Devotionals
Enjoy our daily devotionals written by Pastor Randy Dubois. These devotionals can be used as another way to grow in your walk with Jesus and to grow in your understanding of God and His Word.
Messages About Egypt (Day 68)
Read Jeremiah 46:1-28
At the battle of Carchemish in 605 B.C., Babylon and Egypt, the two major world powers after Assyria’s fall, clashed. The Babylonians entered Carchemish by surprise and defeated Egypt. This battle, which passed world leadership to Babylon, was Nebuchadnezzar’s first victory, establishing him in his new position as king of the Babylonian Empire. With Egypt’s power declining, it was both poor strategy and disobedience to God for Judah to form an alliance with Egypt.
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A Message for Baruch (Day 67)
Read Jeremiah 45:1-5
Baruch had long been serving this unpopular prophet, writing his book of struggles and judgments, and now he was upset. God told Baruch to take his eyes off himself and whatever rewards he thought he deserved. If Baruch did this, God would protect him. It is easy to lose the joy of serving our God when we take our eyes off Him. The more we look away from God’s purposes toward our own sacrifices, the more frustrated we will become. As you serve God, beware of focusing on what you are giving up. When this happens, ask God’s forgiveness; then look to Him rather than at yourself.
Judgement for Idolatry (Day 66)
Read Jeremiah 44:1-30
This message, given in 580 B.C., while Jeremiah was in Egypt against his will, reminded the people that their idolatry had brought destruction on their land. Jeremiah told them that they would never return to Judah because the escape to Egypt had been against God’s advice. But the people refused to learn any lessons from all the destruction their sins had caused.
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Jeremiah Taken to Egypt (Day 65)
Read Jeremiah 43:1-13
Johanan and his tiny band had come to Jeremiah for God’s approval of their plan, not for God’s direction. This is a recurring problem for some of us: seeking God’s approval of our desires rather than asking him for guidance. It is not good to make plans apart from God’s guidance, and it is not good to pray unless we are willing to accept God’s answer.
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Warning to Stay in Judah (Day 64)
Read Jeremiah 42:1-22
Johanan and his associates spoke their own curse; Jeremiah merely elaborated on it. It was a tragic mistake to ask for God’s guidance with no intention of following it. Be sure to never ask God for something that you know in your heart you really do not want. It is better not to pray than to pray hypocritically. God cannot be deceived.
Habakkuk’s Second Complaint (Day 3)
Read Habakkuk 1:12-17
Judah’s forthcoming punishment would be at the hands of the Babylonians. Habakkuk was appalled that God would use a nation even more wicked than Judah to punish it. But the Babylonians did not know they were being used by God to help Judah return to Him, and Babylon’s pride in its victories would be its downfall. Evil is self-destructive, and it is never beyond God’s control. God may use whatever unusual instrument He chooses to correct or punish us. When we deserve punishment or correction, how can we complain about the kind of rod God uses on us?
Paul’s Concern for the Corinthians (Day 48)
Read 2 Corinthians 12:11-21
Paul explained that the only thing he did in the other churches that he didn’t do in Corinth was to become a burden; to ask believers to feed and house him. When he said forgive me for this wrong, he was clearly being sarcastic. He actually did more for the Corinthians than for any other church, but still they misunderstood him.
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Paul’s Desire to Visit and Final Thoughts (Day 13)
Read Philippians 4:1-9
How do we stay true to the Lord? The way to stay true is to keep our eyes on Christ, to remember that this world is not our home, and to focus on the fact that Christ will bring everything under His control.
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The Temple’s New Splendor (Day 3)
Read Haggai 2:1-9
This is Haggai’s second message. It was given during the Festival of Shelters in October 520 B.C. The older people could remember the incredible beauty of Solomon’s temple, destroyed 66 years earlier. Many were discouraged because the rebuilt Temple was inferior to Solomon’s. But Haggai encouraged them with God’s message that the glory of the Temple would surpass that of its predecessor. The most important part of the Temple is God’s presence. Some 500 years later, Jesus Christ would walk in the Temple courts.
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Paul’s Travel Plans (Day 32)
Read Romans 15:23-33
Paul was referring to the completion of his work in Corinth, the city from which he most likely wrote this letter. Most of Paul’s three month stay in Achaia (Acts 20) was probably spent in Corinth. He believed that he had accomplished what God wanted him to do there, and he was looking forward to taking the Gospel to new lands west of Rome. When Paul eventually went to Rome, however, it was as a prisoner (Acts 28). Traditions says that Paul was released for a time and that he used this opportunity to carry the Gospel as far as Spain, and possibly, the British Isles. This journey is not mentioned in the book of Acts, as Acts ends with Paul under house arrest.
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The Burial Or Jesus (Day 68)
Read Mark 15:42-47
The Sabbath began at Sundown on Friday and ended at sundown on Saturday. Jesus died just a few hours before sundown on Friday. It was against Jewish law to do physical work or to travel on the Sabbath. It was also against Jewish law to let a dead body remain exposed overnight (Deuteronomy 21). Joseph came to bury Jesus’ body before the Sabbath began. If Jesus had died on the Sabbath when Joseph was unavailable, His body would have been taken down by the Romans. Had the Romans taken Jesus’ body, no Jews could have confirmed His death, and opponents could have disputed His resurrection.
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