“There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42 (NLT) The heart of this ministry is to inspire a love for God’s Word and encourage the discipline of daily Bible reading and SOAP journaling. These are a few of our SOAP notes from today’s reading. We encourage you to read and journal on your own first, then join us in conversation about what God revealed to YOU today. Click HERE to go directly to the daily reading if you wish.
Printable reading plan: Discover One Thing Reading Plan
Want to walk through the Bible one book at a time? Head over to Discover One Thing Online Study!
So Close to the Promised Land | Joni Tyner
S~ Then Joshua asked them, “How long are you going to wait before taking possession of the remaining land the LORD , the God of your ancestors , has given to you?” Joshua 18:3 (NLT)
O~ Joshua has been dividing up the promised land to the tribes of Israel. This was their earthly inheritance. Some of the tribes, however, procrastinated and didn’t fight for their land. They also failed to completely drive the Canaanites. This was a big problem because their pagan culture infiltrated God’s people.
A~ The Israelites had been a homeless people for 40 years. They were now physically in the promised land. Why on earth would they not embrace God’s blessing? This seems crazy to me…yet do I do this in my own life?
Maybe I’m like these Israelites. I wonder if I’m so close to the promise land, yet I hesitate with the final step of embracing God’s best for me? I wonder if there is sin in my life that God wants to eliminate and I think that it’s okay and we (me and sin) can peacefully co-exist? I wonder why when I read about the tribes in Joshua it seems so obvious that they will be blessed if they just follow through with what God has for them–yet I can’t see it in my own life?
P~ Dear Lord, please remove any blinders I have and allow me to see all that You have planned for me. I want to be a soldier that fights for You, not a passive wanderer who never makes commitments and has follow through. Please reveal to me any sin that needs to be cut out of my life. I want to finish the race You have set before me with excellence. I love You.
Transform me God! | guest post
S~ Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Romans 12:2 (NLT)
Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Romans 12:3b (NLT)
O~ Only God can change a person. He does it by changing the way we think. I think for a person to change though, they have to have a willing heart.
A~ Last night I blew my diet AGAIN! I’ve been doing that a lot lately. As I study verse 3 and evaluate myself, my faith that God has given me comes into question. Do I really believe that God can change me and I lose weight and be healthy? In my head, I do believe that, but I’m not so sure in my heart. I’ve failed so much at weight loss – can it really happen this time? Can God really change me by changing the way I think?
Maybe my prayer should be for God to increase my faith, so I KNOW this will happen. As my faith increases, God will transform me into a new person by changing the way I think!
P~ Father, increase my faith!! Transform me into a new person by changing the way I think about You, food, consumption, laziness, boredom. Don’t give up on me God!! I LOVE You! In Jesus’ Name I pray! Amen!
Conquer Evil | Kim Chipman
S~ Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. Romans 12:21 (NLT)
O~ Paul is giving instruction for how to live out our faith. No paybacks. Live honorably and peacefully. No revenge. Be kind to your enemies. Conquer evil by doing good.
A~ This is hard. It really requires continual choices for You. When someone hurts my feelings the last thing I want to do is be nice to them. But essentially that appears to be the antidote to preventing evil from getting the upper hand in my heart. It doesn’t even say ‘conquer evil by feeling good’ but by DOING good. Like probably in spite of my feelings. Showing grace – undeserved favor – can break the negative cycle of yuck. You show me undeserved favor all the time. I know what it is like to mess up and mess up BAD.
P~ Lord, help me to honor You by choosing kindness when I really don’t feel like it. I love You.
Our team would love the privilege of praying for you! Please share how we can lift you in prayer at prayer@DiscoverOneThing.com
Discover One Thing 