Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for July 1

HAVE YOU BROUGHT IT BEFORE THE LORD?

From: July 1, 2024

“Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord” (2 Kings 19:14 ESV).

When King Hezekiah of Judah received a letter from the king of Assyria threatening to overthrow Jerusalem and mocking his dependence on the Lord, the king carried the letter into the Temple. He fell on his face in prayer and spread the letter out on the floor for the Lord’s consideration. The Lord heard Hezekiah’s prayer and defended Jerusalem, so that the Assyrian army retreated without a shot being fired.

What threatens you today? What robs you of peace? What fills you with fear and anxiety? Have you brought it before the Lord? Or are you still trying to face it on your own? Take it before the Lord. “Spread” it out before Him. Turn your worries into prayers, so that the peace of God might “guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7).

PRAYER: Dear Father, we often struggle and lose sleep over things that we have not thought to bring to You. Forgive us. Teach us to depend on You for all things. We give You the concerns and cares for this day. Fill us afresh with the peace of Christ. For it’s in His name we pray, amen.

WHY SING A NEW SONG TO THE LORD?

From: July 1, 2023

“Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song. Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful.” (Psalm 149:1 NLT).

The Scripture often instructs that a “new song” be sung to the Lord. In fact, this command is in the Bible a total of nine times: six in the Psalms, once in Isaiah, and twice in Revelation. So, why does the Lord desire a new song from his people?

Perhaps it’s because we naturally prefer “old songs.” We love to sing songs that we have sung since childhood. Yet, when these old songs were written they were actually new songs to that generation, describing new mercies and new thanks to the Lord for the people of that day. There’s nothing wrong with old songs.

There isn’t a biblical prohibition against singing old songs. It’s just that God is always doing a new thing. And every generation is called to experience God’s grace and mercy for themselves. This rightly results in new songs. Since God’s grace and mercy are new every morning, shouldn’t new songs be the result?

So, let’s keep singing the old songs, but let’s be sure to write and sing new songs too! Sometimes just singing an old song in a new way deepens understanding and praise. New generations need new songs!

PRAYER: Lord, thank You that Your mercies are new everyday. You put a new song on our lips. Help us to sing to You in the assembly of the faithful, surrounded by the voices of our fellow believers and echoing with the angelic voices in heaven. Lord, we want to sing a new song to You because You are new to us everyday. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“The next day we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the Evangelist, one of the seven men who had been chosen to distribute food” (Acts 21:8 NLT).

From: July 1, 2022

TWO GREAT EVANGELISTS SPEND SOME TIME TOGETHER

After Paul’s third missionary journey, he and his companions sailed homeward, arriving at Caesarea Martima. This is where Herod the Great had built an amazing harbor and named the city after his patron, Caesar Augustus. Paul’s traveling companions included Luke the physician, who kept a faithful diary, noting their stay at the house of Philip the evangelist. He also noted that this Philip was the same one appointed as one of the original seven deacons (Acts 6:5). Not to be confused with Philip the apostle, who was one of the Twelve.

What a difference the gospel and twenty years makes! For twenty years earlier, a younger Paul (then called “Saul”) had begun his persecution of the church with the stoning of Stephen, the first of the seven deacons. The persecution resulted in the scattering of the Jerusalem believers, so that Philip the deacon became Philip the evangelist, carrying the gospel to Samaria (Acts 8:4-12), to an Ethiopian eunuch on the Gaza road (Acts 8:26-39), and on to Azotus and Caesarea, where he made his home for a time. The church in Ethiopia still traces its roots to the eunuch whom Philip led to faith and baptized.

During these same years, Saul the persecutor had become Paul the planter of churches after his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. Now, Paul is staying at Philip’s home, no doubt discussing the amazing grace of God that would bring the two of them together.

I wish I could’ve been there listening to them share stories of God’s goodness and gospel sharing. For Paul and his companions stayed there several days before moving on. I wonder whether they discussed the martyrdom of Stephen and how the gospel had reconciled them to God and to one another. We have no record that these two great evangelists ever crossed paths again. But this must have been a wonderful time of fellowship that they had together!

PRAYER: Dear Father, we are amazed at how Your gospel can bring enemies together as friends and even more, as brothers and sisters. We ask that You help us boldly share the gospel in our world today, so that people are reconciled to You and to one another. Strengthen us to do the work of an evangelist. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Hallelujah! Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of the godly” (Psalm 149:1 HCSB).

From: July 1, 2021

WHY SING A NEW SONG TO THE LORD?

The Scripture often instructs that a “new song” be sung to the Lord. In fact, this is in the Bible a total of nine times: six in the Psalms, once in Isaiah, and twice in Revelation. So, why does the Lord desire a new song from his people?

Perhaps it’s because we naturally prefer “old songs.” We love to sing songs that we have sung since childhood. Yet, when these old songs were written they were actually new songs to that generation, describing new mercies and new thanks to the Lord for the people of that day. There’s nothing wrong with old songs.

There isn’t a biblical prohibition against singing old songs. It’s just that God is always doing a new thing. And every generation is called to experience God’s grace and mercy for themselves. This rightly results in new songs. Since God’ grace and mercy are new every morning, shouldn’t new songs be the result?

So, let’s keep singing the old songs of God’s grace and mercy, but lets be sure to write and sing new songs too! New hearts need new songs!

PRAYER: Lord, thank You that Your mercies are new everyday. You put a new song on our lips. Help us to sing to You in the assembly of the faithful, surrounded by the voices of our fellow believers and echoing with the angelic voices in the heavenliness. Lord, we want to sing a new song to You because You are new to us everyday. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him” (Acts 21:8 NKJV).

From: July 1, 2020

TWO GREAT EVANGELISTS SPEND SOME TIME TOGETHER

After Paul’s third missionary journey, he and his companions sailed homeward, arriving at Caesarea Martima. This is where Herod the Great had built an amazing manmade harbor and named the city after his patron, Caesar Augustus. Paul’s traveling companions included Luke the physician, who kept a faithful diary, noting their stay at the house of Philip the evangelist. He also noted that this Philip was the same one appointed as one of the original seven deacons (Acts 6:5). Not to be confused with Philip the apostle, who was one of the Twelve.

What a difference the gospel and twenty years makes! For twenty years earlier, a younger Paul (then called “Saul”) had begun his persecution of the church with the stoning of Stephen, the first of the seven deacons. The persecution resulted in the scattering of the Jerusalem believers, so that Philip the deacon became Philip the evangelist, carrying the gospel to Samaria (Acts 8:4-12), to an Ethiopian eunuch on the Gaza road (Acts 8:26-39), and on to Azotus and Caesarea, where he made his home for a time. The church in Ethiopia still traces its roots to the eunuch whom Philip led to faith and baptized.

During these same years, Saul the persecutor had become Paul the planter of churches after his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. Now, Paul is staying at Philip’s home, no doubt discussing the amazing grace of God that would bring the two of them together.

I wish I could’ve been there listening to them share stories of God’s goodness and gospel sharing. For Paul and his companions stayed there several days before moving on. I wonder whether they discussed the martyrdom of Stephen and how the gospel had reconciled them to God and to one another. We have no record that these two great evangelists ever crossed paths again. But this must have been a wonderful time they had together!

PRAYER: Dear Father, we are amazed at how Your gospel can bring enemies together as friends and even more, as brothers and sisters. We ask that You help us boldly share the gospel in our world today, so that people are reconciled to You and to one another. Strengthen us to the work of an evangelist. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song. Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful” (Psalm 149:1 NLT).

From: July 1, 2019

WHY SING A NEW SONG TO THE LORD?

The Scripture often instructs that a “new song” be sung to the Lord? In fact, this is in the Bible a total of nine times: six in the Psalms, once in Isaiah, and twice in Revelation. So, why does the Lord desire a new song from his people?

Perhaps it’s because we naturally prefer “old songs.” We love to sing songs that we have sung since childhood. Yet, when these old songs were written they were actually new songs to that generation, describing new mercies and new thanks to the Lord for the people of that day. There’s nothing wrong with old songs.

There isn’t a biblical prohibition against singing old songs. It’s just that God is always doing a new thing. And every generation is called to experience God’s grace and mercy for themselves. This rightly results in new songs.

So, let’s sing the old songs of God’s grace and mercy, but lets not forget to write and sing new songs too!

PRAYER: Lord, thank You that Your mercies are new everyday. You put a new song on our lips. Help us to sing to You in the assembly of the faithful, surrounded by the voices of our fellow believers and echoing with the angelic voices in the heavenliness. Lord, we want to sing a new song to You because You are new to us everyday. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“We went ashore, found the local believers, and stayed with them a week” (Acts 21:4 NLT).

From: July 1, 2018

LOCAL BELIEVERS AT EVERY PORT

Paul and Luke went ashore at Tyre while the ship was unloaded of its cargo. They stayed with local believers there for a week. How things had changed since Paul’s first missionary journey. On his first expedition, no one had even heard the gospel. Now, as he returned to Jerusalem after his third missionary tour, believers met him at nearly every stop. Christianity was spreading like wildfire!

But Paul’s work was not yet finished. Even though fellow believers warned him not to go, Paul was determined to return to Jerusalem and ultimately, to travel to Rome to preach the gospel. His calling was not only to the Jews and Gentiles, but also to kings (See Acts 9:15). So, to Caesar he was determined to go.

“On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him” (Acts 21:8 NKJV).

From: July 1, 2017

Luke the physician and the traveling companion of Paul, gave detail of their arrival in Caesarea and their lodging at the house of Philip, one of the seven original deacons. This was Caesarea Maritima (not to be confused with Caesarea Philippi), which was built by Herod the Great and named after his patron, Caesar Augustus. Paul had come and gone out to sea many times from this amazing man-made harbor, but this would be the last time that he did so as a free man. The next time he would appear in Caesarea it would be in chains, just as the prophet Agabus had warned.

At Caesarea, he would appeal to Caesar as he stood before the Roman governor, Festus, and Herod Agrippa. At Caesarea, he would make his defense, so that Agrippa replied, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian” (Acts 26:28). At Caesarea, Paul would depart for Rome, never to see Jerusalem again. Yet, he was willing to give his life to carry the gospel to the center of the Roman world.

“Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord” (2 Kings 19:14 ESV)

From: July 1, 2016

When King Hezekiah of Judah received a letter from the king of Assyria threatening to overthrow Jerusalem and mocking his dependence on the Lord, the king carried the letter into the Temple. He fell on his face in prayer and spread the letter out on the floor for the Lord’s consideration. The Lord heard Hezekiah’s prayer and defended Jerusalem, so that the Assyrian army retreated without firing a shot. What threatens you today? Have you “spread” it out before the Lord in prayer?

“For I will defend this city, to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake” (2 Kings 19:34 NKJV)

From: July 1, 2015

After the Assyrians had overthrown the Northern Kingdom of Israel, they set their sights on the Southern Kingdom of Judah. But as their armies gathered outside the city of Jerusalem, they overplayed their hand by belittling the name of God in their threats. So, God heard the prayer of King Hezekiah of Judah and delivered Jerusalem untouched from Assyrian hands. God did this for the sake of His own Name and for the sake of the remnant within Jerusalem who still honored Him.
Is there a remnant who still honor God’s Name in your city today?