Quiet Walk

[Judy Harder]

July 1

Ezra 1

The Lord prompts the king of Persia to rebuild the temple.

INSIGHT

The Bible says that God "removes kings and raises up kings" (Daniel 2:21) and that "the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord" (Proverbs 21:1). We see a classic example of these truths in the book of Ezra. The Israelites are taken captive by the Babylonians for 70 years. During that time, the Babylonians are conquered by Persia. Then the Lord moves in the heart of the king of Persia to orchestrate the return of the Jews to Jerusalem. God is in control. Bad things will still happen; we live in a fallen world. But God is in control and history is moving toward His end. The ultimate needs of His children are met, and we have the promise of eternal life. Beyond that, we must cling to the fact that we are pilgrims, sojourners to another world—heaven, where our true citizenship lies.

PRAYER

As you continue your time with the Lord, offer to Him this 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?
Blessed are those who keep justice,
And he who does righteousness at all times!
(Psalm 106:1-3)

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:

Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice!
Let Your ears be attentive
To the voice of my supplications.
If You, Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with You,
That You may be feared.
(Psalm 130:1-4)

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

Now pray this affirmation to God:

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth (1 Corinthians 13:4-6).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

-- Health and strength to serve Him
-- His will to be done
-- Whatever else is on your heart

Offer this closing 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).

[Judy Harder]

July 2

Ezra 3

The priests restore the altar and worship of the Lord.

INSIGHT

The basis of most discontent is comparison. We could be happy with our cars if the neighbors didn't have better ones. We would be satisfied with our houses if they were as nice as everyone else's. Yet, were we to have our present possessions in Africa, we would be considered rich. Once our basic needs are met, the issue is not "how are we," but rather, "how are we compared to how everyone else is." When the foundation of the new temple is laid, the new generation rejoices at the work of God; but the older generation laments that the new temple is not as impressive as the old one. We should be content with what God has chosen to give us and not make comparisons. He is rich who rejoices in his portion.

PRAYER

Offer your praise to the Lord for what He has given you, and rejoice in your portion:

My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness,
of Yours only.
O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
(Psalm 71:15-17)

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this prayer:

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.
(Psalm 51:10, 12)

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

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live" (John 11:25).

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 forth laborers into His harvest
-- Your activities for the day

Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
(Psalm 19:14).

[Judy Harder]

July 3

Ezra 4

The king orders a halt to the temple restoration.

INSIGHT

There is a common misconception in the Christian world that if you are doing the Lord's will, you will not suffer hardships for it. The example of the Jews rebuilding the temple certainly does not support that supposition. The Lord clearly intends for them to rebuild the temple, yet they suffer opposition the entire time. It is not necessarily a sign of God's displeasure when work begun for Him fails. There may be other reasons for the failure, which are hidden in His sovereignty. That is why it is so important to be in fellowship with Him. If something we are doing fails, we have confidence that it is not because of our sin, but His sovereignty.

PRAYER

Because He faithfully loves you, faithfully praise Him and thank Him for your many blessings:

Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen.
(Psalm 72:18-19)

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

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

As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
(Psalm 103:13-14)

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:

Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
(Psalm 119:67, 71)

God yearns to hear His children's desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

-- Spiritual growth
-- Fulfillment of the Great Commission
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart

Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

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)

[Judy Harder]

July 4

Ezra 6

The original decree is found, and permission is given to complete the temple restoration.


INSIGHT

It is often darkest before the dawn. Just as it looks as if the work on the temple is going to be stopped, the Lord turns the situation around. Not only is permission given to complete the temple, but those who had tried to stop the work are required to finance the remainder of the restoration! Worrying does little to further the work of God; He is quite capable of accomplishing His work. Our work is trust, obedience, and faithfulness to our responsibilities.

PRAYER

Praise the Lord for His watchfulness over your circumstances, and thank Him for being in total control of your life:

I will love You, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
(Psalm 18:1-3).

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

Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.
(Psalm 30:4-5)

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

Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11).

God desires to hear the petitions of His people. As you make you requests known to the Lord, include:

-- Contentment in the circumstances of your life,
-- Greater love for the lost
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Whatever else is on your heart

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 6:24-25)

[Judy Harder]

July 7

Nehemiah 2

Nehemiah requests the king's help in rebuilding Jerusalem.

INSIGHT

Nehemiah comes before the king unable to conceal his agitation over the situation in Jerusalem. When we are faced with situations that need change, preparation is vital. We may not be able to do anything about it at the moment, but we can ask ourselves this question: "If it lay within our power to do anything we wanted to do, what would we do?" If we can answer that, then we will recognize opportunity when it knocks, and we can capitalize on it as Nehemiah does.

PRAYER

Praise God that He is concerned about the details of your life and is ready to fulfill your every need:

The Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
(Psalm 1:6)

The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.
(Psalm 121:7-8)

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:

Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil (Ecclesiastes 5:1).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

-- Boldness in sharing Christ with others
-- The innocent victims in war-torn lands
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart

Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man's all.
For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.
(Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

[Judy Harder]

July 8

Nehemiah 4

The work on the city wall is ridiculed by those opposing it.

INSIGHT

It is difficult to do any work when we are strongly opposed. We begin to doubt the validity of the task or our ability to perform it. When we are assailed for doing God's work, we must evaluate the source of opposition. We cannot assume opposition means that God is against us. While it is of little value to blame the devil for everything that goes wrong, the Bible makes it clear that spiritual opposition is a reality in the work of God. If we suspect spiritual opposition, we must oppose the enemy, remain at the task at hand, and redouble our prayers!

PRAYER

Praise God that He has given us instruction for life in the Bible and through the Holy Spirit:

"My heart rejoices in the Lord;
My horn is exalted in the Lord.
I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation."
(1 Samuel 2:1)

Pause for additional praise and thanksgiving.

Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:

Brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. . . God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. (1Thessalonians 4:1-2, 7-8)

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:

"No one is holy like the Lord,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God. . . .
He will guard the feet of His saints,
But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.
For by strength no man shall prevail."
(1 Samuel 2:2, 9)

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

-- Diligence in our work in spite of obstacles
-- Wisdom in making decisions
-- Your activities for the day

Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

By the God of your father who will help you,
And by the Almighty who will bless you
With blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
The blessings of your father
Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors,
Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.
(Genesis 49:25-26)

[Judy Harder]

July 9

Nehemiah 5

Nehemiah stops the internal mistreatment among the Jews by force of example.

INSIGHT

The prospects for some of the returned exiles are bleak. There are deficient rains and poor harvests. As a result, the farmers mortgage their lands to their wealthier brethren and, in extreme cases, sell their children into slavery to pay the king's taxes. The rich Jews, rather than helping out, are capitalizing on the situation to line their own pockets. This is inexcusable! Few things bring on more reproach to the cause of the Lord than the worldliness and hard-heartedness of those who claim to follow Him. Unselfish dedication to the common welfare of others in Christ is our spiritual obligation.

PRAYER

Because the Lord loves each of us equally and accepts our welfare as His obligation, we praise Him:

The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting.
(Psalm 93:1-2)

He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen (Deuteronomy 10:21).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:

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.
(Isaiah 53:5)

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

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:

Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path (Psalm 119:105).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

-- Greater love for fellow Christians
-- Missions in Europe and Asia
-- Your activities for the day

Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:

Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
(Psalm 103:21-22)

[Judy Harder]

July 10

Nehemiah 6

The work on the wall is completed.

INSIGHT

Nehemiah resists the efforts of the adversaries to discourage him or distract him from working on the wall. He is convinced that he is doing the right thing, and he steadfastly resists the interference. The Old Testament often has a literal illustration of a spiritual truth that is explained in the New Testament. In Ephesians 6:11, we read that we are to "put on the whole armor of God": the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Once these are in place, we "resist"—"stand firm!"

PRAYER

Praise God for victory in spiritual warfare as we use His armor:

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
O come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.
(Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7)

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

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

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 53:6)

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:

"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (John 6:37).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

-- Greater faithfulness with your time
-- The president and world affairs
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart

Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.
(Psalm 121:7-8)

[Judy Harder]

July 11

Nehemiah 8

The people gather at the square to hear Ezra, who reads the Law publicly.

INSIGHT

No one appreciates a glass of water like a man who is truly thirsty. It takes deprivation to appreciate the significance of our blessings. That is why the Christian life is not always easy—with blessings flowing unabated. We get dull and stale to it—just as we do when we have too much food and too little exercise. We are indeed blessed to have the Word of God in such abundance. The returning Jews have never heard the Word, and they are truly thirsty. They stand — from dawn till dusk — and drink it in. To appreciate the Word in your life, imagine not having it at all.

PRAYER

Give the Lord your praise, because He knows us and loves us and will never leave or forsake us:

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)

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

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

Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
(Isaiah 55:6-7)

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

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
(1 Corinthians 2:9)

The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

-- The renewing of your mind
-- The needs of your extended family
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart

Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).

[Judy Harder]

July 14

Esther 2

Esther wins the king's favor and is chosen to become queen.

INSIGHT

Abraham, Moses, David, and Esther are all living lives of obscurity when God chooses them. He uses them for great things because they are faithful to Him in the little things. While not all of us are destined to do incredible things in the eyes of man, greatness in the eyes of God is simply being faithful to Him the best way we know how. God has not forgotten about us; His eye is on us. And He will use us—even if only in seemingly "small" ways.

PRAYER

Thank God that we do not need to be born into a wealthy family or attain a place of prestige to be used by Him. Praise God that He uses ordinary people to do His extraordinary work:

As for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.
Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;
Make Your way straight before my face.
(Psalm 5:7-8)

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:

Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my meditation.
Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.
(Psalm 5:1-3)

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:

You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You.
The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
(Psalm 5:4-5)

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

-- Contentment in the place God has led you to
-- Patience in serving others

Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.
(Psalm 5:11-12)