Quiet Walk

[Judy Harder]

July 30

Psalm 100

All men are exhorted to praise the Lord because He made us and we are His.

INSIGHT

Psalm 100 is perhaps the finest example of a praise psalm in the Bible. The righteous heart pours forth a spontaneous stream of undefiled praise. First, he calls upon all men everywhere to praise the Lord. Then he identifies the relationship which God has with His children. We are not our own; He has made us. "We are His people and the sheep of His pasture" (v. 3). Next he calls for us to praise God again: "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise" (v. 4). Give thanks. Bless Him. Then he finishes by listing attributes of God. God is good; He loves forever. Make this psalm your personal psalm of praise.

PRAYER

Offer the Lord your praise that He is good and loves us forever:
Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful. . . .
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite. . . .
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises on the harp to our God . . .
The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy. . . 
He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 147:1, 5, 7, 11, 20).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me,
For I am desolate and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart have enlarged;
Bring me out of my distresses!
Look on my affliction and my pain,
And forgive all my sins (Psalm 25:16-18).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst" (John 6:35).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for others
-- Missions in the Middle East
-- Elderly members of your family

Offer this closing prayer 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).
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[Judy Harder]

July 31

Psalm 145

The Lord is extolled for the goodness of who He is and what He has done.

INSIGHT

There has never been a generation that did not praise God. Since the beginning of time, salvation and praise have been passed down in unbroken succession. David writes, "One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts" (v. 4). That praise is directed to God for who He is (His character) and what He has done. Of God's character, David writes: "The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy" (v. . The Lord is good. Writing of God's work, he says, "The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up those who are bowed down" (v. 14); "is near to all who call upon Him" (v. 18); and "will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him" (v. 19). "The Lord preserves all who love Him" (v. 20). For these reasons, we praise Him along with David.

PRAYER

All the earth will one day praise the Lord. We can begin now in the words of this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-2, 6).

As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart--
These, O God, You will not despise (Psalm 51:16-17).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Faithfulness in sharing Christ
-- The Lord's work in world affairs
-- Your activities for the day

Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).
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[Judy Harder]

August 1

Proverbs 1

Solomon writes a metaphorical warning from the perspective of "Wisdom."

INSIGHT

To be free to sail the seven seas, you must make yourself a slave to the compass. Every freedom has a corresponding slavery. We can be free from the toothbrush and a slave to cavities or a slave to the toothbrush and free from cavities. For everything we want, we must give up something else. Wisdom calls us to slavery. If we become a slave to wisdom, we must heed the Word of God and shun sin. If we neglect these, distress and anguish will come. We will experience the natural consequences of our actions. There is no escape from this cause-and-effect law. Rededicate yourself to becoming a "wise" person. Wisdom begins with "fearing" (respecting) the Lord. It is to His glory and also to our best interest.

PRAYER

Offer the Lord this psalm of praise as you ponder your need for wisdom:
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
For the word of the Lord is right,
And all His work is done in truth (Psalm 33:2-4).

Now pray this confession to the Lord:
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:10-12).

Pray this affirmation to the Lord:
It is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).

The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Health and strength to serve Him
-- That His will be done on earth as it is in heaven
-- Whatever else is on your heart

Finally, close with this prayer:
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).
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[Judy Harder]

August 2

Proverbs 2

Wisdom must be sought after with our entire being.

INSIGHT

Nothing of value is easily obtained. If it were, it would no longer be valuable. Inherent within the concept of value is the feature of scarcity. If all gravel were made of pure gold, then gold would not be valuable. The same is true with intangibles like wisdom. She is an exceedingly valuable life commodity, but she is not easy to come by. If we want wisdom, we must incline our ears, apply our hearts, cry for her, lift our voice for her, seek her as we would silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures (vv. 2-4). Then, and only then, will we understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God (v. 5).

PRAYER

Offer the Lord this psalm of praise as you consider His goodness:
Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints! . . .
All nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested (Revelation 15:3-4).
And one cried to another and said:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory! (Isaiah 6:3).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you (Deuteronomy 32:18).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Corinthians 12:9).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- That others might see Christ in you
-- That the Lord of the harvest would send laborers into His harvest,
-- Your activities for the day.

Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful, . . .
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord (Psalm 31:23-24).
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[Judy Harder]

August 3

Proverbs 3

The benefit of wisdom is better than gold.

INSIGHT

Inherent within the human heart is a longing for peace, love, and joy. Among Christians and non-Christians alike, the desire is the same. Yet peace, love, and joy do not answer just any beck and call. They will come only by certain means; they are fruits on the tree of wisdom. Wisdom will bring length of days (v. 2), peace (v. 2), favor with God and man (v. 4), strength to your bones (v. , honor (v. 16), pleasantness (v. 17), paths of peace (v. 17), confidence in life (v. 26), and freedom from the snares of life (v. 26). Foolishness brings harm (v. 29), oppression (v. 31), and shame (v. 35). We all long for the benefits of wisdom. We must remember that she comes with a price: submission to the will of God and the truth of Scripture.

PRAYER

As you consider the benefits of wisdom, praise the Lord that we may share in His character:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness (Exodus 15:11).

You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You,
nor is there any God besides You, according to all that
we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

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.

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater sensitivity to sin
-- The ministry of your church
-- Whatever else is on your heart

Offer this closing prayer to God:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).
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[Judy Harder]

August 4

Proverbs 31

An excellent wife cares for her home, is kind to the needy, and is an example of good character.

INSIGHT

One view of women is that they are merely caretakers of the home and have no role other than changing diapers, cooking, and cleaning house. Another view seeks to free women from the responsibilities at home. Both are wrong. Women are to care for their homes and maintain certain responsibilities--just as men should. But their role carries with it great flexibility and variety. The Proverbs 31 woman is a skillful, industrious person who models integrity and esteems her home and family highly.

PRAYER

Thank God for the women you know (mothers, grandmothers, friends) who exemplify Christ's love:
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name" (Luke 1:46-49).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin (Psalm 51:1-2).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path (Psalm 119:103-105).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A more Christ-like character
-- Strengthening of the church in China
-- Your activities for the day

Offer this closing prayer to God:
This I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:9-11).
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[Judy Harder]

August 5

Ecclesiastes 12

The pursuit of temporal things is futile.

INSIGHT

Our society tends to breed materialism. Young couples expect to own a house, two cars, and maybe a boat. We dream of the day when we can afford to take exotic vacations and own a bigger house. Game shows offer spectacular prizes, and lottery tickets are sold by the thousands. But Solomon experienced tremendous wealth and found himself unhappy. He learned that eternal things matter most. God wants His children to invest their brief lives in others--not just in material things.

PRAYER

God has promised that He will provide His children's needs. Let's praise Him:
"Why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? . . . But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:28-30, 33).

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? . . . Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" (Matthew 6:25, 27).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? . . . If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:7-9, 11).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Contentment with the material possessions you own
-- God's provision for the less fortunate
-- Safety of missionaries in Central America

Offer this closing prayer to God:
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).
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[Judy Harder]

August 6

Song of Solomon 1

Solomon expresses the beauty of married love.

INSIGHT

Hebrews 13:4 says that the marriage bed is holy and "undefiled." In his commentary on the Song of Solomon, A Song for Lovers, Craig Glickman writes: "No artist could have fashioned two people better suited for one another. He was the king of their great nation; she, his chosen bride. Spring had seen their love blossom like the flowers in the palace gardens. Their love was destined to be a song for the world. And, in fact, so ideal was their love that the song about them was chosen as one of the books of sacred Scripture. It became the only one of the entire collection devoted exclusively to courtship and marriage." The Song of Solomon gives us God's perspective on marriage and love.

PRAYER

Offer the Lord your praise for the unconditional love He gives you as a member of the church, the "bride of Christ":
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by.
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds (Psalm 57:1, 9-10).

Now express any additional thoughts of praise, adoration, or thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O God, You know my foolishness;
And my sins are not hidden from You.
Let not those who wait for You, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed because of me;
Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O God of Israel
(Psalm 69:5-6).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord as you agree with and submit yourself to the will of God, your heavenly Father:
You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield (Psalm 5:12).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A more intimate relationship with your Bridegroom
-- Greater love for fellow Christians
-- Your activities for the day

Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore (Psalm 121:.
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[Judy Harder]

August 7

Isaiah 6

Isaiah is commissioned to become a prophet to Israel.

INSIGHT

Isaiah sees the Lord in a terrifying vision which makes him acutely aware of his sinfulness and God's holiness. The Lord takes away his sin--seeing the repentance of his heart--and then commissions Isaiah to serve Him as a prophet. This event illustrates how the Lord calls His servants. First, He reveals Himself through His Word. When the hearer receives the Scriptures, he becomes aware of his sin and asks God for forgiveness and salvation. God then sends him into the world to take the message of salvation to others.

PRAYER

God is holy, and we praise Him because He makes us holy, cleansing us spiritually with the blood of Christ:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who set Your glory above the heavens! . . .
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him? . . . O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9).

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord (Psalm 25:7).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel (Ezra 7:10).

I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, "The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him" (Ezra 8:22).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- National leaders and current events
-- Greater faithfulness with your time
-- Your activities for the day

Finally, offer this closing prayer:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13).
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[Judy Harder]

August 8

Isaiah 40

The Lord gives strength to those who wait on Him.

INSIGHT

God has given us the Christian family as a picture of the relationship between Him and His children. We are given earthly fathers, that we might more fully understand our heavenly Father. Just as an earthly father takes no delight in disciplining his children, so our heavenly Father takes no delight in disciplining His children. Hear the tenderness in these words: "Comfort, yes, comfort My people!" (v. 1). God tenderly loves us and takes no pleasure in our pain, although He desires our spiritual growth as a result.

PRAYER

Since the earthly family pictures the heavenly family, praise the Lord that He is your heavenly Father:
He is the Rock, His work is perfect;
For all His ways are justice,
A God of truth and without injustice;
Righteous and upright is He (Deuteronomy 32:4).

"The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let God be exalted,
The Rock of my salvation! (2 Samuel 22:47).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
David's heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly" (2 Samuel 24:10).

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12-13).

Make your requests known to God, and include:
-- Greater wisdom for living life
-- Needs of your immediate family
-- Those you know who are suffering

Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen (Jude 24-25).
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