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Today’s Scripture: Psalm 66-68

Things to remember in today’s reading:

• This psalm of thanksgiving recounts God’s awesome deeds and His commitment to His people as His eyes keep watch on the nations. For His great blessings on His people, they will tell what He has done for their souls (66:1-20).
• This short psalm thanks God for a fruitful harvest and petitions Him on behalf of the peoples of the world that they might come to know the one true God as His people know Him (67:1-7).
• This next psalm celebrates God’ continued protection and care for Israel and is thought by some to be a commemoration of David’s moving of the ark into the tabernacle, as described in 2^nd Samuel 6:12-15 (68:1-35).

Things God is teaching me in today’s reading:

• Psalm 66 reminds me that our God is an awesome God!
• Psalm 67 teaches me that God cares greatly for His people, as evidenced by His providential guidance and involvement in our lives!
• Psalm 68 teaches me that God bears us up and is our salvation, He will deliver us from death and strike the heads of His enemies and, by His power he works for us! As I observe the awesome power of God from His sanctuary, I will sing praises to Him before the nations!

Things to act on in today’s reading:

• I will be glad, I will be jubilant with joy, and I will exult before God because He is the Father of the fatherless, and protector of widows and, in His goodness, I know He will provide for the needy!
• I will share God’s message with another person that I meet today!

Things to pray about in today’s reading:

• That God will be gracious to us and bless us and make His face to shine upon us that His Way may be know upon the earth and His saving power among all the nations!

Thanks for reading with me dear friend. Have a blessed day!!

— Randy Sexton

As we launch this new Remembering My Creator page, we invite you to read along! This page is targeted to young people, especially those new in the faith. We have several young Christians who have committed to writing for this page. Here is the schedule of topics for the coming year:

Month	Topic
June 2010	Daily Bible Reading
July 2010	Influences of the World
August 2010	Prayer
September 2010	Dating
October 2010	Dancing
November 2010	Video/Internet Issues
December 2010	TV & Movies
January 2011	Drinking
February 2011	Parents
March 2011	Friends
April 2011	Music
May 2011	How I Look

— Randy Sexton

Today’s Scripture: 1^st Kings 5-9

Things to remember in today’s reading:

• The preparation for the building of the temple by Solomon is described (5:1-18). “This picture reflects God’s intended result when the people of Israel have a wise ruler and they walk in obedience to God’s commandments” (ESV Study Bible, p. 602)
• The actual building of the temple and the royal palace complex is described (6:1-7:51). “Solomon began to build the house of the Lord… in the spring of 967 or 966 B.C. (1^st Kings 6:1; 2^nd Chronicles 3:1-2) and completed it seven years later, in the fall of 960 or 959 (1^st Kings 6:38) (ESV Study Bible, p. 605).
• The Ark of the Covenant, the great symbol of the Lord’s presence, is brought up out of the City of David to its place in the inner sanctuary of the completed temple (8:1-2).
• Solomon prays, reflecting upon the nature of God’s “dwelling” in the temple and offering a seven-fold petitionary prayer (8:22-53).
• Solomon blesses all the assembly of Israel, encourages every one of them to be wholly true to the Lord, and offers peace offerings to dedicate the house of the Lord (8:54-65).

Things God is teaching me in today’s reading:

• The reason God did not allow David to build the temple was the “warfare with which his enemies surrounded him” (5:3). The application for me is: my actions have consequences.
• The importance of obedience to God’s commands as we do His work (6:11-13).
• The importance of prayer to reflect upon God’s blessing of our work (8:22-24).
• We should go to our homes “joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord has shown us” (8:66).

Things to act on in today’s reading:

• To pay close attention to God’s way, to walk before Him, that His will be confirmed in me (8:25-26).
• To be joyful and glad of heart for all of God’s goodness

Things to pray about in today’s reading:

• That God’s “eyes may be open night and day toward this house” (8:29)
• Lord, when I am defeated because I have sinned against You, help me to turn again to You and acknowledge Your name and pray and plead with You in Your house (8:33-34)
• Lord, thank You for all the goodness you have shown me!

Thanks for reading with me dear friend. Have a blessed day!!

— Randy Sexton

Today’s Scripture: Exodus 37-40

Things to remember in today’s reading:

• Moses continues the Lord’s instructions, by describing the making of the items to go into the tabernacle (37:1-29), and items to go outside the tent of the tabernacle but inside the court that surrounds it ((38:1-20)
• The official record of those who oversaw the work of the tabernacle and of the precious materials used (38:21-31)
• The description of the garments for Aaron and his sons are given and how they are to be made (39:1-31).
• The narration of the fact that the people completed all the work of the tabernacle and then brought the pieces to Moses (39:32-43)
• The Lord speaks to Moses with instruction on when and how to erect the tabernacle and it is done (40:1-33).

Things God is teaching me in today’s reading:

• It is right and good to celebrate the success of a group of God’s people completing a task that they have worked together to accomplish (49:43).
• A very important part of our work is consecrating it to God (40:9-15).
• The glory of the Lord will fill the house that is built with God as its architect and designer. He will lead us throughout our journeys (40:34-38).

Things to act on in today’s reading:

• I will look for ways to celebrate tasks successfully completed, working with my brethren
• I will consecrate this day’s work to God!
• I will praise God for His plan!

Things to pray about in today’s reading:

• For God’s word to serve as a lamp to light my path!
• For Christians in the local body with whom I work and have fellowship!
• For opportunities to glorify God!

Thanks for reading with me dear friend. Have a blessed day!!

— Randy Sexton

Today’s Scripture: Galatians 4-6

Things to remember in today’s reading:

• Paul makes a dispensational appeal, as he discusses the differences of heirs and slaves, to teach that the period of Law was a special way in which God dealt with Israel for a special purpose (4:1-11)
• Paul makes a sentimental appeal to the Galatians to accept the truth (4:12-18).
• Paul makes an allegorical argument, using the story of Abraham’s two sons (Genesis 16 and 21), to show that the new covenant has superseded the old (4:19-31)
• Paul makes the practical application of Christian liberty to the lives of believers as he contrasts: liberty vs. bondage, spirit vs. flesh, others vs. self, and God’s glory vs. man’s approval (5:1-6:18).

Things God is teaching me in today’s reading:

• “… the Jews were in their ‘spiritual childhood’ under the law. The rules and rituals of the Law were the ‘religious ABCs’ they had to learn before they could graduate into their full inheritance.” (Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament, p. 525)
• God’s providence is evident in sending His son, at just the right moment in human history, to redeem those who were under the law.
• We may be hindered in obeying the truth (5:7) and can fight that occurrence by walking by the Spirit (5:16-18). The decisions and choices made, as we walk by the Spirit, will result in the fruit of the Spirit (5:22-23).
• My love for others should motivate me to bear their burdens and to kindly entreat them when they are “caught” in transgression.
• The Word of God is rich in meaning that I can “mine” to gain new insights every time I study it!

Things to act on in today’s reading:

• To live by the Spirit in the decisions and choices I make!
• To do good, seeking out opportunities to serve!
• To send a note “in the spirit of gentleness” to just one who has “gone astray” (Matthew 18:12-ESV) and is “leading an undisciplined life” (2nd Thessalonians 3:11-NASB).

Things to pray about in today’s reading:

• Lord, please help me to keep watch on myself, lest I also be tempted!
• That God’s word will work in the hearts of those who have turned back into the world and are no longer serving him!
• That we never use our freedom in Christ as an opportunity for the flesh but as an opportunity to serve one another!

Thanks for reading with me dear friend. Have a blessed day!!

— Randy Sexton

Today’s Scripture: Luke 7-8

Things to remember in today’s reading:

• Jesus heals a centurion’s servant (7:1-10).
• Jesus raises a widow’s son (7:11-17).
• Messengers from John the Baptist come to Jesus asking, “Are you the one who is to come or shall we look for another?” (7:18-35)
• Jesus encounters “a woman of the city, who was a sinner,” who washes His feet with her tears and dries them with her hair, affording Jesus an opportunity to teach about saving faith (7:36-50).
• Jesus teaches in parables: the sower and the lamp (8:1-21).
• Jesus demonstrates His power over nature, demons, disease and death (8:22-56)

Things God is teaching me in today’s reading:

• I should approach the divine with humility, “Lord, I am not worthy” (7:6).
• Would that we have a faith that causes Jesus to “marvel” (7:9).
• The poor have good news preached to them (7:22), as they see a man of great compassion (7:13) preaching a message of hope (7:50; 8:1).
• The condition of a person’s heart determines their reaction to the preaching of the gospel.
• I need to keep sowing the seed, even though only one-fourth of it may fall into that “good soil” that is those “who hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.”
• Spiritual relationships are important (8:21).
• Fear can cause one to reject the Son of God (8:37).
• Sometimes the best work that I can do for God is to return home and declare how much God has done for me (8:39).

Things to act on in today’s reading:

• To sow the seed of the kingdom
• I will NOT cover my light with a jar or put it under a bed! I will put it on a stand so that those who enter may see the light!
• I will praise the Awesome God we serve! I will magnify the precious name of Jesus and the power He demonstrated in His mighty deeds and words (Luke 24:19) during His earthly ministry!

Things to pray about in today’s reading:

• For a faith and a compassion that will even cause Jesus to marvel!
• For good and honest hearts in which to plant the seed of the word of God!
• For those who have had Satan steal the word from their hearts, for those who have fallen away during times of testing, and for those who have been choked by the cares and pleasures of life!

Thanks for reading with me dear friend. Have a blessed day!!

— Randy Sexton

Today’s Scripture: Jeremiah 47-52

Things to remember in today’s reading:

• The impending destruction of the Philistines is described, an event which did occur when Nebuchadnezzar accomplished it in 604 B.C. (47:1-7)
• God’s judgment against Moab, another of Israel’s enemies, is predicted for his complacency and because he magnified himself against the Lord (48:1-47)
• God’s judgment against Amnon, Edom, Damascus, and Elam is predicted (47:1-39)
• Jeremiah predicts the fall of Babylon as a world power, an event which occurred in 539 B.C. when Persia conquered her (50:1-51:64)
• Jerusalem’s fall, Zedekiah’s binding, the destruction of the temple, the exiling of the people, and the continuation of the Davidic lineage are described (52:1-34)

Things God is teaching me in today’s reading:

• God judges nations
• In Jeremiah, trouble always comes from the north. “As the ESV footnote for 1:14 explains, the same word (Hb. ra) can be translated either ‘evil’ or ‘disaster’ ‘harm,’ according to the context. Jeremiah loves to exploit these two possible meanings, as he does in vv. 14 and 16, with implication turn from your ‘evil’ or God will send ‘disaster (cf Jeremiah 4:4, 6; 11:8, 11, 17; 18:8-11; 23:11-12; 25:5, 7; 26:3; 32:32, 42; 35:15, 17; 36:3; 44:2-3, 22-23; see notes on Jonah 1:2).” (ESV Study Bible, p. 1370)
• God protects His chosen ones
• The new covenant predicted by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31-34) stands in great contrast to the conditions of Jeremiah’s day. Even as “Babylon removes Judah’s chief religious, civic, and military leaders, leaving the nation without wise direction…. God’s promises cannot fail, and God promised David a permanent kingdom (2^nd Samuel 7:16; 1^st Chronicle 17:14) from which the Messiah would come (Jeremiah 23:1-8; 33:14-22).” (ESV Study Bible, p. 1474)

Things to act on in today’s reading:

• To appreciate the difficult life lived by Jeremiah in the midst tumultuous times!

Things to pray about in today’s reading:

• For the compassion and faith of a Jeremiah
• For Jesse and Lura Law
• For Lou and June Matlock

Thanks for reading with me dear friend. Have a blessed day!!

— Randy Sexton

Today’s Scripture: Proverbs 1

Things to remember in today’s reading:

• The goal of the proverbs of Solomon is to instill wisdom in the reader. “The wisdom offered here is practical (instruction in wise dealing), intellectual (increase in learning), moral (righteousness, justice and equity), and probing (to understand a proverb and … riddles)” (ESV Study Bible)(3:1-6)
• The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (3:7)
• Appeals are presented as a father exhorting his son to seek wisdom and warning him against the ruin that comes from folly (1:8-19)
• Wisdom cries aloud in the street and in the market and at the entrance to the city gate and those, to those who accept her, she pours out her spirit. But those who refuse her, experience folly (1:20-33).

Things God is teaching me in today’s reading:

• To have the wisdom of God is a worthy goal!
• The seeking of knowledge and wisdom, without a feat of God as a foundation, is an exercise in vanity!
• Godly living is the result of reverence and humility before our Creator and our Redeemer!

Things to act on in today’s reading:

• To fear the Lord in all that I do
• To renounce the enticement of sinners

Things to pray about in today’s reading:

• To give thanks for the wise instruction I received from a godly mother and father
• For Jesse and Lura Law
• For Lou and June Matlock

Thanks for reading with me dear friend. Have a blessed day!!

— Randy Sexton

Today’s Scripture: Psalm 63-65

Things to remember in today’s reading:

• David remembers past worship – my soul thirsts for you! (63:1-2)
• David expresses confidence for future worship – my lips will praise you, I will lift up my hands! (63:3-4)
• David’s soul clings to the Lord as he remembers Him upon his bed and meditates on him in the night watches (63:5-8).
• Those who seek David’s life will fail but he will rejoice (63:9-11).
• David prays to be hidden from the secret plans of the wicked (64:1-6).
• God makes an example of the wicked (64:7-10).
• David offers thanksgiving for a fruitful harvest (65:1-13).

Things God is teaching me in today’s reading:

• My passion for God and for serving Him should not be a secret to those with whom I interact!
• My meditations upon God should be frequent!
• I should be thankful and expressive of that thankfulness!

Things to act on in today’s reading:

• Meditate, meditate, meditate …
• Send one letter inviting a friend to come worship the Lord. This psalm “inculcates the confidence that the worshiper will indeed be able to return to the sanctuary to worship God…. The psalm, in instilling such confidence, also enables its singers to treasure this worship as the gift that it is.” (ESV Study Bible)

Things to pray about in today’s reading:

• For the initiative to share the privilege and joy of worship with my friends
• For Jesse and Lura Law
• For Lou and June Matlock

Thanks for reading with me dear friend. Have a blessed day!!

— Randy Sexton

Today’s Scripture: 1^st Kings 1-4

Things to remember in today’s reading:

• David’s son Adonijah, tries to exalt himself to be king but Nathan and Bathsheba thwart his attempts by telling David. At David’s request, Zadok anoints Solomon as king (1:1-40)
• Adonijah fears Solomon when he receives word that Solomon has been anointed king. When he pays homage to Solomon, Adonijah is pardoned (1:41-50).
• David charges Solomon to be strong, show himself a man and keep the charge of the Lord, walking in His ways and keeping His statutes, His commandments, His rules, and His testimonies as it is written in the law of Moses and to act according to his wisdom in dealing with certain individuals (2:1-9)
• When David dies, Solomon’s kingdom is firmly established in spite of an attempt on the part of Adonijah to exert a degree of mutiny by trying to marry Abishag (2:10-46)

Things God is teaching me in today’s reading:

• God’s plans are fulfilled despite man’s attempts to alter them!
• Once conspiracy, to usurp God’s authority, is detected in the heart of a man, it bears close scrutiny for reappearance!
• There is a duty we bear, in passing on the responsibility of leadership to the next generation, to solemnly charge them before God!
• It is good to pray for wisdom!

Things to act on in today’s reading:

• To look for opportunities to discuss today’s kingdom business and lessons learned from history
• To find a way to incorporate God’s word into everyday in some way
• This is the tough part of each daily reading! It is a challenge just to keep up with the reading. There is much in this process of living to keep us from this task! But then to make what we read a part of us is very humbling!

Things to pray about in today’s reading:

• For godly wisdom
• For your servant Jesse Law and his faithful wife Lura, members of the local body of Christ. Jesse continues to struggle with life-threatening lung deterioration. Comfort, strengthen and give them peace.
• For Lou Matlock and his faithful wife June, members of the local body of Christ. Lou is struggling with life-threatening cancer that has returned and is attacking several areas of his body. Comfort, strengthen and give them peace.

Thanks for reading with me dear friend. Have a blessed day!!

— Randy Sexton