Quiet Walk

[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"
(Psalms 50:10-11).

· 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
(Psalms 86:1).

· 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
(Psalms 119:57).

· 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
(Psalms 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
(Psalms 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
(Psalms 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).

[Judy Harder]

February 27
Deuteronomy 30

Restoration is promised to the Israelites.

INSIGHT

Where would we be without forgiveness? In his weakness, man is not able to sustain any relationship without eventually needing to forgive and to be forgiven. This includes his relationship with God. Unless God were willing to forgive us, we could have no relationship with Him, for we are unable to be sinless before Him.

What a warm and tender chapter comes on the heels of the curses. God says, "If you turn from Me, I will pour out on you the curses. But if you repent and return to Me, I will forgive you and restore you." What a comfort. What a wonderful God.

PRAYER

· For His grace to forgive, offer the Lord this psalm of praise:

Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples
(Psalms 96:1-3).

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

But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:5-6).

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

These things You have spoken to me, that in You I may have peace. In the world I will have tribulation; but I will be of good cheer, You have overcome the world (based on John 16:33).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the Middle East,
· your prayer list.

· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort our hearts and establish us in every good word and work (based on 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).

[Judy Harder]

February 28
Deuteronomy 32

Moses writes in poetic form a summary of everything he has taught the Israelites.

INSIGHT

Man is more than a machine. Man is more than a combination of blood vessels and bones. There is something within man that transcends the physical. It is the image of God. When the major issues of life lie before us, the image of God within us demands that we sing a song or paint a picture or write a poem or perform a dance.

At the end of his life-as Moses is struggling to summarize all that he needs to say to his people-he bursts out in song. Surely the thumbprint of God is seen in his crowning achievement.

PRAYER

· A mark of the image of God within is revealed as you offer Him your praise:

Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Give to the Lord glory and strength.
Give to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him;
Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! (1 Chronicles 16:28-29).

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

"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm (Joel 2:12-13).

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

Having been justified by faith, I have peace with You through my Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also I have access by faith into this grace in which I stand; and I rejoice in hope of the glory of You (based on Romans 5:1-2).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in sharing Christ with others,
· your state and local leaders,
· the concerns of your heart.

· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

O, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalms 90:14).

[Judy Harder]

March 1
Matthew 1

Matthew records Jesus' miraculous conception and birth.

INSIGHT

The birth of Jesus splits time and space like a lightning bolt in a hot July sky. The stage is set for the most important event in history. It has been planned before the foundation of the world. It is promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David. The prophets have heralded it, the people long for it, and the culture is ripe for it.

The Messiah is coming to establish His kingdom. More importantly, He is coming to effect a new relationship between God and man.

Jesus is not just another world leader. He is God in the flesh. God, who has previously made Himself known through a nation, and through a law, is now coming to make Himself known through a man, a God-man, Jesus.

PRAYER

· Continue your time with the Lord by offering your praise to the God of history through these words:

You are my praise and You are my God,
who has done these great and awesome
things for me which my eyes have seen
(based on Deuteronomy 10:21).

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

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me...
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You
(Psalms 51:10).

· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, submit yourself to His will:

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

· As you make your requests known to God, pray for
· laborers for the harvest,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· As your closing prayer, pray this passage to the Lord:

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night
(Psalms 92:1-2).

[Judy Harder]

March 3
Matthew 3

After His baptism by His forerunner, John, Jesus' ministry is validated by God the Father.

INSIGHT

No matter when, no matter where, repentance is necessary when meeting God for the first time. To repent means to change your mind.

If you have been living your life without God, you must change your mind about Him. You must stop thinking of Him as something less than Sovereign Lord of the universe. You must acknowledge His right to define what is right -- and wrong -- for you. And you must trust Him to reconcile you to Himself through His only begotten Son.

If you were transported back to John's time and heard his message, would you repent?

PRAYER

· At Jesus' baptism, God confirmed Jesus' divine sonship to all who were at the scene. Thank God that He reveals Himself in ways that all people understand:

The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard
(Psalms 19:1-3).

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:20).

· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:

There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God
(Romans 3:10-11).

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit
(Psalms 32:1-2).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· day-to-day repentance,
· the Lord to reveal Himself to others through you,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:5).

[Judy Harder]

March 4

Luke 1
The births of John and Jesus are foretold.

INSIGHT

How do you think you would feel if you were suddenly in the presence of an angel?

If you're like the biblical characters, you would feel . . . afraid. Scripture recounts several instances of human beings coming face-to-face with supernatural beings. Most of those occasions were frightening -- even terrifying -- to the persons involved.

But God's messengers understand our fear. And they do their best to assuage it. When Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary, he saw her troubled look and said, "Do not be afraid."

That's what God says to us throughout our lives. Drawing us into His holy presence, He reassures us that we need not fear. God loves us, Christ died for us, and God has a plan for our lives.

So we can approach Him with complete confidence!

PRAYER

· Express your praise to the Lord in the words of Scripture:

The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war should rise against me,
In this I will be confident
(Psalms 27:1-3).

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

Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts (Isaiah 6:5).

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Pause to pray this passage of affirmation to the Lord:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater confidence in God's love,
· evangelism in your community,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, close with this prayer:

In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been made near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13).