How to be That Perfect Child Your Parents Always Wanted
February 28, 2009 by Ruth
Filed under Uncategorized
A Devotional for Kids
In my large family we siblings vied for first place with Dad and Mom when I was a kid. It took me a long time to realize that the child Dad and Mom appreciated most was the one who always obeyed. They could trust that child. They knew what to expect. They could give her instructions and know that child would be responsible.
The Bible has a lot to say about honoring and obeying our parents.
“Honor your father and your mother.” Mark 7:10 NKJV
“You children must always obey your fathers and mothers, for that pleases the Lord.” Colossians 3: 20 [The Living Bible]
“Children, obey your parents; this is the right thing to do because God has placed them in authority over you. Honor your father and mother. This is the first of God’s Ten Commandments that ends with a promise. And this is the promise: that if you honor your father and mother, yours will be a long life, full of blessing.” Ephesians 6: 1 to3 [The Living Bible]
Parents are human so are not always fair. We all see that as kids. And we parents admit that and sometimes we have to say, ‘I’m sorry’.
But it’s important that you obey your parents. God has placed them in authority over you and they are responsible to God for you. Learning to obey your parents will not only help make you a good citizen but a faithful follower of Jesus because you have learned to obey and work with those over you.
Here are some tips on how to make your parents happy. These are not from the Bible just some things you may want to think about and do.
1. Do your chores and whatever else your parents ask. If you do it with pride you are sure to see your parents smile.
2. Offer to help them out if they’re tired or need help. And remember, do it because you want to. No complaining.
3. Respect the rules your parents set even if they are not around to keep an eye on you.
4. Obey them. If you don’t agree with them or you find something they ask hard to do, talk with them about it. They want to know how you feel. They love you.
5. Be grateful for everything they do for you and tell them, ‘thank you’.
6. Don’t try to always be the centre of attention. Care about your parents, your siblings and other people in your world too.
7. Never, never lie to them or to anyone. Even if you don’t get caught, God knows and lies always lead to further trouble.
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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21. If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it. We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010. I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.
Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.
I’m going to give you an extra challenge for the next few days only. We need to read 2 days readings each day until we catch up on the right day of the year, so we can finish by December 31, 2009.
Day52: Today read:
Leviticus 14:1-57
Mark 6:30-56
Psalm 40:1-10
Proverbs 10:11-12
Day 53:
Leviticus 15:1-16:28
Mark 7:1-23
Psalm 40:11-17
Proverbs 10:13-14
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This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com
Why Doesn’t God Heal Me?
February 27, 2009 by Ruth
Filed under Uncategorized
I have a sweet two year old great-nephew who could use God’s healing power. Josiah was born not breathing so he was rushed to Vancouver children’s hospital. After a week he was diagnosed with a very rare disorder, Pallister Hall Syndrome. Only 100 cases have ever been studied.
Pallister-Hall is a mid-line disorder and in Josiah’s case a ‘sporadic genetic mutation’; all his problems ‘run down the middle’ of his body. He has a malformed airway and spine, his kidneys join in the middle, he has 6 toes on each foot, and he has an offset slightly turned around heart. Although he breathes on his own he needs a vent to blow pressure into his airway to keep it from collapsing. He has a g-tube for food.
When I read about Jesus healing all these diseases in the book of Mark I wish He was right here to heal Josiah so he could run and play like other kids. I believe God is still as compassionate today as He was then. I believe God still heals today and I know He can heal Josiah. But for some reason He has chosen not too. He has a definite purpose for Josiah just as He has for each of us.
Photo by Riverman72
I think of Elijah, the great prophet of God, when he needed God’s help. He was on the run. Queen Jezebel had threatened to find him and kill him. But God intervened.
“He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.
Then the angel of the LORD came again and touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.’
So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God.” 1 Kings 19:6–8
It struck me how tenderly and specifically God ministered to Elijah’s needs. Elijah was tired and scared and God just met him where he was. Then He prepared him for another journey and even greater challenges.
God had a specific purpose in helping Elijah. He has a specific purpose for each of us. He has a specific purpose for Josiah. Whatever situation God has allowed in your life trust God that He understands and will give you exactly what you need. He meets all your needs and equips you with the strength to accomplish His purposes.
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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21. If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it. We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010. I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.
Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.
I’m going to give you an extra challenge for the next few days only. We need to read 2 days readings each day until we catch up on the right day of the year, so we can finish by December 31, 2009.
Day50: Today read:
Leviticus 11:1-12:8
Mark 5:21-43
Psalm 38:1-22
Proverbs 10:8-9
Day 51:
Leviticus 13:1-59
Mark 6:1-29
Psalm 39:1-13
Proverbs 10:10
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This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com
Even the Wind and the Waves Obey God’s Children
February 26, 2009 by Ruth
Filed under Uncategorized
A Devotional for Kids!
Do you believe that Jesus actually stopped the rain storm by speaking to the wind and the sea? Well, I do because I experienced it. I wasn’t there with Jesus and His disciples way back in time when it happened, but God did the same thing for me.
I had a dayhome and I needed a large pad of concrete for my young clients to ride their tricycles and play games. My son who was experienced in cement work offered to come for the one Saturday and help my husband pour the concrete. The day came but it looked a lot like rain and my son, Michael, had warned if it rained he would not be able to do this task for me.
I was worried because I needed this cement pad and if Michael didn’t do it today it wouldn’t get done until fall. He was just so busy and lived out of town. Then I remembered how Jesus had stilled the wind and stopped the rain during the storm out in the lake. I thought of how I am His child and He has said we would do even greater things than He did because the Holy Spirit enables us.
So while Ed my husband and Michael my son dug out the dirt and poured the cement I stood on my back step and prayed for God to hear me. Then I talked to the clouds to hold back their rain and God heard me. Even though the humidity that day was 100%, God held back the rain until the evening after my cement pad was mostly set and dry. We propped a tarp over it to protect it from the light rain overnight.
If you are God’s child your prayers are powerful with God. He hears you just like he heard Elijah who was a lot like us. “Elijah was as completely human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for the next three and one half years! Then he prayed again, this time that it would rain, and down it poured and the grass turned green and the gardens began to grow again.” 1 Peter 17 and 18 [The Living Bible]
Maybe you have prayed for a long time about something but so far God seems not to have heard you. Don’t give up. Just keep praying and trusting God and wait to see how He answers your prayer. He might not answer exactly the way you thought He would but God never ignores the prayers of His children.
That’s exactly what Darian experienced in The Lion Tree. He needed a million dollars to help his dad who had been badly hurt in an airplane crash. He and his family tried so hard to raise that money but nothing seemed to work out. He was about to give up and then tried something very unusual. You will have to read the book to find out what he did and if he was successful.
In the Bible God says, “Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV
God is omniscient; He knows everything. He knows what will work and what doesn’t. He can give us that great idea that makes it all work out right.
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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21. If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it. We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010. I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.
Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.
I’m going to give you an extra challenge for the next few days only. We need to read 2 days readings each day until we catch up on the right day of the year, so we can finish by December 31, 2009.
Day48: Today read:
Leviticus 7:28-9:6
Mark 3:31-4:25
Psalm 37:12-29
Proverbs 10:5
Day 49:
Leviticus 9:7-10:20
Mark 4:26-5:20
Psalm 37:30-40
Proverbs 10:6-7
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This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com
Skiing Teaches Us about God’s Holiness!
February 25, 2009 by Ruth
Filed under Uncategorized
I live close to Banff with the beautiful Rocky Mountains. I see a lot of snow sports including skiing. I have just discovered that skiing can show us how to relate to God.
“When you’re learning to ski, one of the most difficult lessons is that you need to lean down the slope. Everything in you cries out to lean up the slope instead, away from the drop. But that doesn’t work: when your weight is mostly on the lower ski, you can’t control your turn. But when you lean down the slope, with your weight on the upper ski, you can push the turn all the way round and stay in control. Your natural reaction is to pull away from the slope, but the right way is to head straight into what looks like your doom.”
This quote is from Mike Taylor’s page
http://www.miketaylor.org.uk/xian/holiness.html
And then Taylor compares skiing to our reacting to God’s holiness. He writes that when we become aware of our sin we tend to turn away from God because we know He is holy and abhors sin. But just as it’s important that we need to lean down the slope in skiing to be successful so when we sin we need to run to God. He can deal with our sin; He only can forgive us and help us grow spiritually so we too hate sin and stay away from it.
All these offerings we read about in Leviticus today teach us about God’s holiness. The Israelites couldn’t approach God even to worship Him unless the priests intervened for them in performing these sacrifices. But since Jesus died for us we are now blessed. We are made holy through Jesus and can now approach our holy God one on one.
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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21. If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it. We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010. I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.
Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.
I’m going to give you an extra challenge for the next few days only. We need to read 2 days readings each day until we catch up on the right day of the year, so we can finish by December 31, 2009.
Day46: Today read:
Leviticus 4:1-5:19
Mark 2:13-3:6
Psalm 36:1-12
Proverbs 10:1-2
Day 47:
Leviticus 6:1-7:27
Mark 3:7-30
Psalm 37:1-11
Proverbs 10:3-4
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This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com
What we can learn from a Little Chick’s World
February 24, 2009 by Ruth
Filed under Uncategorized
A Devotional for Kids!
Twenty one sets of eyes were focused on the plastic dome of the incubator. My preschoolers and I were watching the arrival of a baby chick into the world. We saw a tiny beak break through and heard the cracking of the shell as the opening widened. Some of the youngsters gave up after awhile and went to play but two or three stayed at their post all morning to see what a baby chick looked like.
The next morning when I arrived at school I noticed there were three chicks hatched. Two were strutting around and gobbling up the food. At intervals they were also pecking at the smallest chick. He didn’t look healthy. He huddled at the edge of the incubator and just sat there. I wondered why the other chicks didn’t like him. He wasn’t like them. He was a weakling so they hit on him.
If you had seen John the Baptist you might have thought you wanted nothing to do with him. He wore rough camels’ hair with a leather belt around his waist and he ate locusts and wild honey. I think of locusts as grasshoppers. I remember a time in our back yard when John the Baptist would have had a feast.
We lived at the edge of the city’s development in Lethbridge some years ago. There was a farmer’s field behind our property. It was a very dry year and by August there were grasshoppers everywhere, even sitting on our back door. For some reason they didn’t eat my garden but I saw a picture in our local newspaper where they ate everything in a person’s garden, except the bare stalks of broccoli and cabbage. I was very thankful for the rain that fall and the deep snow in winter after that.
God loves each one of us and accepts our personalities. Sometimes we stay away from certain people in our circles because we say they turn us off or they rub us the wrong way; they irritate us or are so different than us. We don’t want to deal with our differences with them.
Jesus taught the multitudes to love even those who are hard to love. “If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even scoundrels do that much. If you are friendly only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even the heathen do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:46 to 48 [The Living Bible]
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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21. If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it. We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010. I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.
Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.
I’m going to give you an extra challenge for the next few days only. We need to read 2 days readings each day until we catch up on the right day of the year, so we can finish by December 31, 2009.
Day46: Today read:
Exodus 39:1-40:38
Mark 1:1-28
Psalm 35:1-16
Proverbs 9:11-12
Day 47:
Leviticus 1:1-3:17
Mark 1:29-2:12
Psalm 35:17-28
Proverbs 9:13-18
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This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com
Is God Concerned About the Details of My Life?
February 23, 2009 by Ruth
Filed under Uncategorized
A few years ago when our kids were still in the primary grades we moved to a northern isolated city. My husband found good construction opportunities there but I felt a little lonely. It was a place where workers were transient and families didn’t always stay.
One weekend we were camping at a lake. We were not early risers but decided to see if the fish were biting at nine in the morning. While we were lazily putting the squirming worms [yes, we used live worms] on our fishing hooks we were also looking around. I saw this couple, a man and a woman, coming down the trail we had just come down. My husband and I looked at each other and laughed because I said, “That couple sure reminds me of my sister and her husband.”
We helped our kids cast their lines. My husband and I looked at each other askance. That couple was coming closer and they still looked a lot like Henry and Clara, my sister and her husband. We cast our line out into the lake. The next time we looked up, there they were right beside us. No more guessing. It was my sister and her husband.
That situation taught me that God cares about every minute detail of my life and desires. Here I was lonely, feeling sorry for myself. And what did God do? He brought my family right to my doorstep, or camper pad. They weren’t even thinking of coming to see us because they didn’t have our address or phone number with them. They were driving back to Abbotsford from their vacation in Alaska. They stopped to enjoy a fishing hole at the same lake we were. And we had a fun filled whole weekend with them. Obviously it was all ‘God –planned’.
When I read about how intricately God planned everything about the tabernacle I realize He is fully in control and cares about all the minute details of my life too. It is amazing that the God who made and maintains the universe cares about me.
“Not one sparrow (What do they cost? Two for a penny?) can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t worry! You are more valuable to him than many sparrows. Matthew 10: 29 to 31 [New Living Bible]
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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21. If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it. We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010. I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.
Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.
I’m going to give you an extra challenge for the next few days only. We need to read 2 days readings each day until we catch up on the right day of the year, so we can finish by December 31, 2009.
Day44: Today read:
Exodus 35:10-36:38
Matthew 27:32-66
Psalm 34:1-10
Proverbs 9:7-8
Day 45:
Exodus 37:1-38:31
Matthew 28:1-20
Psalm 34:11-22
Proverbs 9:9-10
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This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com
Turning Our Hate into Forgiveness
February 22, 2009 by Ruth
Filed under Uncategorized
A Devotional for Kids!
Have you ever hated someone so much for hurting you that even the thought of having to forgive him makes you want to throw up? That’s how Darian felt in my book, The Lion Tree. He really wanted to hold a grudge and do something terrible to get even.
He couldn’t believe that everyone would turn against him because of one kid’s lies. He finds out how fickle the people in his church and neighborhood are. One day they’re his best friends and the next day no one talks to him.
Darian didn’t want to listen to Dove who was suggesting he forgive. Listen in with me: “Darian didn’t listen too well. He didn’t want to be forced to love Snake who was so cruel to him. Was Dove suggesting that Darian should do something nice for Snake after what he had said about Uncle Elwood? Darian looked at Dove in disbelief. He was filled with so much hate for Snake that he felt sick to his stomach. As Dove continued to speak, Darian felt sicker and sicker until, suddenly he threw up all over Eagle.
“You will never truly be happy again until you forgive,” he cooed softly. “Soon, God will you a chance to show Snake you forgive him – He always does – and then you will have to decide if you will help Snake and forgive Him.”
God knew people are fickle too as we learned in our Bible reading today; after all He made them. Jesus knew it when they cheered Him on and wanted to make Him King as He entered Jerusalem on a donkey. A few days later they wanted to crucify Him. God forgave Israel and kept them as His chosen people and brought them into the Promised Land. Jesus forgave the multitudes and died for their sins so He could bring them into heaven.
In The Lion Tree God used a suspenseful event to grow forgiveness in Darian’s heart so he reaches out to this boy before a tragedy overtakes him.
How can we not forgive if God has forgiven us? We have no choice but to forgive. “But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive you your sins too.” Mark 11:25 [The Living Bible]
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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21. If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it. We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010. I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.
Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.
I’m going to give you an extra challenge for the next few days only. We need to read 2 days readings each day until we catch up on the right day of the year, so we can finish by December 31, 2009.
Day 42: Today read:
Exodus 32:1-33:23
Matthew 26:69-27:14
Psalm 33:1-11
Proverbs 8:33-36
Day 43:
Exodus 34:1-35:9
Matthew 27:15-31
Psalm 33:12-22
Proverbs 9:1-6
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This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com
Five Ways to Deepen Your Friendships
February 21, 2009 by Ruth
Filed under Uncategorized
I once had a friend who confided in another friend completely. She told this friend her soul’s deepest secrets. Then this friend misconstrued her thoughts and spilled them to the church board to make points. Eventually the whole church heard about them. I hope your friends have never betrayed you.
I am blessed with some very true blue friends. The Bible has a lot to say about friends. One of them is that in order to have friends one must show herself friendly. Here are some special ways.
1Treat your friendship with top priority.
2)Be transparent so you can truly know each other.
3)Communicate warmth; tell your friend how special she is to you.
4)Don’t just say ‘I care’ but show your friend you care by doing special things for her, like giving her gifts, giving her a hug.
5)Don’t be possessive of your friend, give her space.
Jesus is and always has been the best friend of everyone. “There are ‘friends’ who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24 [The Living Bible]. This verse says a lot to me about Jesus because my brothers are special to me and close. It’s comforting to know that Jesus cares about me like they do and much more.
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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21. If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it. We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010. I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.
Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.
I’m going to give you an extra challenge for the next few days only. We need to read 2 days readings each day until we catch up on the right day of the year, so we can finish by December 31, 2009.
Day 40: Today read:
Exodus 29:1-30:10
Matthew 26:14-46
Psalm 31:19-24
Proverbs 8:14-26
Day 41:
Exodus 30:11-31:18
Matthew 26:47-68
Psalm 32:1-11
Proverbs 8:27-32
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This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com
Our Body, God’s Temple
February 20, 2009 by Ruth
Filed under Uncategorized
Devotional for Kids!
I love riddles but I’m usually not great at solving them. Maybe you are better at riddles than I am. So what two things does your body have in common with the Tabernacle of the Israelites in the Old Testament?
[Archeological site outside the southwest corner of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City.]
I will give you a hint. Read Exodus chapter 26 and compare it to Psalm 139:13 to 16. Now you should know one way our bodies and the tabernacle are the same. Did you get it?
For the second way these two are alike read Exodus 40:34 and 35: “Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” Compare it to I Corinthians 6:19 “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own.” NKJV. These two verses show us the second thing our body and the tabernacle have in common.
I see by the gleam in your eyes that you got it. First God dwelt in the Tabernacle and He dwells in us if we belong to Him. Secondly, God planned both the Tabernacle and our bodies down to the very last detail.
Although they could pray to God anywhere, the only place the Israelites could go meet God was in the tabernacle and it was the priest who intervened for the people. At times God revealed Himself to certain people and spoke to them. But now, because God sent the Holy Spirit to indwell His children after Jesus rose to heaven, God’s Holy Spirit actually dwells in us and empowers us to live for Him. Our body now is the temple of God. We are blessed because we can know His presence all the time.
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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21. If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it. We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010. I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.
Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.
I’m going to give you an extra challenge for the next few days only. We need to read 2 days readings each day until we catch up on the right day of the year, so we can finish by December 31, 2009.
Day 38: Today read:
Exodus 26:1-27:21
Matthew 25:1-30
Psalm 31:1-8
Proverbs 8:1-11
Day 39:
Exodus 28:1-43
Matthew 25:31-26:13
Psalm 31:9-18
Proverbs 8:12-13
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This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com
The Eagle, Our Aspiration of Hope
February 19, 2009 by Ruth
Filed under Uncategorized
Photo by akcarmerl2005
Day 36 and 37
In my book, The Lion Tree, Eagle portrays hope and he is the one who gives Darian and Cassidy hope after they had failed again and again.
“Don’t think that your situation is hopeless. God can’t help you if you think that way,” Eagle said firmly. “When your plans don’t work out, you always have three choices. First, you can say, ‘This is never going to work out and I’m not going to try anymore.’ Secondly, you can think, ‘I am just unlucky so I’ll live with failure.’ Your third choice is to have hope. God gave us the choice to hope and trust Him that everything will turn out well. If you keep going, you find the answer. Just like real faith never dies, real hope never dies.” Eagle’s words of encouragement drove Darian and Cassidy to keep trying and finally, finally succeed.
We all need hope. Hope drives us to even attempt to succeed in our endeavors in life or in business and even in our relationships. We hope to enjoy life, we hope to have warm friendships, and we hope to make a lot of money. Our relationship with God is based on hope too.
When we look at our world today we tend to ask ‘Where is God anyway?’ Disasters and crime are the order of the day. But God warns us it will be like this. “And because of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold.” Matthew 24:12 NKJV. We will tend to lose hope.
Our greatest hope is that Christ is returning to take us with Him and we will be with Him in heaven forever. This is one hope that will never disappoint us.
“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven …and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Matthew 24: 30 NJKV
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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21. If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it. We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010. I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.
Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.
I’m going to give you an extra challenge for the next few days only. We need to read 2 days readings each day until we catch up on the right day of the year, so we can finish by December 31, 2009.
Day 36: Today read:
Exodus 21:22-23:13
Matthew 24:1-28
Psalm 29:1-11
Proverbs 7:6-23
Day 37:
Exodus 23:14-25:40
Matthew 24:29-51
Psalm 30:1-12
Proverbs 7:24-27
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