Quiet Walk

[Judy Harder]

February 17
Deuteronomy 3

The transfer of authority from Moses to Joshua is announced.

INSIGHT

The past is a picture of the future. When trying to determine what will be, it is important to know what has been.

Throughout the wilderness journey, God reminds Israel what He has done in the past-to give them courage and hope for the future. As the reins of leadership are passed from Moses to Joshua, the Lord encourages Joshua with a review of history: "Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two [past] kings; so will the Lord do to all the kingdoms through which you pass" (Deuteronomy 3:21).
The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever. When we face the giants in our lives, we can take heart from the Lord's words to Joshua: "You must not fear them, for the Lord your God Himself fights for you" (Deuteronomy 3:22). Our giants are not flesh and blood. They are spiritual and emotional. But the Lord must still defeat them. Trust!

PRAYER

· Praise the God of the past and the future:

I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name,
O Most High
(Psalm 9:1-2).

· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:

Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:.

· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:

I shall not lay up for myself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But I shall lay up for myself treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where my treasure is, there my heart will be also (based on Matthew 6:19-21).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of your friends,
· today's activities.

· Now offer this prayer of worship:

Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever (Psalm 28:9). 

[Judy Harder]

February 18
Deuteronomy 4

Moses appeals to the Israelites to live a life of faithful obedience to God.

INSIGHT

Thomas Jefferson once said, "The price of liberty is eternal vigilance." If true politically, how much more so spiritually. "Take heed," Moses says three times in chapter 4. First, take heed and keep your soul diligently. Second, take heed that you not worship idols. Third, take heed that you not forget the covenant the Lord made with you.

These are all dangers for us today. How easily we get careless about the welfare of our souls. How easily we worship modern idols. How easily we forget the promises of the Lord. We, too, must take heed. The price of our spiritual strength is eternal vigilance.

PRAYER

· Offer praise to the Lord for His concern for our well-being:

You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created (Revelation 4:11).

· Now pray this confession to the Lord as you reflect upon His forgiveness:

You have blotted out, like a thick cloud, my transgressions,
And like a cloud, my sins.

I return to You, for You have redeemed me
(based on Isaiah 44:22).

· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:

Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation
(Isaiah 12:2).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over the temptations you experience,
· revival among Christians in America and throughout the rest of the world,
· your prayer list.

· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands
(Psalm 90:17). 

[Judy Harder]

February 19

Deuteronomy 5

Moses reviews the Ten Commandments with the children of Israel.
INSIGHT

David writes that the Law of the Lord is perfect, and in keeping it, there is great reward. Part of that great reward is spelled out in chapter 5. Moses says that if the children of Israel will keep God's commandments, it will go well with them and with their sons forever! In addition, the Lord promises that they will live and that they may prolong their days in the land.

Holiness is not expensive. In fact, all the deepest longings of a child of God are met only in holiness. Could we consistently believe this, our lives would be more holy. Like the Israelites, we think that we are missing something by serving God. We are missing no more than the Israelites missed of Egypt.

PRAYER

· Honor the holiness of God by offering Him this psalm of praise:

Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise?
(Psalm 106:1-2).

· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:

My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives
(Hebrews 12:5-6).

· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· the work of missions in North and South America,
· the concerns of your heart.

· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

To Him who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (based on 1 Timothy 6:15-16). 

[Judy Harder]

February 20
Deuteronomy 6

Moses exhorts the Israelites to obey the greatest commandment.

INSIGHT

There are three keys to sharing your faith with someone else. First, it must be real in your life. Moses said the words must be in your "heart," not just your "head." Second, we must impart truth and information. That is, we must teach diligently. Finally, this truth must penetrate every corner of our lives. We must talk of it when we lie down and when we rise up.

We rarely fool anyone, and if one of these keys is missing in our lives, we will not make an impact on others. We must know the truth, it must be real to us, and it must permeate our daily lives.

PRAYER

· As you foster the reality of your walk with the Lord, offer to Him this psalm of praise:

Praise the Lord! . . .
Praise Him in the heights!
Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all you stars of light!
Praise Him, you heavens of heavens,
And you waters above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For He commanded and they were created.
He also established them forever and ever
(Psalm 148:1-6).

· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit
(Psalm 34:18).

· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:

You so loved the world, that You gave Your only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (based on John 3:16).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your finances,
· national and world leaders,
· today's activities.

· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen (Revelation 7:12). 

[Judy Harder]

February 21
Deuteronomy 7

God commands the Israelites to destroy the Canaanites.

INSIGHT

God instructs the Israelites to remove from their land everything that will lead them to forsake their purity and commitment to the Lord. When we allow corruption inside our walls, it seeps into our lives and destroys us. We must remove the things from our lives that would tempt us or weaken us. Paul wrote, "Make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts" (Romans 13:14). Are there some things you have carried over from your earlier days that ought to be removed from your life? Why not remove them right away?

PRAYER

· Use this psalm to praise the God of the past and the future:

I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name,
O Most High
(Psalm 9:1-2).

· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:

Who among you fears the Lord?
Who obeys the voice of His Servant?
Who walks in darkness
And has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the Lord
And rely upon his God
(Isaiah 50:10).

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· wisdom in decision making,
· needs of your friends,
· your prayer list.

· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd us also,
And bear us up forever
(based on Psalm 28:9). 

[Judy Harder]

February 22
Deuteronomy 8

Moses reminds the Israelites of the Lord's blessings on them.

INSIGHT

Following God has never been easy. God never intended for it to be. He tests us to know what is in our hearts and to teach us that we do not live by bread alone. When things are too easy, we tend to be ungrateful. We tend not to give God the recognition for His blessing. In chapter 8, we see God's love and care, along with His tests and trials. We need both to be healthy. To grow, we need sunshine and rain.

PRAYER

· Offer praise to the Lord for His concern for our well-being:

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!
(Isaiah 6:3 ).

· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:

You have blotted out, like a thick cloud, my transgressions,
And like a cloud, my sins.
I return to You, for You have redeemed me
(based on Isaiah 44:22).

· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:

Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and my song;
He also has become my salvation
(Isaiah 12:2).

You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
Trust in the Lord forever,
For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength
(Isaiah 26:3-4).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· the concerns of your heart.

· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands

[Judy Harder]

February 23
Deuteronomy 26

The Lord teaches the Israelites the importance of giving.

INSIGHT

We offer a portion of our income to the Lord in gratitude for what He has given us. If we know Him for who He really is, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, then we will rightly understand that everything in the world truly belongs to Him. In His goodness and compassion, He has provided us with the things that we need to survive. As we give to the church, "the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow," we are acknowledging his exuberant generosity and love.

PRAYER

· Offer this psalm to our worthy God:

"For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the mountains,
And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. . .
Offer to God thanksgiving,
And pay your vows to the Most High.
Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me"
(Psalm 50:10-11, 14-15).

· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:

Bow down your ear, O Lord, hear me;
For I am poor and needy. . . .
For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You
(Psalm 86:1, 5).

· Voice your affirmation of God's Word:

You are my portion, O Lord;
I have said that I would keep Your words. . . .
The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy;
Teach me Your statutes
(Psalm 119:57, 64).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· an attitude of gratefulness,
· the poor and needy,
· today's activities.

· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions-
This great and wide sea,
In which are innumerable teeming things,
Living things both small and great
(Psalm 104:24-25). 

 

[Judy Harder]

February 24
Deuteronomy 27

Curses from Mount Ebal dramatize disobedience.

INSIGHT

What a drama! Mount Gerazim and Mount Ebal are two masses of limestone rock rising over 2,000 feet above sea level. Between them lies a beautiful valley, about 300 yards wide. Half the children of Israel are on one mountain, and half are on the other, with the Levites in the valley between the two mountains. Curses are called from Mount Ebal and blessings are called from Mount Gerazim. All of this is to dramatize the importance of obedience and the consequences of disobedience, even down to not letting a blind man wander out of his way.
Nothing is insignificant to a holy God. Nor should it be to us. We must care about right and wrong.

PRAYER

· Offer praise to our holy God in the words of this psalm:

Oh give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord.
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
Remember His marvelous works . . .
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth
(Psalm 105:1-5).

· Now pray this confession to the Lord:

If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).

· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:

"Whoever drinks of the water that You shall give him will never thirst. But the water that You shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (based on John 4:14).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be like Christ,
· the churches across the nation,
· your prayer list.

· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom. Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever. Amen
(Revelation 7:12). 

[Judy Harder]

February 25
Deuteronomy 28

The people receive the blessings of Mount Gerazim.

INSIGHT

A sword and a plowshare are laid on the valley floor between Ebal and Gerazim. Blessings are piled upon pile-until you wonder if the blessings can be contained. The Lord outdoes Himself, searching His omniscience to find ways of blessing Israel. Obviously, He takes great pleasure in doing good to them.

But in the shadow of the plowshare lies a sword. The 14 verses of blessings are followed by 54 verses of the most heart-rending curses imaginable.

How evil, how unspeakably terrible is sin. Thank God that He has delivered us from it. Thank God that, through Christ, we may taste of His blessings forever.

PRAYER

· Offer your praise to the Lord for His goodness in delivering us from the consequences of sin:

You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name
(Psalm 97:10-12).

· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed (Hebrews 12:11-13).

· As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:

You are the bread of life. He who comes to You shall never hunger, and he who believes in You shall never thirst
(based on John 6:35).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· an eternal perspective on life,
· your own personal goals and spiritual growth,
· the concerns of your heart.

· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

Now may You, the God of patience and comfort grant us to be likeminded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that we may with one mind and one mouth glorify You, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (based on Romans 15:5-6). 

[Judy Harder]

February 26
Deuteronomy 29

The covenant with the children of Israel is renewed in Moab.

INSIGHT

After laying out the options before the Israelites at Mount Ebal and Mount Gerazim, God now says, "Choose."

But by His grace, He makes clear the consequences of these choices. How terrible are the curses-and how wonderful are the blessings.

Seeing the alternative so clearly before us, what could possibly account for our choosing the curses? The only conceivable answer is that we don't believe God. We don't really believe that the blessings will be that good-or that the curses will be that bad.

The Old Testament was written for our instruction. We must learn to take God at His Word. Period.

PRAYER

· Offer to the Lord this psalm of praise for giving us His blessings:

Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our
Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all
(1 Chronicles 29:10-11).

· Now pray this confession to the Lord:

Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice;
And to heed than the fat of rams
(1 Samuel 15:22).

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:

You are the light of the world. He who follows You shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life (based on John 8:12).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· the Lord's work in national and international affairs,
· today's activities.

· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord-the God who has promised to bless those who follow Him:

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).