Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for March 12

THE STAFF THAT SPROUTED

From: March 12, 2025

“On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds” (Numbers 17:8 ESV).

The Lord had the heads of house from each of the twelve tribes carve their names into their staffs and Moses placed them in the tabernacle. The next day, all the rods were brought out, “and behold,” only Aaron’s staff had bloomed and brought forth almonds. This was done to put to rest the complaints of those who rebelled against Moses’ and Aaron’s leadership, and therefore God’s leadership as well. Only God could cause a dead stick to bud, blossom and bring forth fruit.

The Hebrew word for “almond” relates to “watching” or “awakening,” as the almond tree is the first to bloom, signaling the arrival of spring. Similarly, the prophet Jeremiah saw a vision of an almond branch and the Lord told him it signified His intent to “watch” over His Word and to make it come to pass (Jer. 1:11-12).

Aaron’s rod points us to Christ. He is the fulfillment of God’s Word, the One who brings forth life from death. Like the almond blossom, His resurrection signals the end of winter and the beginning of new life for all who trust in Him.

Just as God affirmed Aaron’s calling, He has also confirmed Jesus as our Great High Priest. In Him, we see the power of resurrection life. No matter how barren or lifeless our circumstances seem, God can bring fruitfulness and renewal. We can trust in Christ as the source of new and abundant life.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus, who brings life from death and fulfills Your Word. Help us to trust in Him completely and to watch for the ways You are working in our lives. May we remain faithful, knowing that You are always faithful to Your promises. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

THE PAINFUL BETRAYAL OF A FRIEND

From: March 12, 2024

“For it is not an enemy who taunts me— then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me— then I could hide from him. But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend” (Psalm 55:12-13 ESV).

In David’s 55th psalm, he expressed the painful sorrow of being betrayed by a friend. It seems certain that he was describing the betrayal of his confidant and counselor, Ahithophel. For when David’s son, Absalom rebelled against his father and sought to take the throne, Ahithophel joined with the conspirators (See 2 Sam. 15:31).

This psalm also has a prophetic sense. For it points to the betrayal of David’s future son, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who was betrayed by one of his very own disciples, Judas Iscariot. The pain of betrayal was expressed by Jesus when he asked, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:48).

Yet both betrayers ended their own lives at the end of a rope. For both Ahithophel and Judas hung themselves (2 Sam. 17:23; Matt. 27:5). Betrayal is a bitter thing.

Why do these stories from David’s life repeat themselves in the life of Jesus? Didn’t the Lord give them as signs pointing to Jesus as Messiah? As Jesus said to those Jewish leaders who refused to believe in him, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39-40).

They refused to believe how Jesus fulfilled the very Scriptures that they studied. Do you see how Jesus has fulfilled the Scriptures? Even his betrayal by a friend?

PRAYER: Dear Father, we have heard Your Word and believed in Your Son, Jesus. We are amazed that You would send Him to save us even while we were yet sinners. Thank You. Strengthen us this day to declare the Word of the gospel to others. In Jesus’ name, amen.

WHO WILL MOVE THE STONE?

From: March 12, 2023

“Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” (Mark 16:3 NLT).

On the first Easter morning, the women who went to anoint the Lord’s body worried about moving the stone that sealed His tomb. Arriving there, they found that the enormous stone had already been rolled away, revealing the empty tomb.

English investigative journalist, Frank Morison, had a tremendous drive to learn of Christ and in 1930, wrote a book entitled, “Who Moved The Stone?” The resurrection story had captured his attention, and, influenced by skeptic thinkers at the turn of the century, he set out to prove that the story was only a myth. His research, however, led him to be convinced of the validity of the biblical record. For him, the stone to believing was moved.

Do you know someone that seems close to believing, yet there is a kind of immovable stone standing in the way? You can lead them to the cross and to the tomb, but only God can move the stone. Pray that the stone of blindness and unbelief is removed from their heart, so that they might believe and receive the Risen Lord Jesus.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank you that you have removed the stone from our hearts that we might believe in Jesus. Yet, we have so many family and friends around us who do not believe. Give us the words today to share a clear gospel with them. Go before us to remove the stone from their hearts that they might truly see and believe. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall” (Psalm 55:22 NLT).

From: March 12, 2022

WHERE DO YOU PUT YOUR BURDENS?

David’s psalm sounds similar to Christ’s invitation to “Come unto Me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). David had learned how to give his heavy burdens to the Lord and he shared this wonderful secret in this psalm.

But rather than giving our burdens to God, many of us struggle and worry over things too heavy to bear. We lose sleep. We become anxious and depressed. Our relational life with God and others suffer. Our troubles become so heavy that we stoop under the load. Yet, David knew how to cast his burdens upon God in prayer.

Now we have an Advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ, who invites us to give our burdens to Him and come to Him for rest. He is able to make us stand, so that even when the whole world is shaken, we neither slip nor fall. In Christ, we continue to stand.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we cast our burdens, our worries and cares upon You. We come to You, trusting in Your Son, Jesus, as our Advocate. He is able to carry what we cannot. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” (Psalm 55:22 HCSB).

From: March 12, 2021

WHERE DO YOU PUT YOUR BURDENS?

David’s psalm sounds similar to Christ’s invitation to “Come unto Me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). But rather than giving our burdens to God, we struggle and worry over things too heavy to bear. We lose sleep. We become anxious and depressed. Our relational life with God and others suffer. Our troubles become so heavy that we stoop under the load. Yet, David knew how to cast his burdens upon God in prayer.

Now we have an Advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ, who invites us to cast our burdens on Him and come to Him for rest. He is able to make us stand, so that even when the world is shaken, we continue to stand.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we cast our burdens, our worries and cares upon You. We come to You, trusting in Your Son, Jesus, as our Advocate. He is able to carry what we cannot. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“… I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel” (Numbers 18:20 NKJV).

From: March 14, 2020

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST POSSESSION?

The Lord told Aaron and the tribe of Levi that they would not receive a land portion nor an inheritance with the rest of Israel. Instead, their portion and inheritance would be the Lord Himself. They were to live off of the tithes and offerings that the other tribes brought to the Tabernacle. There the Levites would serve the Lord and their support would come from that which was given to the Lord.

When old Abram was still childless, the Lord said to him, “I am your exceedingly great reward” (Gen. 15:1). Abram trusted the Lord, valuing Him above all others, and the Lord miraculously gave him a son, whom he named Isaac. And the Lord changed Abram’s name to “Abraham,” which means “Father of Many.” For he has become the father of all who believe (cf. Rom. 4:16).

How wonderful it is to see the Lord as our greatest possession! As contemporary song writer, Fernando Ortega wrote, “You can have all this world, but give me Jesus.”

PRAYER: Dear Father, You are our portion and inheritance, our exceedingly great reward. Having the world, we lose all, but having Your Son, we gain all things. So give us Jesus. He is more than enough. We love You and honor You above all others. In Jesus’ precious name, amen.

“Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” (Mark 16:3 NLT).

From: March 12, 2019

WHO WILL MOVE THE STONE?

On the first Easter morning, the women who went to anoint the Lord’s body worried about moving the stone that sealed His tomb. Arriving there, they found that the enormous stone had already been rolled away, revealing the empty tomb.

Do you know someone that seems close to believing, yet there is a kind of immovable stone standing in the way? You can lead them to the cross and to the tomb, but only God can move the stone. Pray that the stone of blindness and unbelief is removed from their heart, so that they might believe and receive the Risen Lord Jesus.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank you that you have removed the stone from our hearts that we might believe in Jesus. Yet, we have so many family and friends around us who do not believe. Give us the words today to share a clear gospel with them. Go before us to remove the stone from their hearts that they might truly see and believe. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone” (Mark 16:15 NLT).

From: March 12, 2018

ARE WE OBEYING CHRIST’S COMMISSION?

Jesus commissioned His disciples to share the “Good News” to everyone in “all the world.” Are we obeying this commission? What are we doing as a church and what are we doing as individual believers to answer this call? Do we pray for the gospel to be preached in every nation and language? Do we give financially to support those who carry the Good News to every “people group” (An ethnic group which identifies based on similarities such as common ancestry, language, society, culture or nation)? Are we willing to go personally to see that the gospel is offered to everyone?

According to the Joshua Project, there are 16,970 people groups in the world out of which 7,040 groups have yet to be reached. This means that 3.14 billion people, out of the world’s total population of 7.48 billion, have not yet heard the gospel!

There are two important spiritual questions that we must ask ourselves: 1) What did we do with Jesus? and 2) What did we do with the gospel? How have you answered these two questions in your own life? If we have believed Jesus then we must obey His commission.

“Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds” (Numbers 17:8 NKJV).

From: March 12, 2017

The Lord had the heads of house from each of the twelve tribes carve their names into their staffs and Moses placed them in the tabernacle. The next day, all the rods were brought out, “and behold,” only Aaron’s staff had bloomed and brought forth almonds. This was done to put to rest the complaints of those who rebelled against Moses’ and Aaron’s leadership, and therefore God’s leadership as well. Only God could cause a dead stick to bud, blossom and bring forth fruit.

The Hebrew word for an almond tree literally might be translated, “waking” or “watching tree,” for the almond tree was the first to bloom in late winter, in anticipation of spring. The Greeks used to put a cutting of almond blossoms in their homes in celebration of the coming spring season and the end of winter. With the appearance of almond blossoms, it was time to “watch” for spring.

Jeremiah saw a vision of an almond branch and the Lord told him it signified His intent to “watch” over His Word and to make it come to pass (Jer. 1:11-12). Isaiah saw a living rod sprout from the dead stump of Jesse, whose name was also called Israel. He wrote, “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots” (Isa. 11:1).

The fruitful rod of Aaron points to its fulfillment in the Great High Priest, Jesus. For He is the Rod of Jesse, the Branch of Israel. He is the fulfillment of the Word. He is the almond blossom announcing the end of winter.

“Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” (Mark 16:3 ESV)

From: March 12, 2016

On the first Easter morning, the women who went to anoint the Lord’s body worried about moving the stone that sealed His tomb. Arriving there, they found that the enormous stone had already been rolled away, revealing the empty tomb. Do you know someone that seems close to believing, yet there is a kind of immovable stone standing in the way? You can lead them to the cross and to the tomb, but only God can move the stone. Pray that the stone of blindness and unbelief is removed from their heart, so that they might receive the Risen Lord Jesus.