Scripture:  (Joshua speaking) – “So fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth. Put away the gods your ancestors worshipped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt.  You should serve the Lord.  But if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, then choose you this day whom you shall serve.  You may prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!”   Joshua 24:14, 15

Thoughts/questions:  Again, two ‘buts‘ and again the choice is ours!  (See day 849 for the previous 2)  Joshua knew his people and knew they would serve something given the many ‘gods’ available.  ’Gotta serve somebody!’

Most God2me readers agree with Joshua – there are many choices, but they have chosen to serve the Lord!!!  They know their lives have changed and earnestly want to know God better!  However, serving the Lord completes us when it is 100%!  Just how much arsenic in a glass of water would it take to make it poison?  Would 98% water be enough?  Watch out for that 2%!

Yes, 100% should be our goal, but God accepts improvement!!!  I was serving God at 25%, but I choose to serve Him 35%.  I was serving God at 80%, but I choose to serve Him 90%.  There is this one area I know I have kept from Him, but I am choosing to serve Him completely in this area!!!

We will always be tempted with the ‘gods’ of this world and our culture; however, we must choose to serve the Lord in an ever increasing fashion.  It starts with the commitment, ‘but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord’, and continues with the commitment, ‘and I choose to serve You with more and more of everything I have as I walk with You!’

Wherever you find yourself today, reaffirm the choice of Joshua – BUT as for ME and MY house, we will serve the Lord!!!!

Suggested prayer:  Father God, thank You for accepting me as I am; help me to serve You more . . .

Memory verse:  But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!   Joshua 24:15c

Scripture:  I am the Lord  Exodus 12:12c  I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.  You shall have no other gods before Me.  You shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness of what is in heaven above, or on the earth below, or in the water under the earth.  You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God!  Exodus 20:2-5a

Thoughts/questions:  While I was reading about God delivering the children of Israel from Egypt and the various circumstances surrounding that account, two things struck me.  The first is that God wants to be acknowledged as God!  While stating detailed instructions regarding The Passover, God interjected into the instructions, “I am the Lord.”  Then the 10 commandments begin with establishing one thing clearly – He IS the Lord; He IS God; there is no other!!!

I am glad for the ‘other’ people God has put into the lives of my kids to help them on their path.  However, I am jealous of my position as their earthly Father!  If one were to say that they met a new ‘Dad’ today, that would be going too far!  I want my position to be completely clear to them – and any parent feels the same way.  As does God!!!  He IS the one and only – beside Him there is NO other!!

Second, He had a detailed, purposeful plan for the Israelis and with me.  Check the details in The Passover instructions if you don’t agree!  Then, when Israel departed from Egypt, God sent them the long way, as He knew they had to avoid the trouble which lay ahead on the shorter route.  Certain things in my life are taking the ‘long’ route, and I would prefer the shorter one!  However, the one true God KNOWS what lies ahead and is protecting or preparing me – even against my will, and I need to trust His timing!!!  Yes, I’m still learning that He is God and I am not!!!

Suggested prayer:  Lord, help me to yield control of my life to You, my Lord and my God, every day and in every circumstance . . .

Memory verse:  For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God!  Exodus 20:5a

Scripture:  Song – ‘Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found; was blind, but now I see!’   And as Jesus taught them, He asked, “Is it not written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’?  But you have turned it into a den of thieves.”  Mark 11:17

Thoughts/questions:  Two short, similar phrases filled with meaning!!  They have really impacted me recently!  As Christ followers, we do both and hopefully the but now’s grow in number and the but you’s diminish!

John Newton, who wrote Amazing Grace, knew a lot about living one way, but nowliving a different one!  We do too!!!  As II Corinthians 5:17 tells us that we are new creatures in Christ and old things are passed away, we have begun a ‘but now’ life.  We acted one way, but now act another.  We believed certain things, but now we have found the truth.  We loved one way, but now we love with God’s love.  We once lived a self-centered existence, but now we begin to consider others as more important than ourselves.  Lost/found; blind/see; unforgiven/forgiven; spiritually dead/spiritually alive and SO many more but now’s and SO many more in our future!!!

However, I still live in many of the but you’s!  When Jesus tells me that His word teaches me one thing, but you do something else – I MUST listen!  Although perfection is not the goal, being like Christ by dying to self and letting Him live through me is!!!  So, I must seek to know His will, and instead of Him saying, ‘but you’ do something else, I should eventually say, “I used to be like this, BUT NOW I am like Him!!!

I am trying to have ‘but now’ characterize my life more and more!  I trust you are doing the same!!!

Suggested prayer:  Lord Jesus, I need Your help!  Thank You for changing my life and help me to continue to do so . . .

Memory verse:  (verse of a song) ‘I once was lost, but now I’m found; was blind, but now I see!!!’

Scripture:  For God so loved me and the whole world that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save the world through Him. John 3:16,17

Thoughts/questions:  As humans, we perish!  One out of one of us dies, and after about the age of 30, we start perishing, as our cells do not reproduce themselves indefinitely.  The second law of thermodynamics states that ‘every system, left to its own devices, always tends to move from order to disorder . . .’  It may not be nice to think about, but all of us, and the system we live in, are moving in the direction of perishing!

But God loves us so much, He has reversed that law. and He has provided us with the opportunity to not perish, but have everlasting life!  Worldly principles destine us to die, but God has intervened!  In addition to this, our own behaviors condemn us before a holy God, but He desires to save us through Jesus!!!

We should perish, but God . . .  We are condemned, but God . . .  Original sin brought a huge problem to mankind and destroyed God’s original plan, but the living Creator God of the universe  made provision for us!!!  God had a Plan, we caused a Problem, but God made a Provision!!!

Where would we be without this foundational ‘but‘?  God gives life; God gives salvation!!!  All around us things are perishing, BUT we have everlasting life!!!

Suggested prayer:  Thank You Lord that even though my body and the whole earth will perish, You have given me salvation and everlasting life!  Blessed be Your name . . .

Memory verse:  So that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life!  John 3:16b

Scripture:  The words ‘it was credited to him’ was not written for Abraham alone, but also for me!  Yes, God will credit me with righteousness when I believe in Him who raised Jesus, the Lord, from the dead.  Jesus was delivered over to death because of my sins, and was raised from the dead for my justification!   Romans 4:23-25

Thoughts/questions:  Because of my sins; for my justification!  Within the myriad of Christ followers, it is easy to forget just how special we are!  FOR ME - Jesus was delivered over to death – FOR ME!!!

Imagine a pre-creation conversation between God and Jesus.  God – ‘So that is the plan.  Your death as the ultimate sacrifice.’  Jesus – ‘I understand the necessity of my death, but how many will believe in what I did for them?’  God – ‘Does it matter?’ Jesus – ‘It would make it a lot easier to go through everything if I know that it is for the salvation of many.’  God – ‘What if I told You it was only for one person?’  Jesus – That would make it very hard!’  God – ‘Would You still go through with it?’  Jesus – ‘I’m not sure.’  God – will you do it for _______ (you!)?’  Jesus – ‘Yes, I will do it for ______ (you)!!!

I cannot fathom or understand that Jesus would be persecuted, scourged (think Passion of the Christ), and crucified FOR only ME!  And I must NEVER forget what He did!  NEVER!!!

Words we can never trivialize or minimize - Jesus was delivered over to death because of my sins, and was raised from the dead for my justification.

Suggested prayer:  Lord Jesus, it isn’t enough for me to merely say thank You for what You have done for me.  I want to live my life in such a way that it loudly proclaims the thankfulness that I feel towards You . . .

Last day for memory verse for Romans 4:  Jesus was delivered over to death because of my sins, and was raised from the dead for my justification.   Romans 4:25

Scripture:  Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though he acknowledged the fact that his body was too old to be a father at the age of one hundred, and that his wife, Sarah, had a womb that also seemed dead.  Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding God’s promise, but his faith grew stronger and he gave glory to God!  He was fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised.  This is why his faith was credited to him as righteousness.  Romans 4:19-22

Thoughts/questions:  Two negatives and two positives add up to so much more than zero!!!  God’s math regarding Abraham’s faith – his faith did not weaken, and he did not waver; PLUS his faith grew stronger, and he was fully persuaded - from man’s perspective, the preponderance of evidence was against the promise of God, but . . .

Did not weaken - like muscles quickly atrophy when not used, our faith can weaken if we do not exercise it.  Today, we all face challenges in which we should be exercising our faith – we need to do just that or our faith will weaken.  Did not waver - at times we fluctuate between trust and doubt as we waver in our belief, and sadly, our faith is often a reaction to the size of our challenge.  Instead, our faith should be based on the size of our great God!!!

His faith grew stronger - using the muscle analogy again, our muscles grow when they are broken down through exertion and then rest.  Sometimes life breaks our faith down, but those times of brokenness can also be times where are faith can grow stronger.  When broken, stop; rest in His arms; trust; your faith will grow!

He was fully persuaded - FULLY; not mostly or partially or kind of, but completely! God IS able!!!  When we expand our view of who His is, we minimize our challenges and our faith grows!!!  Be fully persuaded!!!

Suggested prayer:  Father God, help me to be like my spiritual father Abraham and be fully persuaded that You are able . . .

Memory verse for Romans 4:  Jesus was delivered over to death because of my sins, and was raised from the dead for my justification   Romans 4:25

Scripture:  Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and be guaranteed to all of Abraham’s descendants.  Not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham!   For Abraham is the father of all who believe.  That is what the Scripture means in Genesis 17:5, ‘I have made you a father of many nations.’  He is my father in the sight of the God he believed in; the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were!  Even though there was no reason to hope, Abraham did have hope and believed.  He then became the father of many nations, just as it was recorded in Genesis 15:5, ‘Your offspring shall be like the stars of the heavens.’  Romans 4:16-18

Thoughts/questions:  What a God is our God!!!  He gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were!  We tend to call things as we see them, but our God does not!!!

We see no hope, but God promises us hope and that ALL things work together for our good!  Our present circumstances are dismal, but God tells us that He will use us to comfort others with the comfort that He will give us during those times.   We feel alone, but God says He is always with us.  We get discouraged, but God tells us to cast all of our cares and worries on Him because He loves us so deeply.

You get the idea – our God sees things differently than we do!  So the question is, whose eyes do you choose to see your life with – yours or His???

Suggested prayer:  Lord, give me the spiritual eyes to see my life the way You see it . . .

Memory verse for Romans 4:  Jesus was delivered over to death because of my sins, and was raised from the dead for my justification   Romans 4:25

Scripture: It was not through the law that Abraham and his descendants received the promise regarding being heir of the world, but through a new relationship with God through faith.  For if I live by the law and therefore am an heir, then faith has no value and God’s promise is worthless.  Trying to obey all of the law brings about God’s wrath, but where there is no law there is no violation of it.  Romans 4:13-15

Thoughts/questions:  The law has been replaced by faith, and we do not violate God’s law because He declares us righteous due to our faith – He has done it, we merely receive it!  However, let’s look at the phrase where there is no law (God) there is no violation from a different perspective.

God is dead – a failed frontal assault in the 70′s, but now gaining new momentum.  No God – someone who is addicted to self pleasure would consider that something worth fighting for.  No God – no accountability to a higher power other than self reigning without opposition, as even doing something for the good of the whole is done to take care of the self within the whole!

No God – personal wants are all powerful and addictive – to do what,when, where, how, with whomever, in whatever manner one WANTS and then not to be in violation of God’s standard and therefore not guilty on earth and finished when dead – now that’s freedom!  The Animals sang, ‘It’s My Life and I’ll do What I Want’ and to those who consider themselves to be evolutionary animals, a mantra is born.

God?  God who asks us to love Him above all, obey Him, serve others, consider others more important than ourselves, die to self, deny self, be last to be first – quite the contrast!  God2me readers may not be atheistic evolutionists, but the draw of ‘no God’ is strong.  Fight that enemy of self daily as its end is its destruction, but our end is spiritually eternal and an obituary filled with service to others!!!

Suggested prayer:  Almighty God, I cannot live without You!  Help my desires to be for things of You not for things of me . . .

Memory verse for Romans 4:  Jesus was delivered over to death because of my sins, and was raised from the dead for my justification   Romans 4:25

Scripture:  So how then was righteousness credited to Abraham?  Was it after he was circumcised or before?  God declared him righteous before he received the sign of circumcision – a seal declaring Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous!  So Abraham has been made the spiritual father of me and all of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. We have been made righteous by faith!  And Abraham is also the spiritual father of me and those who have been circumcised, but only if we walk in the footsteps of the faith our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.  Romans 4:10-12

Thoughts/questions:  Following in the footsteps of others can be a daunting task – who wanted to follow in the footsteps of legendary Johnny Wooden?  We are asked to walk in the footsteps of the faith of our father Abraham, so what type of footsteps of faith did Abraham leave?

Sometimes he had very human footsteps with fear and doubt, yet supernatural faith at other times.  The man who would have sacrificed his only son couldn’t trust God with his own life.  The man whose faith allowed him to let Lot have first pick of the best land resulting in him having the leftovers, but  also a man who had a very hard time believing God would grant him a son, so he fathered Ishmael with his wife’s maid and unleashed a struggle that continues to this day!

Let us all strive to trust God more each day; have our faith grow steadily; and increasingly rely on our Father’s loving hand to guide us in everything!!! AND give ourselves a break when sometimes we fall short!

Suggested prayer:  Lord, I believe; please help my unbelief . . .

Memory verse for Romans 4:  Jesus was delivered over to death because of my sins, and was raised from the dead for my justification   Romans 4:25

Scripture:  When I work, my wages aren’t credited to me as a gift; I earned what I received.  But when I don’t do any works, but believe in the One who justifies the ungodly, I am declared righteous because of my faith!  King David also speaks of the blessings I receive when God credits me with righteousness apart from any works: ‘Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered.  Blessed are those whose sin will never be counted against them.’  Is this blessing only for the Jews, or also for the Gentiles?  Paul has been teaching that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness, so how then was it credited to him?  Romans 4:4-10a

Thoughts/questions:  God credits my account!!!  When I taught accounting, it was important for the students to know that certain account balances went up when credited and down when debited and vice versa.  One of the accounts that went UP when credited was the account showing the WORTH of the business, the capital account!

When God credits me, He always increases our worth!!!  In this case, He credits me with righteousness apart from any works!!!  Paul then quotes some of the blessings David referred to regarding our sins being removed from us AND we have SO much more.  Times can get very difficult (our family is going through some tough times right now), YET God has chosen to credit us with His blessings – the unworthy made worthy of having a relationship with Almighty God for now and throughout eternity!!!

Remember the poster regarding Jesus being asked how much He loved us (i.e. how much are we worth to Him) and He said, “This much” and stretched out His arms and died!

Suggested prayer:  Thank You Lord for reaching down to me and giving me forgiveness, worth, love, purpose, hope, righteousness, security, joy, and so much more!  Help me to count my blessings . . .

Memory verse for Romans 4:  Jesus was delivered over to death because of my sins, and was raised from the dead for my justification   Romans 4:25