Do Not Break the Vow You Make to God

Scripture: Numbers 30: 1-3

And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded. If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth. If a woman also vow a vow unto the LORD, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father’s house in her youth;

Scripture Commentary: Don’t make a vow to God that you won’t keep

Does this sound familiar … O Lord, if you get me out of this mess, I’ll never do this or anything wrong again! We ask God for help and we promise Him something in return when He gets us of the situation that we’re in. Invariably we will break the promise we make to God.

Our promise is our bond! Would you trust someone who doesn’t keep his word to you? I would think not!

What we promise God is binding. He doesn’t ask for your signature; He doesn’t ask you to make a vow if/when you’re in trouble. The vow He asks of us is to love, obey, and carry out His Word.

Once you make a promise to God, you are to fulfill it. To break it is to break the trust God has given you. God has never broken His promise. He will never forsake you, so why should you forsake Him?

Think the next time you make a promise to God. The only thing you truly have is your word. Our God is a loving God who will forgive seven times seven … times seven, times seven. Why? Because He loves you!

Read the Entire Chapter:
Numbers Chapter 30

Here I Am, Lord; Send Me

Scripture: Isaiah 6: 8-10

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here I am; send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

Scripture Commentary: Will you say “here I am, Lord,” when He is looking for a spokesman?

The more clearly Isaiah saw God, the more aware he became of his powerlessness and inadequacy to do anything of lasting value without God; however, he was willing to be God’s spokesman.

God told Isaiah that the people would listen but not learn from his message because their hearts had become calloused beyond repentance .

How is your heart? Are you so into yourself that when God calls you, you can’t hear Him?

God’s patience with the people’s chronic rebellion was finally exhausted. His judgment was to abandon them to their rebellion and hardness of heart.

Why did God send Isaiah if He knew the people wouldn’t listen?

Although the nation would not repent, some individuals did listen. God is merciful even when He judges. We can gain encouragement from God’s promise to preserve His people. If we are faithful to Him, we can be sure of His mercy.

Consider what God may be telling you, and obey Him before time runs out.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Isaiah Chapter 6

Praise the Greatness of Our God

Scripture: Psalms 150: 6

Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

Scripture Commentary: Let me live that I may praise you

How could the message be more clear? In a way, the book of Psalms parallels our spiritual journey through life. It begins by presenting us with two roads, the way to life and the way to death. The road to eternal life is with Jesus Christ.

Which road are you on? If you choose God’s way to life, you will still face both blessings and hardships, joy and grief, successes and obstacles. However, God is at your side, guiding, encouraging, comforting, are caring.

The writer tells us to give thanks to God for He truly loves you. As the wise and faithful person’s life draws to an end, he or she realizes clearly that God’s road is the right road, but don’t wait until the end of your life to accept Christ. Do it now!

Go and tell everyone how He has loved you despite yourself. Knowing and accepting God for leading you in the right direction and for assuring your place in His Kingdom will put praise for Him on your lips. Let your voice tell the world how He loves you.

What a fitting way to end Psalms with encouragement for you to praise God.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Psalms Chapter 150

Two Additional Readings on Praise:
Deuteronomy Chapter 32
Psalms Chapter 119

God Will Not Leave You

Scripture: Ruth 1: 16-17

And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

Scripture Commentary: Allow God’s plan for your life to unfold

These two verses in the Book of Ruth show us Ruth’s character. She was caring and respectful her mother-in-law, Naomi, even after her mother-in-law encouraged her to return to her own people. Ruth made a resolution to never forsake her mother-in-law when she said, “Intreat me not to leave thee …”

Naomi felt that God was punishing her when she was forced from her homeland by famine, and when both her husband and two sons died. But God had blessed her with Ruth, a good hearted woman who decided not to return to her people. She put aside her own needs and desires to work and care for Naomi.

Ruth gave up the gods of her people for the God that Naomi worshiped, and God accepted Ruth as she was. Ruth may not have been able to recognize God’s guidance but He was directing her path.

God led the women to Boaz, a prosperous man. Ruth married Boaz. She gave birth to Obed who was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David. It is through this bloodline that Jesus, the Messiah, was born.

As God was with Ruth, He is also with you in your life. Talk to Him and He will answer you. God has a plan for your life.

Now ask yourself, “If I follow God, what wonderful purpose does God have for me?”

Read the Entire Chapter:
Ruth Chapter 1

Jesus Is the Ultimate Sin Offering

Scripture: Leviticus 4: 1-3

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them:If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering.

Scripture Commentary: In the Old Testament a bull without defect died as the sin offering

In this chapter God gave Moses instructions for the forgiveness of sin. Everyone was to bring a bull without defect as a sin offering. This covered a person’s sins, both known and unknown/unintentional.

Have you ever done something wrong without realizing it until later? Although it was not intentional, it was still sin. As God did with the Israelites, He makes us aware of our sin. The difference between us and the Israelites in the Old Testament is that we don’t have to kill a bull and take its blood to church to burn as a sin offering.

When Jesus was crucified on the cross, He was the final sin offering. When we sin, we can go directly to our Lord and ask for forgiveness. He covers our unintentional sins and those sins we commit in weakness; however, we must truly repent and seek forgiveness.

Jesus paid the ultimate price for us. Don’t forget it!

Read the Entire Chapter:
Leviticus Chapter 4

Although We Live Many Years, We Will Live With God Forever

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 11: 7-10

Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun: But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity. Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.

Scripture Commentary:

Solomon encourages us to rejoice in every day but to remember that eternity is far longer than a person’s life span. We may live many years; however, our days are numbered. The wise person does not think only about the present moment and its impact; s/he takes the long range view toward eternity.

Approach your decisions from God’s perspective and consider their impact both years from now and into eternity.

Live with the attitude that although our lives are short, we will live with God forever.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Ecclesiastes Chapter 11

Join the Race to Win Souls for Christ

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 9: 10-12

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

Scripture Commentary: The race isn’t for the swift nor is the battle for the strong

Who are you going to serve from the grave? What can you say, and who is listening? No one because you are dead.

You are to serve Our Lord Jesus Christ while you live. If you live for worldly things then you are living finitely with sin twisting your life, making it something that God did not intend. The world honors wealth, attractiveness, and success above wisdom.

Be swift, strong and wise in doing God’s work. If you are about God’s work, you aren’t focused on difficult situations where the swiftest or the strongest don’t win, where the wise go hungry, and where the intelligent aren’t rewarded with wealth or honor.

Your reward is in knowing you are serving God for the purpose of saving souls. God has given you the wisdom to do His work. If you work for Jesus, you are rewarded both here on earth and in heaven.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Ecclesiastes Chapter 9

The Consequence of Knowing Good and Evil

Scripture: Genesis 3: 4-6

But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Scripture Commentary: Does knowing the difference between good and evil make the choice any easier to make?

This is the first recorded decision made by man and woman. This is the black box, the soul and spirit that God has given us to record what we do with our life. We can either lie or tell the truth to each other; we can choose between good and evil. Just know that you cannot lie to God.

Are you ever so convicted after doing something wrong that you can’t look yourself in the mirror? Satan tried to make Eve think that sin is good, pleasant, and desirable. The knowledge of good and evil seemed harmless to her. People usually choose wrong because they have become convinced that those things are good. If it feels good, then it must be good.

Our sins don’t always appear ugly to us. The so-called pleasant sins are the hardest to avoid. We can’t always prevent temptation, but remember that temptation does not come from God.

There is always a way of escape. Recognize and confess your sin to God. He will always forgive a repentant heart.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Genesis Chapter 3

Sow Your Seed in the Morning

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 11: 1-6

Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

Scripture Commentary: Sow to please the spirit*

In these verses Solomon summarizes that life involves both risk and opportunity. Because life has no guarantees, we must be prepared. “Cast your bread upon the waters” means that we must seize life’s opportunities.

He who observes the wind will not sow. In other words, waiting for perfect conditions leads to inactivity. If you wait for the perfect time and place for personal Bible reading … or if you wait for a perfect church … you’ll never read the Bible and you’ll never join the church.

Take steps now to grow spiritually. Don’t wait for conditions that may never exist!

Read the Entire Chapter:
Ecclesiastes Chapter 11

*Additional Reading:
Galatians Chapter 6

Praise the Lord While You Live

Scripture: Psalms 146: 1-4

Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

Scripture Commentary: I can only complete my assignment while I live

Praise the Lord while you still have the mind, time and ability. Praise the Lord while you live. We are on a path to God or we are on a path to Satan.

Do not put your trust in the images you see daily on your computer or TV/movie screens. These images are only for a moment. Do not let worldly things come between you and our Lord Jesus Christ

The Word of God is the truth and is forever. Jesus is the truth and the light to eternal peace with God.

We are but a vapor, but before we disappear we have an assignment to spread the Gospel. You must be saved to do this – you must believe that Jesus was raised from the dead.

Once you have departed this life, you can no longer talk about Our Lord. Talk about the Lord while you can.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Psalms Chapter 146