Day 175 One-Year Daily Bible Reading – 2 Kings 6:1–7:20; Acts 15:36–16:15; Psalm 142:1-7; Proverbs 17:24-25
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Thou Art My Refuge and My Portion
I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. Psalm 142:4-5
How many times have I felt all alone? How many times have I cried out to You? How many times have You shown me that You alone are my refuge and my portion?
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Open His Eyes, that He May See
Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel? And one of his servants said, None, my Lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber. And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
2 Kings 6:11-17
Lord, I pray thee, open my eyes, that I may see!
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Let Us Visit Our Brethren in Every City Where We Have Preached the Word of God
And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do. And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; and Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.
Acts 15:36-41
A Certain Disciple Named Timotheus
Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.
Acts 16:1-3
So Were the Churches Established
And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.
Acts 16:4-5
If people that walked with Jesus needed churches established, how much more do we in this day need them? It says here that churches were established in the faith. What does it mean to be established?
Establish – to bring into being on a firm and stable basis; to bring about permanently; to enact, appoint, or ordain for permanence.
When these churches were established, the Bible says they increased in number daily. Are churches not growing today because while the churches have been established, we have not been ourselves established? We begin and feel like it is permanent, but we want to run at the first pinch. We will stay faithful….unless we get upset about something or offended in some way, or bored. We go through a dry season, or God takes us through a season of waiting, and instead of holding fast and true in those seasons as God does His excellent work in our lives, we cast blame on the church. So many run to the next place at moments of difficulty, saying they are not being fed. But before they run, they pull away and start attending less. Indeed, they are not fed because they aren’t there? People are called to build and establish churches, but they are also called to be part and establish themselves. You are the Holy Spirit’s temple, and you are along with every believer, the church. Faithful in it – through good times and hard times – working together in it.
Yes, I well know there are some churches people need to flee from. Some have “Icabod” written on them. But many a God-fearing, Bible-believing, Holy Ghost-filled church is established with a handful of people now attending because they weren’t as glamorous and didn’t have the number of programs as the bigger church down the street. True, our smaller church resources are more limited. But the Holy Ghost isn’t!!! And the Word isn’t!!! And the power of God isn’t!!! And you know what? At a smaller church, we don’t have the strain of debt that some larger churches have. That strain bleeds down to the people.
Help us, LORD!!! Please help us to be faithful where You have set us. Help me to remain so.
A Man from Macedonia Appeared in a Vision
Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, after they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
Acts 16:6-10
By a River Where Prayer was Being Made
Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis; and from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days. And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
Acts 16:11-13
A Certain Woman Named Lydia
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
Acts 16:14-15
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Thou Knowest My Path
I cried unto the LORD with my voice; With my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.
Psalm 142:1-3
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Wisdom is Before Him that Hath Understanding
Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.
Proverbs 17:24
The wise person has understanding, not because of anything of himself, but because He fills his mind with the Word of God and learns to discern and distinguish between worldly and fleshly things and the things that are of God. As you fill your mind with the Word and meditate on it, you receive counsel from God that brings that wisdom.
By contrast, the fool searches but has no wisdom. His eyes are not fixed on God and God’s Word but the ends of the earth. He looks everywhere except God’s Word for his answers. He looks to the wisdom of man, the knowledge of scholars, the thoughts and meditations of false religions, the occult, and even to drugs for enlightenment.
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Heavenly Father, I come before You today, and I praise You and thank You. There is no God like You. You have been with me when no one else has been in these last days. You alone have been my refuge and my strength. You alone have sustained me and shown me how to navigate this new place I find myself. You alone have set me amid a small but great company of believers that search to know and honor YOU more than they search to be known by many. Thank You for Your church, oh God. Father, in our time in Your precious Word today, we learned of a servant whose eyes were opened to see in the spiritual. I ask today that You open my eyes in that way. Help me see what is unseen by the natural eye that I might clearly know Your way for me and that I might not fall into the enemies’ traps. Show me Your glory, Lord. Set me on FIRE once again and refill me to overflowing with Your Holy Spirit that I might be a light in my world today. Please help me keep Your Word always before me to meditate on it day and night and receive understanding from Your Holy Ghost. That I might know You, lift Your Son, and share the GOOD NEWS that He died for in this dark and dying world. I ask these things in Jesus’ Name. Amen! Amen!
