A Little Walk With God

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

What a wonderful, horrible, gloriously, terrible day that was. As the Son of God, the day of Jesus' crucifixion was the pinnacle of success for His mission. He became the sacrifice for all humankind’s sins. No longer did anyone need to bear the burden of guilt Satan laid on your shoulders because of your failure to follow God. You could come to the Father in all His holiness because Christ died for you. The Father forgives you because Christ forgives you.

As the Son of Man, that day was the most horrific experienced among men. Christ died the most terrible death imaginable. The Romans had to create a new word, crucifixion, to describe the humiliation, horror, and agony associated with this new form of execution. But as the Son of Man, Jesus gave up His life for you.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Luke 23; 26-43

Set - Nehemiah 3; Luke 23

Go! - Nehemiah 3-4; Luke 23

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

Can you believe it? Jesus had just explained to His disciples the significance of the meal they were sharing with Him and they start talking about who was most important among them. That selfish streak that seems to pop its head up just couldn’t stay down. It would take another 50 days, until Pentecost, before they would really understand what losing themselves to God really means. To find out what Jesus wanted them to know, He asked them to pray. So they did. And they prayed some more. And then they prayed some more. Until finally they let go and let God's Spirit purge their lives and take control of their whole being.

It can still happen today. He still wants His children to experience Pentecost. He wants His Spirit to flow through you as it did His disciples in the upper room. But it takes prayer, letting go, letting Him take charge of your life. He’ll do the same for you that He did for them. Be willing to spend time on your knees with Him and you’ll be amazed at what He can do for you.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Luke 22:7-46

Set - Nehemiah 1; Psalms 133; Luke 22

Go! - Nehemiah 1-2; Psalms 133; Luke 22

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

Too many today say a little prayer, cry a few tears, confess enough to feel better and then go about your merry way without doing the necessary work to let go of yourself and let God really clean you up from the inside. It starts in an instant when you give yourself to Him, but takes a lifetime as you become like Christ. No one can represent you in that transforming work. No one can take your place in giving yourself completely to Him. God wants you and no one else in your place. Jesus died for you and would not allow a substitute for His sacrifice. And He will not accept a substitute for you.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Ezra 10:1-17

Set - Ezra 10; Psalms 131; Luke 21

Go! - Ezra 9-10; Psalms 131; Luke 21

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

If you were in the crowd and listening to the parable of the vineyard owner, the servants and the son, what would you think? Who would you think Jesus is talking about? There’s no interpretation, just the parable. Would you see the vineyard owner as the Father above? Would you see his servants as the prophets the Father sends to try to guide you onto the path of righteousness and bring you back into a right relationship with Him? Would you recognize that the pastors and priests He puts in your path are there to help you know God and follow Him? Would you abuse them and fail to listen to them as God's people did the prophets He sent to teach them and try to rescue them from the destruction they faced?

The parable fits today as much as it did when Jesus gave it to the crowd that day in Jerusalem. Put yourself in the crowd. Think carefully about what your reaction to the story would be today. Would you react as the scholars and priests and determine to kill Jesus? Would you cry out with the crowd, “God forbid that this would happen!”? And if you cried out with the crowd, who would you mourn, the servants, the son, or the tenants who will be thrown out of the vineyard at the owner’s command?

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Luke 20:9-19

Set - Ezra 7; Luke 20

Go! - Ezra 7-8; Luke 20

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

There are those within the human race that despise God despite His attempts to show them His love. Despite the fact that He created each of you and enable you to live and breathe each day. Many of you despise Him. Many of you despise Him because He gives you rules to live by even though they protect you within a community and teach you to love as He loves. Many of you despise God because of your selfishness and your desire to satisfy your base instincts in ways that are harmful to the delicate balance that provides good for all things within His creation.

God knows what is best for all His creation and He knows what is best for you. He gave you an established set of rules and commands to enable you to live together and care for His creation. He gave you a way to live abundantly. He even made a way to come back to Him when you were far from Him. God still loves those who hate Him and want to live far from Him. But one day He will return and those who still despise Him will feel His wrath. God is a holy God and true to His word. God's word tells you that those who do not follow Him will be punished eternally for their failure to recognize Him as their Lord and Master. Trust God, you do not want to be in that group.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Luke 19:11-27

Set - Esther 9; Luke 19

Go! - Esther 9-10; Luke 19

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

You never know how God will use the events in which you find yourself to change the circumstances and turn evil into good. You never know how He will reshape events to His will when you just obey Him and did the right thing. You just don’t know how God will work in the background to make sure His plans work out to rescue those who cannot defend themselves so that they suddenly become the victors against great odds to turn sorrow into joy and wailing into celebration.

Just try God and see how He works behind the scenes in your life to make things work out in exceptional ways to see you through this life and the next.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Esther 4

Set - Esther 4; Luke 18

Go! - Esther 3-8; Luke 18

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

Thinking you can figure out when Christ will come and squeeze in just in time is a risky gamble. He may come in the next storm. Oh, and did I mention that there is a storm somewhere on the planet all the time? So which storm do you want to take a chance on? Do you think He’ll wait for the one that the weatherman says will arrive at your doorstep? Don’t count on it. No one told the people of Noah’s day it would rain except Noah and everyone laughed at him. No one in Sodom believe it would rain fire and brimstone, either, but it did. No one thought a person could turn into a pillar of salt, but Lot’s wife suddenly found out when she looked back at the destruction God poured out on that city.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Luke 17:20-37

Set - Esther 1; Luke 17

Go! - Esther 1-2; Psalms 150; Luke 17

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

There are ways to reach people outside the conventional means to do so. What are their interests? What are their needs? What can you do to help meet those needs in ways that do not put them in jeapordy or you in violation of God's laws? The asset manager actually had the authority to discount those bills. His boss didn’t criticize him for doing it because it was within his purview to do what he did.

Can you do the same within your authorities? Can you help others in ways that you might not think of immediately in your line of work or your daily routine? If making money is not your driving force, how can you use your activities to help others and show Christ today?

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Luke 16:1-18

Set - Ezra 6; Psalms 138; Luke 16

Go! - Ezra 5-6; Psalms 138; Luke 16

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

Have you ever really looked at what the father did for his son in the story of the prodigal son? Remember, an inheritance is supposed to come after a person’s death, but the father liquidated his assets, his ability to make a living for himself, to give his sons their inheritance before his death. Then a third of the value went to his youngest son and two-thirds to his oldest as was the custom. So imagine selling everything you have right now to give a third of its value to your rebellious, troublesome son. Your house is gone, your cars are gone, your furniture goes, everything. The auctioneer comes in and determines the value so your youngest can run away with everything you’ve worked for all your life.

It’s a good metaphor for how God treats you. He gives you a choice as to how you want to live, and it costs Him everything when you tear away from Him. God gave Himself to win you back. He gave up heaven and all its glory and became flesh to be the sacrifice for your sins. And He celebrates when you wake up and discover you can come back to Him. He welcomes you home with open arms as the father in the story does when you figure out His plans are best for you.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Luke 15:11-32

Set - Zechariah 14; Psalms 147; Luke 15

Go! - Zechariah 13-14; Psalms 147; Luke 15

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

summary

There is and has been a state of war going on between God and Satan’s evil schemes since he decided Satan wanted to disobey God. Satan has since that time been working to try to win humanity’s hearts and persuade you to follow him instead of God. God gives you a choice as to who you will serve and so exists this constant battle between good and evil since the first time God breathed into Adam his eternal soul.

To engage in this battle on the side of good will take everything you have. To pledge allegiance to God requires your whole self, all your possessions, all your aspirations, everything. He wants all of you or He won’t accept anything. You see, when He gave Moses the commandments on Mount Sinai, God told him He is jealous. He won’t take second place to anyone or anything. God demands 100 percent of you or He won’t accept you at all. That’s the price He demands.

today's scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Luke 14:25-35

Set - Zechariah 12; Psalms 126; Luke 14

Go! - Zechariah 10-12; Psalms 126; Luke 14