Quiet Walk

[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).
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[Judy Harder]

August 10

Isaiah 55

All that salvation costs is what everyone can afford: one's self.

INSIGHT

Coming to the Lord costs a man nothing and, at the same time, costs him everything. The offer is free in that a man need not give anything in exchange for his salvation. "Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price" (v. 1). Yet receiving salvation costs man his life. He no longer has the freedom of self-determination. "Seek the Lord while He may be found . . . 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" (vv. 6-7). All that it costs is what everyone can give: one's self.

PRAYER

Nothing can exceed the importance of the salvation that the Lord offers us in Christ, and for it, praise Him:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever. . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
(1 Chronicles 16: 34, 36).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord--how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).

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

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust" (Psalm 91:1-2).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater commitment to the Lord
-- The work of specific Christian ministries
-- Whatever else is on your heart

Close with this prayer of praise 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]

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)
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[Judy Harder]

August 12

Lamentations 3

God sends a message of hope and restoration to Israel.

INSIGHT

Through the prophets, God has been warning Judah for many years to turn from idolatry to serve Him only. Finally, her sin has compounded to the point that judgment is no longer avoidable if God is to be true to His Word. But although destruction overtakes Judah, there is hope on the horizon. Jeremiah writes: "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness" (vv. 22-23).

PRAYER

God blesses His children beyond measure. Count your blessings as you praise Him:
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, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:3-6).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. . . . All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify (1 Corinthians 10:12, 23).

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

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A humble and submissive attitude
-- The work of prison ministries
-- Whatever else is on your heart

Offer this closing prayer to God:
It is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit (1 Peter 3:17-18).
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[Judy Harder]

August 13

Ezekiel 37

Ezekiel has a vision of a huge valley filled with dry bones.

INSIGHT

The apostle John writes: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . In Him was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:1, 4). God is life--and not just life for today--but forever. Timothy writes that God alone possesses immortality (1 Timothy 6:16). God is life, and He is the giver of life. He can make dead things live. In Ezekiel's vision, a huge valley is filled with dead men's bones. Then God begins to move. The bones form skeletons upon which form flesh and clothes. Then God breathes into that valley of bodies the breath of life, and the bodies come alive. That is a picture of what God will do with Israel: give her life again. That is what He will do with anyone who believes in Him and asks Him for life. Have you asked God for eternal life?

PRAYER

The Lord gives us His immortality, so we praise Him:
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).

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 your sins.

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for the lost
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Whatever else is on your heart

Offer this closing prayer to God:
"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). `

[Judy Harder]

August 14

Daniel 1

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, chooses Israelite captives to be trained to serve him.

INSIGHT

Moral courage. It is the resolve to do what is right--even if no one knows. Regardless of the consequences. Even when you are weary. Even when there are extenuating circumstances and when everyone would understand if you "caved in." Daniel is a man of moral courage. The food he is offered probably violates the dietary restrictions in the Law of Moses. Note the words: "Daniel purposed in his heart" (1:. Then God brings Daniel into favor. He gives him skill; He gives him a healthy glow. When faced with moral challenges, we must do our part--be obedient from the heart. And then trust God to do His part.

PRAYER

Because God honors our commitment to moral excellence, praise Him with the words of this psalm:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water (Psalm 63:1).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord:
And Achan answered Joshua and said,
"Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel,
and this is what I have done . . ." (Joshua 7:20).

Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day (Psalm 25:4-5).

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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, include:
-- Greater faithfulness with your talents
-- Your state and local leaders
-- Your activities for the day

Finally, 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]

August 15

Daniel 2

Nebuchadnezzar requires the wise men to tell him his dream and its interpretation.

INSIGHT

One of our responsibilities as children of God is to give God credit for who He is and what He does. It is a careless Christian who stands under the showers of God's blessings without recognizing them. It is an irresponsible Christian who recognizes God's blessings and does not give God the credit. Daniel recognizes God's work and tells the king that it is God who "reveals deep and secret things" (v. 22). And through this, God is glorified. We must always be alert to the blessings of God in our lives, express our gratitude to Him, and give Him public credit.

PRAYER

Thank the Lord that He has warned us of the consequences of our sin, and praise Him that in Christ we can escape them:
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. . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You (Psalm 9:1-2, 9-10).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression (Psalm 19:12-13).

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

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You" (Psalm 39:7).

God encourages us to come to Him with our concerns. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Opportunities to glorify Him
-- The renewing of your mind
-- The needs of your extended family

Offer this closing prayer 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]

August 16

Daniel 3

God supernaturally protects Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace.

INSIGHT

What courage it took to defy the king! Nebuchadnezzar sets up a golden image and orders everyone to bow down to it. When the Jews are brought to him in violation of the order, they say, "God may protect us from the fire, but even if He doesn't, let it be known that we are not going to serve your gods!" Surely God gives His grace in times such as these. For those of us who are living in easier times, our total dedication to the Lord must be seen in our selfless commitment to serving Him.

PRAYER

Praise the Lord that--though all of us sin--God's compassions are new every morning:
Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said:
"O Lord God of Israel,
the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God,
You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth.
You have made heaven and earth" (2 Kings 19:15).

"Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You,
who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants
who walk before You with all their hearts" (1 Kings 8:23).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Good and upright is the Lord;
Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.
The humble He guides in justice,
And the humble He teaches His way.
For Your name's sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great
(Psalm 25:8-9, 11).

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

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
They said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).

The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The leading of the Lord in your life
-- Opportunities for evangelism
-- Whatever else is on your heart

Offer this closing 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]

August 17

Daniel 4

Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar's second dream.

INSIGHT

What a towering figure is Nebuchadnezzar! Sovereign over the greatest nation on earth at the time, wealthy beyond description, subject to fits of rage, and yet somehow vulnerable and teachable. Nebuchadnezzar rages in fury at the three Jews who refuse to worship his image--yet proclaims their God the only God when He saves them from the furnace. Then, warned by Daniel that unless he repents he will be stripped of his kingdom, Nebuchadnezzar lapses into convenient forgetfulness and self-adulation. True to Daniel's word, the king becomes an animal and roams the forest. Yet, when his senses are restored, the king again worships God and proclaims His praise to the ends of the earth.

PRAYER

We praise the Lord for ruling in love:
"Stand up and bless the Lord your God
Forever and ever!
"Blessed be Your glorious name. . .
You alone are the Lord;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession:
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 (Psalm 32:1-2).

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

Now pray this affirmation to God:
Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust,
And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies (Psalm 40:4).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A passion for moral excellence
-- The ministry of Christian education institutions
-- Your activities for the day

Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:20-21).
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[Judy Harder]

August 29

Haggai 1

Haggai explains that God's people suffer because they neglect to finish the temple.

INSIGHT

As the children of Israel return from the Babylonian captivity, their first order of business is to rebuild the temple. Haggai, a prophet of God who is ministering at the time, encourages the people to work hard at restoring the temple. With great enthusiasm, they quickly lay the foundation. But discouragement sets in and work on the temple is soon forgotten as they begin to build their own houses. Finally, after 15 years, Haggai tells them that the afflictions they are suffering are because of their neglect of the temple. They must finish the temple first and then resume building their houses. First things first. God demands proper priorities.

PRAYER

Offer the Lord this psalm of praise as you express your gratitude for His justice:
O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? (2 Chronicles 20:6).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness, 
That the bones which You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities (Psalm 51:7-9).

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

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Your development of an eternal perspective
-- Your spiritual goals
-- Whatever else is on your heart

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).
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