December 20 - Following the Shepherd

Overview of: Psalms

Today's Reading:
Psalm 23
"A Psalm of David"

Focus Verses: Psalm 23
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Insight:
What a blessing it is to be shepherded by the Lord! He provides for my needs - "I shall not be in want." He leads me to places that are good and pleasant - "green pastures" and "quiet waters." He saves and keeps me - "he restores my soul." He shows me what is best - "he guides me in paths of righteousness." He stakes his reputation on how well he provides and cares for me - "for his name's sake."

Response and Action:
I will look to the Lord to provide for my needs. I will trust him to lead me to what is best for me. When I fall or when I am lost, I will count on him to save and restore. I will follow his lead and pursue righteousness. I will strive to honor the Lord and bring glory to his name.

O God, be my Shepherd. Lead me by the truth of your written word. Guide me in the steps of your Son, Jesus. Save me by the gracious gift of the cross of Christ. Restore and renew me by the resurrection power of the Spirit. Equip me for every good work through the useful breath of Scripture. Teach me to sing your praise. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Proverb for Today: Prov. 20:24
"A man's steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way?"

New Testament for Today: John 10:14-15
14 "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.
In Context: John 10:1-18

Recommended Reading:
Learning to Pray Through the Psalms
by James Sire

December 19 - Get Going

Overview of: 1 SAMUEL

Today's Reading:
1 Samuel 16:1-23
"Samuel Anoints David"

Focus Verses: 1 Samuel 16:1
1 The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king."

Insight:
There are many interesting things in today's reading. Most of the times I’ve read this chapter, it seems like “the anointing of David” or “Saul's tormenting spirit” grab my attention. But this morning, my wife and I were talking about this text and she shared a wonderful insight from the very first verse.

Samuel had been mourning Saul's demise and corruption, knowing that God had rejected him as king and would no longer bless or help him. One day, God told Samuel to quit looking at the past and mourning what would not change. He said, "Get up, get your anointing oil, and get going. I have chosen a new king!"

Response and Action:
Sometimes it's tempting to just mourn the failures and losses in life. There is a time to mourn, but there is also a time to get up and get going. If we just mourn the past we won't be able to move forward into God's redemptive plan for our future. Today, I want to get up and consider God's anointed plan for what is ahead. I will open my eyes and my heart to new possibilities. I will trust that God's blessing and redemptive power is greater than my past or my failures.

O God, help me to get up and to get going today. Life is draining and difficult and it's so easy to let the past drag me down. Save me from the pessimism of always looking back, O God. Don't let the failures and sin of yesterday blind me to the promise of today and the blessing of tomorrow. Help me to seek you with all my heart. Encourage me by your Holy Spirit, through your Word, your people, your promises, and all that is beautiful and true. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Proverb for Today: Prov. 19:21
"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails."

New Testament for Today: 1 Peter 1:13
13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
In Context: 1 Peter 1:3-21

Recommended Reading:
Hope Has Its Reasons: The Search to Satisfy Our Deepest Longings
by Rebecca Manley Pippert

December 18 - Failing Myself

Overview of: 1 SAMUEL

Today's Reading:
1 Samuel 15:1-29
"Saul's Failure as King"

Focus Verses: 1 Samuel 15:10-12
10 Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: 11 "I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions." Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the LORD all that night. 12 Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, "Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal."

Insight:
Saul was anointed and empowered by God to serve Israel as their king. At first, Saul was humble and reluctant to enter into this role. He understood that he was utterly dependent upon God. But once Saul became king, experienced military successes, and surrounded himself with strong and brave men, he began to trust in himself. He stopped listening to Samuel. He erected monuments for his own glory. Instead of honoring God through acts of worship, he began using religious rituals as a way to bolster his own authority and importance. Saul's failure to seek God with his whole heart resulted in his failure as king.

Response and Action:
I must be devoted to God and remember that the strength and guidance I need come from him. My calling and purpose in life come from God; it is, therefore, essential that I draw near to God, be attentive to his leading, and love him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Instead of trying to succeed by pushing my own agenda, promoting myself, polishing my image, and manipulating situations for my own gain, I will trust in God and seek him first.

O God, be my strength and my guide. Save me from the deception of self-reliance. Help me seek you with all my heart, to walk in your ways, and to trust in your power to provide, protect, and bless. Make me quick to obey and ready to praise you. Help me to stand on the solid ground of faith in you instead of building on the shifting sand of me. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Proverb for Today: Prov. 17:24
"A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth."

New Testament for Today: 1 Corinthians 1:28-31
28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
In Context: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Recommended Reading:
Courage & Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential
by Gordon T. Smith

December 17 - Chosen for a Purpose

Overview of: 1 SAMUEL

Today's Reading:
1 Samuel 9:1 – 10:8
"Saul is Anointed King"

Focus Verses: 1 Samuel 9:25 - 10:1
9:25 After they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof of his house. 26 They rose about daybreak and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, "Get ready, and I will send you on your way." When Saul got ready, he and Samuel went outside together. 27 As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to go on ahead of us"-and the servant did so-"but you stay here awhile, so that I may give you a message from God." 10:1 Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul's head and kissed him, saying, "Has not the LORD anointed you leader over his inheritance?

Insight:
Saul was chosen by God to accomplish a specific purpose. Seemingly mundane events in Saul's life were used by God in order to get Saul to the right place at the right time. As a witness to Saul that he was God's choice, Samuel anointed him with oil. Then, in order to confirm his words and actions to Saul, Samuel prophesied to him about specific things he would soon encounter and experience.

Response and Action:
I want to discover God's purpose and plan for me. I believe that the simple everyday actions of my life can be used by God to lead me to the place he wants me to be at the time he wants me to be there in order to to things he wants me to do. I will trust God to show me his will and to help me to do it by the power and grace of his Holy Spirit.

O God, lead me, teach me, transform, shape and strengthen me that I might delight in your will and walk in your ways to the glory of your Name. Confirm your calling and purpose for my life as seek you and prayerfully apply your word each day. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Proverb for Today: Prov. 16:3-4
"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. The LORD works out everything for his own ends—even the wicked for a day of disaster."

New Testament for Today: Romans 12:1,2
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
In Context: Romans 12:1-8

Recommended Reading:
Listening to God in Times of Choice: The Art of Discerning God's Will
by Gordon T. Smith

Reading Schedule for December 17 - 22

Dec. 17 - 1Sam. 9:1 – 10:8
Dec. 18 - 1Sam. 15:1-29
Dec. 19 - 1Sam. 16:1-23
Dec. 20 - Ps. 23
Dec. 21 - 1Sam. 17:1-54
Dec. 22 - 1Sam. 19:1-24



You're invited to read through the Bible with Dave Burkum. Six readings each week will take you through key scripture passages from Genesis through Revelation. Click here to download your copy of the Useful Breath Reading Schedule for 2007-08.

December 15 - The Wrong King

Overview of: 1 SAMUEL

Today's Reading:
1 Samuel 8:1-22
"Israel Demands a King"

Focus Verses: 1 Samuel 8:6-9,19-22
6 But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. 7 And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do." - - - 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king."

Insight:
In Samuel's old age, the people of Israel were once again turning away from God. Even his own sons were corrupt and selfish and did not walk in his ways. Rather than seeking God or listening to Samuel, the people were sure they needed a king. They thought that would make them like other nations and fix everything. They imagined a king who would fight their battles and solve their problems. They were unwilling to heed any warning of how a king could actually make their life worse. And since they would not listen, God gave them what they wanted.

Response and Action:
How many times have I looked to something other than God to solve my problems? It is so easy to look at the world around me and think, "Maybe if I did things the way they do them, my life would be better, easier, or safer." Rejecting God and his ways, however, is never the way to go--even if God is willing to let me go that way. Getting my own way may not really be best, what I need, or what want. I will be careful to seek God with my whole heart, listen, and always turn to him first for the direction I need.

O God, help me to keep my eyes on you. Help me to not envy the wicked or put my faith in the ways of man. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God, my savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Proverb for Today: Prov. 15:21
"Folly delights a man who lacks judgment, but a man of understanding keeps a straight course."

New Testament for Today: Colossians 3:2
2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
In Context: Colossians 3:1-17

Recommended Reading:
Jesus: Lord and Savior
by F.F. Bruce

December 14 - Speaking Truth

Overview of: 1 SAMUEL

Today's Reading:
1 Samuel 3:1-21
"God Calls Samuel"

Focus Verses: 1 Samuel 3:17-19
17 "What was it he said to you?" Eli asked. "Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you." 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, "He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes." 19 The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground.

Insight:
The very first call God gives to Samuel is to speak a prophetic word of condemnation to Eli the priest about the sin of his sons. From the very start of his ministry, Samuel learned that service to God would require the boldness to confront sin and to speak the truth. Whether it was to Eli, the old priest who had raised him from boyhood, or to Saul, the powerful first king of Israel, Samuel was called to point people to righteousness, integrity, and devotion to God.

Response and Action:
God's call for my life requires that I have the boldness to recognize sin and to confront it. This begins with my own life and my own family. While I am not in a position to judge or condemn others, neither am I in a position to turn a blind eye to sin and unrighteousness. God calls his people to encourage, confront, and challenge each other. He calls us to speak the truth in love and to do so in a way that saves, redeems, and restores. I will do my best to live with integrity and walk in God's ways. I will do all I can to help my family and friends do the same.

O God, teach me to walk in your ways and to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Help me to encourage others to do the same. Show me the best ways to confront, support, admonish, challenge, and spur those around me to love you and follow you with undivided hearts. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Proverb for Today: Prov. 14:27
"The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death."

New Testament for Today: Galatians 6:1
1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
In Context: Galatians 6:1-10

Recommended Reading:
Restoring the Fallen: A Team Approach to Caring, Confronting & Reconciling
by Sandy Wilson, Paul Friesen, Virginia Friesen, Larry Paulson, Nancy Paulson, Earl D. Wilson

December 13 - Praying and Praising

Overview of: 1 SAMUEL

Today's Reading:
1 Samuel 1:1 - 2:11
"The Birth of Samuel"

Focus Verses: 1 Samuel 2:7-8
7 The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts. 8 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's; upon them he has set the world.

Insight:
Hannah was downhearted about being childless and prayed that God would bless her with a son. When her prayer was answered, she raised her voice in a song of praise. Her experience was a clear testimony of God's ability to raise up the poor and to lift up the needy. Her son, Samuel, would become the last and greatest of the Israelite judges. He functioned as a leader, priest, and prophet and he ushered in the era of Israel's kings.

Response and Action:
God is able to bring about great things and great leaders from humble, weak, and unexpected places. I must always remember that God can bless and use me. I will be careful to ask for God's blessings, be faithful to use those blessings to serve God, and be quick to praise God for them.

O God, bless me in ways that help me to serve and honor you. Remind me of your power and provision. Give me the courage to ask for the things I long for. Give me a heart that longs for your will. Teach me to walk in your ways and to give you thanks in all things. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Proverb for Today: Prov. 13:12
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."

New Testament for Today: 1 Peter 5:6,7
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
In Context: 1 Peter 5:1-11

Recommended Reading:
Waiting: Finding Hope When God Seems Silent
by Ben Patterson

December 12 - Redeemed

Overview of: RUTH

Today's Reading:
Ruth 3:1 – 4:22
"Boaz Marries Ruth"

Focus Verses: Ruth 4:13-17
13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth."16 Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, "Naomi has a son." And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Insight:
Though Naomi and Ruth were without husbands and without the means to provide for themselves, they were not without hope. They found redemption through their kinsman, Boaz. He paid their debts, restored their family property in Israel, married Ruth, and gave her a son (a grandson for Naomi). This little son, Obed, would one day have a son named Jesse, who would have a son named David, who would become the great psalmist, warrior, and king of Israel.

A thousand years later, another baby named Jesus was born in the line of David. He became the kinsman-redeemer of the world. He is able to redeem us from our hopeless situation. He pays our debt, gives us a place among God's people, and makes us children of God.

Response and Action:
I will look to Jesus for redemption and restoration. My situation and needs may seem hopeless, but my Redeemer is able to save and help me. If I humble myself and ask him to cover me with his grace, he will bless me by making me his own and giving me hope for the future.

O God, thank you for sending Christ Jesus into the world to share humanity with me as a kinsman. Thank you that he is able to redeem and restore all who come to him. Thank you for making me your child, for giving me purpose, for forgiving my sin, and for freeing me from bondage to sin. Through Christ, I pray. Hallelujah! What a Savior! Amen.

Proverb for Today: Prov. 12:3
"A man cannot be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted."

New Testament for Today: 1 Peter 1:13-25
18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
In Context: 1 Peter 1:13-25

Recommended Reading:
The Incomparable Christ
by John Stott

December 11 -Sharing God's Grace

Overview of: RUTH

Today's Reading:
Ruth 2:1-23
"Boaz Blesses Ruth"

Focus Verses: Ruth 2:10-12
10 At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She exclaimed, "Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?" 11 Boaz replied, "I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. 12 May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge."

Insight:
In the Law of Moses, one of the provisions made for the poor was for land owners to leave grain unharvested along the edges and corners of their fields. If while harvesting they dropped some of the grain, they were to leave it there and just move on. This seeming inefficiency was actually a provision to those who had nothing. People who were suffering loss and poverty could go out and work to harvest what these God-fearing landowners had left in the fields.

Ruth was very thankful to Boaz for allowing her to glean in his fields. Boaz was a righteous man who followed both the spirit and the letter of the Mosaic Law. He described his kindness to her as something God was doing for her. He blessed her for the selfless and righteous care she had given her mother-in-law, and explained that as she worked in his field, she was actually being "rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel" and finding "refuge under His wings."

Response and Action:
Like Boaz, I want my attitude, conduct, and kindness to be the result of my reverence and love for God. I want to be an instrument of God's grace and mercy to those who are in need. If I truly know, love, and worship God, my life should be an extension of his care and goodness to the world around me. If people ask me why I am being good to them, I should be sure to give God glory and explain my actions as a blessing from God.

O God, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury pardon; where there is discord, unity; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light. I have come to you thirsty, and you have satisfied me with your living water. May streams of living water flow out of me as a blessing to those around me who thirst for your care, your truth, and your grace. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Proverb for Today: Prov. 11:24-25
"One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."

New Testament for Today: 1 John 3:17,18
17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
In Context: 1 John 3:11-24

Recommended Reading:
Neither Poverty Nor Riches: A Biblical Theology of Possessions
by Craig Blomberg

December 10 - My Place and My God

Book Introduction: RUTH

Today's Reading:
Ruth 1:1-22
"Ruth and Naomi"

Focus Verses: Ruth 1:16-18
16 But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.

Insight:
Ruth was not an Israelite, and yet she embraced the God of Israel and his people with unselfish and wholehearted devotion. She was determined to stay with and care for her desolate mother-in-law, Naomi. God was faithful to them both, providing for their needs and blessing their future. Ruth is listed in the ancestry of King David and is therefore also in the lineage of Jesus Christ.

Response and Action:
God is faithful to all who turn to him in faith. Ruth turned embraced the true God and was willing to leave everything behind. I want to follow after God and be willing to leave anything that would hinder me from doing so.

O God, help me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Help me to walk in your ways and to delight in your will. Thank you for accepting me as your child. Please provide for my needs and bless me as I seek you first. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Proverb for Today: Prov. 10:25
"When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever."

New Testament for Today: Eph. 2:19
19 "...you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household..."
In Context: Ephesians 2:1-22

Recommended Reading:
Knowing God
by J.I. Packer

Reading Schedule for December 10 - 15

Dec. 10 - Ruth 1:1-22
Dec. 11 - Ruth 2:1-23
Dec. 12 - Ruth 3:1 – 4:22
Dec. 13 - 1 Sam. 1:1 – 2:11
Dec. 14 - 1 Sam. 3:1-21
Dec. 15 - 1 Sam. 8:1-22





You're invited to read through the Bible with Dave Burkum. Six readings each week will take you through key scripture passages from Genesis through Revelation. Click here to download your copy of the Useful Breath Reading Schedule for 2007-08.

December 8 - The Source of Power

Today's Reading:
Judges 16:1-30
"Samson and Delilah"

Focus Verses: Judges 16:20
20 Then she called, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" He awoke from his sleep and thought, "I'll go out as before and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had left him.

Insight:
Samson's life seems to be way off track and his thinking about the source of his strength seems to have been lost too. His strength wasn't in his hair; it was in the Lord. His strength was gone because the Lord had left him. The cutting of his hair and his careless living were symptomatic of his unfaithfulness to God. It appears that he had become more confident in himself than in God. He learned the hard way that he was nothing without God.

Response and Action:
I need to have a constant awareness of God's presence and power in my life. I need to remember that every strength and success is from the Lord. I want to guard against the careless mistakes of self-reliance and self-indulgence.

O God, help me to live for you and look to you for the strength I need to do so. Forgive me for the times I rely on my own strength or take credit for the things you are doing in and through me. Help me to seek you with all my heart and to draw near to you. Help me to be a good steward of all you have given to me. Grant me the wisdom and the will to guard my heart, feed my spirit, stimulate my mind, and care for my body. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Proverb for Today: Prov. 8:17
"I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me."

New Testament for Today: James 4:7-8
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
In Context: James 4:1-12

Recommended Reading:
Following After God: What Difference Does God Make
by Daniel Hill

December 7 - Being before Doing

Today's Reading:
Judges 14:1-20
"Samson's Marriage"

Focus Verses: Judges 14:3-4
3 His father and mother replied, "Isn't there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?" But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me. She's the right one for me." 4 (His parents did not know that this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel.)

Insight:
Samson is not very likable or honorable. In just the few verses of this chapter, he seems brash, selfish, impulsive, violent, spoiled, disrespectful, deceptive, quarrelsome, and self-absorbed. Instead of driving out the Philistines, the Israelites were living among them and were dominated by them. Nonetheless, to the dismay of his parents, Samson decided (and demanded) to marry a Philistine woman. He is a stunning reminder that not every person used by God is a good example of how to follow God.

God, nonetheless, intended to accomplish his will through Samson (and his Samson-sized flaws). The redemptive power of God is so great that he can use even our failings to accomplish good. God can hit a home run with a broken bat.

The fact that God can redeem our failures, however, does not mean that God wants or needs us to sin. Samson learns the hard way that it is possible to be used by God and still lose sight of God. How much better it would have been for Samson, had he loved the Lord God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength!

Response and Action:
I want to know God, not just be used by God. I want to set my heart on things above, to love God with everything I have, to know His will and to walk in His ways. I want my doing to flow out of my being. I want my service to God to flow out of my love for God. I will commit myself to living a righteous and pure life for God's glory, for my own joy and fulfillment, and that I might be used for noble purposes.

O God, draw me to you. Give me a pure and devoted heart. Strengthen me to love, obey, honor, and serve you. Help me to flee the evil desires of youth, and to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace. And then, O Lord, use me to accomplish your purposes and your will. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Proverb for Today: Prov. 7:2-3
"Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart."

New Testament for Today: 2 Timothy 2:20-21
20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 21 If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
In Context: 2 Timothy 2:1-26

Recommended Reading:
Following After God: What Difference Does God Make
by Daniel Hill

December 6 - Breaking the Chain

Today's Reading:
Judges 13:1-25
"The Birth of Samson"

Focus Verses: Judges 13:1
1 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, so the LORD delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.

Insight:
Once again, due to their unfaithfulness to God, the Israelites find themselves dominated by the Philistines. The whole book of Judges is a sad repetition of a destructive cycle. First, they experience God's blessing and deliverance. Next, they become complacent and unfaithful, doing evil and turning to false gods. Third, God turns them over to their falsehood and they become oppressed. Then, they cry out to God for help and God sends a deliverer. When they are liberated and back on their feet, they become complacent and once again turn away from God.

Response and Action:
I do not want to live my life in a constantly repeating cycle of rebellion, hardship, repentance, restoration, and rebellion. I want to turn to God, surrender to his will, and walk in his ways. I want to be transformed by God, to live according to his word, to honor him with my life, and to walk in his ways. With God's help, I can break the chain of repeated failure and sin.

O God, help me to turn away from what is wrong and to do what is right. Help me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Lead me away from temptation and deliver me from evil. By the power and grace of your Holy Spirit, lead, teach, transform, shape, and strengthen me, that I might delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Proverb for Today: Prov. 6:5
"Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler."

New Testament for Today: Hebrews 12:1b-2a
1b "...let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2a Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..."
In Context: Hebrews 12:1-12

Recommended Reading:
The Smell of Sin: And the Fresh Air of Grace
by Don Everts

December 5 - Too Strong for My Own Good

Today's Reading:
Judges 7:1-25; 8:28-33
"Midian is Defeated"

Focus Verses: Judges 7:1-2
1 Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. 2 The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her..."

Insight:
The Israelites had been completely demoralized and dominated by Midian. When the angel of the Lord called Gideon to be a leader to liberate Israel, Gideon was hiding in a winepress to thresh a little grain for food. The thought of his calling was so intimidating he asked God for a sign, and then another, just to be sure he wasn't imagining things.

Gideon assembled 32,000 men to fight for freedom deliverance from Midian, but God said, "That’s too many. You're too strong. Send away those who are frightened." Immediately, 22,000 men left, which says something about how fierce and large the Midianite forces must have been.

Then God said to Gideon, "Ten thousand is still too many!" and proceeded to whittle the Israelite army down to only 300 men. God wanted the number of Israelites to be so incredibly small that only God could be credited with the victory.

Response and Action:
In what ways am I too strong for my own good? Are there times when I take credit for something God has done or is doing? Am I missing out on God's help because I think I'm able to handle things on my own? Do I trust God enough to step out and do things that are clearly too big for me to do in my own strength?

I want to give God glory and honor in every situation. I want to praise and thank God for every success and victory. I want to trust God so completely that I am willing to do what he calls me to do, even if it is something I am clearly too weak to accomplish on my own.

O God, I am weak but you are strong. Help me to see every strength and ability I have as a gift from you. Help me to see every weakness and fear I have as an opportunity for you to demonstrate your power and faithfulness. Help me to live by faith in you, not myself. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Proverb for Today: Prov. 5:21
"For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths."

New Testament for Today: 2 Corinthians 12:9b-10
9b Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
In Context: 2 Corinthians 11:16 - 12:10

Recommended Reading:
Strength in Weakness: Overcoming Sexual and Relational Brokenness
by Andrew Comiskey

December 4 - Tearing Down Idols

Today's Reading:
Judges 6:1-40
"Gideon Begins"

Focus Verses: Judges 6:25-26
25 That same night the LORD said to him, "Take the second bull from your father's herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father's altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. 26 Then build a proper kind of altar to the LORD your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering."

Insight:
Gideon wondered, "If God is with Israel, then why has he let us be overpowered by the Midianites." The reason was Israel's unfaithfulness to God. Instead of worshiping God alone, they had worshiped the gods of the Amorites.

The first step toward deliverance for Israel was to destroy the pagan Baal altar and Ashtoreth pole that had been set up in his town. The road to restoration and deliverance begins with tearing down what is false and instead offering up worship and devotion to the One True God.

Response and Action:
When I face difficult situations in life, I find myself asking a question similar to Gideon's-- "If God is with me, why is this happening?" Before questioning God's faithfulness, I should examine my own faithfulness to God and the faithfulness toward God of the people around me (my family, my church, my town, my state, my country). Honest reflection is needed if I am to recognize the idols I (we) have erected and the ways I (we) have let them distort and diminish my (our) devotion for God. There is no God but the One True God. Any rivals for wholehearted commitment to and reverence for God must be torn down.

O God, free me from everything that oppresses and diminishes. Help me to turn away from what is wrong and to do what is right. Lead me away from temptation and deliver me from evil. Provide for my needs today. Protect me from discouragement, and encourage me, by your Spirit, through your Word, your people, your promises, and all that is beautiful and true. Give me the honesty to recognize the false ideas and idols in my heart, and give me the courage to tear them down and cast them aside in order that I might worship and follow you with my whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Proverb for Today: Prov.4:23-23
"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips."

New Testament for Today: 1 Corinthians 10:14-15
14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? In Context: 1 Corinthians 10:1-33

Recommended Reading:
Breaking the Idols of Your Heart
by Dan Allender and Tremper Longman

December 3 - Careful to Remember

Today's Reading:
Judges 2:6-19; 4:1-24
"Disobedience, Defeat, and Deborah"

Focus Verses: Judges 2:10-14
10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. 11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the LORD to anger 13 because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14 In his anger against Israel the LORD handed them over to raiders who plundered them. He sold them to their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.

Insight:
The new generation of Israelites who were born in the Promised Land, did not remember or appreciate their history. They forgot their heritage and turned away from God to worship the idols and false gods of the people around them. This resulted in conflict, war, and bloodshed. They were caught in a tragic cycle. First they would forget and forsake God. Then, they would fall prey to their enemies. Next, they would cry out to God for help. Then, God would deliver them and restore them through chosen leaders (judges). Finally, they would prosper, but in their prosperity they would once again forget and forsake God.

Response and Action:
I don't want to forget who God is or how far God has brought me. I don't want to be a person who cries out to God when times are bad, but then forgets and turns away from God when times are good. I do not want to forget and turn away from God when I'm doing well. I do not want hardship and suffering to be the only things that cause me to look up. Instead, I want to live a consistent and dedicated life toward God. I want to praise and honor God in times of blessing. I want to avoid the pain, conflict, drama, and disaster that inevitably follow forsaking God.

O God, give me the wisdom to remember. Thank you for the Scriptures that recall your redemptive work throughout the history of mankind. Help me to love and honor you in times of blessing. I want to be faithful to you everyday and not let comfort or success turn my eyes from you. Help me to lift my voice up to you in praise and faith, so that I might not have to lift up my voice in sorrow that results from my own rebellion. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Proverb for Today: Prov.3:1-2
"My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.

New Testament for Today: Hebrews 3:12
12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
In Context: Hebrews 3:1-19

Resources:
Never Beyond Hope: How God Touches & Uses Imperfect People
by J.I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom

Reading Schedule for December 3 - 8

Dec. 3 - Judges 4:1-24
Dec. 4 - Judges 6:1-40
Dec. 5 - Judges 7:1-25; 8:28-33
Dec. 6 - Judges 13:1-25
Dec. 7 - Judges 14:1-20
Dec. 8 - Judges 16:1-30


You're invited to read through the Bible with Dave Burkum. Six readings each week will take you through key scripture passages from Genesis through Revelation. Click here to download your copy of the Useful Breath Reading Schedule for 2007-08.

December 1 - Who Will I Serve Today?

Today's Reading:
Joshua 24:1-29
"Joshua's Final Words"

Focus Verses: Joshua 24:14-15
14 "Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Insight:
Joshua had successfully led the Israelites into the Land of Promise. They had divided and conquered the land. They portioned out the land and gave an allotment to each of the tribes to settle and live. God's promises to Abraham were finally being fulfilled before their very eyes. Yet, the choice to follow God was just as real as ever. In his final words, Joshua reminded them that their choice to serve God was not just their heritage--it was central to their future.

Response and Action:
I intend to face each new day with a fresh resolve to choose God and follow Christ Jesus. Every morning I will renew my commitment to Christ, turn to the Scriptures for guidance, and set my heart on things above. I will love the Lord, my God, with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

O God, you are my God. Earnestly I seek you. My soul thirsts for you, my flesh yearns for you, in a dry weary land where there is no water. Uphold me with your right hand, O Lord. Show me your ways. Guide me in your truth and teach me. Your faithfulness is eternal, and your mercies are new every morning. Help me to choose you every day and to honor you in every way. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Proverb for Today: Prov.1:32-33
"For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."

New Testament for Today: Colossians 3:2
2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
In Context: Colossians 3:1-17

Resources:
Listening to God in Times of Choice: The Art of Discerning God's Will
by Gordon T. Smith