And More and More and More...

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation 6:9 -17

TO CHEW ON: "For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?" Revelation 6:17

Have you ever read an exciting book where the closer you came to the end, the more bad things happened? You looked at how few pages were left and wondered, how would the author ever straighten this out! In a way John’s vision in Revelation is like that. John saw more and more bad things as more seals were opened.

In the fifth seal, John heard the voices of people who had been killed for believing in God (martyrs). They asked God, how long until He would punish those who killed them. God answered, it would happen, but even more people would be martyred first.

Then came the sixth seal. It predicted some things that have never happened on earth. Read Revelation 6:12-17 and list five things John saw:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

"The Opening of the Sixth Seal" by John Martin

Every day natural disasters like earthquakes, floods and erupting volcanoes take place somewhere on earth. The size of the disasters John saw here, though, were bigger than any our earth has ever seen. They help us understand how weak and helpless we humans are when we face an all-powerful God.

PRAYER: Dear God, I worship You as the one with power over nature and people. Amen.

MORE: The Seventh Seal

"The Seventh Seal" by Caspar Luiken, 1712

The last of the seven seals is described in Revelation 8 and 9.

1. What happens to the earth (Revelation 8:7)?

2. What happens to the sea (Revelation 8:8)?

3. What happens to the water (Revelation 8:10,11)?

4. What happens to the atmosphere (Revelation 9:1,2)?

5. What happens to people (Revelation 9:3-6, 18)?

6. This causes people to repent of their sins of worshiping idols, murders, practicing magic, sex sins and stealing. (Revelation 9:20-21)
YES?
NO?

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.

A Heavenly Sight

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation 4:1-11

TO CHEW ON: "Day and night they never stop saying, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.'” Revelation 4:8

Have you ever seen an angel? Have you seen Jesus? God? Heaven? Most of us haven’t. But God gave John a peek inside heaven. As we read his description, we get the feeling heaven is so incredibly magnificent, John had a hard time finding words to describe it.

An Angel comes to Mary - Artist unknown

Look in Revelation 4:1-11 and then list:

1. Some of the sounds John heard:

2. Some of the sights he saw:

3. Some of the characters he watched:

But no matter how amazing everything else was, God was the center of heaven’s attention.

4. Where was God and what did he look like?

5. How did those who lived in heaven worship Him?

"God on His Throne" by Mathaeus the Elder Merian, 1625-30

God is heaven’s main attraction. All the glory and splendor and radiance and magnificence; all the cheering of nature, angel beings and people, belongs to Him!

PRAYER: You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things and by your will they were created and have their being. Amen (Revelation 4:11)

John's Vision of Heaven - Artist unknown

MORE: Snapshots of Heaven
Read some more Bible descriptions of heaven in:

Isaiah 6:1-10


Ezekiel 1:1, 25-28

John 14:1-4

Acts 7:55, 56

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.

The Money God

TODAY’S SPECIAL: I Timothy 6:6-10

TO CHEW ON: "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil." I Timothy 6:10a



How do you feel about money? Do you have any? How much? Do you earn money regularly? When you get it, what do you do with it? Spend it all? Save it all? Spend and save both?


It’s hard to imagine a world with no money in it. Getting money for a job we’ve done shows us our work is worthwhile. We use money to buy many things we need like food, clothes, a house, and a car. Money is not a bad thing.


But when we love money, when we feel we always need more and think being rich is the most important thing in the world, we are on a dangerous path. Very quickly money can become more important than God. It can become something we worship like a god.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me never to love money more than You. Help me to spend my money wisely and be content with what I have. Amen.


MORE: A Crush on Cash
What kinds of evil can the love of money lead to? Below is a list of some things. Can you think of more?

The person who loves money may:

1. Become a workaholic who has little time for friends and family.

2. Become addicted to gambling.

3. Do illegal things to get money (like steal, or deal drugs)

4. Become self-centered and proud.

5.

6.

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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.

And Your God is...?

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 17:22-28

TO CHEW ON: For as I walked around and observed your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: “To An Unknown God” Now what you worship as something unknown, I am going to proclaim to you. Acts 17:23

As Paul waited in Athens for Timothy and Silas to join him, he walked around the city. On his walks he saw altars and statues (idols) to which the people prayed. He also saw an altar with a title that grabbed his attention: “To An Unknown God.”

"Paul Speaks at Athens" - Artist unknown

The next day he went to the public square where the people gathered to hear and discuss new ideas. He said to the people, “I see you have made an altar to ‘An Unknown God.’ Today I’m going to tell you about him.” Then he told them about Jesus.

"Paul Preaches in Athens" - Raphael

It’s natural for humans to worship. We all worship something. You probably don’t worship an idol at an altar. But if you answer the questions - what do I spend the most time dreaming about, hoping for, working on - you may be surprised at who or what is most important to you.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please show me if I am worshiping other things besides You. I want to worship You. Amen.

MORE: Our Idols


Match the statements, below, with who or what someone may be worshiping.

1. I just love clothes. ____
2. I’d do anything to make the team. ____
3. Nothing will keep me from getting to the top. ____
4. The most important thing is to have enough money. ____
5. I wonder what Jesus would think about this. ____

A. Monday   B. Jesus    C. Clothes

D. Sports    E. Success

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.

Power!

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 2:1-13

TO CHEW ON: "Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, 'What does this mean?'” Acts 2:12

Picture this. A group of people have met in a house for a church service. Suddenly the house is filled with the sound of a loud wind.

"Pentecost" by Kelly Nora

Tongues that look like fire rest on each person’s head. Then these people begin to talk, but in languages they’ve never learned.

Out on the street people passing by hear sounds from inside the building. They gather to listen. These listeners have come from many places and speak different languages. Now they are hearing the people inside the house saying words they can understand. They’re talking about how wonderful God is.

"The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost" - Artist unknown

What do you think?
1.___ This never happened - it was all made up.
2. ___ This was the Holy Spirit power that Jesus had told His friends to wait for.
3. ___ The disciples were drunk.

According to the Bible, this did happen. The day the Holy Spirit entered the Jerusalem room where the disciples were waiting is called Pentecost. Before that day the Holy Spirit gave power to God’s special servants. Pentecost was a day when God’s power became available to every Christian.

Here are some things the Holy Spirit does in your life and mine:

1. He helps us know and understand who Jesus is (John 15:26).
2. He invites us to come to Jesus (Revelation 22:17).
3. He causes us to be born again (John 3:5).
4. He makes us feel guilty and fear God’s judgment when we sin (John 16:7-8).
5. He helps us worship God (John 4:23-24).
6. He helps us pray (Romans 8:26).

PRAYER: Dear God, I welcome Holy Spirit into my life. Amen.

MORE: Modern Holy Spirit- Does Holy Spirit still give us power to witness today? In what ways?

- Have you been in a place where Holy Spirit’s power was evident? What did you see? Hear?

- What modern-day stories have you heard that would prove that Holy Spirit still gives power to Jesus’ followers today?

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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.

A Parade of Palms and Praise

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Matthew 21:1-11

TO CHEW ON: "A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road." Matthew 21:8

One day as Jesus and His disciples walked toward Jerusalem, He sent two of them on an errand. “Go to the village ahead of you,” He said. “You will find a donkey tied with her colt. Bring them to me.”

Soon the disciples were back with the animals. They put their cloaks (outer clothing) on the animals’ backs and Jesus got on the colt and rode toward the city.

Crowds gathered beside the road. Many had probably seen Jesus’ miracles and heard His teaching. When they saw Jesus riding into Jerusalem on the donkey, they remembered what prophet Zechariah had said. They recognized this was how Messiah (the Jews’ promised deliverer) would ride into Jerusalem.

Then they took off their cloaks and spread them on the road in the donkey’s path. They cut palm branches and spread them on the road too or waved them as they ran beside Jesus shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” They were honoring Jesus as royalty.

"The Triumphal Entry" - Artist unknown

Spreading coats in the path of a donkey, waving branches and shouting “Hosanna” may seem like a strange way to greet someone who is special. But this was how people of that time honored someone as a king. And they could all get in on the celebration because the things they used – branches, clothes and their own voices – were things they all had.

We too can honor Jesus as our King by using what we have. And what is that? Ourselves and our love, worship and obedience.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to crown You king by giving You my life. Amen.


SUPERSIZE IT: Showing Honor
Though we don’t throw coats on the ground for our kings, queens and presidents to ride over, or wave palm branches as they parade down the street, we too honor important people. Some things we do to honor our kings, queens, presidents, heroes or sports champions are:

1. Roll out a red carpet for them to walk on when they come off a plane or into a reception hall.


2. Have them ride in parades.

3. Meet returning athletes or heroes with flowers.

4. Take care to greet them with perfect manners.

Can you think of more?



 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. 

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. 

God Comes Near

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Nehemiah 8:1-18

TO CHEW ON: "Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it the people stood up. Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted up their hands and responded, 'Amen! Amen!' Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground." Nehemiah 8:5,6

The wall was finished. It was time to celebrate! But instead of a lively party, the people gathered in the square at the Water Gate and asked Ezra to read the law.



They had just been part of an amazing project. They had seen how God had helped and protected them. Now they wanted to know how to keep pleasing Him.

Ezra stood on a high platform with the people all around. As soon as he opened the book, everyone stood up. After he praised God, the people raised their hands and said, “Amen! Amen!” and bowed to the ground in worship.

Then Ezra began reading. Nehemiah and the priests and Levites joined him on stage. From time to time they explained what the reading meant. Soon there was a sound of sobbing from the crowd, then weeping, then loud crying. As the people heard God’s law they realized how much they had disobeyed it. They were full of sadness and regret.


But the next day the people wanted to hear more. When Ezra read about Festival of Tabernacles God had told them to celebrate in September – which was now – they set right to work. They gathered branches, made little shelters and for the first time in years celebrated as God had told them to.

A new love and respect for God came to the people in Jerusalem after they had rebuilt the wall. They confessed their sins and were careful to keep God’s laws again. After they were obedient in helping with this project, God’s love and presence felt more real than it had for years.

It’s not so different for us. Is there something we know God wants us to do? We should obey and do that thing. Then we shouldn’t be surprised if God feels close to us again and gives us a special sense of how much He loves us.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to be obedient and know Your love and pleasure. Amen.


MORE: Festival of Tabernacles
God told the Israelites how to celebrate this festival in Leviticus 23:33-44. The way Nehemiah and the people did it is in Nehemiah 8:14-17. Using your Bible, books and the internet, find out about the Festival of Tabernacles (Booths):
1. When was it to be celebrated?

2. How long was the celebration?

3. What were the people to live in during this time?

4. What was this festival to remind them of?

5. Is it still celebrated by Jews today? How?

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. 

Celebrate!

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Ezra 3:7-12

TO CHEW ON: "With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: 'He is good: his love to Israel endures forever' And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid." Ezra 3:11

Haggai’s message to put God first got everyone’s attention. Zerubbabel called the priests together. They decided to again worship God even though there was no temple in which to do it. They built an altar outside and again made the sacrifices and kept the feasts the way God had said.

Next they took a collection of money for building supplies. What a busy time followed, clearing away the rubble of the old temple and bringing in logs, cut stones and bricks for the new one.


Finally the day came when the foundation of the new temple was in place. That day they decided to celebrate. The Priests and Levites got dressed in their special clothes. They brought their trumpets and cymbals and praised God with singing and music like in the time of King David. Then all the people watching gave a shout of praise. God’s house was back!


What things do we celebrate? Certainly a new church is a good reason for a celebration. But we don’t have to wait for something so big to have a praise party. Baby dedications, baptisms, Christmas, Easter, weddings, birthdays – these are all good times to praise God and celebrate.

PRAYER: Dear God, You are so good to me. I want to include You in all my celebrations. Today I thank and praise You for __________ Amen.

MORE: Celebration Favorites
1. What events and special times do you celebrate in your home? In your church?
2. What things (like guests, decorations, foods, activities) make those celebrations special?
3. What’s the best celebration you remember?

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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. 

Heart Idols

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Ezekiel 14:1-6


TO CHEW ON: “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? Ezekiel 14:3

The Israelites in exile soon discovered that Ezekiel heard from God. They came to him often to find out if God had something to say to them. One day when some of Israel’s leaders had come to Ezekiel in this way, God gave him private information about them.


“These men have idols in their hearts,” God told Ezekiel. “Tell them, ‘Don’t think I am going to give you messages from Me knowing all the while you are worshiping something else. You need to get rid of these idols before I will tell you anything.’”

In the past the people of Israel had worshiped actual idol statues. Here God showed that idols don’t have to be physical things at all. They could be anything people admired, or trusted in, or relied on more than God. Even though these people may not have been going to actual shrines and praying to figurines, the idols were there just the same in the attitude of their hearts.

Today we may not worship idol statues either. But is it possible that we have idols in our hearts? What could those idols be? Some are money, luck, the earth, superstitions, sports and movie personalities, our own good looks, talents and abilities. Can you think of more? __________________.

Do you have any of these idols in your heart? If you were one of the people coming to Ezekiel to hear from God, what message might God be giving Ezekiel about you?

PRAYER: Dear God, please show me the idols in my heart. Help me to get rid of them and worship only You. Amen.

MORE: Modern Idols- What is an idol?
- What is a heart idol?
- Choose one of the following and explain how it could become an idol.

money,    luck,    Mother Nature,    superstition,

sports and movie personalities,        yourself

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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. 

Too Beautiful for Words

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Ezekiel 1:22-28

TO CHEW ON: " I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord." Ezekiel 1:27,28

Have you ever seen something so amazing you had trouble describing it? That was probably what Ezekiel felt like when he saw a vision of God.


Like Daniel, Ezekiel was an exile in Babylon. One day, when he was beside the Kebar River in Babylon, he saw a strange sight in the sky. At first he thought the cloud with flashes of lightning coming from it meant a storm was on the way. But as it got closer, he saw creatures. They looked like people but had many faces and wings. Then he saw sparkling wheels that moved.

Finally he heard a voice. Looking up he saw a throne. On it was a man. But what a man! He was glowing and fiery. Around him was brilliant light in the colors of the rainbow. Ezekiel knew that this was God and he fell on his face. Then God told him he was to be a prophet to the people in exile.



Few people have seen a glimpse of God as Ezekiel did. But all the Bible descriptions of God, written by people who have, seem similar. In each one the teller can hardly find words to describe how amazing, bright, awesome and incredible God is. These descriptions of God give us just a small idea of what a beautiful, powerful, and glorious God we serve.


PRAYER: Dear God, You are beautiful and full of power and light. I worship You. Amen.


MORE: God looks like...
People who tried to describe what God and the things in heaven are like often compared them to gem stones and precious metals.

~Ezekiel described the wheels he saw as sparkling like chrysolite. (Ezekiel 1:16). God’s throne looked like sapphire.(Ezekiel 1:26).

~Daniel compared God’s body to chrysolite. His arms and legs were made of bronze. He wore a belt of gold. (Daniel 10:5,6)

~To John, God looked like jasper and carnelian. The rainbow that circled His throne looked like emerald (Revelation 4:3).

Using books and the internet find out what these gems and metals look like -- and get a glimpse of how beautiful God is.

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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 New Start

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Kings 23:19-25

TO CHEW ON: "Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did – with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses." 2 Kings 23:25

“Everybody come to the temple. King Josiah has called a special meeting.” Quickly word traveled from house to house. When everyone had gathered, Josiah opened the book that the priests had found. He read aloud all the laws God had given Moses. Then in front of all the people he promised God that he would keep these laws for the rest of his life.

After he had dismissed everyone, he got to work.


Wherever there was an idol, he told his servants to smash it. Wherever there was an Asherah pole, he commanded it be taken down. Wherever there were altars, he broke them. He took down statues that had been dedicated to the sun god and made sure every dish, goblet, utensil or piece of furniture that had been used to worship an idol was taken out of the temple.

Josiah burned the rubbish outside Jerusalem.
Illustration by Annie Vallotton from the Good News Bible
© American Bible Society 1976, 1992, used with permission.

He told the people to get rid of the idols in their homes. He even went to Samaria and destroyed everything to do with idol worship there. Finally the land was cleaned up. Then he called the people together again for a big Passover celebration.

No one before or after Josiah worked so hard at doing what God had said. Always before, the kings had done a half job. They rid the land of some idols and altars. But the ones they left soon lured the people back to idol worship again. Josiah’s thoroughness helped Judah to turn from their old ways and make a new start.

We can clean up our lives like Josiah cleaned up the land. We can name the things we’re sorry for in prayer. We can get rid of things like books, games, music and anything else that will tempt us to again wander away from God. We can be as thorough in our new start as Josiah was.

PRAYER: Dear God, please show me everything that comes between You and me. Help me to rid my life of it. Amen.


MORE: Your new startYou start a new day energetic and fresh from a night’s sleep. You start a new basketball tournament with no losses. You start a new school year with clean books, long pencils, maybe a new backpack and even new clothes. What changes might happen when you make a new start with God:

1. You feel clean inside
2. You sing
3. You feel peaceful
4. You get a different body
5. You feel joyful
6. You make a new set of friends

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. 

Prison Prayers

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Chronicles 33:7-13

TO CHEW ON: "And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God." 2 Chronicles 33:13

“The Assyrians are coming!” A messenger blurted the news to King Manasseh.

Manasseh called his priests and told them to pray to the gods, check the omens, and make sacrifices. But not to the God of heaven. For Manasseh, Hezekiah’s son and Judah’s king, was not like his dad. Instead of worshiping God, he rebuilt hilltop shrines where people went to pray to statues of Chemosh and Baal.

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

He sacrificed his own sons to idols, was deeply into witchcraft and even built idol altars in the temple. God had tried to talk to Manasseh and the people, but they refused to listen.


The sacrifices Manasseh made that day did no good. He was captured by the Assyrian generals, chained and taken to prison in Babylon. There, in a dungeon and all alone, he had time to think. He remembered the things his father Hezekiah had taught him. He knew what he had done was displeasing to God. Maybe it wasn’t too late. Maybe God would still take him back.

One day he cried out to God. He told God how foolish he had been. He begged God to save his life and set him free.



Soon after the prison keeper unlocked his cell and sent him home. Oh joy!! Now he knew that God was real and powerful. When he got back to Jerusalem, he demolished the idols, shrines and altars. He cleaned up the temple. He told the people that from now on, they were to worship only the Lord God of Israel.

Sometimes God uses hard things like sickness, accidents, tragedies and facing the consequences of our choices to bring us back to Him. How much better to serve God all along than to risk such problems. But then, better the problems that bring us back to God than being separated from Him forever and ever.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for using even troubles to bring us back to You. Amen.

MORE: God’s Invitation
Over and over in the Bible, God invites us to come back to Him if we have gone away. 1 John 1:9 is such an invitation. Can you fill in the missing words from this verse. Use the word bank, below, if necessary.

If we 1. ___ our sins, he is faithful and just and will 2. ____ us our 3. ____ and 4. ____ us from all unrighteousness.

Word bank:
sins   purify
confess   forgive

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. 

Copying the Wrong Cat

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Kings 17:15-20

TO CHEW ON: "But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, 'Do not do as they do.' " 2 Kings 17:14,15

Israel was in big trouble. It was about thirty years and five kings after Jeroboam II. Shalmaneser king of Assyria had discovered that Israel’s present king Hoshea had secretly made a pact with Egypt. When Hoshea stopped paying the tax that Shalmaneser demanded, he arrested King Hoshea and took him to an Assyrian prison.

Then his army went through the countryside, rounding up the people. When they came to Samaria, the gates were locked. But Shalmaneser had all the time in the world. His army camped outside the city and waited for the people inside to surrender.


The Samaritans hung on for three years. But finally, desperate for food and water, they surrendered. In no time Shalmaneser had rounded up all those people too. He marched all his captives to Assyria. And that was the end of Israel.


Israel had had many chances to return to God. Many prophets had preached, warned and begged her kings and people to destroy their idols and worship God again. Again and again they chose to ignore those warnings. Finally God had had enough. The reason for Israel’s fall is spelled out in today’s reading.

What was the main thing to blame? (2 Kings 17:15):
1. bad crops and famine.
2. a weak army.
3. imitating the idol-worshiping nations around them.
4. a plague of sickness.


We aren’t that different today. Like the Israelites we love to imitate those we admire. It’s not imitation that’s bad, but whom we choose as our models. Let’s be careful to choose models of whom God would approve.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to choose my models wisely. Amen.


MORE: Pick Someone to Copy
You have been introduced to many Bible characters: Job, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, Joseph, Esau, Moses, Joshua, Rachel, Ruth and others. If you were to choose one of them to imitate, who would it be? Why?

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. 

Pride Before a Fall

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Chronicles 26:16-22

TO CHEW ON: "But after Uzziah became powerful his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense." 2 Chronicles 26:16

Back in Judah, years had gone by since King Joash’s reign had ended. Now sixteen-year-old Uzziah, Joash’s grandson, was king. Like his grandfather Joash, Uzziah was trained by a priest. Just like Joash he started out well. He strengthened the army, defeated his Philistine enemies, built cities, and gave lots of people good jobs on his farms and in his fields. Soon he was famous in the nations all around. Best of all, during this whole time he was careful to do what pleased God.

That is, until one day when his success went to his head. That day he decided there was nothing he couldn’t do. So he went into the temple, lit the incense in the portable burner called a censer, and was about to make a sacrifice on the altar when Azariah and a crowd of priests stopped him.

“What are you doing?” Azariah asked. “This isn’t right. Only priests are allowed to go into the temple and make sacrifices. You’re showing disrespect to God. Leave!”

Azariah’s words made Uzziah furious. He shouted and raged at the priests. But even as he was yelling his curses and insults, they drew back in horror. For there was leprosy on his forehead.

“There’s leprosy on you!” Azariah said.

"Punishment in the Temple" © 1992 by Darlene Slavujac (Used with the artist's permission)

Then Uzziah quieted and quickly left the temple. As a leper, he was contagious and unclean. He had to live alone from then on.

Uzziah started out so well. He was very successful. But his success made him proud. Pride led him to think he could do whatever he liked. Finally it brought him to a bad end.

Have you started well? Ask God to alert you to pride, or selfishness, or greed, or the desire to be popular, or any other thing that would keep you from finishing well.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to live well from beginning to end. Amen.



MORE: Finish Well
Think about the people in your life, or people you have read about.

- Name someone who started well but finished poorly: ____________

- Name someone who started well and finished well: _____________

- What would you say it means to finish well? _______________

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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. 

Singing Soldiers

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Chronicles 20:20-29

TO CHEW ON: "As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated." 2 Chronicles 20:22

It was the morning of battle day. The day before, the prophet had told Jehoshaphat that God would fight this battle for him and his soldiers. But the army still had to go to the battlefield. “Have faith in God,” Jehoshaphat encouraged the men, “and you will be successful.

Then Jehoshaphat arranged his army in a strange way. Who did he put at the front? (2 Chronicles 20:21)
1. Chariots and horsemen.
2. A choir of singers and praisers.
3. The most skilled fighters with bows and arrows.

As the army marched to the battlefield the singers, who led the troops, began to sing and praise God. When they did this an amazing thing happened. Trouble broke out in the enemy camp. The Ammonites and Moabites began to fight against the soldiers from Mount Seir. After that they fought and killed each other.


When Jehoshaphat’s army came to the hill overlooking the battlefield, there was no one left to fight. They trusted God and praised Him for helping them win even before they saw that victory. As they praised, God fought and won the battle for them.

Have you ever praised and worshiped God when you faced a big challenge? Try it. When we worship and praise God, He works in us and in our circumstances.

PRAYER: Dear God, please remind me to praise and worship You, especially in the middle of my problems. Amen.

MORE: Sing Jehoshaphat’s Song
1. The song that Jehoshaphat’s singing soldiers sang was simple. Write out the words (2 Chronicles 20:21) ____________

2. We don’t know what the melody of this song was so we can’t sing it exactly like the soldiers did. But we could sing it to a tune of our own. Make a song of the words Jehoshaphat’s soldiers sang:
-Sing them to a tune you already know or make up one of your own.
-You could repeat some of the words or phrases of Jehoshaphat’s song to fit with your music.

For an example, here is Jehoshaphat’s song, sung to the tune of “Mary Had a Little Lamb”
Give thanks to the Lord, the Lord,
Lord, the Lord, Lord, the Lord.
Give thanks to the Lord, the Lord
For his love endures forever.

3. Sing this song to God often. Sing it the next time you face a big challenge and need God’s help.

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. 

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. 

A Plan of His Own

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Kings 12:25-33

TO CHEW ON: "The king made two golden calves. He said to the people, 'It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.' " 1 Kings 12:28

Jeroboam went to live in Schechem and ruled Israel from there. The prophet had told him he would be a successful king if he obeyed God. Even so, Jeroboam began to be afraid. His people would go back to Jerusalem to worship. What if traveling back to Jerusalem would make them want Rehoboam as their king again?

So Jeroboam made a plan to keep that from happening. Instead of encouraging the people to worship God in the temple in Jerusalem he set up calf idols nearby – one in Dan and another in Bethel. He told the people, "Here are the gods who brought you out of Egypt." Then he chose people who weren’t in the Levi tribe to be the priests. They offered sacrifices to the golden calves.


Jeroboam also invented new festivals. At festival time, the people now went to Dan or Bethel instead of Jerusalem. In no time the people who had chosen Jeroboam as their king had forgotten all about God and were up to their necks in idol worship.

Everything went along fine until Jeroboam’s son got sick. Jeroboam feared he would die. He got his wife to disguise herself and go to the prophet Ahijah – the one who, years earlier, had predicted he would be king.

By now Ahijah was an old man. But God still talked to him. Before Jeroboam’s wife arrived, God told Ahijah who was coming and what to say to her. When Jeroboam’s wife got there Ahijah greeted her by name. Then he gave her a message for Jeroboam, “God raised you up to be king,” he said. “But you haven’t followed His ways. Now know that as soon as your wife steps into your home, your son will die. And God will raise up another king in Israel to take the place of you and your family.”


How differently the story could have turned out if only Jeroboam had trusted God and done things His way, instead of worrying and making plans of his own.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to trust You and follows Your ways, instead of making up my own way to do things. Amen.

SUPERSIZE IT: Straight paths
Are you ever tempted to do things your way instead of trusting that God’s way is best. Here is a verse to remind you to trust in God for everything. Write or print it out and put it up where you will see it often. It would be a good verse to memorize.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5,6



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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.