Yoked Together

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Corinthians 6:14-18


TO CHEW ON: "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" 2 Corinthians 6:14

In Bible times, teams of oxen were used to do farm work, like pull a plow. A heavy wooden yoke was placed on the necks two oxen. The yoke was attached with leather straps to the plow.


Together the oxen pulled the plow, while the plowman walked behind them working the plow parts and breaking the ground. This yoke kept the oxen moving and pulling in the same direction.


But suppose one of the oxen refused to go forward or started pulling in a different direction? The obedient ox and the plowman would have a problem, and the work wouldn’t get done.

In the same way, it’s hard for people to work closely with others who want to go in a different direction than they do. If we want to obey and please God, it may be hard for us to work beside someone who is only wanting to be popular, rich, famous, or to have a good time. In fact, God warns us against such ties.

On the other hand, we love our family members and friends who don’t know Jesus. God does not ask us to separate outselves from them - but to keep on loving them. We may be the ones who someday introduce them to Jesus.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please help me to be wise in my friendships with people who don’t know and love You. Amen.


MORE: Many Yokes
People can be “yoked together” in many ways. What advice would you give to people in the situations below? Explain why you think as you do.

1. A Christian boy wants to marry his girlfriend who thinks God doesn’t exist.

2. A non-Christian woman has asked your Christian aunt to be her business partner.

3. Your friend is the only Christian on his baseball team.

4. Your brother’s best friend doesn’t believe in God or Jesus.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Love

TODAY’S SPECIAL: I Corinthians 13:1-13


TO CHEW ON: And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13:13



As you can see, we use the word “love” for how we feel about a lot of things. But the love the Bible talks about in I Corinthians 13 goes far beyond describing the feelings we have about food or things we like to do. This is love that expresses itself in actions.

Using your Bible (I Corinthians 13:4-8) finish each statement about love. Then unscramble the bracketed letters to tell one final amazing thing about love on the blanks below.

Love is 1.___ ___ ___ ___ ( ) ___ ___,
love is 2.__ ( )__ __.
It does not 3.__ __ ( )__,
it does not 4.___ ___ ( )___ ___,
it is not 5.___ ___ ( ) ___ ___ .
It is not 6. ___ ___ ___ ( ),
it is not 7.___ ___ ( ) ( )- ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___,
it is not easily 8.___ ( ) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___,
it keeps no record of 9.__ __ ___ ___ ___ ___ .

Love does not delight in 10.___ ___ ___ ( )
but rejoices with 11.___ ___ ___ ___ ___ .
It always 12.___ ( ) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
always 13.___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ( ),
always 14.___ ___ ___ ( ) ___,
always 15.___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ( ) ___ ___ ___ ___

16. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ (3 words)

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to love You and others with this kind of love. Amen

MORE: Love In Action
Below are some situations in which you might find yourself. Review the statements about love (above) and then write the loving thing to do or attitude to have.

1. You made the highest mark on the test.

2. The kid next door gets a new bike every year.

3. The meanest kid in school is in trouble.

4. A bully is threatening to beat up your friend.

5. You’ve heard your best friend is telling lies about you.

ANSWERS

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

God's Friends

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Luke 2: 21-38

TO CHEW ON: "It had been revealed to him (Simeon) by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Messiah ....She (Anna) never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying." Luke 2: 26 & 37



When Jesus was still a tiny baby (40 days, about six weeks old) Joseph and Mary brought him to the temple in Jerusalem and gave him to the Lord. They also had to bring a sacrifice - doves or pigeons. They were obeying a command God gave Moses hundreds of years earlier.

There were probably many people in the temple the day Joseph and Mary took Jesus there. Perhaps some stopped Mary to take a look at her new baby and say how cute He was. The temple workers (Levites) probably saw Jesus when they helped Joseph and Mary with their sacrifice. But only two people recognized that Jesus was not just an ordinary baby.

Elderly Simeon and Anna (who weren’t together) both came to Mary and Joseph, one after the other. They wanted to see this baby. They wanted to tell Jesus’ parents and everyone around that Jesus was special. How did they know?


It seems both Simeon and Anna had a special friendship with God. Simeon was waiting for Messiah, and the Holy Spirit had given him a promise: He would not 1)________ before he saw the 2)________ 3)_________ . When God told him to go to the temple that morning, he obeyed. (Luke 2:26)

Anna never left the temple. In fact, she 4) __________ 5) ___________ and 6)_________ ,7) ________ and 8) ___________ . (Luke 2:37)

Because they loved God so much and spent so much time with Him, God told them things He didn't tell anyone else.

What do you think - do you have to be old or live in church to have a special friendship with God?

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to be a close friend of Yours, like Simeon and Anna were. Amen


SUPERSIZE IT: Given to God

Though we no longer make sacrifices of birds or animals, many churches still have special services where parents can present their children to God.

In some churches a minister prays for and dedicates the baby to God. In others a minister or priest sprinkles the baby with water to christen or baptize it. If you had such a time when you were a baby, ask your parents to tell you about it.

Do you think dedicating a child to God when it is a baby makes a difference in its life? Why or why not.

ANSWERS

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Teamwork

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Nehemiah 4:16-23

TO CHEW ON: "From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officials posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall." Nehemiah 4:16

The threats against the workers were real. But still Nehemiah didn’t stop work on the wall. “Now we really need to work together,” he told the people.

He organized workers in shifts. While one half worked on construction, the other half stood guard. Because everyone was spread out on the wall, he made an alarm system. When people heard a trumpet blast, they should all go to where the trumpet was.



The way Nehemiah organized the people to stay safe while they worked is a great example of teamwork. We too can get more done when we work as a team. If you are part of a sports team, you know how important it is for each person to play their position and do their part. The same is true in the things we do for God.

Perhaps you’re part of a your church’s youth group. Your goal is to invite your friends to hang out and hear about Jesus. Your group needs to do many jobs to make this happen. If you’re good at making friends, you could be the one to invite kids to come. Maybe you’re a super game organizer. You could volunteer to do that part of the job. Or maybe you’re quiet and shy, but know how to make really great snacks. Then you could be the one to bring the food. When we work as a team, with each one doing a part, we can get big jobs done.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to play my position on Your team. Amen.

MORE: Part of the Team
1. What is your favorite team sport?


2. What are some positions in this sport (for example, in baseball, positions would be pitcher, catcher, first baseman etc.)?

3. If you play this sport, what position do you play? What makes you good at it?

4. Why does your team need a player in every position to help you win?

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 Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Is God a Nag?

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Isaiah 30:1-5

TO CHEW ON: “'Woe to the obstinate children,' declares the Lord, 'to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin.'” Isaiah 30:1

What does it mean to nag (click on the verb 'nag') someone? Have you ever done this to someone else? Has anyone ever done this to you? Do you like being nagged?

The people in Judah may have felt that God was nagging them. Prophet after prophet came with messages from Him, telling them to change. In today’s reading Isaiah comes with another warning.


“You are like stubborn children,” he said to the leaders. “Again you are doing things on your own instead of asking for My (God’s) help. You are getting together with Egypt to make your army strong. But you are forgetting to talk to Me about it. As a result things won’t work out.”

God wanted the Israelites to be completely His. He wanted them to pray to Him in trouble. Instead the people had joined their army with the army of Egypt. They did this all on their own. Unscramble the words that tell the things that Isaiah predicts will come to Judah now that they have put their trust in Egypt instead of God - Isaiah 30:5

1. mahse ___________
2. scagidre _____________

"But Pharaoh's protection will be to your shame,
Egypt's shade will bring you disgrace." Isaiah 30:3

When God warns again and again, it’s not nagging. His repeated warnings show His patience and love. Like a good parent, He names the things that grieve Him, tells us there will be consequences and sometimes even tells us what those will be before He punishes us.

When someone tells us something over and over, it’s easy to stop listening and tune them out. Let’s not be that way with God. When He warns, let’s pay attention – before the day of warnings is over and the day of consequences arrives.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the ways you warn us in the Bible. Amen.


MORE: Nag, nag nag
What are the things about which your parents or teachers talk to you again and again?

- Is there a reason for their nagging?

- Is there something you should or could do to get them to stop?



ANSWERS

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

A Change of Heart

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Chronicles 12:1-14


TO CHEW ON: "Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger turned from him and he was not totally destroyed. Indeed there was some good in Judah." 2 Chronicles 12:12

We left the story of Rehoboam a while back. He was the son of Solomon who said he would be a mean and bossy king. Ten tribes didn’t want Rehoboam to be their king. They chose Jeroboam to be king and were called Israel. We have been following what happened in Israel (King Jeroboam, King Ahab, the prophets Elijah and Elisha).

Meanwhile back in Jerusalem, Rehoboam ruled over the two tribes that stayed loyal to him. The part of the land he ruled was called Judah.

Rehoboam soon became a strong king in Judah. He forgot all about God and worshiping Him until King Shishak of Egypt started invading. In no time Shishak had captured all the nearby cities and was just outside Jerusalem.



Scared Rehoboam and his advisors were huddled in the city trying to decide what to do next when a prophet came to them. “You have abandoned God,” the prophet said to Rehoboam.“Now He is leaving you to Shishak.”

This made Rehoboam even more frightened. That day he decided to follow God again.

A little later the prophet returned. “God says because you have turned back to Me, I won’t destroy you through Shishak. But you will have to serve him. That way you’ll learn the lesson that it’s better to serve Me than the king of another land.” God saw Rehoboam’s honest change of heart. Because he decided to return to God, God kept him from being destroyed by Shishak.


Like Rehoboam you may have left God out of your life. Don’t be like him and wait for God to get your attention through a dangerous or hurtful situation. Come back to God now and find out how He is a better boss than anyone or anything.


PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for giving us warnings and second chances. Amen.

MORE: A Second Chance.
When Rehoboam had a change of heart, he changed his mind and began to follow God. Then God gave him and his people a second chance.

- Tell about a time you changed your mind. ___________

- What things caused that change? __________________

- Did that change lead to a second chance for you? ______ In what way?

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Double Strength

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Kings 2:1-15

TO CHEW ON: "When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, 'Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken from you?'
'Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,' Elisha replied." 2 Kings 2:9

One day as Elijah and Elisha were walking down the road, Elijah said, “God has told me to go to Bethel. But you stay here.”

Elisha had a strange feeling about this day. Somehow he knew that Elijah wouldn’t be with him much longer. He wanted to spend every minute he could with this incredible man. “No,” he replied. “I want to go with you.”

After spending some time in Bethel Elijah said “Now God is sending me to Jericho. You stay behind.”

But Elisha wouldn’t. He walked with Elijah to Jericho.

After they had visited the prophets in Jericho, Elijah said, “Now God is telling me to go to the Jordan, but you stay here.”

“I will not leave you,” Elisha replied.

When they got to the Jordan River, Elijah took off his robe, rolled it up and struck the water. Instantly it parted and the two men walked to the other side on dry ground.

“What can I do for you before God takes me away?” Elijah asked Elisha.

What should he ask for, Elisha wondered. He knew he didn’t want money or fame or nice things. What he wanted more than anything else was to be just like Elijah. “I want a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha answered.

“That’s a hard thing,” Elijah replied “You’ll get that only if you see God take me away.”

Then, as they were walking along, out of no where a chariot of fire and fiery horses appeared. In the next instant Elijah was swept away on the chariot and out of Elisha’s sight.



“My Father! My Father!” he called out. But Elijah was gone. All that was left was his robe. Elisha picked it up and walked back the way they came. When he got to the Jordan, he did just as Elijah had done. The water parted just like before.

Prophets watching on the other side of the Jordan saw what happened. “Elijah’s spirit is on Elisha,” they said. When they met him they promised to serve him like they had served Elijah.

Elijah wanted God’s best in his life. Because he had the determination and courage to go after it, God blessed him by answering his request.

PRAYER: Dear God, please put in my heart and mind to go after Your best for me. Amen

MORE: Mentors and Models
When Elisha got to know Elijah, he wanted to be like him. When Elijah asked Elisha what he wanted as a parting gift, more than money, nice things or popularity he wanted God’s power in his life just like he had seen it in Elijah.

Is there a Bible character, or a person that you’ve read about in a book, or someone you know of whom you would say, ‘I’d like to be just like that person?
Who is it?
Why do you want to be like that person?

You can pray that God will give you the godly qualities you see in their lives.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Fire Power

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Kings 18:25-39


TO CHEW ON: “Answer me, O Lord, answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” 1 Kings 18:37

“You go first,” Elijah told the Baal prophets. “Prepare your sacrifice. Put it on the wood. But don’t light a fire under it. Instead, pray to Baal to send the fire.”

The four hundred prophets of Baal did as Elijah said. It was morning when they began to pray. “Oh Baal, answer us!” they shouted, over and over, louder and louder. When nothing happened, they shouted even louder and began dancing around.

When it was noon and still nothing had happened, Elijah began to tease then. “Maybe your god is meditating. He is a god, after all. Or maybe he’s busy, or traveling or sleeping.”

So the prophets yelled at the top of their voices and danced around and even cut themselves. Soon there was chaos, screaming and blood everywhere – but still no fire.

Finally Elijah said to the people watching, “Come here.”


They crowded around as he repaired the ruined altar of God that was on the mountain. Then he dug a deep trench around it. He put wood on top of the altar and the sacrifice on top of the wood. “Now bring water,” he told the people. So they brought four large jars of precious water. Elijah had them pour the water over the sacrifice. Two more times he told them to get more water. Finally the sacrifice and wood were drenched and even the trench around the altar was full.

Then Elijah prayed: “Answer me, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, so the people will know that You are God.”

1. What happened? (I Kings 18:38) ____________

2. Then what did the people do? (1 Kings 18:39) _____________



PRAYER: Dear God, I worship You, the only God Who has the power to answer. Amen.

MORE: Power Signs
The Bible has many stories of God proving His existence with supernatural happenings. Can you name two?

What do you think – does God still use such signs in our times to prove to people that He is real? Explain why you think as you do.


Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Decision Time

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Kings 18:16-24

TO CHEW ON: "Elijah went before the people and said, 'How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.' But the people said nothing." 1 Kings 18:21

Obadiah found Ahab and told him that Elijah had turned up.

“Is it really you, you troublemaker?” Ahab asked when he saw Elijah.

“I’m no troublemaker,” Elijah replied. “You’re the one who is making trouble by ignoring God’s commands and following Baal instead. But it’s time for a showdown. Get all the Baal prophets and gather the people on Mount Carmel.”

When everyone had gathered, Elijah addressed the people. “How long will you go back and forth?” he asked. “It’s time to decide who you’re going to follow. So we’ll have a contest. We’ll prepare two sacrifices. The Baal prophets will put together a sacrifice for Baal and I’ll prepare one for God. Then we’ll each pray to our god. The one that answers by sending fire to burn his sacrifice is the real God. He is the one we should worship."



The people agreed this was a good plan.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to know that You are the real God, and to worship You alone. Amen.


MORE: God or Baal?
Suppose you were one of the people on Mount Carmel.

1. What would you need to see to convince you that Baal was real?

2. What would you need to see to convince you that God was real?

3. Suppose Baal doesn’t answer with fire, but God does. Then you will need to make a decision. Will you go from worshiping Baal to God – or not?
a] What are some advantages to worshiping God instead of Baal?
b] What are some disadvantages to worshiping God instead of Baal?


Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Recipe for Success

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Chronicles 28:4-12

TO CHEW ON: “And you my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.” 1 Chronicles 28:9

David was an old man. He had been king for forty years, but he knew he would soon die. One day he crowned his young son Solomon to rule after him. Then he called the people together to introduce them to their new king.


In front of everyone he challenged Solomon to be a good king and serve God for his whole life. His speech told Solomon how to do that. It went something like this:

“Solomon, be sure you search out all of God’s commands and obey them. Get to know God. Worship Him with a clean heart. Serve Him with a willing mind. Don’t think you can fool Him with pretending. Not only can He see what you do, He also knows your thoughts. Search for Him and He will show Himself to you.

“But if you don’t do these things and instead ignore God and forget Him, He will cast you aside.”

Then David gave Solomon a very precious parcel – the blueprints and plans for the temple. It was time to replace the Tabernacle tent with a building. David had wanted to do it but God had said no. Now David gave Solomon the job of building God’s house.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to seek You, find You and know You. Amen.

MORE:
Can David’s recipe for success still be used by us today?
How do you think a kid today would:

1. Search for God?

2. Get to know God?

3. Worship God with a clean heart?

4. Serve God with a willing mind?

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

A Kept Promise

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Samuel 9:1-12

TO CHEW ON: “'Don’t be afraid,' David said to him, 'for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.'” 2 Samuel 9:7

One day after David had been king for some years, he remembered a promise he had made. Years earlier he had promised his friend Jonathan that he would save and protect his family. Now he wanted to keep that promise – but how?

He asked around and discovered that Ziba, a former servant of Saul, was still alive. David called Ziba to the palace. “Do you know if any of Saul’s family is still alive?” David asked.

“There is Mephibosheth,” Ziba replied. “He is the son of Jonathan and is crippled in both feet.”

Immediately David called Mephibosheth to the palace.

Mephibosheth was frightened when he heard King David wanted to see him. It was the custom in those times that a new king would kill the whole family and all the servants loyal to the old king. In fact it was the day that Saul’s family ran from the palace after hearing Saul and Jonathan had been killed, that Mephibosheth, who was then only five, had fallen from his nurse's arms and hurt his feet.

Illustration by Annie Vallotton from the Good News Bible
© American Bible Society 1976, 1992, used with permission.


Now he came to David shaking with fear. What did David want? Was he going to finish the job of doing away with Saul’s family by killing him?

But David’s voice was kind. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Long ago I promised your father I would be kind to his family. Now that I’ve found you, I can keep my promise.”



Then David gave Mephibosheth all the land that had formerly belonged to Saul. Since Mephibosheth was crippled, David asked Ziba to look after it for him. David also invited Mephibosheth and his family to live in the palace and eat meals at the king’s table.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to keep the promises I make. Amen

MORE: Light promises
Do you keep all your promises? It’s easy to make promises lightly. We promise things for many reasons.

- Sometimes we promise things to stop people from bugging us.

- Sometimes we make promises because we pity people and feel sorry for them. When our strong feelings grow cool, we forget all about the promises we made.

- Sometimes we promise to do something because we know it’s what the person asking wants to hear – even though we have no intention of doing what we said.

In Matthew 21:28-32, Jesus told a story about a boy who made a promise he had no intention of keeping. It is not our promises that please God, Jesus told the people, but our actions.

1. What promises have you made and kept?

2. What promises have you made and not kept?

3. How could you turn those unkept promises into kept ones?

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Celebrate!

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Chronicles 15:25-16:3

TO CHEW ON: "So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouts, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps." 1 Chronicles 15:28

For three months the ark was in the home of Obed-Edom. In that time, everyone noticed how God was blessing him. One day David decided to try to bring the ark back to Jerusalem again.

He arrived at the house of Obed-Edom with a great crowd of people. There were Levites, priests, singers and musicians dressed in beautiful robes of fine linen. There were army commanders. And there were many ordinary people.

This time the Levites lifted the ark onto their shoulders and carried it the way God had told them. As they began their walk to Jerusalem, the priests sacrificed to God. Then the singers sang and the instruments played.

The closer they got to the city, the more people joined the happy parade. Finally a great throng of happy, singing, celebrating people entered Jerusalem. But no one celebrated harder than David. He danced and leaped and spun in joy and praise to God that the ark was finally returning to Jerusalem.

"David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem"
Original oil painting ©1993 by Darlene Slavujac Thau (used with artist's permission)

The Levites brought the ark to the tent David had made for it. After they sacrificed more offerings, David sent everyone home with loaves of bread, and cakes of dates and raisins.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to celebrate You like David did. Amen.

MORE: We celebrate
1. What is your favorite celebration of the year? What fun things do you do on that day?


2. What things do you celebrate in church? Which is your favorite of the church celebrations and what makes it special?

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Giant Problem

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Samuel 17:38-50


TO CHEW ON: "All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s and he will give all of you into our hands." 1 Samuel 17:47

Though Samuel had anointed David as Israel’s next king, Saul continued to rule. And Israel was still fighting their old enemy the Philistines. At one time instead of fighting with their whole army, the Philistines picked a nine-foot giant named Goliath to challenge Saul’s soldiers. “Pick one man to fight me,” he shouted. “If he wins, we’ll be your slaves. But if he loses, you’ll be our slaves.”

For forty days Goliath came out and challenged the army like this. Of course no one volunteered. Instead, each day the men grew more afraid and intimidated.

Meanwhile, David was still looking after sheep. One day his dad asked him to check on his brothers at the battlefront and take them some food. He went and had just found his brothers when Goliath came out to shout his daily challenge. “Pick a man to fight me,” he bellowed. “Why aren’t you coming? Are you chicken?”



David heard him and was shocked. “Why are we letting him insult the army of the living God like this?” he asked. And then he volunteered to take on Goliath himself.

“Put on my armor for protection,” Saul insisted when the men brought David to him. But David found Saul’s armor way too heavy and cumbersome. He took it off and began walking towards Goliath unprotected.

Goliath saw him. He was insulted. “You’re going to fight me with sticks? Do you think I’m a dog? You’ll soon be bird food!”

1. How did David answer him? (1 Samuel 17:45) __________




2. When David was close enough, he took a stone from his bag, put it in his sling and let it go. Then what happened (1 Samuel 17:49, 50) __________



3. What do you think was the main reason for David’s success: (Choose one)

A. He was skilled with the sling.

B. God helped him because David trusted God and stood up for His honor.

C. He was brave because he was young and didn’t know any better.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to trust You and stand up for You like David did. Amen

MORE: Modern Goliaths
Have you ever met these modern Goliaths? Can you think of more?
- A smart-mouthed kid in your class teases you for being a Christian.
- A teacher in your school makes fun of God and the Bible.
- Your Dad’s boss makes sure he works every Sunday shift even though he wants to go to church.
-

Ask God to help you find a way to stand up for God to the Goliaths in your life.

What do you think: Do people who honor God in this way always win as spectacularly as David did?

Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Copy-cats

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Samuel 8:1-21

TO CHEW ON: "But the people refused to listen to Samuel. 'No!' they said. We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations. . . .'” 1 Samuel 8:19,20

Samuel judged Israel till he was an old man. Then he appointed his sons to be judges after him. But they were not fair and wise like Samuel their father had been. So the people didn’t want them as rulers. Instead they wanted a king. They wanted to be just like the nations around them.

Samuel warned them that a king would give them a whole new set of problems. Name five of the disadvantages of having a king Samuel lists. A king will (1 Samuel 8:10-18):
1. ___
2. ___
3. ___
4. ___
5. ___

In spite of this, the people insisted. They thought that if they had a king like everybody else, they would win wars and be as strong as their enemies.


Samuel felt hurt by this request. He felt as if the people had rejected him. But God told him, “It isn’t you they’ve rejected, but Me. Even so, listen to them and give them a king.”

The Israelites didn’t realize that it wasn’t the outward stuff that made them win or lose a war. It wasn’t the kind of government that would make them weak or strong as a nation. Winning or losing, being weak or strong depended on whether they obeyed God – or not.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to gain success by living in a way that pleases You rather than by copying people who look successful. Amen

MORE: Monkey see, monkey do
We are not so different from the Israelites in the way we don’t like to be different. Sometimes this is not a bad thing. At other times our wanting to fit in can take us down the wrong road. Pretend you are an advice writer. What would you tell each of these kids who wants to fit in, but also wants to please God?




























Answers


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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Bethlehem Food Bank

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Ruth 2:1-12

TO CHEW ON: “May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” Ruth 2:12

The first thing Naomi and Ruth had to do when they got back to Bethlehem was figure out where to get some food. So Naomi sent Ruth to the food bank, right? Well, not exactly. But she did send her to a place where food was free.

In those times, farmers harvesting their crops were supposed to leave a little behind for exactly this reason - to feed the poor. People who needed food were allowed to go to harvested fields and pick up what was left over. This was called gleaning.

I wonder what Ruth’s thoughts were as she went out to her first gleaning job. Perhaps she wondered if there would be any grain left to glean in the fields. Maybe she worried that people would find out she was a foreigner and make fun of her or chase her away. In spite of any anxious thoughts, Ruth went out, as Naomi asked her to.

Ruth gleaning in the field - Artist unknown

On her first day of work, Ruth happened to go to the field of a rich farmer named Boaz. While she was working he came by. Immediately he noticed this foreign woman. He had never seen her before.

He asked around and found out she was Ruth, the daughter-in-law to Naomi. Then he went over to her.

Boaz talks to Ruth - original by Paul Hardy

"Eat lunch in the shelter and have a drink of water any time," Boaz continued. "I’ve heard how kind you were to Naomi. May God reward you for staying with her and putting your trust in Him by coming to live here.”

How happy and relieved Ruth must have felt. God had seen her kindness to Naomi. He was taking care of her through the gleaning food-bank and kind Boaz.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for providing the things we need in many ways. Amen

MORE: Caring for the poor
Food banks are one way we care for poor people. What are some other ways poor people are cared for:
- by your country, province or state?

- by your church or school?

- by your family?

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Warning Words

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Joshua 23:1-16

TO CHEW ON: “But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you.” Joshua 23:12,13

Joshua speaks to the people - Artist unknown

Years passed. Joshua led the people in many battles. They won most of them and were now living in their new homes in Canaan. When Joshua was an old man he gathered the leaders to hear his final words. Here are some of the things he told them. Cross out the one thing he did not say:

1. Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the book of the Law of Moses.

2. Associate with the survivors of these nations; pray to their gods and swear by them.

3. One person can beat a thousand because God fights for you.

4. If you are good friends with and marry the survivors of the nations you beat, they will snare, trap, whip and defeat you.

Joshua’s message was clear. The Israelites had been successful because God had helped them. God would help them win more wars only if they stayed loyal Him. This meant they needed to keep obeying His laws and worshiping only Him - not idols. One way they could stay loyal to God was to never be close friends with or marry people around them who worshiped idols.

What happens to a box of good oranges with one moldy orange in it?
a] Nothing.
b] The good oranges take the mold out of the spoiled orange.
c] The mold eventually spreads to all the oranges.
(Of course it’s c] )

Just like being with only one moldy orange is dangerous to the health of all the oranges in the box, so being close friends with someone who doesn’t love God is dangerous to the spiritual health of you – and your friends.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me choose my friends wisely. Amen.



MORE: Friendship Puzzlers
Here are some questions about friendship to think about and discuss with family and friends.

1. If you are friends with only other Christians, how will unsaved neighbors and school buddies learn about Jesus?



2. Is it possible for you to be a friend with someone who doesn’t believe in God and not be influenced to change your beliefs and become like her/him? How?



3. Is it ever right to be best friends with someone who doesn’t love and follow Jesus? Is it ever right to be the business partner of such a person? Is it ever right to marry such a person?

Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

More Mutiny

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Numbers 16:1-7

TO CHEW ON: "Then he (Moses) said to Korah and all his followers: 'In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him and who is holy and he will have that person come near him. The man he chooses he will cause to come near him.'” Numbers 16:5

The Israelites had refused to trust God to help them enter Canaan. Now they were doomed to live as nomads for 40 more years. They weren’t happy and it didn’t take long before rebellion broke out again.

This time Korah, one of the Levites (the tribe which took care of the holy things in the tabernacle) was the ringleader. One day he came with friends and 250 leaders to confront Moses. “Who said you should be the boss over us? We’re just as good as you are and God chose us too.”

“Let’s have a test,” Moses replied. “Tomorrow God will show whom He has chosen to be the leader.”

The next day Moses and Aaron came with their censers and stood outside the Tabernacle. Korah and his friends and fellow leaders came too. All the rebellious leaders stood with him, their censers full of burning incense.

Then Moses explained to them how everyone would know if Korah should be the leader or not. “If Korah lives and dies a natural death like any other person, then God hasn’t sent me to lead you,” he said. “But if the earth splits apart and swallows him, then you’ll know he is wrong.”

No sooner had he finished talking than the earth opened up right under Korah. It swallowed him, his family and all their possessions. Then fire from God came down and burned every one of the leaders who had opposed Moses. That day God showed that Moses was the leader He had chosen.


Our spiritual leaders are pastors, ministers, elders, deacons and teachers. Do we treat them with respect as people picked by God to lead us? Or do we have a Korah attitude toward them? We need to remember that if our leaders have been put over us by God, when we rebel against them we’re really rebelling against God ... not a safe thing to do.

PRAYER: Dear God, teach me how to respect and obey godly leaders. Amen


MORE: Government 101
There are different types of government. Government by one person, as the Israelites were led by Moses, is called autocracy.

But Moses got his direction from God, so their government should really be called theocracy.

When a country is governed by a king or queen, it is ruled by monarchy.

In our times countries where every adult can vote for leaders are a democracy.

- Can you name more kinds of government?

- What do you think - does God have control over who leads a church or who governs a country in an autocracy, a monarchy, a democracy? (Check out Psalm 75:6,7 and Daniel 2:21)

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Priestly Fashion

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Exodus 28:1-5

TO CHEW ON: "Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor." Exodus 28:2

What clothes would you choose?

Match the activity on the left to the clothes you would choose to wear for it on the right:




We dress differently for different activities and seasons. Though there are no right or wrong answers to the quiz above, if you answered honestly you probably didn’t say you would wear a swim suit to play in the snow or your formal dress clothes to go swimming.

What we wear may also depend on what we think of the people we’re with. If you were picked to meet a king or president, would you choose to wear dirty, ripped play clothes? Probably not. Because what you wear says something about you and how you feel toward the person you’re meeting. Your respect for an important person would stop you from dressing in a sloppy way.

God used this rule of personal appearance when He told Moses what the workers in the tabernacle – the priests – should wear. Again God gave detailed instructions.

Aaron's priestly clothes

The priests were to wear special things – a breast piece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. These things were to be made of the best linen, using gold, blue, purple and scarlet yarn. The priests were to dress that way so that the people would give them 1.____________ (ynidigt) and 2. _______________ (ronho).

If you go to this page, you will see a picture of the priest in his robe. Click on parts of the priest’s clothes to find out more about each part.

Does your minister or pastor wear special clothes? If he or she does, we see here that it was God’s idea to set apart people who served Him in special ways even by the clothes they wear. In that way, we are reminded to treat them with dignity and give them honor. Of course that is something we should do anyway, whether our pastor wears a robe, a suit or jeans!

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to always respect my pastor. Amen.

MORE: Church Wear

What I choose to wear to church says something about how I feel toward God.

Do you agree or disagree with that statement? Tell why.

Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Taking Advice

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Exodus 18:13-27

TO CHEW ON: "Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said." Exodus 18:24

One day Moses got some important visitors. His father-in-law Jethro brought Moses’ wife and two sons to be with him. They had a wonderful family reunion and Moses told them the incredible story of how God brought them out of Egypt

The next day, Moses took Jethro to work with him. Continue telling the story by choosing the best ending:

1. Jethro saw that all day: (Exodus 18:13):
a] Moses gathered manna.
b] Moses made plans for traveling.
c] Moses judged the people.

2. He said to Moses: (Exodus 18:17):
a] “What you are doing is not good.”
b] “The way you do this is brilliant.”
c] “Why are you so lazy?”

3. Jethro had a better way for Moses to do all that judging. He told Moses, he should: (Exodus 18:20-22):
a] let people decide things for themselves.
b] train others to judge the easy cases and Moses would judge only the hard ones.
c] scold the people for being so quarrelsome.

"Jethro and Moses" by James Tissot

4. When Moses heard Jethro’s advice he: (Exodus 18:24)
a] listened to it and did what Jethro said.
b] argued with Jethro about why he really needed to judge everyone.
c] was upset because Jethro had criticized him.

What do you think of Jethro’s advice? Can you think of other ways Moses’ problem could have been solved?

If even wise men like Moses can learn from the advice of others, we should do the same!

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to listen to the advice of parents, teachers and others who are wise. Amen.


MORE: Whose Advice?

Though asking for and taking advice is good, it’s also important to remember that we shouldn’t take the advice of just anyone.
Some things we can ask ourselves when choosing an adviser about a situation are:
1) does this person have special knowledge about this?
2) does this person have experience with this?
3) does this person care about me and have my interest at heart?
4) has this person given good advice in the past?

Whose advice would you ask for in these situations? Pick from the list of possible advisers at the bottom – or think of the name of someone you know.

1. You have bad stomach aches.
2. You can’t understand your math assignment.
3. There is a bully at school who constantly harasses you.
4. You want to know more about God.
5. Your friend is in trouble.

Doctor, Teacher, Pastor, Counselor, Parent, Grandparent, Friend, Sunday School teacher.

Answers

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Why? Why?? Why???

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Read Job 2:1-13

Job and his friends - Artist unknown

TO CHEW ON: "When Job’s three friends Eliphaz... Bildad... and Zophar... heard about all the troubles that had come upon him they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him." Job 2:11

At the next heavenly council meeting, Satan suggested that God should take His protection away from Job’s body. If he got sick, Satan was sure Job would curse God.

God gave permission. Soon Job was so ill his friends who came to comfort him hardly recognized him.

Job’s friends thought it was his fault he was sick. When Job insisted he hadn’t done anything wrong, they argued, “God always punishes sin. This sickness is your punishment for something bad you did. Confess your sin and you’ll get better.”

Finally a young friend, Elihu, spoke. He said maybe Job’s sickness wasn’t because of something bad he did. Maybe God was just trying to teach Job a lesson.

Of course none of this talk made Job feel any better. But he kept on trusting God anyway. Job said, “But he knows the way I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10)

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to trust You even when things in my life don’t make sense. Amen.
 

SECOND HELPING: No Answers
1. Tell about a time you suffered because you did something bad.
2. Tell about a time you suffered and you didn’t have a clue why.

Sometimes we just don’t have answers. In those times, we can keep on coming to God with our mixed up feelings and questions, just like Job did.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.