April - day 2

Joshua 3-5 - the command to purify yourself comes before seeing God do great wonders.  God used the crossing of the Jordan to establish his leadership with the Israelites.  Joshua piled 12 stones as a testimony to the next generation that God had caused them to cross the Jordan on dry land on their way into the promised land.  He brought them across on dry land so the people of the land would hear of God's power and fear God and his people.  When Joshua saw the commander of the Lord's army, he basically asked who's side he was on and he said neither.  He wasn't there to join a side but to invite Joshua to follow his lead into battle.  God isn't there to join our side, but invites us to follow his lead. When Joshua yielded to the angel and asked what he should do, the angel told him to take off his shoes because he was on holy ground.  This is the same thing God told Moses to do at the burning bush.  There are a couple reasons this could be. First, removing shoes was a sign of reverence. Second - it was holy ground and God wanted him to be in direct contact with the ground with nothing between his flesh and the ground.  We should remove anything that keeps us from experiencing the holiness of God's presence. 

Psalm 73 - Pride promotes self and tears others down.  When we spend time in the presence of God, we will realize the path of the proud leads to disaster so it is foolish to envy the proud.  It is good to be near God.  He is our shelter.  While the proud may be boastful about their sin and the things they have, we should tell the world about the goodness of God. 

Mark 1:9-20 - When Jesus was in the desert he was among the wild animals but the Angels took care of him.  Jesus' message when he began to preach was simple.  Repent and believe.  The disciples who were closest to Jesus left their old life at once and followed him. 

1 Corinthians 1:18-31 - Those who are headed for destruction think the gospel is foolish.  Thinking they are wise, they are really blind to their foolishness.  Human wisdom does not lead to knowing God.  It is not something we can discover through mere logic and human reason, it is something God reveals to us.  This is why when I preach, the power isn't in carefully crafted words because they have not power; the power is in the Holy Spirit drawing people to God.  Fill me God.  God uses the lowly surprise the proud.  His lowest thoughts are greater than the highest intellect of mankind.  God uses the least to do the greatest.  He does this so he alone gets the credit he deserves.