Foundations May 1, 2012

Introduction
Read Matthew 5-7
Most Christians know Jesus as Savior, many know Him as Lord. Still others see Jesus as a Prophet,
Priest or a King. Yet Jesus was more than this, He had many roles. This month Foundations Daily
Devotional will focus on Jesus as a Teacher. Jesus was the best teacher that ever walked the earth
and the Gospel of Matthew is packed full of many of His teachings. In fact, Christ’s five discourses
are the backbone of this book of the Bible. Jesus teachings include topics such as how citizens of the
Kingdom are to live (ch. 5-7); how travelling disciples are to conduct themselves (ch. 10); parables
(ch. 13); warnings about entrance into the Kingdom and forgiveness (ch. 18-20) and how human
history will end (ch. 24-25). These five discourses can be viewed as a manual on discipleship. They
give a holistic picture of life lived in obedience to Christ therefore the church has used them to instruct disciples through the ages. Matthew 7:29 tells us that Jesus taught with authority and Matthew 13:54 speaks of His profound wisdom. We know from other scriptures that Jesus is Truth therefore we have much to learn about living as His disciples from these teachings. We will begin by looking at the Sermon on the Mount which is found in Matthew 5-7. It speaks of how Jesus expects His followers to live in this present age as part of His Kingdom and is probably one of the most famous sermons recorded in Scripture. Kingdom life is one of the overarching themes of this sermon as you can see from the following verses: “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” Mt 5:3; “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” Mt 5:10; “...shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven” Mt 5:19; “...shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” Mt 5:19; “...will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” Mt 5:20; “Your kingdom come” Mt 6:10; “But seek first the kingdom of God” Mt 6:33; “. . . shall enter the kingdom of heaven” Mt 7:21. Why is Kingdom living so important? Why must we focus on the character, duties, attitudes and dangers of the Christian disciple? It is because God cares about our obedience and our devotion to Him. The central theme is actually Christ Himself, for our relationship with Him and our response to His teachings will determine our eternal destiny. The Sermon on the Mount is far from a mere collection of moral precepts, it presents the demands of Jesus the Messiah on all who respond to His preaching of God’s Kingdom.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Saviour, Lord, Prophet, Priest, King and Teacher. Spend some time praising Jesus for His many
roles and for how He fulfills them all.
2. Ask the Lord to show you if you have over or underemphasized any of Jesus roles. Ask Him to
show you how you can have a more balanced view of who He is.

Foundations April 30, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Song of Songs 7-8
Revelation 22:7 (ESV); “And behold, I am coming soon.”

The final chapters of Revelation describe the new Heaven and the new Earth that God will
establish after the Millennium Kingdom and the Great White Throne Judgement. Here we will live
as God designed in Eden. The perfect relationship between God and man, unhindered by sin and
its effects, will be restored. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13, Perfection will be among us and we
will see clearly, face-to-face. No longer will we need prophesy or warnings of judgement because
the redeemed of the Lord have been purified; wearing garments of white we will be holy and pure
like our Father. Together we will live in joyful relationship with one another. We will have purpose
and vision and work and fellowship and learning and life will be fantastic.
This vision of perfect life must spur us on to be great harvesters for the Kingdom of God. Behold!
He is coming soon! We live in a world full of darkness, but we are part of a Kingdom of light. Let us
strive to bring people out of darkness and into the marvellous light of Christ! We have one lifetime
– one opportunity – and all that matters in the end of this life is whether we truly loved God: Did we
love Him and love others through obedience and sacrifice or did we live selfishly for ourselves?
God has redeemed you! Do not let that redemption affect you and you alone! Ask God to use you
as a catalyst of redemption for someone else! As He used Abraham and Noah and Moses and the
Judges and the prophets and Ruth and Esther! Let Him uses you! If you are willing and obedient
God will use you to further His Kingdom. Then you will stand before Him soon and He will say,
“Well done my good and faithful servant! Come and share your Master’s happiness!”

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Spend some time meditating on eternity – the new Heaven and new Earth and interactive life
with Jesus. Ask God to flood your heart with joy.
2. Now ask God to enable you to spread this joy to others. Who does God want you to witness
to today? How does He want to use you as a catalyst for someone else’s redemption? Listen
in prayer about this and then pray for boldness. Do not delay in your obedience!

Foundations April 29, 2012

1 Corinthians 15:16-17, 20a (ESV); For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins… But in fact Christ
has been raised from the dead…”

The promise of redemption and the truthfulness of the prophets and the death of Jesus would all be
meaningless if He had not risen from the grave. The resurrection proved the power God held over
sin and over death. His righteousness paid for our unrighteousness. His power to obey paid for our
weaknesses and failures.
Paul makes an obvious and crucial statement here in 1 Corinthians. If Jesus was not raised from the
dead then our faith is in vain. We have no forgiveness of sins and no hope of eternal life. But because
Jesus did rise from the dead and make it evident to so many witnesses, we know with certainty that
God’s word is completely true. The words of the prophet Isaiah when he said that God’s word never
returns empty or unaccomplished is shown true in the death and resurrection of Christ. (See Is. 55)
Redemption would be nothing if it had no bearing in a future hope beyond the grave. And that is what
the resurrection proves – eternity with God. Eternal life is not an old wives tale or a crutch to cling to in
hopeless times; it is a well-founded, prophesied, Biblical and historical truth that we can stand upon.
This should be the truth that we live every moment of every day out of. We have been redeemed –
bought out of slavery by a living God. Through Him we have a living hope (see 1 Peter 1) – a hope of
eternity that is alive in us affecting everything we do and say during our time on earth.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Ask God how He wants you to respond to what you have read in this devotional.
2. Do you ever experience forms of doubt in your relationship with God? Think upon today’s
message as well as the entire theme of redemption that we’ve looked at this month and ask God
to speak to your doubts through these things.
3. Thank God for the eternity you have to look forward to.

Foundations April 28, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Song of Songs 5-6
John 19:30 (NIV); “It is finished.”

We have reached Calvary. From the creation of the world and the fall of man God knew that this
day would come, this day when He Himself would sacrifice for the sake of His people; on a cross
outside of Jerusalem He would pay the priceless debt of our sin.
With these three words Satan was forever defeated, his fate sealed for eternity. In His death, Jesus
took the jailer’s keys from Satan and unlocked the chains of sin that shackled mankind. The Lamb
for Abraham and Isaac’s altar provided; the Passover Lamb sacrificed; the Kinsman-Redeemer of
Israel arrived.
Could we ever thank Jesus enough for His sacrifice? When we think upon all that God has done for
us throughout history, do we have any reason to complain about anything or anyone? Everything
God did and allowed and used for His redemptive purposes – the flood, the promise to Abraham,
the Law to Moses, the words of the prophets, the punishment of exile – all these things were done
for you, so that you could be redeemed. Just as God knew instantly in Eden that He Himself would
be a sacrifice, He knew at Eden that you would be born and that you would choose Him and that all
He was about to do was for you as much as it was for anyone.
What an awesome God we have.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Allow today’s devotional to lead you into worship. Spend your devotional time today praising
God for His great redemption plan and for loving you personally.

Foundations April 27, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Song of Songs 3-4
Matthew 3:1-3 (ESV); In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet
Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make
His paths straight.’”

It was prophesied that before the Messiah came, one would come who would prepare the way for Him
calling the people to repentance. After years of prophetic silence, John the Baptist came along and
fulfilled the words of the prophet Isaiah.
John the Baptist was a necessary step in the redemption plan, once again drawing the focus of the
people back to true worship. Many times God had made it clear through the prophets of old that
the motions of sacrifice and holiness and repentance meant nothing to Him if the heart was not
also bowed before Him. John relayed this to the Pharisees when he said, “Bear fruit in keeping with
repentance.”
The description of John paints quite an extreme picture: a man dressed in garments of camel’s hair
eating locusts with wild honey. But he was a man of integrity. His counter-cultural lifestyle was a match
to his counter-cultural message. He was a man of extreme passion and obedience who willingly lost
his life for the message he preached. His focus was on the will of God and his poignant words “He
must become greater and I must become less” when speaking of Christ show us an attitude of true
humility. His desire was to see God high and lifted up.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Are you ever afraid to ask God about His will for fear of being asked to do something way too
scary or extreme? What kind of things are you afraid to ask God? Why not bring some of those
things before Him in listening prayer today. Remember that He loves you.
2. How can you shoulder John’s motto “He must become greater and I must become less” today?
What does this look like for you?
3. Spend time committing yourself and your day to God. Pray that He would be glorified in all you
say and do.

Foundations April 26, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Song of Songs 1-2
Amos 8:11 (NIV); “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign LORD, “when I will send a famine
through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the
LORD.”

Amos prophesied in Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II, around 200 years before the Babylonian
exile, but he told of a time of silence that came after the rebuilding of the Temple and city walls.
Things had already changed for the people since the exile. Though they had rebuilt the Temple, it
lacked the grandeur of Solomon’s original version as well as the direct visible presence of the Lord
that had been experienced by generations past. Of course God was alive and present as evident
through Esther’s story, but times were different. And after the last prophet died God was silent.
400 years passed during which time rule over the Jews moved from one empire to the next until the
Romans took over in 63 B.C. Rome imposed herself onto the Jews and though they had freedom
to practice religion and govern themselves, they struggled under the oppression. But something
had changed in the nature of the people since the exile: their incessant yield towards idolatry was
put to rest and they have remained a purely monotheistic (one-God) religion ever since. But still,
they lacked the radiance, the sanctity and holiness that they were created for. But of course God
continued to weave His tapestry in the silence. For after nearly 400 years, God collided with His
creation in the most fantastic way. In rustic surroundings and a makeshift bed a baby was born in
Bethlehem. The Redeemer had arrived.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Do you ever feel as though God is silent? How do you normally respond in those times? We
can allow times of silence to refine us. One Christian writer referred to these times as the “dark
night of the soul” where we feel dry and abandoned even though there is no rebellion or sin
that we know of. Be assured that God is nearby, refining you for His purposes. Ask God to give
you a word, thought or picture to cling to the next time you feel He is silent.
2. Think about how God came to earth as a child. What does this show you about Him? Worship
Him for what He shows you.

Foundations April 25, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Ecclesiastes 11-12
Esther 7:3-4a (NIV); Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, O king, and if it
pleases your majesty, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request.
For I and my people have been sold for destruction and slaughter and annihilation.”

Esther is known throughout history as the brave queen who risked her life to save the Jewish people.
The events surrounding her story describe an impending holocaust for the Jews; Haman wanted to
see the destruction of the entire race.
Esther was a beautiful woman and it was this trait that God used to gain her a favourable position
in the palace as queen. When Esther’s cousin Mordecai hears of Haman’s wicked plot he entreats
Esther to go before the king and make a case for her people. She is afraid of being killed but
Mordecai’s response is persuasive: “Do not think that you’ll be safe in the palace!” he says, “You are a
Jew like the rest of us. If you do not do this, God will deliver us another way, but you will die. And who
knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” This is convincing enough
for Esther and she calls the Jews to fast for three days after which she will appear before the king.
Her infamous words: “And if I perish, I perish.” Empowered by the Spirit she finds favour with the king
and the Jewish people are saved from destruction.
Mordecai’s words were inspired and they teach a valuable lesson: God is sovereign and His will
will be accomplished; His plans will succeed; His promises will be fulfilled. His desire was to use
Esther, but had she backed down help would have come through another avenue. His will was for His
people to be saved and because Esther submitted herself to God she became an active ingredient
in the fulfillment of His will. God wants to use us to accomplish His will. If we refuse, it will still be
accomplished but we will miss out on the blessing.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Ask God to point out an area of your heart where your will differs from His will. How can you
submit your will to His today?
2. God will often ask us to do things that cause us to go out of our comfort zone. If we are not
feeling challenged it could be that we’ve gotten lazy in listening prayer or in obedience. Ask God
how He wants to challenge you today.

Foundations April 24, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Ecclesiastes 9-10
Ezra 1:2-3 (NIV); This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “The LORD, the God of heaven, has given
me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build a temple for Him at Jerusalem in
Judah. Anyone of His people among you—may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem
in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.”

Because of their disobedience, Judah had finally fallen entirely into the hands of the Babylonians
and the people were exiled to Babylon. During this time Jeremiah prophesied a 70 year exile after
which God would bring the people back to their land. The book of Ezra tells the story of how God
fulfilled this promise. The kingdom of Babylon had been split in two, and the people of Judah were
under the new rule of king Cyrus of Persia. Persia was another wealthy and pagan nation, which is
why Cyrus’ decree in Ezra’s introduction is completely absurd! The Persians were prone to worship
elements of nature – the sun, moon, earth, fire, wind and water. Idols and altars and temples were
foolish to them. And so it was clearly an act of the sovereign Lord that Cyrus should call the people
of Judah to return home and rebuild their Temple!
The Jews begin their return to Jerusalem and Ezra leads them in the 20-year task of rebuilding
the Temple. 15 years later Nehemiah rebuilds the city walls. Throughout this time these and other
prophets are calling the people back to holiness, entreating them to repent and live a life set apart.
There is a mix of thanksgiving and sorrow – praise to God for fulfilling His promise and bringing
home this remnant and sorrow for the consequences of generations of sin and rebellion.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Surely this shows us that God can accomplish the impossible. What is something you long for
that seems impossible? Present your request to God and ask Him to work in this situation!
2. God doesn’t always fulfill His promises in a day. God rarely changes our circumstances with
a flick of a finger. He often heals and transforms, but will first ask us to do something in faith –
“get up and walk” or “stretch out your hand”. God says, “This is the way. Now walk in it.” And
we can trust that He’ll do His work in us along the way. What is the way God is showing you to
walk in today?

Foundations April 23, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Ecclesiastes 7-8
Daniel 1:19-20 (NIV); The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding
about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and
enchanters in his whole kingdom.

Judah continued to stray further away from the God of their forefathers. The Babylonians conquered
the Assyrians and Egypt snuck in to take control of Judah. Babylon took over when Jehoiakim was
king and Nebuchadnezzar ordered the first group of exiles to be taken from Judah. Among these boys
were Daniel and his three friends. These young men were the kind of characters that God can use as
the remnant through which to propel the promise. Defying the king’s aim to indoctrinate them, these
boys clung to holiness and were given divine aid, finding success and favour with Nebuchadnezzar.
Throughout their time in Babylon, these men lived lives of extreme integrity, showing the kings of
Babylon that there is no God besides Yahweh. And not only was his life a testament to God’s power,
sovereignty and faithfulness, but God gave Daniel words to speak forth regarding the future of
the remnant and the coming of the Messiah. Despite being torn from his home and thrown into an
enticingly wealthy pagan culture, Daniel was one who followed God his entire life, leaving a lasting
legacy for all believers. Again we see God’s promise to Abraham in action – the whole earth is being
blessed by his offspring as the stories of Daniel have strengthened the church throughout the ages.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Daniel and his friends’ lives were full of many adventures – the fiery furnace, Nebuchadnezzar’s
dreams, the writing on the wall, the lion’s den, etc. Ask God how He wants to encourage and
strengthen you through one of these stories. (See Daniel 3-6)
2. In listening prayer, ask God how He wants to use you today to be a light in an ungodly or
spiritually apathetic environment?
3. Search your heart on the issue of integrity. Are you honest and dependable or do you go back on
your word? Is your character consistent or do you live a double life? Confess any lack of integrity
and ask God to help you to operate with total integrity of character.

Foundations April 22, 2012

Isaiah 43:1-2 (NIV); But now, this is what the LORD says—He who created you, O Jacob, He who
formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are
Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will
not set you ablaze.

Isaiah was a prophet to Judah during the reigns of four kings, two who were evil in the sight of the
Lord and two who sought to follow Him. By mixing pagan gods into their holy lifestyle, the people
had traded God’s glory and His promises for the deception and corruption of idolatry and paganism.
They had so prostituted themselves under the reign of king Ahaz that they had been made subject
to powerful pagan nations. Under the heavy hand of the Assyrians, Judah fell into deeper sins
calling out to her false gods and even sacrificing her children to the fires of the demon-god Molech.
This was the tumultuous background of much of Isaiah’s prophesies. His message was clear: God
hates idolatry and will judge His people for their sins, reducing them to a remnant through whom
He will carry out His promise of the Redeemer who will save the peoples of the earth from their
iniquities. Isaiah 43 speaks of God’s promise to redeem the people – to pay the ransom for their
salvation because they are precious in His eyes and because He loves them (v 4). Isaiah spoke a
message of judgement and also of promise, and though spoken to the kings and people of Judah,
it is a message for us as well. We too live in an increasingly godless culture and we often have
prostituted ourselves and sacrificed God’s desires in order to fulfill our own. Isaiah’s message of
repentance is for us today as well.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Ask God to point out areas of compromise in your life, things that you have allowed to replace
God. Spend some time in repentance.
2. Use Isaiah 43 to help you pray, thanking God for His love and mercy. He points out areas of
sin and compromise because He loves us and longs to redeem us from the things that are
harming us.
3. Ask God how He wants to respond to your repentance. Ask God if there are any changes of
habit or lifestyle you need to make.

Foundations April 21, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Ecclesiastes 5-6
2 Chronicles 24:22 (NIV); King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah’s father Jehoiada
had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, “May the LORD see this and call you to
account.”

The story of the boy-king continues (see yesterday’s devotional), and the account in 2 Chronicles
reveals his unfortunate end. It is an extremely sad story. The boy who God saved to carry on the
Messianic promise became a man who turned his ear to wicked counsel and died with blood on his
hands.
The priest Jehoiada had worked vigorously to preserve the royal line and ensure Joash’s protection.
He was a wise priest who loved the Lord and directed Joash in repairing the Temple and leading the
people back to God. But when Jehoiada died, Joash was lead astray by his officials and lead his
people back to idol worship. Filled with the Spirit Jehoiada’s son, Zechariah, chastised the people of
Judah for their disobedience. And Joash’s response? How did Joash repay the kindness shown to him
by the priest Jehoiada? By killing his son, Zechariah. Pride and arrogance had taken over the king’s
heart and he ended his life in wickedness.
In Matthew 23 Jesus is calling out the hypocrisy and wickedness of the Pharisees and in His petition
He recalls the blood spilled at the hands of Joash. He tells the Pharisees that the blood of Abel and
of Zechariah and of all the prophets in between is on their hands. Israel’s sin was the sin of a nation,
and all who lived in rebellion and refusal to repent had blood on their hands. Though God could use
various individuals such as Joash for His redemptive purposes, each man and woman still had their
own choice whether they would follow God’s way or take their own. Joash was a catalyst, but He
did not end well. And surely on Judgment Day he will be held accountable for the wickedness of His
heart. Endurance is important to God. Let us be inspired to live well day-by-day so that we can lay on
our deathbeds with peace about the past and anticipation for the future.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. How would you like to end? Journal about this. Ask God if this truly is the direction that you are
heading in. What does He say you are doing well? What changes must you make in order to end
this way?
2. What do you need to do today in order to end this day well?

Foundations April 20, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Ecclesiastes 3-4
2 Kings 11:1-3 (ESV); Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead,
she arose and destroyed all the royal family. But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of
Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were
being put to death, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus they hid him from Athaliah,
so that he was not put to death. And he remained with her six years, hidden in the house of the
Lord, while Athaliah reigned over the land.

The story of the boy-king Joash is a story often heard in childhood Sunday school classes, but
the ramifications of the events are usually grossly underestimated! The story is much more than a
seven-year old ruler – it is a story of God’s sovereignty and faithfulness to His promise. A spiritual
battle was raging in 2 Kings 11 and the wicked Athaliah was Satan’s tool to abolish God’s prophecy
in Eden that a Redeemer would come and strike the head of the serpent. Athaliah sought to destroy
the royal family, thus wiping out the Davidic line forever. Joash was not just a lucky survivor of a
royal holocaust; he was the sole propagator of the Messianic promise. As the lone survivor, he
was the only one through whom God’s covenant with David could be fulfilled! His rescue and
inauguration was God-ordained. God’s word would stand fulfilled!
When it looks as though God has broken His promise or abandoned us we can be certain that it is
an illusion and that the enemy is tempting us to trust in our feelings and disregard our faith in God’s
character. Let us not give in to his tactics. Our God is faithful and trustworthy all the time.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Ask God to speak to you about His character through this story. What does He want to affirm
to you about Himself?
2. How can you apply what God has shown you to your life?
3. Spend some time in spiritual warfare. What are some areas you know you might be tempted
in today in regards to your behaviour, thoughts and attitudes? Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you and
enable you to live out of His power today. When temptation comes, tell the enemy to get out of
there and respond as you know God wants you to.

Foundations April 19, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Ecclesiastes 1-2
1 Kings 11:9, 11, 13 (ESV); And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned
away from the Lord, the God of Israel… Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this has been
your practice and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes that I have commanded you, I will
surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant… However, I will not tear away all
the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David My servant and for the sake of
Jerusalem that I have chosen.

Despite all of his wisdom, Solomon was enticed by the gods of his multitude of wives and he turned
away from the Lord. And so God decided to split the kingdom. One tribe would remain in Solomon’s
family, ruled by his son Rehoboam, only because of the promise God made to David. This would be
the kingdom of Judah. The remaining tribes would be overtaken by Solomon’s servant Jeroboam.
This was the kingdom of Israel.
Over the years Israel continues to turn further and further away from God, her kings leading her into
deeper idolatry. Judah fluctuates between seasons of rebellion and seasons of repentance. And God
punishes the people, abandoning them to their wickedness. On Mount Sinai God made it clear that
relationship with Him was primary, and because the people had agreed to the covenant rules He set
before them, they were bound to receive the blessings and punishments that came with obedience
and rebellion. God wanted relationship with His people, but the relationship He wanted was holy and
righteous relationship without the mixture of other gods.
But when things look bleak, all is not lost. God always looks for a faithful remnant among His people.
Though affected by national disobedience, those who trust in Him will continue to see His goodness.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. God is a good Father. Even punishment is good because He does so with love. Thank God for
punishment you’ve received from Him at times. Thank God for His goodness to you.
2. Our nation does not have a good track record of obedience. Spend some time interceding for
Canada, praying that she will turn back to God in repentance.

Foundations April 18, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Proverbs 31
Psalm 74:3-4 (NIV); Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You. I will praise You
as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands.

Though the people rejected God and begged for a king He would still not abandon them. In fact, He
worked with their decision, and chose a passionate and godly young man to be their second king.
Though chosen by God, David’s life was not trial-free and his kingly character was refined through
years of running from his jealous predecessor. David is a sharp contrast to the rest of Israel who
for so long have set aside God’s promises in return for cheap thrills. David waited for the Lord. He
knew God had promised him the kingship and he waited faithfully for God’s timing, proving himself
quite capable of governing God’s chosen people.
Through David the promise of eternal redemption continues on. For through him God makes a
promise that the sceptre will never depart from the tribe of Judah and David’s line. Of course when
we step back we realize that David didn’t know the implications of this. He didn’t know that the Son
of God would be called the Son of David and would save the people from their sins. No – David
was merely living his life in response to God’s direction. He had a mouldable heart – responsive to
the commendation and the correction of God.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. We never know how God might use our legacy. Therefore, leaving a legacy requires faithful
obedience in the day-to-day. Is there any temptation towards disobedience in you today? If so,
let God know how you feel and ask Him to help you to be strong in resisting.
2. Think of a difficulty in your life, perhaps a relational issue or a character struggle or a health
problem. Ask God to give you His perspective on your trouble and allow that to comfort you.
3. Choose one of David’s Psalms and spend some time meditating on it. Use it to help you pray.
As you read the words, read them as your own prayer to God. Expand on the words and let
them lead you into further, more personal prayer.

Foundations April 17, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Proverbs 29-30
1 Samuel 8:6-7 (ESV); But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he
prayed to the LORD. 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.

It was God’s desire to directly lead His people, but they set aside His will for their own. Greedily, they
looked upon other nations and coveted their style of leadership. “Give us a king!” they said. Their
request was another step in distancing themselves from God. The people didn’t want direct contact
with Him; they preferred the ways of the world. Samuel the prophet gave them ample warning of what
their kings would do to them, but they paid no heed. They didn’t care that their kings would conscript
them into the army or forced labour. They ignored the warnings that a king would take their daughters
to work for him or that he would take the best land and their best crops and servants and flocks. They
were blinded by their own desires, like one might be blinded by dollar signs before accepting a shady
job. To Samuel’s warnings they said, “No! But there SHALL be a king over us, that we may be like all
the nations...” What had once been a privilege – to be a nation set apart – was now a curse to them.
They didn’t want to be different; they wanted to blend, to assimilate to fit in.
We often think the Israelites so stupid. “Don’t you REMEMBER the covenant you made?!” we say.
“Don’t you REMEMBER the blessings that come with obedience?!” But do we remember? Do we
submit every decision and desire to what God has told us in the past? Do we remember that blessing
accompanies obedience when our only desire is to disobey?

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. In listening prayer, ask God what He would like to teach you from today’s reading. Spend time
dialoguing about it with Him.
2. When have you experienced blessings for your obedience to God? Ask God to show you how He
has recently (within the past week) blessed you for your obedience and the blessing has gone
unnoticed. Thank Him for it.
3. Ask God to reveal and speak to you about an area of insecurity – an area where you wish you
were like someone else.

Foundations April 16, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Proverbs 28
Ruth 3:9-11 (NIV); “I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me,
since you are a kinsman-redeemer.”

“The LORD bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “… I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow
townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character.”

Ruth’s story is one of hope and redemption in the midst of the unsettled times of the judges. Ruth
was from Moab, a pagan nation and traditional enemy of Israel. She was given in marriage to
the son of an Israelite and when her husband died, she returned to Bethlehem in Judah with her
widowed mother-in-law, Naomi, choosing to take the God of Israel as her own. The story that
enfolds is one of romance and redemption.
Both widows, Ruth and Naomi are fairly destitute, on the brink of losing both land and family line.
They are in need of a kinsman-redeemer – a close relative who would buy their land and also
take Ruth as his wife to carry on her husband’s name. The opportunity arises with Boaz – a man
in whose fields Ruth has been gleaning along with the other widows. He is a relative and also an
admirer of Ruth and he jumps at the opportunity to take her as his wife and redeem the family.
Ruth and Boaz are the parents to Obed, who fathers Jesse, who is the father of the shepherd-boyturned-
king, David.
Through the story of Ruth God shows us His desire to redeem His people – to bring them from
a place of destitution to a place of prosperity. Through the darkness of an unstable nation, God
gives a glimmer of hope that redemption is coming. And it takes only three generations for the next
instalment of the redemption plan.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. God can use anybody who is willing. Ruth abandoned everything to follow the God of Israel
and she wound up in the lineage of Jesus. Commit yourself to God in prayer today. Tell Him
that you are willing to be used by Him and ask Him what He wants of you today.
2. Spend some time thinking about your family. In what way does your family need redemption?
Intercede for them today.
3. Like Ruth, is there any plan or desire you need to abandon today for the sake of God’s will?
Respond to what you sense Him saying.

Foundations April 15, 2012

Judges 2:12 (ESV); And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them
out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were
around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger.

Upon entering the Promised Land the people did not fully obey God. Instead of driving the people out
of the land they allowed them to work as labourers. God was angry and said that He would no longer
drive the people out of the land. “They shall become thorns in your sides,” He said, “and their gods
shall be a snare to you.” (v3)
This signified a new time for Israel: a time of instability. The people would prostitute themselves in
utter rebellion until they would recognize their wretchedness and call out to God. He would raise up
a judge who would deliver them out of their enemies’ hands and the land would experience a time of
peace. But upon the death of each judge the people would stumble right back to their rebellion and
the nation would again be plunged into turmoil. This pattern continued and the Book of Judges ends
with the hopeless words, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his
own eyes.”
Everyone was his own leader, his own God. How the nation had fallen from her days following the
cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night! She had sold herself into a whole new form of slavery,
pitifully subject to other nations and morally bankrupt. But God was so faithful in this time, and looking
at the records of the judges we see the imprint of God’s unfailing love. Each time the people cried out
for help, God raised up a new leader. Though the people deserved no mercy, God showed mercy.
Though they deserved no favour, God showed favour. Over and over God proved to be the great
Redeemer.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. We are often like the Israelites, falling over and over again back into the same sin. Don’t allow
this repetition to keep you from calling out to God. Call out to Him today in repentance and ask
Him to change you and to help you overcome this issue.
2. Who has God put in your life to help keep you on track in your relationship with Him? Thank Him
for this person. Make a plan to bless this person this week.
3. Commit to making God your King today. What will that look like?

Foundations April 14, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Proverbs 26-27
Deuteronomy 8:2-5 (NIV); Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert
these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether
or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding
you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live
on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Your clothes did not
wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. Know then in your heart that as a man
disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.

It has been 40 years since God sentenced the people to a generation of wandering in the
wilderness. The last of the rebels have died and the people are ready to obey and enter the
Promised Land. But first Moses gives a grand speech entreating them to remember their covenant
with the Lord. And right near the beginning, he has them think upon the punishment they have just
endured, putting the entire forty years into perspective. The point of it all had not been punishment
alone; it was humbling and testing ground, allowing God to see the hearts of the people. God
proved the faithfulness of His character in an extreme way during those desert years. By His own
hand they were fed, and their clothes were miraculously kept from wearing out. Through it they
learned that it is His Word and His power that sustains.
In order to have clear vision and purpose, we must know where we have come from. If we know
where our roots are found and where God has taken us in the past we can trust Him with the future.
Though the future is often unknown, we can cling to the characteristics God has revealed through
the past.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Mediate on the passage and ask God to speak to you personally out of it. Allow this to lead
you into prayer and worship.
2. Where have you come from? What aspects of His character has God proven to you through
your past? Ask God how He wants to use this knowledge and experience in your current
struggles.
3. Spend some time interceding for a friend God brings to mind. Ask God to remind them of His
faithfulness in their past.

Foundations April 13, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Proverbs 25
Numbers 14:21-23 (ESV); But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the
Lord, none of the men who have seen My glory and My signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness,
and yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed My voice, shall see the land that
I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised Me shall see it.

God was ready to fulfill His promise and bring the Israelites into Canaan, but they would not accept
it. Fear and dread plagued them and they refused to put their trust in the God who had delivered
them from Egypt. Rather they cried out against their leaders and plotted to establish a new leader
who would bring them back to the nation that had enslaved them. Blinded by fear, they plunged
themselves into this foolishness and rebellion.
Though God was in their midst they disregarded Him and His anger burned against them. And the
punishment for their rebellion was grave – they who had grown up hearing stories of the Promised
Land and hoping against hope that theirs would be the generation to experience deliverance were
refused entrance.
God’s redemption is not cheap. A high price was paid at the Passover and He would pay the highest
price on Calvary. There is consequence for spitting in the face of God. He has shown humility to the
greatest degree and yet our final picture of Him is not of a baby in a manger or a man on a cross – we
see a Righteous Judge and Ruler of all. Those Israelites who rejected the promise were punished,
but God would not turn His back on His people. His plan was still to be accomplished and this people
would still be the catalyst.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. What are some ways that you think people treat God’s redemption cheaply? When have you
treated His redemption cheaply? Spend some time in repentance.
2. When you think about Jesus, what is the picture that usually comes to mind? Is He the Baby in
the manger? The compassionate Healer? The Man on the cross? The risen Christ? The Judge?
Each of these pictures can bring us to worship. Ask God to give you a different picture of Jesus
to meditate on today.

Foundations April 12, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Proverbs 23-24
Exodus 40:34, 36-38 (ESV); Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord
filled the tabernacle… Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over
the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did
not set out till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day,
and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.

God gave Moses explicit instructions for the building of the Tabernacle – the mobile Tent of Meeting
where the Israelites would meet with and worship God. This description at the end of Exodus
describes how magnificent it was to see God Himself make His dwelling in the Tabernacle.
God was the King of the Israelites, leading them through the desert towards the land He had
promised to Abraham. Worship was an essential part of the people’s lifestyle, since their national
identify found its roots in the promise. The Tabernacle was thus a fantastic institution. When
God – manifested in a great cloud – would lift from the Tabernacle, the people set out through the
wilderness. When God would stop, the people would set up camp and God would settle upon the
Tabernacle by cloud or by fire. God was truly the Lord of the nation, and the lifestyle of the people
was centred on worship. “Church” was not a Sunday thing and worship was not determined by the
individual. God guided the people and lived among them.
This was a picture of the mighty work His redemption would accomplish, when He would be able
to live with His people forever, unhindered by sin and death and decay. We look forward to the day
when He will live among us again – when His radiant glory will cover the earth and when we will
see Him face-to-face.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Take a moment to think about what worship looks like in your life. Is it something that you
dictate, or do you live in response to God’s Spirit? Is it consigned to Sunday mornings or
Saturday nights, or do you go throughout each day with a heart of thanksgiving and praise?
Ask God to speak to you about worship in your life.
2. Ask God how He wants you to worship today and respond to that.

Foundations April 11, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Proverbs 22
Exodus 19:17-19 (NIV); Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they
stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD
descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain
trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder.

From Mount Sinai, God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments – the moral law. This was not
something that God randomly made up on that day; He was only speaking what has always been
the case – that mankind is unique and valuable and that his relationship with God is of primary
importance.
The Ten Commandments themselves are redemptive. They, along with the 600+ laws God relayed to
Moses, gave the people a standard of holiness to live by, revealing the holiness of Yahweh and the
corruption of human nature. Through the Law, the need for a Saviour was made screamingly evident!
And today the Ten Commandments remain as our moral guide. In order to be redeemed, we must
recognize our need for God and then we must call out to Him. But we will never see Him as worthy to
be called upon if we do not honour Him. The Ten Commandments teach us to honour God as Most
High, setting nothing in our lives above or akin to Him. He alone is worthy. And when we have that
established, and we are loving and obeying Him, we will see others with the value He has give them
and we will love and respect them too.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Imagine what life would be like if God never revealed His moral law. Thank Him that He has
shown us how to live life to the fullest!
2. Read through the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:3-17). Confess as necessary and ask for God’s
help in areas where you are struggling.
3. Today’s verses give us a glimpse of how the Israelites experienced the presence of God from
time to time. We have the Holy Spirit in us and we have direct access to God anytime, though
the fire and smoke is not so common. Spread your hands out in front of you and ask God to fill
you with His Spirit today so that you can hear His voice and accomplish His will. Ask that you
would grow in intimacy with Jesus. Is there anything God wants to say to you today?

Foundations April 10, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Proverbs 20-21
Exodus 12:13 (ESV); The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when
I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the
land of Egypt.
The Passover is the greatest Old Testament picture of God’s redemption plan. This would be what
God’s people would observe and remember until Jesus Christ would die on the cross as the final
Passover Lamb.
God was going to strike down the firstborns of Egypt, but the Angel of Death would pass over the
houses of those covered by the blood of a lamb. Freedom for Israel would come through the death
of the firstborn. Because sin entered through the firstborn, redemption also must come through the
firstborn. On this one momentous night, God would display both His justice and His mercy.
There is no denying the powerful parallel of the Passover lamb to Jesus Christ. In the great
revelation, the apostle John describes Jesus: “I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been
slain...” Jesus was the Lamb slain for the salvation of the entire world. And those who confess
Him as Lord and Saviour are covered by His blood, just as the families of Israel were covered by
the blood on their doorposts. But the blood of Christ is not blood of temporary protection; it is the
blood of forgiveness and eternal redemption for those who remain under it. This is why you will
hear people in Christian circles speak of the “precious blood” or the “cleansing blood”. This is not a
grotesque or morbid ritual; it is a wonderful and praiseworthy remembrance of what God did for us.
Because He loved us, He sent His one and only Son – the Firstborn – to die on our behalf, that we
might be brought out of slavery and into everlasting relationship with our God and King.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Meditate on the Passover and the cross. Think about these two great events and ask God to
speak to you personally through them.
2. By Jesus’ blood we are made white as wool. (See Is. 1:18) Meditate on what it means to be
covered by the blood of Jesus. Thank Him for covering you.
3. The Israelites were often told to remember what God had done and teach it to their children.
Do you teach and remember what Jesus has done? We MUST live and teach the world of
God. Think on this.

Foundations April 9, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Proverbs 19
Exodus 3:7-8 (ESV); Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in
Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come
down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good
and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey...

God’s plan of redemption, which seemed to go into hibernation-mode, is reactivated when Moses
encounters God in the burning bush. God has not forgotten His covenant to Abraham!
God finds another unlikely hero in Moses. Miraculously saved by an Egyptian princess, Moses has
grown up in the palace of Egypt, a far cry from the living conditions of his enslaved brothers. But when
he kills an Egyptian who he found beating an Israelite slave, Moses finds himself in a lonely position,
estranged from relatives of both blood and of upbringing. And so God’s words to Moses were powerful
when He said in verse 6, “I am the God of your Father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the
God of Jacob.” With these words, Moses was branded with the identity of one of God’s chosen.
And if revealing Moses’ identity was not enough, God further heaped Him with blessing by revealing
His own identity. Over the course of their conversation, God reveals His name to Moses – something
He has never done before! “I AM WHO I AM” He says – Yahweh.
Though the Redeemer was yet to be born, the effects of Jesus’ work on the cross were already
evident in the lives of the faithful men and women of Scripture. Not only was He redeeming His people
as a nation, but He was redeeming the lives of individuals in the process.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. In what ways do you feel privileged to be used by God? What opportunities or promises has He
given you that bring you great joy and honour? Thank Him for these things!
2. God is in the habit of redeeming people – of buying us out of our slavery to sin. God wants to
speak to us about who we are, just as he spoke to Moses. Ask God to speak to you about who
you are and how He feels about you. (For more on the subject, study the “Identity in Christ”
doctrinal paper on www.mysouthland.com.)
3. Meditate on God’s name “I AM WHO I AM.”

Foundations April 8, 2012

Genesis 46:2-4 (ESV); And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.”
And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go
down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. I myself will go down with you to Egypt,
and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.”

Jacob knew that God was faithful. After years of believing his son to be dead, miraculous news had
come that, not only was Joseph alive, but he was a ruling official in Egypt! So when this revelation
coupled with the famine in the Promised Land brought Jacob and his family over to Egypt, God’s
promise of eventual return could be trusted.
God has a strong attachment to the land of Israel. He led Abraham into the land and promised it to
him and his descendants forever. The miraculous survival of the nation of Israel over the past 2000
years is strong evidence of God’s unique interest in the land, not to mention His very existence!
Even with our own eyes in the 20th and 21st centuries we have seen her survive against all odds.
God is faithful to His word. He does not speak only to be heard. His “yes” is yes and His “no” is no.
All He spoke to Jacob proved true. Israel did grow rapidly while in Egypt and Jacob was surrounded
by his sons when he died. God did not abandon His people to Egypt, and though troubled times
were ahead, His promise to be with them remained true. God never lost sight of His people or His
plan to redeem them. And as He has fulfilled His promises throughout history, we can be certain
that He continues to fulfill His promises today.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. When speaking to the men and women of the Bible, God’s first words were often a declaration
of His character – “I am God, the God of your father.” Spend some time meditating on God’s
character – who He is and why He is completely trustworthy.
2. As hostility towards Israel and the Jewish people continues to grow throughout the world, we
at Southland are committed to standing firmly beside them. Spend some time interceding for
the nation. Pray that the eyes of the Jewish people would be opened to Jesus as the Messiah.
Pray for their protection as a nation.

Foundations April 7, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Proverbs 17-18
Genesis 25:23 (ESV); And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples
from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the
younger.”

In Psalm 2:8 the psalmist says on behalf of the Lord, “Ask of Me, and I will make the nations your
inheritance”. One who truly experienced this was Isaac. As the seed that would perpetuate the
Abrahamic covenant, Isaac would need to have children, but similar to his mother, his wife Rebekah
was barren. Unlike his father, who hastily ran to another woman, Isaac prayed and the Lord opened
Rebekah’s womb. He asked of the Lord and truly received the nations as his inheritance, for it was
through his son Jacob that the nation of Israel was born, and the promise of a Messiah foretold.
Jacob and his brother Esau were contenders for the promise, and God chose the younger Jacob
to carry the torch. This was contrary to the norm, which saw the firstborn male to be master over
his siblings. But in His sovereignty, God chose to do a new thing and make the older servant to the
younger. The phrase found in Romans 9, “Jacob I loved but Esau I hated” strikes a nerve for many
Christians. But we can rejoice in the sovereignty of God – that He knows all things and that all things
will work according to the good of those who love Him. We become children of the promise and heirs
of God through faith. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob walked in faith, unknowingly charting the path of
God’s redemptive plan into history.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. We must not be afraid to ask the Lord for things. Too often we try everything within our own
power to accomplish our goals or to get the desires of our heart, and then if all else fails we go
to God. But our faith is proven by our actions, and one important action is to run to God in prayer
over all circumstances. Spend substantial time bringing the things of your heart to God in prayer
today.
2. Thank God for His sovereignty – for His power and control in your situation.
3. Thank God for the faith of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Thank Him for using the obedience of
these men to bring you blessing!

Foundations April 6, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Proverbs 16
Genesis 22:2 (NIV); Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go
to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you
about.”

After God had made a promise to Abraham and the man had obediently left his home, after God
had made a covenant with him and promised him a child through Sarah in her old age, after
Abraham had obediently submitted to the call to circumcision, and after raising the young son he
loved so much, God now called Abraham to sacrifice the boy of the promise. It is a wonder what
was going through Abraham’s mind at that moment, but the next morning he faithfully set out on the
journey to the mountain.
This ancient story is the first blaring advertisement for God’s plan of redemption. There are acute
parallels between Isaac and Jesus. Both carried the wood of their execution upon their backs. Both
lived in the shadow of death for three days, Jesus literally and Isaac figuratively. We even find a
clear reference to one of the names of Jesus when Isaac asks his father, “Where is the lamb for
the burnt offering?” and Abraham replies, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering,
my son.” Little did Abraham know that his own words were powerfully prophetic, speaking of a
future act of God that would truly bring to fruition God’s promise to bless all the peoples of the earth
through Abraham. The angel of the Lord would stop Abraham from sacrificing Isaac, and God would
provide an alternate sacrifice in a ram caught in the thickets on the mountain, but the true sacrifice
would be provided over 2000 years later on a cross on the exact same mountain.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Read Genesis 22:1-19, looking for clues of Jesus and God’s redemptive plan. Ask Him to
speak to you through the story.
2. Biblical prophecy is such a faith-builder! Thank God for giving us pictures of His plan long
before it was executed.
3. Do you sense that God is putting you through a test right now? Or is there something God
is asking you to do that you just don’t want to do? Ask Him to help you to be obedient like
Abraham. Ask Him how He wants you to step out in faith today, and then do what He says!

Foundations April 5, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Proverbs 14-15
Genesis 16:2-3 (ESV); And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from
bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened
to the voice of Sarai.

Though Abraham was chosen as the father of a great nation, he was not without transgression.
The Bible never hesitates to show us the mistakes made and the sins committed by the great men
and women of the faith, and Abraham is no exception. Though God made a fantastic promise and a
binding covenant with him, Abraham wavered when he did not see the promise immediately fulfilled.
He sold himself short and meddled in God’s plan, breaking his marriage covenant and seeding a child
who would grow to be a man who lived “in hostility toward all his brothers” (v 12). Yet Abraham was
still called a friend of God and was commended for his great faith.
Thank God that He can use imperfect people to further His perfect plans! No one is truly righteous
besides God. There are great men and women of faith and purity that we can look up to, but none
are without sin. Bad habits, unrelenting character issues, hard-heartedness, hard-headedness,
hot-headedness – all these and more plague the human nature, but God can use those who learn
to submit to His lordship. Submission does not mean perfection, but it is a willingness to give our
everything to God and allow Him to do whatever He pleases with that everything. Submission is to put
our will – our desires – under Christ, allowing Him to act as King and to put HIS will in place of ours.
Just like Abraham, we will fall. We will fail in our attempts to surrender always, but those with a heart
after God will continue to get up, open their hands and re-surrender all.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Ask God to show you how He has used you in spite of your imperfections and mistakes. Thank
Him for what He’s done.
2. Ask God to point out areas where you have acted out of impatience towards Him. Confess
anything you need to.
3. Is there anything you need to re-surrender to God? Ask Him for His mercy, open your hands and
give back that thing that you failed to surrender the last time.

Foundations April 4, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Proverbs 13
Genesis 12:2-3 (NIV); I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name
great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will
curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

God’s plan of redemption, which was promised at the fall and perpetuated through Noah, was
further developed through His servant Abraham. In a conversation with Abraham, God wove a new
thread into the plan and spoke forth a prophecy that would find its fulfillment in Jesus of Nazareth.
God promised that the entire earth would be blessed through Abraham if he would get up, leave his
family and follow the Lord to a promised land. In faith, Abraham left his father’s land and his father’s
gods and followed the God of heaven into the unknown.
Now that the peoples of the earth were spreading out, being fruitful and multiplying, God chose to
channel His redemption plan through a nation of people – the Israelites, descendants of Abraham.
Through Abraham and Sarah, a nation would be born – a nation set apart as the Lord’s chosen
people. And out of this nation would come a Redeemer by which all people would be blessed, for
through Him mankind would be reunited with the Father.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Faith and obedience go together. If we really trust God we will obey Him. Ask God to show you
a situation in your life that He wants to use to grow your faith. What step of obedience does He
want you to take? Pray that you would trust Him and walk in obedience. Ask God to make you
a man/woman of faith.
2. The book of Hebrews reminds us that Abraham lived by faith in that he obeyed God without
ever seeing the fulfillment of God’s promise. Is there something you want to see happen that
you think God has promised you? (To see a loved one come to Christ, to get married, to get a
certain job, etc.) Pray about this. Thank God for what He has told you and ask Him to help you
to be patient. Will you trust God and obey Him even if you have to wait? Even if you never see
the fulfillment of the promise come to pass in your lifetime?
3. Ask God for a word of blessing and encouragement for you today.

Foundations April 3, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Proverbs 11-12
Genesis 6:6, 8 (NIV); The LORD was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was
filled with pain… But Noah found favour in the eyes of the LORD.
Through the flood we see God’s fingers at work, weaving the tapestry of redemption that will find
completion on the cross. The seed that will bruise the head of the enemy cannot be corrupt. Had God
left the earth alone, creation would have turned away from Him completely. And so the flood itself was
a redemptive act – a way to preserve creation by purging it of wickedness.
Noah alone walked righteously in the midst of a wicked and depraved generation. And so God worked
through him, protecting him and his family and creating a universal covenant with them. The covenant
God made with Noah is for all people of all generations. (See Gen. 8:20-9:17) And through this
covenant, we are profoundly reminded that God values life and He desires relationship with humanity.
He pledges that He will never again curse the ground because of man’s rebellion and He promises
that He will never destroy the earth with a flood. He is so adamant that He creates a universal sign
of His promise – the rainbow. But it is in this covenant that God also restates the uniqueness of man
and the value of his life: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the
image of God has God made man. “ (Gen 9:6)
Like Noah, those who cling fiercely to God amidst wickedness can be used as a catalyst for His work.
Perhaps God wants to use you in order to show Himself as a Redeemer to someone else. Be faithful
to Him and see how He uses you!

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Recall a time that God has been faithful to you, a time when He refused to give up on you.
Spend some time worshipping Him for His faithfulness.
2. Think of an area in your life where it is difficult to be righteous. What are the obstacles? In
listening prayer, ask God how He wants to help you remain righteous and blameless in this
situation.
3. Ask God to use you today. Ask Him if there’s anything specific He wants of you today and
surrender yourself wholly to His will.

Foundations April 2, 2012

Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Proverbs 10
Genesis 3:15 (ESV); I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring
and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

God designed man with huge potential and placed Him in a position of relational fulfillment. And
within that place, God set forth a boundary line, not to squelch happiness and discovery, but to
protect from pain and sorrow. And so in direct disobedience, Eve crossed the boundary line and
the ties that bound man to God were severed. Sin entered and everything changed in an instant.
Suddenly they were filled with a terrible foreign feeling – shame. In desperation they covered
themselves. Another unfamiliar sensation – fear – welled up. Overcome, it caused them to hide
from the One they had only wanted to run to before this moment. Man sold himself into slavery
and this simultaneously brought forth the need for and the plan of redemption. The moment that
sin brought separation, God’s plan to buy His people out of their slavery took flight. The man and
woman’s sin brought a curse upon all creation, but subtly woven into the curse we find a glimmer of
hope. God the Prophet curses the tempter and in doing so, gives a glimpse into His grand plan: that
though the devil will continue to nip at the heels of man, a child will one day be born who will crush
Satan’s head and defeat his authority forever.
God’s sovereignty is amazing. Heaven was not scrambling around for a solution on that fateful day
in Eden. God’s love for His creation was great, and He knew instantly what He would do.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Thousands of years before Jesus hung on the cross, God had a plan of redemption firmly
established. What area in your life brings you chaos or anxiety? Meditate on God’s sovereignty
– His authority and control. Ask Him how He wants to be the King over your problem.
2. Examine your heart for any sin that is causing you shame or fear. Confess this to God and
ask Him to forgive you. Ask Him to remove the shame and fear and to bring you back into
closeness with Him.
3. Write out some of your fears and anxieties, even things that you are afraid to share with God.
Bring these things to Him! Tell Him your heart and ask what He wants to say to you.