Quiet Walk

[Judy Harder]

July 15

Esther 3

Haman deceives the king into signing an edict that would kill all the Jews.

INSIGHT

Man's inhumanity to man over the ages has been astounding. Some of the acts of violence and degradation have defied comprehension. In this vein, Haman hatches a savage and inhumane plot against the Jews to have them annihilated—men, women, and children. King Ahasuerus also has a monstrous mind, willing to sanction such savagery without question. When sin progresses to such extremes, we see just how repulsive it is.

PRAYER

God continually watches over His children. Thank Him for His protection:

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 God:

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
(Psalm 19:7-11)

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

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:

"As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive" (Genesis 50:20).

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

-- The political leaders of your country
-- Graciousness in speech
-- The needs of family members

Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight,
through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).

[Judy Harder]

July 16

Esther 4

Esther learns of the plot to kill the Jews and plans to intercede.

INSIGHT

"I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!" (4:16). Those are not the words of someone being melodramatic; they are the words of a realist who accurately assesses the situation. By law, no one can go into the presence of the king unless invited; to do so means execution. If the king chooses to extend grace to the person, he offers his scepter, whereupon the subject is to kneel and touch the top of the scepter. Esther has no idea what Ahasuerus will do. He deposed Vashti with a clap of his hands; he signed the edict to kill the Jews without asking a question. Though she has no other choice, Esther's decision still takes great courage.

PRAYER

Our courage comes from confidence in God who loves us, and for this, we give Him our praise:

Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . .
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 104:1-2, 35)

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

Justice is far from us,
Nor does righteousness overtake us;
We look for light, but there is darkness!
For brightness, but we walk in blackness!
(Isaiah 59:9)

O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them.
(Psalm 41:10)

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:15-16).

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

-- Greater love for non-Christians
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Those who are persecuted for their faith

Now close with this prayer:

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).

[Judy Harder]

July 18

Esther 6

Haman must honor Mordecai with acts which Haman himself suggested.

INSIGHT

Very few things in the Bible are actually funny. However, taken in isolation, chapter 6 of Esther is probably the funniest event in the Bible. The king asks Haman what he thinks is a good way to honor someone. Haman thinks to himself, "Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?" (6:6). Then he tells the king what he, Haman, would like to have done for himself. The king then responds by telling Haman to do that for Mordecai. The irony is overwhelming—the humor irrepressible. The wrath of man is made to praise God.

PRAYER

God is a God of power and glory, yet He loves to call us His own. Praise Him for His love for us:

O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth.
(Psalm 108:1-5)

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

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

"I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me" (Jeremiah 33:.

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

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:

He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
(Micah 6:.

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

-- Greater wisdom in decision making
-- The needs of friends
-- Your activities for the day

Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

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 your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).

[Judy Harder]

July 21

Esther 9

With the king's permission, the Jews are allowed to protect themselves.

INSIGHT

National salvation is culminated for the Jews. When the fateful day arrives, the Jews throughout the empire stand on the defense. In the provinces, 75,000 of their assailants fall—500 of them in the capital of Susa alone. Among these are the 10 sons of Haman. A divine purpose runs through all human governments and events; and as God exalted Mordecai to honor and glory, so will He work for those who love Him. And so, ultimately, will He put all enemies under His feet.

PRAYER

God is far more powerful than any earthly leader. Thank Him that His power is tempered with righteousness and compassion:

The Lord is King forever and ever;
The nations have perished out of His land.
Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear,
To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
That the man of the earth may oppress no more.
(Psalm 10:16-18)

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

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

May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
And the tongue that speaks proud things,
Who have said,
"With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own;
Who is lord over us?"
(Psalm 12:3-4)

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

The words of the Lord are pure words,
Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,
Purified seven times.
You shall keep them, O Lord,
You shall preserve them from this generation forever.
(Psalm 12:6-7)

Our heavenly Father loves to communicate with His children. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

-- Wisdom for your church leaders
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart

Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen! (2 Timothy 4:18).

[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).

[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:.

[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).

[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).

[Judy Harder]

August 9

Isaiah 53

Our Savior bore the chastisement for our iniquity.

INSIGHT

When Christians suffer, they are tempted to resent God, to wonder: "Why me?!" If God is all good and all powerful, why must His children suffer? The answer to that question is difficult –and not totally satisfying to the finite mind. Jesus maintains His credibility, however, in that He readily suffered for us all—suffering more than He will ever ask of us. Why must God's children suffer? We don't know. What we do know is that God was willing to suffer for us. He asks nothing of us that He was not willing to do for us.

PRAYER

Thank the Lord and praise Him that He is so skillful and patient in teaching us His way:
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.
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all (1 Chronicles 29:10-13).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens" (Ezra 9:6).

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

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him" (2 Chronicles 16:9).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater insight into Scripture
-- The hungry around the world
-- Your activities for the day

Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
He 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 (1 Timothy 6:15-16).

[Judy Harder]

August 11

Jeremiah 31

God establishes a covenant with the children of Israel to write His Law on their hearts.

INSIGHT

The primary theme of nearly all the Prophetic Books is warning of judgment for sin. The prophets proclaim the Word of God as their basic ministry, but from time to time, the Lord reveals to them a specific message for the children of Israel. If they do not turn from their sin, a specific judgment will follow. It is comforting to see, however, that in nearly all instances the judgment is to be followed by restoration. God's judgment on His children is not for retaliation but to get His children to turn from their sin to Him.

PRAYER

Praise God that He has made Himself knowable to mankind through Christ Jesus:
May the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God (Romans 15:5-7).

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth" (Revelation 3:15-16).

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

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.

For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written,

"The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me."

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope (Romans 15:1-4).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Growth in your knowledge of God
-- 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)