20-20 Blog

Today’s Bible Reading: Isaiah 50; Isaiah 51; Isaiah 52; Psalm 92; 2 Peter 1 (The Message)

Scripture Focus:

Isaiah 50:4
He wakes me up in the morning,
Wakes me up, opens my ears
to listen as one ready to take orders.

Observation:

God knows everything about my life, my business, my family, and he wants to give me his marching orders first thing in the morning. It’s HIM who wakes me up and whispers in my ears what I need to do today!

Application:

What better person to listen to than the One who already knows what will happen and can give me the inside scoop of what I should be doing today? And what better time of day to be tuned into what God has to say than first thing in the morning, when I need to plan out my day?

Prayer:

Good morning, God! I’m listening—go ahead and give me your marching orders!

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Today’s Bible Reading: Isaiah 19; Isaiah 20; Isaiah 21; Hebrews 11 (The Message)

Scripture Focus:

Isaiah 19:18 On that Day, more than one city in Egypt will learn to speak the language of faith and promise to follow God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
Hebrews 11:6 It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.

Observation:

It’s impossible to please God without faith. Faith involves believing something that isn’t yet apparent or real. If it was already visible or true, we wouldn’t need faith.

Faith means I have a picture of God as someone who not only exists but is fundamentally good and will reward those who seek him.

Faith has a language, according to Isaiah 19:18. This intrigues me. What, exactly, is the language of faith? That is something to ponder.

Application:

I must make sure my image of God is correct. Do I see him as a tyrant, ready to pounce on me the instant I make a mistake? Or do I see him as a loving Father who disciplines me for my good, yes, but is also ready to dote on me.

Am I speaking the language of faith?

Prayer:

Father God, I feel like the man who came to you for healing for his son and said, “I believe! Help my unbelief!” Please increase my faith in you today.

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Today’s Bible Reading: Isaiah 8; Isaiah 9; Isaiah 10; Hebrews 8 (The Message)

Scripture Focus:

Isaiah 8:11–13 “Don’t be like this people,
always afraid somebody is plotting against them.
Don’t fear what they fear.
Don’t take on their worries.
If you’re going to worry,
worry about The Holy. Fear God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
The Holy can be either a Hiding Place
or a Boulder blocking your way.

Observation:

People have a propensity to worry, but Isaiah lets us know that we’re worrying about the wrong thing. He says we should worry about what God thinks because God can either be a Hiding Place for us or a Boulder blocking our way.

Application:

Is it possible to live life without worrying? Could I simply trust God like a little child and live with a constant attitude of thanksgiving rather than worry? I would like that. If I could really do that. Then, I believe, God would be my Hiding Place and not a Boulder blocking my way.

Prayer:

Father God, trust starts today, not tomorrow. Thank you for this day and all it will bring. You are my Hiding Place!

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Today’s Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 6; 2 Chronicles 7; Psalm 135; Romans 4 (The Message)

Scripture Focus:

Romans 4:18 When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn’t do but on what God said he would do.
Vs 19 Abraham didn’t focus on his own impotence and say, “It’s hopeless.

Observation:

Abraham encountered a hopeless time where it looked like things would NOT work out. So what did he do? Even though he had no power to do anything, he still believed that God would do what he said he would do.

Application:

Don’t focus on the hopelessness of my situation. Focus on the power of God to act on my behalf.

Prayer:

Father God, I’m looking to you today to perform great and mighty things in my life and through me, as I trust you to do it.

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Today’s Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 6; 1 Chronicles 13; Psalm 68; Matthew 17 (The Message)

Scripture Focus:

Matthew 17:19–20
When the disciples had Jesus off to themselves, they asked, “Why couldn’t we throw it out?”
“Because you’re not yet taking God seriously,” said Jesus. “The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn’t be able to tackle.”

Observation:

God wants us to take him seriously. He wants us to believe him, to move forward with the faith that God will move mountains.

Application:

Am I taking God seriously? Do I have a mere kernel of faith, which is enough to move mountains?
There’s a lot I can do, but in the end, God is the one who has to move the mountain, and I’m the one who must believe and have faith that he will do it.

Prayer:

Father God, give me a kernel of faith, please! Help me put it to good use, and become a partner in your Kingdom work!

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Today’s Bible Reading: Job 21; Mark 5, 6

Scripture Focus:

Mark 5:34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”
Mark 5:36 “Do not be afraid; only believe.”
Mark 6:5–6 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief.
Mark 6:27 Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison.
Mark 6:50 “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
Mark 6:56 Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.

Observation:

Today I’ve listed a series of amazing events involving Jesus. Mostly the stories have happy endings, but they all involved faith in Jesus—belief. I don’t claim to understand how belief works, but I know that it’s a necessary ingredient to seeing and receiving great things from God.

It seems to me, though, that belief is not wishing. It’s faith in a person who really does have the power to grant my desire.

Sometimes belief lands you in a hot spot—like John the Baptist. He languished in prison and then was beheaded. We never know where our belief might ultimately take us, and we have to be willing to entertain the possibility of suffering or death, but most of the time belief enables us to do great things or accept great things—such as healing—from God.

Application:

Jesus says to me today, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” Will I believe in his power to perform what I need in my life today, or will He marvel because of my unbelief?

Prayer:

Father God, I choose to believe in you today to be my complete and adequate source of life and power to fulfill the mission you’ve given me.

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Today’s Bible Reading: Jeremiah 31, 32; 1 John 4

Scripture Focus:

Jeremiah 32:27 “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?”

Observation:

We need to be reminded once in awhile that God can do anything. Does something seem impossible? What is that to God!

Application:

I have an impossible situation in my life right now. It seems impossible, but I can ask God to bring it to pass. If he wills to do it, it will be impossible NOT to happen.

Prayer:

Father God, please show your great power in my impossible situation! Thank you!

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Today’s Bible Reading: 2 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 34; John 6

Scripture Focus:

John 6:5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” 6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.

Observation:

Jesus already knew what he was going to do to help the multitude get something to eat, but he asked Philip the question anyway: “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” He asked the question to test Philip. Jesus already knew the answer.

Application:

God will test me at times, too. “Linda, how are we going to solve this problem?” He already knows the answer. He already knows what HE is going to do. Will I pass the test? Will I look to him and say, “I don’t know how you’re going to resolve this problem, but I know you will!” and then trust him to do so without fretting and worrying?

Prayer:

Father God, I’m stewing over something today, but you have reminded me in your word that you already know what you’re going to do about it. This is just a test. So, God, I don’t know how you’re going to resolve this problem, but I know you will!

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Today’s Bible Reading: Isaiah 32, 33, 34, 35; James 2

Scripture Focus:

James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Observation:

A person’s faith will be consistent with his actions. We can say we have faith all we want, but until we act upon it, who will believe us?

When we don’t have the works and actions that belong with real faith, it’s like saying a dead body is alive. If you’ve ever seen a dead body, you know the difference between that and a live human being.

Application:

I must make sure my actions are consistent with what I say I believe. If they’re not, perhaps I need to examine what I really believe!

Prayer:

Father God, I don’t want to be one of those who talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. Give me the faith I need and the strength to act upon that faith.

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Today’s Bible Reading: Isaiah 19, 20 , 21; Hebrews 11

Scripture Focus:

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Observation:

You want to please God? You’ve got to have faith. And what is faith? It’s believing that God exists and that he rewards those who diligently seek him.

This reminds me of Matthew 6:33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

The key is to diligently seek HIM, not stuff.

Application:

When I think about having faith, it’s easy to start focusing on the stuff. Sure, I have to think about the stuff in my daily life, but I can’t let it be my focus.

Prayer:

Father God, may my focus be on you today. May I seek first your kingdom and righteousness, and may I leave the stuff in your capable hands.

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