days we will talk about people who are part of the Christmas story in the Bible. We will read verses from Matthew and Luke and other New Testament books. We will learn what these people did and what they said. The first person we will talk about is Mary. The book of Luke tells us that God s angel came to Mary. The angel told Mary that she would give birth to God s Son. The Holy Spirit would cause this to happen. Mary was probably a young girl. Maybe she was as young as fifteen years old. She was engaged to marry Joseph. If Joseph knew that Mary was pregnant, he might decide not to marry her. Also, other people might say bad things about her because she was pregnant and not married. Luke 1:38 tells us what Mary did when she heard the angel s message. Mary said, I am the Lord s servant. Let this thing you have said happen to me! Then the angel went away. Wow! Mary truly trusted God. She trusted God to be with her and take care of her. Mary believed that God would do what was best for her. God knows what is best for you and me, too. Be like Mary today. Trust God completely! Gayle Thorn Zephaniah 3:14-20 Tuesday, December Luke 1:26-38 Wednesday, December 19

58 What They Did (2) Today we will talk about what Joseph did and said when he heard that Mary was going to have a baby. Matthew 1:19 tells us about Joseph s plan. Mary s husband, Joseph, was a good man. He did not want to cause her public disgrace, so he planned to divorce her secretly. Joseph s first reaction was to quietly end the engagement to Mary. Why? Because he cared about her. Joseph did not want Mary to be publicly embarrassed. Then God s angel told Joseph that Mary s pregnancy was caused by the Holy Spirit. The angel also told Joseph that Mary s baby would be the Savior of the world. This news changed Joseph s thinking. Instead of ending the engagement, Joseph decided to go ahead and marry Mary. Joseph cared about Mary, and he wanted to obey God. That s why Joseph was willing to do something difficult. We should be like Jospeh. We should trust God and be willing to obey Him even when God asks us to do something that is hard. Show God that you love Him by trusting and obeying Him today! Gayle Thorn What They Did (3) After Mary became pregnant by the Holy Spirit, she went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth. Elizabeth was pregnant, too. Elizabeth s baby would grow up and become the man who prepared God s people for Jesus message of salvation. When Mary walked into Elizabeth s house, the baby in Elizabeth s womb jumped! Why did Elizabeth s baby do that? Probably the baby recognized that Mary s baby was Jesus, God s Son. Then the Holy Spirit entered Elizabeth and allowed her to know that Mary would give birth to God s Son. Luke 1:42-43 tells us what Elizabeth said. In a loud voice she said to Mary, God has blessed you more than any other woman. And God has blessed the baby you will have. You are the mother of my Lord, and you have come to me! Why has something so good happened to me? Elizabeth realized that Mary s baby was the Son of God. Every person on earth has the opportunity to recognize Jesus as God s Son. We can accept Jesus as God s Son, or we can reject Him. I hope that Jesus is truly your Lord and Savior. Thank Him for your salvation. If Jesus is not your Lord and Savior, take time to learn more about Him from the Bible. Then obey Jesus and follow His plan for your life. Gayle Thorn Matthew 1:18-25 Luke 1:39-45 Thursday, December Friday, December 21

59 What They Did (4) This is our fourth devotion about people who were part of the Christmas story. Today we will learn about the angels who announced Jesus birth. The night Jesus was born, an angel announced the news about Jesus birth to some shepherds who were out in the fields near Bethlehem. Then a large group of angels joined the first angel. Luke 2:13-14 tells us what these angels did. Then the huge army of angels from heaven joined the first angel, and they were all praising God, saying, Praise God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace to the people who please him. When we think about Jesus His birth, His ministry and His death on the cross we should want to praise God, too. How can we praise Him? We can read and study the Bible. We can praise God through songs. We can be kind to other people. We can share the Good News about Jesus with our family and friends. We can also tell God how wonderful He is and thank Him for all He has done. There are many ways that we can praise God. I hope you will use this Christmas season to praise God every day. Gayle Thorn What They Did (5) For our fifth devotion in this series, we will talk about the shepherds. They learned about Jesus birth when an angel appeared to them while they were taking care of their sheep. At first, the shepherds were afraid. Then the angel told them not to be afraid. After the angels went away, the shepherds went to Bethlehem to see baby Jesus. The Bible tells us that they went quickly to Bethlehem. The shepherds saw baby Jesus, Joseph and Mary. Luke 2:20 tells us what the shepherds did then. The shepherds went back to their sheep, praising God and thanking him for everything they had seen and heard. It was just as the angel had told them. God wants us to be like these shepherds. They were excited to see Jesus. The Jews had waited many years for God to send His Son to be their Savior. We should be excited to learn about Jesus and follow Him. God sent Jesus to be our Savior, too. The shepherds were so excited that they shared the news about Jesus with other people. We can also share the Good News about Jesus with people we meet. Thank God today for sending Jesus to earth. Then go and tell someone about Him! Gayle Thorn Luke 2:8-14 Saturday, December Luke 2:15-20 Sunday, December 23

60 What They Did (6) Today we will talk about Jesus. He is God s Son. Jesus was with God in the beginning when He created the universe. Everything in heaven and earth belongs to Him. Jesus chose to give up all these things to come to earth and live as a man. Even though Jesus was equal with God, He chose to give up all the wonderful and beautiful things in heaven to be born as a baby. Philippians 2:7-8 describes what Jesus did. Instead, he gave up everything, even his place with God. He accepted the role of a servant, appearing in human form. During his life as a man, he humbled himself by being fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death death on a cross. When Jesus came to earth, He was born as a helpless baby. His earthly parents were poor. Mary laid baby Jesus in an animal feeding box because there was no other place for them to stay. The people who came to visit baby Jesus were humble shepherds. That certainly was not a glamorous birth! Jesus gave up everything to be born as a baby on earth. He became weak and poor so we could be strong and rich in our relationship with Him. Thank You, God, for sending Jesus! Gayle Thorn What They Did (7) For the last six days we have talked about people who were involved in the Christmas story. Each person played a special part in this wonderful story. But today we will talk about the most important of all God! Jesus birth, death and resurrection are God s special gifts to us. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us about this. I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about. God wants us to be like the people in the Christmas story. He wants us to believe in Jesus, love Jesus, obey Jesus as our Savior, worship Jesus and follow Jesus example of humility. Today is Christmas Day. It is the perfect time to think about Jesus. Are you following and obeying Jesus? If not, read the Bible and learn how you can become His follower. If you are already a Christian, take time today to think about your Christian life. Ask God to show you through His Word how you can be close to Him every day of the year. Merry Christmas! May you be filled with His love and peace today! Gayle Thorn Philippians 2:5-11 Ephesians 2:4-10 Monday, December Tuesday, December 25

61 Haggai (1) The Temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed. But God s people were busy building their own beautiful homes. They were not interested in rebuilding the Temple. In Haggai 1:4 God gave His prophet, Haggai, a message for the people who would not rebuild the Temple. You people think the right time has come for you to live in nice houses. You live in houses with beautiful wood paneling on the walls. But the Lord s house is still in ruins! Then God challenged these people to think about what was happening in their lives. He reminded them that they were not being truly successful. Their crops were not giving them enough food and they didn t have enough clothes to wear. This was happening because they had refused to rebuild the Temple. Haggai s message is good for us, too. Think about what is happening in your life. Remind yourself that your first priority is to love and serve God. When you read and study God s Word every day, you are better prepared to face problems that happen. Think about your life today. What is most important to you? I hope that loving and serving God are the most important things in your life. Bonnie Hall Haggai (2) Finally, God s people started to rebuild the Temple. But they were discouraged. Some people thought that this Temple would never be as wonderful as the first Temple. In Haggai 2:4, God shared an encouraging message with the governor, the high priest and all the people. But the Lord says, Zerubbabel, don t be discouraged! And the Lord says, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, you are the high priest. Don t be discouraged! And all the people who live in the land, don t be discouraged! Continue this work, because I am with you. This is what the Lord All- Powerful said. Sometimes we may feel that God wants us to do something special. Maybe He wants us to go on a mission trip or work on a special project for our church. But first, we need to raise some money. Then we learn that it is difficult to raise the money, so we begin to doubt that we can go on the trip or complete the project. We should not give up. We should remember that God is always with us and will provide for us. What are you facing in your life today? Are you discouraged because you are having a hard time serving God? Remember that God will be with you. He will strengthen and encourage you as you serve Him. Bonnie Hall Haggai 1:3-11 Wednesday, December Haggai 2:1-9 Thursday, December 27

62 Haggai (3) Yesterday we talked about doing something special for God. If we do something special for God, we need to be sure we are doing it the way God wants. If we are not doing something God s way, He may not bless our work. Several people went on a mission trip to work with churches in a foreign country. After several days, it seemed that God was not blessing their work. So instead of working with Christians in the churches, they went out into the schools and homes and told people about Jesus. These people loved learning about Jesus, and many became Christians. Haggai reminded the people that God had stopped blessing them because they were not rebuilding the Temple. Haggai 2:18-19 tells us what God said when the people started rebuilding the Temple. The Lord said, Today is the 24th day of the ninth month. You have finished laying the foundation of the Lord s Temple. So notice what happens from this day forward: Your seed for planting is still in the barn. And look at the vines, the fig trees and the pomegranate and olive trees. They have not yet produced any fruit. But beginning today, I will bless you. When we are doing what God wants us to do, He will bless us. Ask Him to show you how you can serve Him today. Zechariah The book of Zechariah is about the messages and visions that God gave to the prophet Zechariah. In these messages, God reminded Zechariah that the Israelites had disobeyed Him and turned away. God loved the Israelites, but they turned away and worshiped idols. So God punished them and sent them away from the land of Israel. Zechariah 1:6 tells us what finally happened to God s people. The prophets were my servants. I used to tell your ancestors about my laws and teachings. Your ancestors finally learned their lesson and said, The Lord All-Powerful did what he said he would do. He punished us for the way we lived and for all the evil things we did. So they came back to God. There are times in our lives when we may become distracted and turn away from God. Maybe we become involved in some sin. Or maybe we are just so busy with things in life that we don t have time for God. During those times, God reminds us that we need to come back to Him. When we return to God, He forgives us and blesses us. Maybe you are far away from God today. You don t have to stay that way. Turn back to God and stay close to Him. Jo Krueger Bonnie Hall Haggai 2:15-19 Zechariah 1:1-6 Friday, December Saturday, December 29

63 Malachi A father and his child were at a swimming pool. The father stood in the pool and urged the child to jump into the water. The father assured his child that he would catch him and he would be safe. We can have that same kind of experience with God. God says that He will provide for us. There are many examples in the Bible of God taking care of His people. But often we are afraid to trust God. We try to do things by ourselves instead of depending on Him. In Malachi 3:10, God challenges us to test Him as a provider. The Lord All-Powerful says, Try this test. Bring one-tenth of your things to me. Put them in the treasury. Bring food to my house. Test me! If you do these things, I will surely bless you. Good things will come to you like rain falling from the sky. You will have more than enough of everything. God is like the parent in the pool, and we are like the child who wants to jump into the water. God wants us to trust Him. When we trust Him, He will take care of us and give us many blessings. I challenge you to trust God with your whole life your money, your possessions and your time. God will provide for you and bless you! Matthew Poe 2019 Today is the last day of Many people around the world will sit down today and write some New Year s resolutions. Maybe they will decide to improve themselves physically and spiritually during As Christians, we should always be looking for ways to grow spiritually. When someone has a baby, we want that baby to grow and become an adult. In the same way, God wants us to grow and become stronger Christians every year. Paul wrote a letter to Christians in the region of Galatia. He encouraged them to live the way that the Holy Spirit led them. Paul told them if they followed the Holy Spirit, they would not do sinful things. In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul lists the good things that the Holy Spirit can help us have in our lives. But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things. These words describe God. As the Holy Spirit leads us, we become more and more like God. I hope you will add these characteristics to your resolution list for Allow the Holy Spirit to help you develop these good things in your life. Jo Krueger Malachi 3:10-12 Galatians 5:16-26 Sunday, December Monday, December 31

64 DOWNLOAD FREE DEAF MISSIONS APP TODAY!