66 Love Letters - PROVERBS

Did you know there’s something God will give every time you ask? There is...

It’s wisdom.

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:5

In the Book of 2 Samuel, we find King Solomon praying to God for this very thing. And, just like our God, he gives it to the king in abundance.

You read the spiritual fruit from Solomon's humble prayer every time you read the book of Proverbs.

Here are 5 ways to use the Proverbs in your daily devotion time:

A Proverb a day keeps bad choices at bay. Thirty-one proverbs make up this book of wisdom. With one for every day of a long month, it’s a great way to start the day.

Devotion time with your Teen. Parent of a Teenager? The Book of Proverbs give mom and dad a great opportunity to go through a book in the Bible together. A teenager may buck wisdom from his parents, but when some of the same wise words come from God...now that's a great thing!

Word Search. Pick a word, any word. Well, ok, not any word. I doubt you'll find iPod in the Book of Proverbs. But, if you're wondering what God thinks about being lazy, look up verses in Proverbs where He speaks about the sluggard. Want to be a better parent? Search for words like; son, daughter, mother, father.

Pick a favorite. Choose your favorite proverb and pray it back to the Lord.

Best wife ever! Interested in becoming the best wife ever? Head over to Proverbs 31. Is there something you can see that might need fine-tuning in your own job performance? Some scholars believe this proverb was written by Bathsheba for her son Solomon. In it she advises him of the things he should look for in a wife.  As a mom with sons, I couldn't agree more.

66 Love Letters - PSALMS

The Book of Psalms may well be the most cherished book of the Old Testament. As much as I'd love to wax poetic on my own personal experiences about this God-filled book of the Bible, I thought I'd let a saint share her words on this chunk of scripture.

Henrietta C. Mears (October 23, 1890 – March 19, 1963) was a godly woman whose Bible teaching and love of the Lord influenced thousands to give their hearts to Christ.Literally hundreds of men and women came out of her Sunday School program into full-time Christian service. Among the many she influenced were Bill Bright (Campus Crusade for Christ) and his wife Vonette, and Billy Graham. Her book, What the Bible is All About, has sold over three million copies.


Some have called it the solid gold of Christian experience. Slip in wherever you will and you find a treasure. Every Psalm is a direct expression of the soul's consciousness of God.  The Hebrew title of this book is "praise," or the "Book of Praises," which indicates that the main contents of the book are praise, prayer and worship. The name "Psalms" comes from the Greek. We find that the early Christian fathers called it the "Psalter."

The Psalms is the national hymnbook of Israel. It contains 150 poems to be set to music for worship. Worship is the central idea. The Psalms magnify and praise the Lord, exalt His attributes, His names. His Word and His goodness.

The Psalms are full of Christ. They describe the whole program of His suffering and death. Let us look and see!  We have Christ's own warrant for looking for Him in the Psalms. He said, "All things must be fulfilled, which were written in the...psalms, concerning me." (Luke 24:44)

We speak of the psalms as the Psalms of David. He has been considered the principal writer. But there were other authors besides him. Seventy-three of the 150 Psalms are assigned to him; fifty are anonymous. Psalm 90 was written by Moses. Two are written by Solomon-Psalms 72 and 127.

It is the book for all who are in need, the sick and suffering, the poor and needy, the prisoner and exile, the person in danger, the persecuted. It is a book for the sinner, telling him or her of God's great mercy and forgiveness. It is a book for the child of God, leading him or her into new experiences with the Lord. It tells of God's law in its perfection and pronounces blessings upon the one who will keep it. - Henrietta C. Mears

66 Love Letters - JOB

The Book of Job is thought to be the oldest book of the Bible. Mention the name "Job" to anyone and they'll more than likely know some of his story.

I must admit when I read through this ancient anointed story, I cringe every time. Yet, each time I marvel at the faith of a man who loses everything and has the strength to still proclaim, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." Job 13:15a

If you've never had the opportunity to read through this life-changing story of heartache and hope, make the time.

There is much to cover about the book of Job, but as much as I'd like to meander down the thoughtful road of Job's friendships, his wife and her discouragement, and even the miraculous ways Job sees and understands our God, Job's trials and the part the Lord played stands out to me this week.

When we begin this part of scripture, we are privy to a conversation between God and Satan. And, we soon discover that Satan is searching the earth to and fro.

Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”
So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing?  Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land." Job 1:8-10

Questions to Ponder

• Did Job have any idea how much the Lord protected him? Do we?
• Do you realize nothing touches your life that isn't sifted through God's loving hands first?

But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world. --C.S. Lewis

The will of God is never exactly what you expect it to be. It may seem to be much worse, but in the end it's going to be a lot better and a lot bigger. --Elisabeth Elliot

66 Love Letters - ESTHER

I decided to do something a little different this week. Since the Jewish holiday Purim was born from this annointed piece of biblical text, I thought I'd share a few fun facts from the book of Esther and the meaning of the celebrated Jewish holiday of Purim.

The longest verse in the Bible is found in Esther containing 90 words: The king’s scribes were summoned at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day. And an edict was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded concerning the Jews, to(B) the satraps and the governors and the officials of the provinces(C) from India to Ethiopia,(D) 127 provinces, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, and also to the Jews in their script and their language. Esther 8:9 ESV

• The book of Esther is one of the scrolls, or megillot, that the Jews read in full at particular times throughout the liturgical calendar year.

• The book of Esther is the ONLY book in the Bible that doesn’t mention the name of God.

• The Purim holiday begins with the Fast of Esther, the name of Mordechai’s niece who helped save the Jews from Haman. Before executing her plan she fasted for three days. Jews commemorate this fast with one fast day of their own.

Interested in learning about the Jewish holiday Purim? Then check out these sites: Judaism 101, Purim Customs, and Smile it's Purim.

66 Love Letters - NEHEMIAH

The Book of Nehemiah begins 15 years after the Book of Ezra ends; almost 100 years after the first captives came back to the Promised Land; and some 150 years after the city of Jerusalem was destroyed. After this long time, the walls of the city of Jerusalem were still in rubble. - David Guzik, http://www.blueletterbible.org/

When we are introduced to Nehemiah, he is working in the palace of the King of Persia - quite a prestigious position. Though he lives almost 800 miles from Jerusalem, once he discovers the walls of Jerusalem are in utter disrepair, he grieves and mourns, fasts and prays.

After confessing the sins of his people to God, he reminds God of His promises to his people; “Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’" Nehemiah 1:8-9

In chapter two we discover what Nehemiah's position is. He is the king's cup bearer. A royal bodyguard of sorts. He guards the king from poisonous wines or food, and is in his presence often, a position of clear influence. Only the most trustworthy and faithful were chosen for this position. A cup bearer had the easiest ability to assassinate a king.

Nehemiah goes to the king and begs for a leave of absence to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. And, graciously, the king agrees.

The rest of the book of Nehemiah, we see the nation of Israel come together and rebuild the different gates; the fish gate, the valley gate, the refuse gate, the water gate, on and on the work continues. Families are mentioned throughout this book, working diligently to make whole their sacred land once again.

It is a great reminder to me that there are walls in my life that can become breeched, some that are in need of repair.

Questions to Ponder

• When brothers and sisters in Christ are suffering from hard times or heartache, are you grieved? Is your heart moved to help? What about those who aren't believers?
• What walls in your life need rebuilding? Time with the Lord? Your marriage? Relationships with your children?
• Ask the Lord to show you ways you can rebuild broken places in your life.

66 Love Letters - Ezra

The Book of Ezra is all of ten chapters, smack dab in between II Chronicles and Nehemiah. Ezra was a priest and a scribe of the law (7:21). By the style of his writing and numerous similarities, some believe he may have authored I & II Chronicles.

In this spot in the Bible we see the Israelites returning from Babylonian captivity to worship the Lord and return to their land of promise. This was a public acknowledgement that they believed God would reestablish their nation.

Did you know that Esther and Nehemiah were alive at the same time Ezra was? Chronologically Esther and her story takes pace in between chapters 6 and 7 of Ezra. If you are one who enjoys going deep in your biblical studies, here would be a wonderful place to begin digging for spiritual gems.

Remember, whichever book of the Bible we are in, God's word has the power to speak to every child of God who desires to hear His voice.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

There were many scriptures that spoke to me through this rich book. Most especially; For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel. Ezra 7:10

Ezra had a heart for God's word. The more time he spent learning about the Lord, the more he wanted to share his knowledge with his people. He made it a point to seek God.

The word seek is the Hebrew word darash and it means to seek like a dog on a hunt. It's the same Hebrew word used in Jeremiah 29:13 - You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Points to Ponder

• Do I seek the Lord with any effort?
• When I learn something about God's word do I share it with others?
• God can be found when I seek him with all of my heart. Why don't I do that more often?
• Seek Him with all of your heart today.

66 Love Letters - I & II Chronicles

These past few weeks have been a blur. I'm grateful for your patience. This week I decided to play catch up and include a  summary of both I and II Chronicles. It's a big chunk of Bible to chew, but I know you girls are up for a challenge!

Based on its contents, the books may be divided into four parts:
1.The beginning of 1 Chronicles (chapters 1–10) mostly contains genealogical lists, concluding with the House of Saul and Saul's rejection by God, which sets the stage for the rise of David.

2.The remainder of 1 Chronicles (chapters 11–29) is a history of David's reign.

3.The beginning of 2 Chronicles (chapters 1–9) is a history of the reign of King Solomon, son of David.

4.The remainder of 2 Chronicles (chapters 10–36) is a chronicle of the kings of Judah to the time of the Babylonian exile, concluding with the call by Cyrus the Great for the exiles to return to their land.

My favorite part of scripture is found in II Chronicles 1:7-12

That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” 8 Solomon answered God, “You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me king in his place. 9 Now, LORD God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

11 God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.”

Can you imagine? The Lord tells Solomon to ask for whatever he wants. What an offer. Do you realize God has given you the same offer?

• Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7)

• If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. (John 15:7)

• Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (1 John 5:14)

King Solomon had a heart surrendered to God. When we take the same humble posture as Solomon and submit our life into His hands, be prepared to be used.

Whatever is on your plate today, seek the Lord first, surrender your plans for His, then ask for wisdom to accomplish whatever He brings you.

66 Love Letters - 2 KINGS

Do Not Make Solomon's Mistake: Success is not Greatness

The Book of 2 Kings continues where 1 Kings left off: sharing the story of the royal line of King David. There is one story inparticular that gave me a lot of spiritual food for thought this week. It was the story of King Hezekiah.

His story can be found in chapters 18-20.

Isaiah confirms the King's fears, he will die from his illness. Yet, the King cries out to the Lord to live and the Lord tells Isaiah to comfort King Hezekiah with these words: you will live another fifteen years.

Good news for anyone, right? Well, it seems so at first. But, once you read the rest of the story you discover that King Hezekiah father's one of the most evil sons to reign in his place, King Manneseh.

Yep, it sure got me to thinking...

A Few Points to Ponder

• How often do I pray diligently for something that may not be God's will for me?
• Just because I'm raising my children in a home that loves the Lord - there is no guarantee they will follow Him.
• Maybe, just maybe, I need to pray less for the things I want and more for His will to reign in my life. 

1 Kings

The people of Egypt carried the Ark of the Covenant for many, many years before Solomon built its permanent resting place. 

King David felt compelled, possibly out of guilt to build a structure for the Lord, but the Lord refused him.  He had other plans for King David and higher designs for His temple.

Solomon, son of King David, was wise - - if you’ve been reading 1 Kings, you’ll see that in Chapter 4:29-34 just how God blessed him. 

1 Kings 4:29-32 Solomon’s Wisdom

 ²⁹ God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 

³⁰ Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. 

³¹ He was wiser than any other man, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. 

³² He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. 

³³ He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 

³⁴ Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.

Sounds like the Lord was pretty pleased with Solomon and gave him great knowledge.  You can be sure that when He asked Solomon to build His mighty temple, He would be assured that Solomon could follow His wishes to the tiniest of details. 

I have often asked the Lord for wisdom, or discernment and have been pretty satisfied that He’s honored my requests.  There are some things in this world that we cannot understand; some things God says He’ll reveal to us in time.  Other things, we may never have an answer for. We may find the answer once we reach Home.  Still there are other things that, when we finally do make it to Heaven, we may find we never needed to know in the first place.  It’ll all just make sense. 

I’m looking forward to that.

Points to Ponder

• Have you ever asked God for wisdom?  
• Has God asked you to do something seemingly impossible for Him?
• Have you learned to spot the nuggets that God has for you in His Word?

Katie Chaney

2 Samuel

Yes, I admit it. This is one of my favorite books of the Bible. Reading through the stories here, I wonder how people come to believe the Bible is boring. Clearly, they've never taken the time to read 2 Samuel.

David has a deep love for his Heavenly Father.  Not only courageous and faithful slaying Goliath in 1 Samuel, we see David become King, in 2 Samuel. He writes and sings songs to God, is a gifted musician - a worship leader at heart!

To make things a bit more focused, I wanted to discuss one of my favorite stories in the Bible. It can be found in chapters eleven and twelve: David & Bathsheba.

Everytime I read this story, I hope things will turn out differently. As King David comes out in the evening and watches Bathsheba bathe, I want to warn her to cover up. There are theories about whether or not she knew she was aware the King was watching her. Maybe it's my police background, but I have a hard time giving her victim-status. I'm not laying blame solely on Bathsheba, she was summoned by the King, not something you can refuse. 

Once she sends word that she is pregnant, King David does what many of us do when we've sinned - we cover it up. He calls for Uriah the Hittite, one of his thirty-seven mighty men of valor. Uriah was a man's man, and definitely the King's man. Loyal, faithful, and wholly devoted to his king. But, we see King David's plans to get Uriah drunk so he will lay with his wife come to a disastrous ending. Trustworthy even while drunk, Uriah refuses to defile himself while his men are at war. Marching back into battle, this mighty man of valor will carry his own death warrant. 

King David who we had grown to love, succombs to lust and sins against God. He is not pleased. Instead of confessing, repenting of his iniquities, he does what we all have done and tries to cover it up. And, just like is the way of God, without confession and repentence, there is consequence.

King David marries Bathsheba and their son dies. Not long after, the prophet Nathan comes and shares a story with the king about a precious lamb that was stolen and killed. King David is furious and wants the thief killed.

Nathan reveals, "You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more.  Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

“This is what the LORD says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight.You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’”
2Samuel 12 7-12
God will not be mocked. What we do in the dark, in secret, will be revealed in the light. As a Christian, I need to remember I am being watched. The moment it is revealed I am a follower of Christ, people look for signs of authenticity. I represent the Lord.  I need to make sure I live in a way that is God-honoring. Even his most precious David will suffer the consequences of watching this prophecy of Nathan come to pass.

But, this story doesn't end with consequence. It ends with redemption. King David confesses his sin against the Lord and we see later is blessed with a son by Bathsheba. It is their son, Solomon, who is asked of God to build His temple. Their child is the redemptive gift from a forgiving God who loves His children deeply.

A Few Thoughts to Ponder 

• Sin can trip up even the most solid believers. Confess any lusts of your own heart today. Don't allow sin to trip you up.
• It always surprises me how the very sins I struggle with look worse on someone else. Have you ever thought of that before?
• God had even more for King David. Yet, his sinful desires changed God's plans for him. Our Heavenly Father desires to give us more than we can ask or think. What a God we serve!
• Sin never effects just one person.

1 Samuel

As we begin the book of 1 Samuel, we are introduced to Hannah. Her name in Hebrew means - grace or favor.


Elkanah had two wives, one named Hannah, the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. 1Samuel 1:2

By the looks of this introduction to her life, she doesn't seem very favored at all. She was unable to bear children, unable to fulfill the greatest desire of womanhood.

...but Hannah had none. Those words are physically painful, if you're a woman who has experienced the heartache or inability to have a child.

We learn Hannah is tormented and ridiculed for years, by Elkanah's child-bearing wife, and immediately we are drawn to her pain. This happened year after year, whenever Hannah went to the Lord's house, Peninnah would make her miserable...1Samuel 1:7

There are quite a few take-away points that come to mind when I examine the life of Hannah.

• Prayer - Hannah took her unfulfilled dreams of motherhood to the throne-room of God. Too often, Hannah becomes the sainted poster child for prayer. Please don't put her on a pedestal. Like you and I, she was not perfect.  She struggled with bitterness and resentfulness. Though she was resentful (bitter), she prayed to the Lord while she cried. 1Samuel 1:10 What sets Hannah apart, is what she did with this bitterness of heart. She took it to the Lord in prayer.
• Peace - Once Hannah surrendered her most treasured desire to the Lord, peace was evident in her life. ...if you will look at my misery, remember me, and give me a boy, then I will give him to You for as long as he lives...(v.11), Then the woman went away and ate. She was no longer sad. (v.18)
• Promise -  Hannah promised God her son and followed through with that prayerful vow. I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted my request. In return, I am giving him to the Lord. He will be dedicated to the Lord his whole life. 1Samuel 1:27-28a I'm really good at reminding God of His promises to me. Yet, how often do I make a promise to the Lord and keep it? Hannah gave the Lord her only child. Meditate on that for a moment.
• Praise - Hannah rejoiced in the Lord, the very day she placed her son Samuel in the care of Eli the priest.  Hannah prayed to the Lord. My heart finds joy in the Lord. My head is lifted to the Lord. My mouth mocks my enemies. (I wonder if she's thinking of Peninnah here!?) I rejoice because you saved me. 1Samuel 2:1

A Few Questions to Ponder

1. As a child of the One true and living God, do you realize you are favored?
2. Is prayer a first-response during a bitter trial, or a last resort?
3. Friends, where chaos reigns, God does not. If you are not feeling peace in your home, in your life, in your marriage...take your concerns to the Lord. 
4. Have you promised God something? Have you followed through with that promise? Make today the day you confess your procrastination and begin again.
5. Where can you praise God, before your blessing? Rejoice in Him, regardless of your circumstances.

**Reading for next week - 2 Samuel**

66 Love Letters - Chapter Eight - RUTH

I Have The Cure

"You're problem runs deep. You value what I can give you more than you value the privilege and delight of knowing Me and being radically changed by the experience."

Dr. Larry Crabb

A season of Valentine’s Day is the right time for the book of Ruth!

Ready for the gospel preached in advanced?

Who is your Kinsman Redeemer???


The book of Ruth is set in the time of Judges and we get a close up look at 3 lives during this period.

Naomi – A mother-in-law empty and in a season of great loss (husband and 2 sons died) returning for food alone at Passover to the House of Bread (Beit Lechem-Bethlehem). She knows that God has brought this too her and that His hand is against her. She fails to remember just as everyone in Judges failed to do, that if she turns and repents that she will be blessed as promised.

Ruth – Called to minister and care for a bitter, empty, hungry woman that will not repent nor believe in the goodness of God. Ruth decides to glean leftovers from the field edges for food for them both as less than a servant.

Boaz – The Kinsman Redeemer. If you don’t know that word… you need to know that word because Boaz plays out a divine roll for us in this story. This story tells not only of our eternal salvation but enlarges our idea of the Messiah and of God’s plan of redemption to it’s fully intended design.

There are two Hebrew words for redeem, redeemer, redemption in scripture. One is Padah (Pa-Daw) and the other is Go’ol (Go-all). To redeem with the word Padah is to redeem a living thing a person or an animal. To redeem as this word Kinsman Redeemer is the word Go’ol. This word is absolutely HUGE!!! It means to redeem through payment from bondage and exile and it also means to avenge. This means that the plan of redemption is not just to buy YOU back and give you eternal life… it is to buy back every spiritual thing concerning you.

You have a past, life experiences, spiritual giftings and a future meant to be walked out with God. Each part of this is meant to be bought back from where it has been taken by the enemy or that we have sold off on purpose. God is meant to work in our daily lives today and tomorrow not just someday in Heaven.

Jesus Christ is your Messiah, your Go’ol, and your Valentine… He is not just your Padah, He is your Go’ol and He can and will redeem as well your entire spiritual God-given inheritance ground… today!

A Few Questions to Ponder

• Have you allowed the love of God as your Go’ol to invade and buy back every part of your past and every experience that was destroyed or stolen by the enemy? Have you relied on and trusted him as your Go’ol to avenge all wrongs against you?

• Have you allowed God to come for every bit of ground you have given up searching to be filled? Have you sold yourself too cheaply in the past when you were meant to be a treasure of God? Have you ever made the decision to glean left-overs? Have you allowed God to redeem all those choices?

Jesus came and died for you, the ultimate Valentine gift. Have you accepted eternal salvation from Christ’s sacrifice on your behalf? Is He your Padah?

The Bock Family with their precious Ruth.

Kimberly Bock

*Reading for this week; 1Samuel!

66 Love Letters - Chapter 7 - Judges

Sin is in you lodged deep.

So, I'm left with the question: will You really change me? If I face what is so awful about me, will You fix it? And if so, how?


"I can and I will, in My way and in My time. I AM able." 66 Love Letters -Dr. Larry Crabb


When I began the Book of Judges, I thought I was in for some deep reading about some pretty righteous characters. I wanted to be like those appointed by God to keep order in His Holy Name. I hadn’t read too many chapters before I remembered that God uses people just like us to do His will. As is so often in our humanness we fail, of course, and I was in for one disappointment after another.

What spoke to me, however, was that God is eternal love and God answers the cries of His people. How many times? In Matthew 18, God’s wish is that we forgive one another seventy times seven. God, however, forgives us eternally. Thank goodness!

In Judges Chapter Seven, God used a timid and uncertain man named Gideon to defeat the Midianites. Gideon had quite an army following him; over 32,000 men. God told Gideon that there were too many men to go into battle so He began paring them down. Finally, 300 remained and God sent them out. While 32,000 soldiers might have certainly defeated the army of the Midianites, God wanted His people to understand that He is in control, not Gideon, not the army. By paring Gideon’s army down to 300, impossible odds, the Lord was glorified in the seemingly impossible victory. And how amazing that none of Gideon’s men, not even the 300, had to lift a sword to help. But, by chapter eight, the people were at it again, falling by the wayside only to realize they needed another judge.

So often, throughout the Book of Judges, the author states “Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord……” Don’t you want to look into the invisible camera and say “Really…?” or “Are you kidding me? Again?” Yet, God understands. God forgives. And, God loves His people.

He offers hope in a world where there is little to be found. So many of God’s appointed judges were sent at the pleas of His people. Breaking God's laws and showing little reverence to the Lord seemed to be a generational trait. Is it only hopeless situations when God hears our pleas and answers us? Or is it because our most desperate times are when we finally call on God? Either way, God is faithful and loving and holds on to us even when we don’t hold on to Him.

A Few Questions to Ponder

• Do you cry out to God only at times of desperation? Or, do you speak to Him daily and feel comfortable to share with Him every grievance?

• Are you hanging on to God or is God the one that has you in His grip?

• Do you understand the importance of passing along your knowledge of God’s love and reverence to your own family?

• Do you feel like you’ve been tumbling in an eternal “fluff cycle” of your own life?

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66 Love Letters - Chapter Six - Joshua

Learn To Hate Sin More Than Suffering

"Loving Me and being faithful to My plan requires hating everything in you that is opposed to Me, everything about you that wants someone or something besides Me to have first place in your life." Dr. Larry Crabb

After forty wilderness years, we finally witness God part the Jordan River and the Israelites step onto their Promised Land. Can you imagine the celebration on the river banks?

Reading the Book of Joshua this week, I was personally reminded of a couple things:

• Encouragement is key. In the Book of Deuteronomy we saw Moses encouraging Joshua before he died: Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their forefathers to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deut. 31:7-8 After Moses' death, we see Joshua uses the same words of encouragement to inspire the Israelites: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be   discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9         
• I have a personal Promised Land. It is not my Heavenly destination, but my spiritual purpose here on earth. My prayer is to take every inch God has for me.
• My Promised Land includes a battlefield. A diet of only milk and honey makes for a weak follower of Christ.
• God's promises never fail. Looking over the past few years, I see the faithfulness of His Word in my life over and over and over again!

What about you? Are you standing on your Promised Land? Remember, do not be discouraged or afraid. God commands us to trust Him. Seek God for encouragement to overcome whatever battle is keeping you from taking all your land this week.

* Reading for next week; The Book of Judges

66 Love Letters - Chapter Five - Deuteronomy

You Fail Me, But I Never Fail You

"Let me explain Deuteronomy to you, remember I unfold my plan slowly."

• First, I am the only true God, there is no other.
• Second, I brought you out to bring you in.  I brought you out of that prison to bring you into the freedom of love.
• Third, I ask nothing of you but that kind of love, which includes respecting Me for who I am, following Me wherever I lead, serving Me with your whole heart, and obeying every command I give. -Dr. Larry Crabb

The book of Deuteronomy ends the fifth book of the Bible and what the Jewish people refer to as the Torah - Hebrew for instruction; also known as the Pentateuch - Greek for vessel or book. It's here we are witness to lots of God's instruction, including Mose's last words - and warnings to the Israelite people.

He encourages them, almost pleading, over and over again to put the Lord their God first always, in everything, every day of their lives. He reminds the generation about to enter the Promised Land of the blessings and curses that come with an obedient or disobedient life - one that follows God or walks away from Him.

One of my favorite pieces of scripture is found in chapter six:

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-7)

Fitting words from Moses to the millions of Israelites who were about to step into their Promised Land for the first time. I hope you're following along in your Bible, because you're about to witness a second parting of the waters in Joshua (chapters 1-4).

A Few Questions to Ponder

• Moses last words to the Israelites are in Deuteronomy, probably written by Joshua after his death. Have you ever wondered what your last words would be to those YOU loved?
• It's been forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Can you imagine the joy that Caleb and Joshua must be feeling right now? Are you experiencing your own "wilderness" right now? What do you think God is trying to teach you through it?
• Is there a Promised Land on your horizon? Has the Lord whispered something to your heart? What are you doing to prepare for it? What "giants" are keeping you in your wilderness place?

66 Love Letters - Chapter Four - Numbers

Making You Holy is Hard Work for Both of Us

You will experience terrible failure and crushing conflict on the road that leads to where I'm taking you, but it is the right road even when it feels like it's killing you. - Dr. Larry Crabb

Exodus covered a year; Leviticus only a month - but the Book of Numbers encompasses more than 38 years of the Israelites wilderness journey. The Hebrew title of this book gives us an idea of the theme of Numbers. In Hebrew this book is titled In the Wilderness instead of Numbers.

Christians flinch when they are reminded of the military census of the tribes, a tedious read, yet much needed part of preparing the Israelites for the promised land battles that lay ahead.

Our very own Katie Chaney took the time to put this census down on paper in an understandable way. You can thank her for the graphic above! (I'm just sorry I can't enlarge it for you.)

66 Love Letters - Chapter Three - Leviticus

Holiness Comes Before Happiness: Holiness Is Happiness

"You must not try to fit Me into your plans. Your plans are too small. You must fit yourself into Mine. Remember, I do have a plan. And it's a good one! I've written Leviticus to tell you one thing: The toughest part of My plan, the part that's costliest to Me, is to make you holy."

Leviticus means "concerning the Levites" and the title rightly fits this chunk of the Bible. With the tabernacle complete, next comes God's charge to keep for the priests. He tells them exactly what keeping the temple is all about. Reminding me that God is always in even the most minute details of my life as well.

66 Love Letters - Chapter Two - Exodus

You Must Know Me To Trust Me

"God, what do You want me to hear as I read Exodus?"


"Hear this above all: I will do whatever it takes to carry out My plan!"

The book of Exodus may possibly be one of my favorite books of the Bible. Starting where Genesis left off, so begins the nail-biting sequel to the story of the Israelites.

It's here we are introduced to Moses and watch him grow up under the adopted care of the Pharaoh, as a prince of Egypt. It's here we watch the Lord use him for His glory in his old age. Moses represents God before the Pharaoh, bringing plagues upon Egypt like lice, frogs, locusts, and eventually the death of every first born son, which makes way for their exodus.

A Few Questions to Ponder

Which part of the Exodus story is your favorite?

Have you seen God part the Red Sea in your life?

Did it surprise you when the Israelites grew impatient waiting for Moses on Mount Sinai and created a golden calf to worship?

Share something from the book 66 Love Letters that spoke to you this week.


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