A New Day
1. A New Year
We have come to the year 2019. I remember how everyone was so scared of Y2K, because so many devices were not made to go beyond the year 1999. And here we are. A new year. Where did the last twenty years go? They passed day by day, week by week, and year by year. We don't know what the year holds for us, but we do know who holds us in His hands. And we can put our trust in the Lord Jesus to help us through today, tomorrow, and the upcoming year. I want to wish you all a very Happy New Year! My prayer for you is found in Number 6:24-26.
"The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."
2. "Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread"
When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He said, "Give us this day our daily bread." (Matthew 6:11) He said, "this day" and not "the coming year". God wants us to trust Him for today. And when we learn to trust Him day by day, then we will be able to trust Him for the weeks, and months, and year to come. As we enter this new year I hope that we can see God in our life each new day.
3. "Choose You This Day Whom Ye Will Serve"
We have just entered into the New Year, and I am sure the year will be filled with choices that you will have to make. You will make the right choice on some of them, and there will probably be some decisions that you later regret the choices you make. But I want to submit to you the most important choice you will have to make, not just for this year, but for eternity. This 2nd day of January, 2019, you have the choice to make about who you will serve. Joshua began as a servant to Moses, and later became the leader of their army, and he was chosen by God to take the place of Moses and lead the Children of Israel into the Promised Land. Joshua served the Lord all his life, and in his farewell message to the Children of Israel, he said, "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:15) Until his death at 110 years old, he was still choosing to serve the Lord. Who will you serve this year? If you have not asked the Lord to save you, may I encourage you to ask Him today? We are not promised tomorrow. Now is the time for salvation. "(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)" (II Corinthians 6:2) Believe that Jesus is the only way of salvation and trust in Him to save you. Confess your sin to Him and ask Him to be Lord of your life. For those who already know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I want to encourage you to choose this day to serve the Lord. He may come back today! Let's keep on serving Him, day by day, even if we live to be 110.
4. "Born This Day"
Starting a new year means starting a new calendar. It is time for me to go through my calendar and write down all the anniversaries and birthdays for our family. I can remember the dates when my children were born, but I admit that I have trouble remembering each of their spouse's special day and the birth dates of our eleven grandchildren. I will take our calendar from 2018 and sit with the calendar for 2019 and look at "this day", and then "this day", until I have each "this day" marked with a special name. As I think about all these special days I remember the special "this day" that we just celebrated found in Luke 2:11. "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." That is the most special birth of all time. God so loved me, and God so loved you, that He sent His Son to be born, and live, and die, and raise up from the grave to save us and give us eternal life. We can rejoice, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6) "For unto us..." Do you see that? He came for us! I am so thankful that The everlasting Father is my Father in heaven and that I serve The mighty God, and I find peace and comfort in The Prince of Peace.
5. "Remember This Day"
There may be days from 2018 that you remember. Maybe there will be days this year that you will feel like you will never forget. There could be days of great sorrow that cause such heartache as not to be forgotten. You might experience a day of such joy and gladness that you hope to remember forever. Our verse today is found in Exodus 13:3. "And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten." The Children of Israel had a great victory and Moses said, "Remember this day..." Not only did he want them to remember the day, but he wanted them to remember that the Lord had given them the victory. In times of victory we need to remember that it is the Lord that gives us the victory. As we look at this verse I realize that their day is not our day. So, in looking for a verse to represent "this day" for us I thought how "this day" is actually now. What does God want us to remember now? We find our answer in Ecclesiastes 12:1, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;" Remember God, your Creator, while you still can. As we get older we are prone to forget things, either from illness, or just from old age. Serve God now, while you have the strength. Don't look back with regrets when you get older. Remember this day.
6. "Know Therefore This Day"
There are many things that we do not know. We usually have a great deal of knowledge in certain things that we do at our daily work place. Some of us know a lot about our favorite passtime or hobby. There are many tools available to help us find more about something we want to learn about. Searching through books may seem a little old fashioned to the young, but that was the way we learned when I was in school. Now there are apps and search sites on the internet where you can pull up information on any subject you choose. As I try to find out more about gardening, I like to talk to people who know more and have success with their gardens. James 1:5 tells us that we can even pray for wisdom. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." There are many ways to increase our knowledge. In our verse today we see that there is something we need to know this day. "Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else." (Deuteronomy 4:39) Many people believe in many different gods and religions. But, it is so important that you know that there is only one God, and believing on His Son, Jesus Christ, is the only way of salvation. "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" (I Timothy 2:5) When we confess our sin and trust Jesus to be our Savior, then we really know God and that is so much more than just knowing about God. I hope that on this day you know the living God as your Savior!
7. This Is The Day To Rejoice!
When you woke up this morning, it meant that God had given you another day. It may be snowy, rainy, or the sun may be shining, be that as it may, God has given you this gift of another day. Our verse is a familiar one found in Psalm 118:24, "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." I hope that you will rejoice in the Lord today. And since it is the Lord's day, I want to encourage you to go to the Lord's house and worship Him. Sing with David, "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD." (Psalm 122:1) This is the day to rejoice and be glad!
8. "I'm Going To Your House Today"
I liked the story of Zacchaeus when I was little. A short little man climbed up a tree to see Jesus. Doesn't every little kid like that story? We even sang a little song with the story.
Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he.
He climbed up in a sycomore tree for the Lord he wanted to see.
And as the Savior passed that way, He looked up in the tree,
And He said, "Zacchaeus, you come down, for I'm going to your house today,
I'm going to your house today."
The story of Zacchaeus is not just for children. "And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully." (Luke 19:5-6) Yesterday was Sunday, the Lord's day, and I hope you were able to go to church. Now, today is Monday. As we begin the new week, I want to ask you, "Is the Lord welcome in your home?" Jesus told Zacchaeus that He was going to his house. And Zacchaeus "received him joyfully." If Jesus told you that He was going to your house today, would you be happy and invite Him in? Jesus knows all about us. He knows the way we live when we are not at church. As we begin this New Year, let's make Him welcome and invite Him into our home, our workplace, and into our life, everywhere we go.
9. This Day You Have A Choice Between Eternal Life And Death
Our lives can be completely changed in just one day... sometimes in just a moment. Life changes can be something that we plan and look forward to, such as getting married or buying a house. At other times sudden changes can leave us bewildered and unprepared, such as bad news at the doctor's office or mishaps on the road. As we continue with our "New Day" series, I want to look at some people in the Bible whose lives were suddenly changed, some by their choice and others by God's plan for their lives. I hope to follow them to their new day and see how life changed for them. Yesterday we saw Zacchaeus as he met Jesus. People murmured because he was a sinner. But his life was changed as he turned to the Lord, and away from his sin. "And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 10:8-10) Salvation is a choice between life and death. "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:" (Deuteronomy 30:19) Once you are saved your whole world changes, not only here on earth, but for all eternity! "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (John 5:24) Have you chosen life?
10. The First Couple Whose Lives Were Changed
The first couple we want to look at today not only had their lives changed in a moment, but their fall to sin changed the course of the whole world. God made Adam and Eve and gave them a wonderful garden where they could live and eat all that they wanted, except for the fruit of two trees. I don't believe that they immediately decided they would sin against God. The Bible does not tell us how long they lived in the garden before they ate the forbidden fruit, but in my mind I think that they had lived there long enough to try all the food that was there for them. Maybe Eve walked around the garden and looked over all the food, and putting her finger against her chin, said, "I want something different." (As we often do.) We also don't know how many times the serpent had tempted Eve to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. If we don't fall to temptation the first time, he will keep on trying to lead us astray. He probably made it seem so good, and he argued against God's Word and convinced Eve to eat it, and she gave it to Adam and he also ate it. In an instant their lives were changed. Their eyes were opened and they knew they had sinned against God and instead of confessing to God they tried to cover their sin and hide from God. But, God sees all and He knows all. We can't hide our sin from God, no more than we can hide from Him. Sin brought painful consequences. The serpent was cursed above all the other animals. The woman was cursed with great pain and sorrow to bear children. And the ground was cursed with thorns and thistles and man would have to work hard, by the sweat of his brow, to grow his food. So, how was the new day after their sin? They were driven from their garden paradise and had to find a new place to live, and work to grow food to eat. Their lives were changed forever, and the world was cursed. But, God in His love and mercy would provide a sacrifice, so that we might be saved. We ask Jesus to forgive us of our sin, and He is faithful to do so, but there are still painful consequences of sin, and often they affect others around us.
"22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." (Genesis 3:22-24)
11. Job - The Epitome Of Losing It All
How long has it been since you read the first chapters of the book of Job? In the beginning he had it all...
"1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east." (Job 1:1)
... and in a day he lost it all. Many times when something bad happens in our lives we make the mistake of saying, "It can't get any worse." For Job, it got worse with each messenger that came to him. I have included the scriptures so you can see how he received all this bad news at once.
14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:
15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:
19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee." (Job 1:14-19)
What was Job's reaction to this sudden loss?
"20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly." (Job 1:20-22)
Satan was not satisfied with his cruelty, so he asked God if he could also take his health. And if that wasn't enough, he sent Job's three friends to try to take away his faith. How was Job's new day? After an unknown time of suffering Job was still able to say, "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:" (Job 19:25) "And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before." (Job 42:10) Job kept his faith!
12. Moses And The Burning Bush
As Moses was feeding his father-in-law's sheep on the backside of the desert he saw a bush that burned, but did not burn up. He turned aside to see about it, and that was a turning point in his life. When God does something in our lives to get our attention, our first step should be towards the Lord, to see His purpose and direction for us.
"4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God." (Exodus 3:4-6)
God tells Moses that He wants him to lead His people out of Egypt. What does Moses do next? He begins to make excuses. First he asks God, "Who am I?" I believe God often calls those who are humble because they have to depend on God. Next, Moses wants to know, "Who are you?" "And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM:... Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations." (Exodus 3:13-15) God told Moses that He was the God of the past, (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), and that He would be the God of the future, (forever to all generations), and that He is God right now, "I AM". Moses continued with reasons why he would not be the right choice, but he finally agreed to follow God. A new day began for him when he changed from being a shepherd over someone else's sheep, to leading the Israelites out of Egypt to the Promised Land.
13. Gideon - From Fear To Victory
When I was younger I often helped my Dad stack hay. The higher we went in the barn, the harder it was to breathe with the bits of hay and dust floating around without any movement in the air close to the ceiling. We would stack bales a while and then go out into the air to cough and breathe. I can easily imagine Gideon's dilemma as he threshed wheat down in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites. How do you think he felt when the angel of the Lord called him a mighty man of valor?
"13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?
15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house." (Judges 6:13-15)
We know that Gideon was still a fearful man when he threw down the altar of Baal, because he did it during the night. Gideon asked for signs from the Lord to strengthen his faith. "Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water." (Judges 37-38) The next day he asked God to let the fleece be dry and all the ground wet. Gideon started out with an army of 32,000 men and when it was time for battle he only had 300 men left. Gideon's men carried a trumpet in one hand, and a lamp, or torch, in the other hand that was covered with an empty pitcher. Imagine the sleeping enemies, when suddenly they heard three hundred trumpets sound, three hundred clay pitchers breaking, and saw the fire from the torches suddenly glowing all around their camp. They woke up and began killing each other. One day Gideon was hiding his harvest from the enemies, and on his new day he was leading a small army to victory as they yelled out, "The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon." (Judges 7:18)
14. If You Are Reading This, Then It's Not Too Late For You
I can think of only one life changing decision you can make when you think you are near the end of your life. Maybe you have lived your life and you feel like you don't have much life left to live. You may believe that you are too close to the end of your time to make a difference in your tomorrows. And you might be right when it comes to your finances. It might be too late to invest or save money or even make money to live the rest of your life in style. You may not be able to enjoy any of the hobbies or things you always enjoyed in the past. You may have traveled so far from family and friends that you can't reconnect with those you used to love. And you may feel that you have gone so far out in sin there is no hope of being forgiven. I want to tell you today that you can find new life in Christ. Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost. If you believe in your heart that He died to save you, and you ask Jesus to forgive you of your sin, He will save you. Don't feel like you are too old or too deep in sin to accept God's gift of salvation.
As Jesus was hanging on the cross, a man hanging next to Him believed in Jesus and was saved. Because he was dying, it may have seemed to those around him that it made no difference for him, but oh what a difference it made! His new day carried him straight from a cross where he was suffering and dying for the wrong he had done, to paradise, forgiven and set free from his sin! His forgiveness and salvation were recorded in the Bible and for over 2,000 years his faith has been a witness to others who may feel like they are beyond hope. If you have never asked Jesus to forgive you and save you, I hope that you will have faith to believe in Him and trust Him to save you. It will make a huge difference in your life and give you joy and peace in your heart. And even more, Jesus will prepare a place in heaven for you to live eternally with Him.
"38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43)
15. A New Day May Get Worse Before It Gets Better
We are looking at Moses again today, Moses had another excuse for God, "But, behold, they will not believe me." (Exodus 4:1) When we get to verse 31 we see that they did believe. "And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped." So Moses and Aaron, his brother and designated speaker, went to Pharaoh and told him that God said, "Let my people go..." "And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go." (Exodus 5:2) And the king took away their straw for making bricks and the people were beaten because they could not find enough straw and they didn't keep up with the work that was required. They went to Moses and Aaron, "And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us." (Exodus 5:31) Now they were blaming Moses and Aaron because they were not being freed from their bondage, but the work and servitude was harder than before.
Wow! Have you ever tried to follow the Lord and things got worse instead of better? It happens. God explained to Isaiah that He has a purpose for everything, and His purpose will be accomplished. So, when you are trying to follow God's will and your new day is worse, try to keep on trusting in the Lord, and have faith that He is still with you.
"8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (Isaiah 55:8-11)
16. Paul Told About His New Day!
We may be so overcome by God's mercy and grace that we ask Him to forgive us the first time the Holy Spirit convicts us. Or we may feel God tugging at our heart several times before we yield to Him and ask Him to save us. We may be overwhelmed by God's amazing love, or gripped in fear of His coming judgment. God knows each heart and works accordingly and the moment we accept His salvation, it is a life changing moment. Paul had an amazing experience that led to his salvation. Saul, his name in the beginning, persecuted the church with imprisonment and even death.
"3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink." (Acts 9:3-9)
Saul was saved, and his named changed to Paul, and he became one of the leading disciples of the New Testament. Paul had a new day and he was glad to share the story of his conversion with others. When the Jews were trying to kill him in the temple, and the soldiers bound him in chains to carry him away, Paul told of his great salvation. (Acts 22) He also recounted how he met the Lord when he was permitted to speak to King Agrippa in Acts 26. One of the saddest verses in the Bible follows Paul's testimony.
"King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." (Acts 26:27-28)
"Almost" is not enough when it comes to salvation. The Lord has led me to talk about salvation in several of our recent devotions. Maybe it has been for you. If you are almost ready to ask the Lord to save you, why not let today be the start of your new life and let God give you a new day? You will be glad you did!
17. Ruth - "Thy People Shall Be My People, And Thy God My God"
There was a famine in the land of Bethlehemjudah, so Elimelech took his wife, Naomi, and their two sons to the land of Moab. Elimelech died. The sons got married, then they also died and Naomi decided to go back home. She told her two daughters-in-law to go back home to their mothers, and Orpah did. But Ruth made a decision that changed her life.
"16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me." (Ruth 1:16-17)
As Ruth decided to go with Naomi she was not only leaving her family and her homeland, but she was making a decision to take care of Naomi. As they entered into Bethlehem the people asked, "Is this Naomi?" And she replied, "Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me." (Ruth 1:20) God saw the faithfulness of Ruth and He blessed her. "And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter. And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech." (Ruth 2:2-3) This is a wonderful example of the providence of God. God led her to the right field, at just the right time, when Boaz would come to the fields and see her. What followed for Ruth on her new day was a wonderful love story. She married Boaz, and they had a son and named him Obed. He had a son and named him Jesse. This is the same Jesse who was the father of David, who became King of Israel. Follow God and make the right decisions in life. Just as God designed "her hap" to be in the field of Boaz, God can place you right where He wants you to be.
18. We Shall All Be Changed
We have been looking at men and women in the Bible whose lives were changed in a moment. We saw how each of them faced a new day, and how their lives were affected. As Christians our lives were changed the moment we accepted Christ as our Savior. But we shall have a greater change! Our bodies grow old and life becomes more challenging with age. We won't have to worry about the troubles we have down here when the Lord calls us to our heavenly home. We can rejoice that God gives us victory through Jesus Christ, our Lord! I look forward to our blessed new day in heaven!
"51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (I Corinthians 15:51-57)
19. Belshazzar And The Hand Writing On The Wall
Chapter 5 of Daniel begins, “Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.” Then he commanded that they bring out all the golden and silver vessels that he had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. “They drank wine, and praised the gods of gods, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.” (Daniel 5:4) He was using the holy cups taken from the temple of God to drink wine in praise of other false gods. In a moment his countenance was changed.
“In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers… but they could not read the writing… Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.” Daniel 5:5-9
He was scared, just as we would be if we saw a hand appear and begin writing on the wall. The wise men of the kingdom could not interpret the writing, and the queen told him to call in Daniel. Daniel reminded him of how his father, King Nebuchadnezzar had humbled himself when he was changed to the similitude of a beast (vs. 18-21). Then he said, “And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:” (Daniel 5:23) The writing meant, “MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou are weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.” (Daniel 5:26-28) That very night Belshazzar the king was killed. I often see articles in the news about people who lift themselves up against God. God is a merciful God and they don't immediately bow in fear. But, you can be sure that one day, they will stand before our holy God Almighty and they will bow in reverance and fear. "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." (Romans 14:11)
20. Our Last New Day
2018 is behind us and we are almost three weeks into the new year. I enjoyed looking at "This Day" Bible scriptures. It was also challenging to see how men and women in the Bible faced their "New Day" following life changing moments. Well, this is our last new day in this series and it is so appropriate to look at the last new day in the Bible. Before John closed the book of Revelation he gave us a glimpse of the glory of the new heaven and new earth and the new Jerusalem.
"1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." (Revelation 21:1-7)
This is our last new day because along with no more death, nor sorrow, nor pain in heaven there will also be no more night. God is the light and there will be no more darkness. Are you ready for that day?
"23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there." (Revelation 21:23-25)
"And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever." (Revelation 22:5)
