9 April
Jos. 1:9
God makes one strong and courageous

God requires all His children to be strong and courageous (Jos. 1:9; 1Cor. 16:13). His ever-abiding presence is the basis for the strength and courage of His children (see Jos. 1:9; Deut. 31:6, 8; Matt. 14:27; Acts 4:13; Acts 18:9-10). It is because He is ever present with His children that they can be strong and courageous (Jos. 1:9; Acts 18:9-10). In fact, there can be no strength and courage without His ever-abiding presence (cf. Jos. 7:10-12). There can be no courage without or outside of Him (see Jos. 7:10-12). Christians need strength and courage to succeed in the Christian life or race (see Jos. 1:6; Deut. 31:7; 1Cor. 16:13). Without these attributes there would be no successful or victorious Christian living (see Jos. 1:6; Deut. 31:7). No Christian can accomplish anything without strength and courage. Sin can cause someone to lose his strength and courage (see Jos. 7:10-12). Anyone who truly desires strength and courage must keep sin completely away from his life and cultivate the ever-abiding presence of God (see Jos. 7:10-12).

PRAYER: Father, please make me strong and courageous.

10 April
Jos. 1:5
Nothing will be able to stand up against us

God promised Joshua that no one will be able to stand up against him all his days (Jos. 1:5). He fulfilled this promise by enabling Joshua to conquer all the nations in his way and take possession of their lands (see Jos. 23:9-10). This promise does not belong to Joshua alone, it belongs to all the obedient children of God (see Matt. 28:20). It is God’s responsibility to keep and deliver all His obedient children from those who rise up against them. He alone can discharge this responsibility (Ps. 127:1-2). The security of His obedient children is in His hands (Ps. 127:1-2). With this promise, He has taken full responsibility for the security of all His obedient children (Jos. 1:5). This promise is part of His blessings for His obedient children (see Deut. 28:7). And only His obedient children are entitled to it (see Deut. 28:1-7). The disobedient are not entitled to it. With this promise, the security of God’s obedient children is guaranteed. They need not worry about their own security (Jos. 1:5; Deut. 28:7).

PRAYER: Father, please let no one or nothing stand up against me all the days of my life as you promised.

11 April
Jos. 1:3
God keeps his promise

God promised Joshua to give him every place he sets his foot (Jos. 1:3). He fulfilled this promise by bringing the Israelites successfully to the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua (see Jos. 23:9-10, 14). Nothing was able to stand in the way of His promise (see Jos. 1:5), for nothing indeed is impossible with Him (Num. 23:19). This promise belongs to all God’s obedient children (Deut. 28:1-14; Ps. 1:1-3). As He did for Joshua and the Israelites, He is ready to bring all His obedient children to His destinies for them (Lk. 1:37; Jos. 23:9-10). His obedient children can count on Him to bring them to what He ordained for them (cf. Ps. 139:16). Nothing whatever can prevent Him from fulfilling His destinies for His obedient children. Our duty is to obey Him fully (Deut. 28:1-2; Jos. 23:11). It is His duty to fulfill the promises He made to us. For all His obedient children, all His promises are yes in Christ Jesus (2 Cor.1:20). This promise does not belong to the disobedient (see Jos. 23:12-13; Deut. 28:15-68).

PRAYER: Father, please give me every place I set my foot as you did for Joshua and the Israelites.

12 April
Eph. 4:11-13
God equips His children

It is God who equips His children for life and service (Exod. 35:30-35; Eph. 4:11-13; 1 Kgs. 4:29-34). The responsibility to equip is His alone. He equipped Bezalel and Oholiab for the work of the tabernacle (Exod. 35:30-35) as well as Solomon for his work as King (1Kgs. 4:29-34). He equips His children with various skills and abilities (see Rom. 12:6-8; 1Cor. 12:4-31; Eph. 4:7-13). All skills and abilities come from Him (see Heb. 13:20: 20-21). No one else can equip except He (see Heb. 13:20-21). We must use the skills and abilities God has given us for His purpose alone (see Rom. 12:6-8; 1Cor. 12:4-13; Eph. 4:11-13; 1Pet. 4:10). We are accountable to God for the skills and abilities He has given us (see Matt. 25:14-30). Of all God’s gift, the greatest to be desired is love (see 1 Cor. 13:1-13). Anyone who desires God to equip him must ask Him to do so (see Jam. 1:5-8).

PRAYER: Father, please equip me most adequately for life and service.

13 April
Deut. 30:1-5
The Lord restores those who return to Him

Moses told the Israelites, that if they returned to God and obeyed Him with all their heart and soul after they have forsaken Him, He will restore their fortunes, have compassion on them and bring them back to their land (Deut. 30:1-5). They must return with all their heart (Deut. 30:2). When they do so, the Lord will gather them from wherever He scattered them (Deut. 30:3-4). This is an everlasting decree. The decree is the same for us today as it was for them. Forsaking the Lord and disobeying Him is the reason for the Lord’s displeasure and wrath (Deut. 11:28; Deut. 28:15-68). Returning to Him with all of one’s heart is the basis or condition for forgiveness and restoration (Duet. 11:27; Deut. 28:1-14; Ps. 119:2; Acts 3:19-20). There is neither forgiveness nor restoration for those who persist in forsaking and disobeying the Lord (Deut. 11:28; Deut. 28:15-68; Heb. 10:26-31).

PRAYER: 1. Father, please enable me to return to you and obey you with all my heart and soul.
2. Father, please restore all my fortunes according to your promise.

14 April
2 Thess. 1:6-7
God’s pay back time for the persecuted

Believers often worry about when God will avenge their persecutors and tormentors (see Rev. 6:9-11). Here, Paul indicates the time when God will do so for the Thessalonian believers (2 Thess. 1:6-7). According to him, this pay back will take place at the second coming of Jesus Christ (2 Thess. 1:6-7; cf. Acts 17:31). Does Paul mean that those who persecute and afflict the Thessalonian believers will not receive God’s pay back in any form until they receive it at Jesus’ return? Paul’s focus is on the fullness of God’s pay back which will take place when Jesus returns. Those who persecute the Thessalonian believers are already objects of God’s wrath (cf. Rom. 1:18-19). But the fullness of God’s pay back against them will take place when Jesus returns. This is applicable to all believers who may be persecuted and afflicted. God will pay back those who persecute and afflict them fully when Jesus returns. Even if God does not pay them back fully now, He will certainly do so when Jesus returns (see Acts 17:31; 2 Cor. 5:10). But as vengeance is His, so is its timing (see Rom. 12:17-21). Suffering believers must leave not only vengeance but its timing to God (Rom. 12:17-21; 1 Pet. 2:21-23).

PRAYER: 1. Father, please take care of all who persecute and afflict me.
2. Father, please enable me to entrust all vengeance to you.

15 April
Deut. 30:6
The Lord circumcises His children’s hearts

In his farewell address to the Israelites, Moses told them that the Lord will circumcise their hearts and those of their descendants when they return to Him and obey Him with all their heart and soul after forsaking Him (Deut. 30:6). Their life depended on it (Deut. 30:6). A circumcised heart is one that yields completely to God (see Deut. 6:5; cf. Deut. 10:16; Deut. 30:6). The purpose for circumcising their hearts is to enable them to love the Lord with all their heart and soul (Deut. 30:6). An uncircumcised heart cannot please God (see Rom. 8:7-8). Only a circumcised heart can please Him (Deut. 30:6). The Lord requires a circumcised heart (Deut. 10:16). Our life depends on it (see Deut. 30:6). But no one can circumcise his own heart. Only the Lord can circumcise it (Deut. 30:6). If anyone desires to have a circumcised heart as the Lord requires (Deut. 10:16), he must return to the Lord and obey Him with all his heart and soul (Deut. 30:1-5). Once this is done, the Lord will do the other. The Lord will not circumcise the heart that is unwilling to return to Him and obey Him fully.

PRAYER: 1. Father, please enable me to return to you and obey you with all my heart and soul.
2. Father, please circumcise my heart.

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