Day 77: From Death to Life

The Daily Word: Wednesday, March 18^th, 2020
Numbers 26:52-28:15
Luke 3:1-22
Psalm 61:1-8
Proverbs 11:16-17
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
For the Lord had said of them, “They shall surely die in the wilderness.” So there was not left a man of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. – Num. 26:65

God keeps His word. When the Israelites disobeyed Him, He made them a promise:

“The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness…” – Num. 14:29

God told every man and woman who complained against Him that they would fall in the wilderness. And you know what? They did.

So what does that mean for me and you? If we mess up and disobey God, will we meet the same fate? I think not! Because Jesus already took the punishment for our sin. He already died the death that we deserve! And that means there is nothing but life left for you and me. Even when we mess up. Even when we make mistakes!

God keeps His word! But whereas that meant death under the Law, it means life under the blood of Jesus.

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. – Rom. 11:29

Prayer:

Father, thank You that mistakes cannot cancel my destiny. I believe that my destiny is fixed in You! No one – not even me! – can mess up Your promises for my life. And I thank You for that, in Jesus’ name.

Archives
See commentary from this day in 2014.
See commentary from this day in 2015.
See commentary from this day in 2016.
See commentary from this day in 2017.
See commentary from this day in 2018.
See commentary from this day in 2019.

Day 76: The Greatest Surprise

The Daily Word: Tuesday, March 17^th, 2020
Numbers 26:1-51
Luke 2:36-52
Psalm 60:1-12
Proverbs 11:15
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. – Lk. 2:36-37

Anna was a widow, “…of about eighty-four years.” She had been alone for quite some time! But she stayed close to God. She didn’t get bitter and back away because life didn’t turn out the way she wanted. She, “…served God with fastings and prayers night and day” (v. 37). She, “…gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem” (v. 38). She was a prophetess, a prayer warrior, a praiser, and a witness!

Don’t turn away from God because life hasn’t gone your way. Turn to Him. It is in the midst of what feels like bitter defeat that God will show you His sweetest surprises. Anna refused to turn from God! And as a result, she got the greatest surprise of all. She got to see Jesus.

Prayer:

Father, when things don’t go my way, help me to turn to You! Help me to look to You at all times: not just when I want to, and not just when it’s convenient! You deserve all the glory, all my attention, and all my praise, in Jesus’ name.

Day 75: It Was Messy

The Daily Word: Monday, March 16^th, 2020
Numbers 24:1-25:18
Luke 2:1-35
Psalm 59:1-17
Proverbs 11:14
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. – Lk. 2:6-7

Jesus’ birth was not convenient for Mary and Joseph. They were away from home. There wasn’t room at the inn! Mary didn’t even have a clean bed to use while giving birth to Jesus. It was messy! But it was time.

When God births something in you, it won’t always be pretty. You will rarely be “ready” and have all your ducks in a row! But when God says it’s time, you start to push. What has God put in you? What is the destiny that He is waiting to fulfill in your life? Stop waiting for the “perfect moment” to bring it forth. Wherever you are: say yes, and lot God birth it in you.

Prayer:

Lord, I repent of trying to wait for the perfect moment to live out my destiny in You. If now is the time, the time is now! Help me to fall into Your timing and Your plan, in Jesus’ name.

Day 74: What If It’s God?

The Daily Word: Sunday, March 15^th, 2020
Numbers 22:21-23:30
Luke 1:57-80
Psalm 58:1-11
Proverbs 11:12-13
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. – Num. 22:22

A foreign king asked the prophet Balaam to come and curse the people of Israel. Balaam went! But, “God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as an adversary against [Balaam].” Balaam had some trouble on his journey, and he got frustrated! He never imagined that it was God – not someone else – who was standing in his way.

Is what you’re doing in conflict with God’s word? Do the things you’re trying to accomplish line up with God’s will? What if you think it’s the enemy blocking you, but it’s actually the Angel of the Lord? What if God is “standing in the way” and preventing you from doing something He doesn’t want you to do, and protecting you from making a big mistake?

Thank God He protects us when we’re about to do something silly. Thank God He opens our eyes so we can see what’s really going on! Thank God He always – always – has our best interest in mind, and never wants to block us from what will benefit us most in the end.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for Your Divine direction. Thank You for facilitating things that line up with Your will, and blocking things that don’t! You have my full permission to block me when I stray from Your path for my life. I am so grateful for Your guidance and Your leading, in Jesus’ name.

Day 73: Absolute Destruction

The Daily Word: Saturday, March 14^th, 2020
Numbers 21:1-22:20
Luke 1:26-56
Psalm 57:1-11
Proverbs 11:9-11
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
So Israel made a vow to the Lord, and said, “If You will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.” – Num. 21:2

God has delivered your enemy into your hand. But He did it on one condition: that you utterly destroy him.

Your enemy is Satan. When Jesus died on the Cross, He dealt a death blow to Satan. Jesus conquered death. He defeated the grave! And as Jesus’ representative on the Earth, your responsibility is now to enforce that defeat: every day, and everywhere you go.

Do you remember what God told Satan in the Garden of Eden?

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” – Gen. 3:15, NIV

The enemy will strike your heel. Satan will rise up against you with violence and virus; with panic and fear! But you will crush his head. And the way that you enforce your inevitable victory in Jesus is through prayer! Declare the Word of God over your life. Remind Satan that you know the truth: you have been made victorious in Jesus! And as you do, God will give you the victory that Jesus died for you to have:

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” – Rom. 6:20

Do not allow Satan to move in your life for one second. Jesus gave you the victory! And now you get to “utterly destroy” any foothold Satan tries to take in your life.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for crushing Satan under my feet. I will not allow his activity in my life. Not one bit! I cast him out right now in Jesus’ name.

Day 72: God Appears

The Daily Word: Friday, March 13^th, 2020
Numbers 19:1-20:29
Luke 1:1-25
Psalm 56:1-13
Proverbs 11:8
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them. – Num. 20:6

Moses and Aaron had a big problem. Israel ran out of water in the middle of the wilderness (Num. 20:2). They had nothing to drink, and nowhere to turn! So what did Moses and Aaron do? They, “…went…to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and fell on their faces.” And when they did, the, “…glory of the Lord appeared to them.”

When you don’t know what to do: fall on your face. When you don’t know how to respond to criticism: fall on your face! Whenever you are facing unprecedented circumstances, the best option is always to fall prostrate before God: to admit to Him that you have no idea what to do, but that you need His help. And as you do, He will appear. He will show you His glory. He will tell you what to do! And He will overwhelm you with His goodness and His peace.

You gain nothing from pretending to have a plan. Humble yourself before God, and He will give you everything you need. When you fall on your face, He will show you His glory!

Prayer:

Father, I trust You! I need You to tell me what to do every step of the way. I am coming to You and falling on my face. And as I do, I am asking one thing: show me Your glory, in Jesus’ name!

Day 71: Lead Like A Levite

The Daily Word: Thursday, March 12^th, 2020
Numbers 16:41-18:32
Mark 16:1-20
Psalm 55:1-23
Proverbs 11:7
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak thus to the Levites, and say to them: ‘When you take from the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them as your inheritance, then you shall offer up a heave offering of it to the Lord, a tenth of the tithe.’” – Num. 18:25-26

The Levites were a special family in Israel. God set them apart for service in the temple. They didn’t receive an inheritance of land, and that meant they didn’t have crops to eat; so God set them up with a “tithe:” a tenth of everything grown in the land of Israel. The Levites received, “…the best of the oil, all the best of the new wine and the grain, [and the] firsfruits” (Num. 18:12). But the Levites had to tithe too. They received the tithe from God’s people! But then God reminded them that they were not exempt from the tithe.

This is an important leadership lesson. As a leader, never ask someone to do something that you are unwilling to do yourself! The Levites could boldly ask God’s people to tithe, because they were tithers themselves. The Levites could boldly ask God’s people to serve God, because they lived lives devoted to service!

Do you want to lead well? Find someone to follow. Do you expect someone to serve you well? Find someone you look up to and start serving them first! What you sow, you will reap in due time. And the way you lead is by showing others what it means to follow.

Prayer:

Father, help me to be a leader who leads by example! I refuse to say one thing, but do another. Make me a leader of integrity and purpose, who only asks others to do things I am first willing to do myself!

Day 70: God Is Not Mad at You!

The Daily Word: Wednesday, March 11^th, 2020
Numbers 15:17-16:40
Mark 15:1-47
Psalm 54:1-7
Proverbs 11:5-6
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
“And if a person sins unintentionally, then he shall bring a female goat in its first year as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for the person who sins unintentionally, when he sins unintentionally before the Lord, to make atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.” – Num. 15:27-28

Under the Old Covenant, the priest made atonement for the “person who [sinned] unintentionally”(v. 27). Whenever someone made a mistake, they would tell the priest; and he would offer up a sacrifice that would “atone” for (i.e. make amends for, or cover) his sin.

Under the New Covenant, the process hasn’t changed! But the priest has.

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. – Heb 4:14-15

Jesus is your High Priest! When you mess up, you no longer have to go to a man and confess your sin. You get to go straight to Jesus. And do you know how He’s going to receive you when you come to Him? He will love you. He will forgive you. Because He was tempted with every temptation you could ever face. He bore the weight of every mistake you could ever make! And that means you get to approach Him boldly, knowing that there is mercy and forgiveness for every mistake.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. – Heb. 4:16

I know you’ve made some mistakes. But that does not mean God is mad at you. Are you ready to receive His love?

Prayer:

Father, thank You for pouring out every ounce of Your wrath on Jesus on the Cross. The fact that He took it all means there is none left for me! I am ready to receive Your love. I am ready to receive Jesus!

Day 69: Why We Complain

The Daily Word: Tuesday, March 10^th, 2020
Numbers 14:1-15:16
Mark 14:53-72
Psalm 53:1-6
Proverbs 11:4
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness!” – Num. 14:1-2

God was giving His people the land! He had just showed His people exactly how good His plans were, and how great the Promised Land was. But in response, they complained. They cried! They wept. Because they refused to believe the promise of God.

What do you find yourself complaining about? The people of Israel constantly complained to Moses and Aaron. They whined that life was better in Egypt, before they met God. But the honest truth is this: the source of their complaining was not their circumstance. It was a lack of trust in God.

Lack of trust in God causes us to complain. The solution to your complaint is not taking matters into your own hands and changing your circumstance! It is trusting God like never before and allowing Him to do what He has promised to do. Don’t settle for mediocrity in your frustration to get out of the spot where you find yourself now. If you trust God, it might take a little longer, but He will bring you somewhere great.

Prayer:

Lord, I don’t want to complain anymore. Help me to trust You more than ever! I believe that You are for me, in Jesus’ name. Instead of forcing movement on my own, I will wait for You to move.

Day 68: The Blood

The Daily Word: Monday, March 9^th, 2020
Numbers 11:24-13:33
Mark 14:22-52
Psalm 52:1-9
Proverbs 11:1-3
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.” – Mk. 14:23-24

Jesus gave His disciples the cup before they betrayed Him. Every single one of His disciples, “…forsook Him and fled” (Mk. 14:50). But Jesus needed them to understand one thing before it all went down: His blood would cover every sin: past, present and future. They were forgiven, even before they messed up!

No matter who you are, where you’ve been or what you’ve done: the blood of Jesus is enough! The blood of Jesus makes you clean.[1] The blood of Jesus makes you whole! The blood of Jesus removes every stain that could ever interfere with your relationship with God. The new covenant is a, “…better covenant, which was established on better promises” (Heb. 8:6). Jesus poured out His blood on the Cross so that you could have a new and better covenant with God in Christ!

The blood of Jesus is enough. There is no sin so great that it can overpower the finished work of the Cross. Jesus’ shed His blood for you! And all you have to do is receive it.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for the blood of Jesus. I plead the blood of Jesus over my life right now. Make me whole! Make all things new. I pray You would take anything that doesn’t look like the Kingdom, and make it look like Heaven, in Jesus’ name!

[1] “’Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the Lord, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’” – Isa. 1:18

No more posts.