Watch and Listen

Today's Reading: Numbers 10

	Setting-
	So Israel has been at the base of mount Sinai for about a year now… From the ESV Study Bible- Israel Strikes Camp at Sinai. The people of Israel have been at Sinai for almost a full year (see Ex. 19:1). Israel now leaves Sinai to begin its journey to the Promised Land under the guidance and direction of the shekinah glory (i.e., the dwelling glory cloud). This text describes the striking of the Israelite camp and the order of march of the tribes. Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (281). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
	Sound the call!-
	Numbers 10:1–2 (ESV)10 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp.

How to Build a Tabernacle: Part 11

Today's Reading: Exodus 35

Comments:

Today I have posted my answer to question number 10 from the chapter study on Exodus 35.  Please see Part 1 for an explanation of this chapter study.

Be Thee Consumed

Today's Reading: Exodus 33-34; Acts 9 (will be covered tomorrow)

Exodus 33:3 (ESV)3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”

Enter With Caution

Today's Reading: Exodus 28-29; Acts 7

Exodus 28:35 (ESV)
And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he does not die.

Where Shall I Dwell?

Today's Reading: Exodus 25-27; Acts 6

	Exodus 25:8–9 (ESV)8 And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. 9 Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.

Be Filled With Boldness

Today's Reading: Exodus 21-22; Acts 4

Exodus 22:25 (ESV)25 “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him.

Be Filled and Trust Only in Me

Today's Reading: Exodus 17-20; Acts 3

Exodus 17:6–7 (ESV)6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Choose My Blood or The Destroyer

Today's Reading: Exodus 12-13; Acts 1

Exodus 12:32 (ESV)32 Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!”

Fear & Love

Today's Reading: Exodus 6-8, Luke 23

Exodus 6:7
I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

Surrender the Flesh

Today's Reading: Exodus 3-5, Luke 22

Exodus 3:6 6 And he said, c“I am the God of your 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 at God. 

Not For Merit

Todays Reading: Genesis 42-43, Psalms 5, Luke 17

Psalms 5:7
But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.

Whom Do You Serve?

Todays Reading: Genesis 39-41, Luke 16

Luke 16:13
No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

Son, Not Slave

Today's Reading: Genesis 37-38, Psalms 7, Luke 15

Luke 15:4
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety- nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?

Forsake All

Today's Reading: Genesis 34-36, Luke 14

Luke 14:11
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Personalize it method (Rick Warren's 40 Days in the Word):

Jeff, don't cast this message of humility off as simple.  I speak of life and death, heaven and hell.  This is salvation, this is life.  One who does not humble them self before me cannot follow me.  This one will be humbled at the end by being separated from me for eternity.  Jeff, I don't think you can understand how far this humility must go.  If you are not willing to cast down every preconception of who I am and what I am asking of you and every preconception of what it is to be my follower, then you are limiting yourself by limiting (grieving) my Spirit.  If you are not willing to release your position of supposed understanding and your position of how you balance your life, then I cannot (rather- I will not) lift you up.  If you are not prepared to give up all for my sake, then you are not yet humbled.  If you are not willing to choose me every time you wake, then you do not yet see the prize.  If you knew the prize, you would gladly pay the price...nothing could hold you back from complete and absolute surrender.  This is the humility of which I speak Jeff.

Jeff, this is the foundation upon which all of your life must be built (or rebuilt).  This is the starting point to achieving great things for my kingdom.  You must start with surrender of your will to mine in all things (i.e, your time, your money, your focus, your aspirations, your body, your mind, your emotions,...YOU!).

Open you heart Jeff and hear me...

Luke 14:26-28
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

Luke 14:33
So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

MacArthur Study Bible Note on Luke 14:28-

Only those willing to carefully assess the cost (vv. 28–32 ) and invest all they had in his kingdom were worthy to enter. This speaks of something far more than mere abandonment of one’s material possessions; it is an absolute, unconditional surrender.

Calvin's Commentaries-

It would be absurd to insist on a literal interpretation of the phrase, as if no man were a disciple of Christ, till he threw into the sea all that he possessed, divorced his wife, and bade farewell to his children.

Yet no man truly forsakes all that he possesses till he is prepared at every instant to leave all, gives himself free and unconstrained to the Lord, and, rising above every hindrance, pursues his calling.

From a sermon by John Piper on November 9, 1980 (speaking about what Jesus watched for while guests entered a dinner party)-

He looks for what they love. Jesus always watches until he knows where our treasure is. Because where your treasure is, is where your heart is, and Jesus wants the heart!No. He looks for what they love. Jesus always watches until he knows where our treasure is. Because where your treasure is, is where your heart is, and Jesus wants the heart!

Application:
Today I will look for how I can surrender everywhere I go
Today I will pray and ask that you reveal to me how surrender on the other side of every door I open
Today I will not presume that I know what you want me to do the next moment
Today I will not presume that my life is about gaining something for me
Today I will surrender what I perceive to be my rights in every situation
Today I will ask you for the filling and the empowering of your Holy Spirit to do these things that are impossible to me

Prayer:
Thank you Lord for loving me so.  Thank you Lord for speaking to me through your Word.  How amazing it is that you meet me here when I am faithful to come before you and seek you.  Please empower me this day to live surrendered to you as the branch on the vine.  Please show me how to humble myself and how to listen for your voice, for the guidance of your Holy Spirit.  

In Jesus name I pray, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria!
View blog from a computer or iPad for more content.
Follow @dailysurrender

I Love You Fiercely

Today's Reading: Genesis 29-30, Luke 12

Luke 12:4-7
4 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

May It Be You Lord

Today's Reading: Genesis 27-28, Psalms 6, Luke 11

Luke 11:2-4
And he said to them, “ When you pray, say: “ Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”

Be Marvelous

Today's Reading: Genesis 18-19, Psalms 3, Luke 7

Genesis 18:17
The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,

Genesis 18:32-33
Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” 33 And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

Genesis 19:29
So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.

Be as The Worm on The Hook

Today's Reading: Genesis 12-14, Luke 5

Luke 5:2-11
and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon 's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “ Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “ Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

Before He Made Adam, He Chose The Cross

Today's reading: Genesis6-8, Luke 3

I will call today's study method search and see what you find...

Genesis 6:1-3
Increasing Corruption on Earth
1 When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”

Humility; not optional but required

James 4:6-10
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “ God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double- minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Paraphrase it method:
God requires only that we acknowledge our depraved state and then offers His amazing grace.  Repent not only of the actions but in drawing near to the Lord let your heart be changed (purified) such that you weep over your sin and that it makes you sick.  May the things that you secretly or overtly reveled in turn to a source of mourning and gloom.  Drawing near to God when you are a sinner should quickly become frightening...like Peter when He experienced Jesus filling their nets with fish to the point it was sinking their boats...

Luke 5:8-9
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus 'knees, saying, “ Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken,

Let us not come before God in any way but on our face in humility due to our sin.  Can we approach the heat of a raging fire that can quickly consume us if we were but to step too close in any way but with our heads down seeking lowness and recognizing that we are wholly at it's mercy when we come close?

May we then experience what is the fear of the Lord as Peter, and others did.  Let us not fight off or hold back the tears but be wholly broken before Him and let him reach out His mighty hand and lift us to our feet- humble yourselves before the Lord and He will exalt you (lift you up).  In the context here I cannot possibly read this as be a humble person and the Lord will give you honor...the context I see here is more like drop to your face for fear of your life as your sin burns your face and eats your flesh while you draw near to the Lord.  When you recognize and acknowledge the gravity of your situation (depravity of your condition before a holy God) He will restore you and give you hope.  This picture is different than "think more of others so I might be rewarded with honor".  The former is a picture of surrender...

Verse 7 above said "submit yourselves therefore to God" and then gave the picture of repentance where you resist the devil (turn away from him) and draw near to God (now facing your Lord).  Surrender yourself to God.

Application:
Today I am to see my sin as God sees it and recognize that I make myself His enemy when I allow the old man (sin nature) to fight with jealousy against the Holy Spirit that the Lord has given me.

James 4:4-5
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?

I am at war within myself and as Andrew Murray suggested, I must choose to deny myself or to deny Christ every day...every moment.    Throughout my day today I will face opportunities to grant my flesh reign over me or to yield to the Holy Spirit.  I am called to absolute surrender to the Lord and He promises to lift me up.

Today I cannot look at sin and examine it or contemplate it...I must turn and face my holy God and then see that the thought of sin falls to the ground and is consumed by the fire.  And then He lifts me up.

Prayer:
Lord please give me eyes to see that I might not deceive myself into thinking that my sin is anything but vile and wretched.  Please bring recollection of this truth and let me turn immediately away from that option and fearfully turn to you with true humility.  May your grace abound Lord in my humility.

Thank you Lord that when you lift me up from that place of mourning over my sin, over even my consideration of sin, that you do lift me up and you let me experience the joy of your grace.  You let me rest in your glorious sovereignty.  Mourning over sin is far overcome by the richness that comes from abiding in you.

Thank you Lord that you turn our sinful state into a glorious inheritance purchased on the cross and evidenced by the empty tomb!

Ephesians 1:17-21
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.