Posts with the tag “brendan”

Daily Devotional from Nehemiah 2-- Verses 4-5“Then the king said to me, ‘What are you requesting?’ So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, ‘If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it.’”I love this. Before he responded to the king, he prayed to God. Do you ever have ...  Read More

Daily Devotional from 2 Chronicles 32--Verses 25-26“But Hezekiah did not make return according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud. Therefore wrath came upon him and Judah and Jerusalem. But Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.”Even though King Hez...  Read More

Daily Devotional from 2 Chronicles 23--Verse 11“Then they brought out the king's son and put the crown on him and gave him the testimony. And they proclaimed him king, and Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and they said, ‘Long live the king.’”God is so faithful. He kept His Word and preserved David’s line. Athaliah thought she could take power and rule in her might, but God had other plans. God ...  Read More

Daily Devotional from 2 Chronicles 20--Verse 17“You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”Isn’t God great? He tells us to not fear in the Bible a couple hundred times. It’s actually the most s...  Read More

Daily Devotional from 2 Chronicles 9--Verses 22-23“Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind.”I can imagine it was quite the spectacle to go and see Solomon. The man had everything. God granted him wisdom that impressed everyone. He was the richest ...  Read More

Daily Devotional from 1 Chronicles 29--Verse 9 & 14“9 Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly. 14 But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.”There is great joy in giving, especi...  Read More

Daily Devotional from 1 Chronicles 23--Verses 25 & 26For David said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people, and he dwells in Jerusalem forever. And so the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service.”This must have been a huge relief for the Levites. God provided them with a place of rest. I bet the Levites were pretty afraid of carrying...  Read More

Daily Devotional from 1 Chronicles 11--Verses 18 & 19Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it and brought it to David. But David would not drink it. He poured it out to the Lord and said, “Far be it from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? For at the...  Read More

Daily Devotional from 2 Kings 24--Verse 2And the Lord sent against him bands of the Chaldeans and bands of the Syrians and bands of the Moabites and bands of the Ammonites, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by his servants the prophets.God always keeps His Word and sometimes He even brings calamity to people. This is a concept that is hard t...  Read More

Daily Devotional from 2 Kings 12--Verse 2And Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all his days, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him.As I was reading, this verse stood out to me. It could have just said that Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and left it at that, but instead it chose to tell us he was instructed by Jehoiada. This brought me to think how necessar...  Read More

Daily Devotional from 1 Kings 22--Verses 26-28And the king of Israel said, “Seize Micaiah, and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son, and say, ‘Thus says the king, “Put this fellow in prison and feed him meager rations of bread and water, until I come in peace.”’” And Micaiah said, “If you return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Hear, all...  Read More

Daily Devotional from 1 Kings 10--Verses 23-24Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. And the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind.What a blessed man Solomon was, he had all you could ask for and yet he blew it!! There is a key detail I think Solomon forgot which led to his downfall. Solomon forgot tha...  Read More

Daily Devotional from 1 Kings 2–Verse 3b…‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’David wanted his children to serve God and rule in righteousness. But they didn’t have the same heart for God. Solomon was given everything and all wisdom, and yet he repeatedly fai...  Read More

Daily Devotional from 2 Samuel 22--Verse 31This God—His way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.This is why we as a church gather around God’s word. And this is why we started our daily reading plan. Every word is true and perfect because the One who spoke it is perfect. It’s so important we allow God’s word to have its proper place in ...  Read More

Daily Devotional from 2 Samuel 13—Verses 35-36And Jonadab said to the king, “Behold, the king's sons have come; as your servant said, so it has come about.” And as soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king's sons came and lifted up their voice and wept. And the king also and all his servants wept very bitterly.This chapter really shows us what happens without repentance and forgiveness. W...  Read More

Daily Devotional from 2 Samuel 5--Verse 5And David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood.”  Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim.I find it fascinating the significance of the names of people and places in the Bible. You see it all throughout scripture where either a child or a pla...  Read More

Daily Devotional from 1 Samuel 27—Verse 1Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.”It seems here that David made this decision on his own. I’m not sure he took ...  Read More

Daily Devotional from 1 Samuel 23--Verse 2Therefore David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”Reading about David it is interesting that he inquires of the Lord before he makes any big decisions. I think this would be a very beneficial practice for us. Before we make a choice let’s take it to t...  Read More

Daily Devotional from 1 Samuel 14—Verse 7And his armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Do as you wish. Behold, I am with you heart and soul.”I strive to be like this armor bearer. He took his role seriously. It is such a comfort to have people like this in your corner and I hope that I am this for people and I strive to be even more like this for people around me.  Anytime I hav...  Read More

Daily Devotional from 1 Samuel 3--Verse 10 NLTAnd the LORD came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!”And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”The Lord called 4 times before Samuel answered and I think the Lord does that to us when we don’t recognize it’s Him, He keeps on calling.  Has the Lord put anything heavy on your heart? Has He been calling your name and have you been simply ...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Ruth 3—Verse 11And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman.I like that Boaz took the time to acknowledge this, and it shows just what kind of person Ruth was. We too, should be a people who are respected by others for the honorable way we live. 1 Peter 2:12 says, ‘Keep your conduct among th...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Judges 13--Verses 17-19And Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so that, when your words come true, we may honor you?” And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?” So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it on the rock to the Lord, to the one who works wonders, and Manoah and his wife ...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Judges 10—Verses 12-14The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, and I saved you out of their hand. 13 Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more. 14 Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.”It’s a scary thought that God could aba...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Judges 2--Verse 15Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them for harm, as the Lord had warned, and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress.God warned them, and God keeps His word. Could you imagine if he wasn’t true to His word? Without any accountability for their actions, the Israelites would probably lose faith in God rather ...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Joshua 22--Verse 19But now, if the land of your possession is unclean, pass over into the Lord's land where the Lord's tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us. Only do not rebel against the Lord or make us as rebels by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God.The emphasis on community here is important. As we follow th...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Joshua 19—Verses 10-11…and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.Such a simple sentence. Do you ever wonder what pleases the Lord? Exposing the things hidden in darkness is pleasing to the Lord. It’s not so much just telling people what’s wrong. Much of the time this won’t always be done with wor...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Joshua 10--Verse 13“Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.What a miraculous God we serve, who listens to us and moves on our behalf. The sun was stopped in the sky for a whole day. What does this show us about our God? Well, I think it’s clear here that w...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Joshua 8– Verse 34And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.A battle was just won and Israel celebrated by sacrificing to God and hearing His Word. In life we have many victories and I hope in those moments we choose to honor the Lord. This battle was intense; Israel’s strategy was geniu...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Deuteronomy 29--Verse 29The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.The fact is, there are many things we don’t know and won’t know this side of heaven, and that’s ok. We serve a God who knows everything, and He has given us all we need to know. As believers, ...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Deuteronomy 28--Verse 10And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you.Now I don’t think we want people to be afraid of us, but there is something people should see when they encounter believers, something holy. We have the Holy Spirit inside of us. When we are in a room God is there too. If you are in a...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Deuteronomy 16--Verse 6On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.Interesting, sometimes things are misheard or misinterpreted. But without other witnesses, it may hold no credibility. Especially when it comes to serious matters, for example, isn’t it imp...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Deuteronomy 4--Verse 19And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.As humans, we are so prone to wander. So easily influenced to worship things of the earth o...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Numbers 29--Verses 1-2aOn the first day of the seventh month, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets, and you shall offer a burnt offering, for a pleasing aroma to the Lord…I love seeing these days of Holy gatherings. We are all accustomed to Holidays, but these were different; they were held with revere...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Numbers 28--Verse 25And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work.All throughout today’s reading, we see time set for holy convocations. A time when everybody takes a break from ordinary work and gathers together. Wouldn’t that be a cool thing to experience today? What would it look like? How would we incorporate it? In Israel, t...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Numbers 16--Verses 47-48So Aaron took it as Moses said and ran into the midst of the assembly. And behold, the plague had already begun among the people. And he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped.Many times in the Old Testament you see the wrath of God halted; what stopped His wrath? P...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Numbers 12—Verses 6-8aAnd he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the LORD.”I love reading Bible stories. The Old Testament prophet...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Numbers 4--Verse 20But they shall not go in to look on the holy things even for a moment, lest they die.To think the priests couldn’t even look past the veil, no looking, no touching or else they would die. We see later in 2 Samuel 6:6-11 Uzzah is struck dead when he tried to save the ark from falling when the oxen stumbled. But there is good news! It’s not like this anymore....  Read More

Daily Devotional from Leviticus 21—Verse 23But he shall not go through the veil or approach the altar, because he has a blemish, that he may not profane my sanctuaries, for I am the Lord who sanctifies them.Reading through this long list, you realize just how strict the law was for the Israelites. And rightfully so, the standard for holiness is high, and it has to be, because God can’t lower his s...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Leviticus 19--Verse 16You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.Slander is a plague amongst non-believers and believers alike; it seems Satan has a foothold in the church. We damage people’s reputations and sometimes we hardly know the person. Gossip and slander go hand in hand. I thin...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Leviticus 7--Verses 31-33The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be for Aaron and his sons. And the right thigh you shall give to the priest as a contribution from the sacrifice of your peace offerings. Whoever among the sons of Aaron offers the blood of the peace offerings and the fat shall have the right thigh for a portion.Since Bible times, the pr...  Read More