Sorry You’re missing all the colorful illustrations, but the Bible verses, application, and prayers are yours. Book available from me or on Amazon. Hope it blesses your lives. Just finished writing the sequel, Winter Wisdom. Ready to publish, almost. Still proofreading. B.
SECTION 2 OCTOBER 1-OCTOBER 31
Ecclesiastes Chapter 3
FOR EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON,
AND A TIME FOR EVERY MATTER UNDER HEAVEN:
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
SECTION TWO THEME: GROWING OUR FAITH
PSALM 8
O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!
You have set Your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
You have established strength because of Your foes,
O still the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have set in place,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You are for him?
Yet You have made him a little lower
Than the heavenly beings
And crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion
Over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
All sheep and oxen,
And also the beasts of the field,
The birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!
October 1 Scripture (Exodus 33:12-14)
Moses said to the Lord, See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight. Now therefore, if I have found favor in Your sight, please show me now Your ways, that I may know You in order to find favor in Your sight. Consider too that this nation is Your people.” And He said, “My presence will go with you, and will give you rest.”
Isn’t it awesome that the Bible brings us so many instances of man’s petitions to God and God’s specific promises of His Presence? Moses prayed, like Solomon did, for wisdom and guidance. (tradition holds that Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes I am using as section headings in this book)
In October we will look at some of these intercessions by prophets, disciples, even Jesus Himself as they faced life circumstances. By these examples, may we learn that God is ever-present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1), closer than hands and feet (Psalm 145:18) and God’s telephone number is Jeremiah 33:3. By your humbly asking God, Who loves us so very much, we will gain the insight and faith to go forward or stop in our tracks until the answer is revealed to us.
Prayer:
Lord, You teach me to pray. Help me remember even the childhood prayers I’ve relied on as truth. Indeed, “ Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, I am weak, but He is strong.” It may take that humility to trust You, God. I know You listen as I pray. Amen.
October 2 Scripture (Acts 6:1-6 )
Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables
Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.’ And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
We trust our churches and Christian organizations do this problem-solving in our time, using prayer, discussion, and decision-making in line with scriptural authority. These early church-planters were over-worked and overcome, and expressed the problem. God provided Stephen and others, blessed them by the laying on of hands and prayer, and got on with what they felt led to accomplish. Now, in many churches, there are small groups which help us live in accountability, helping each other with life-challenges, and our churches, hopefully, we also relieve our pastors to concentrate on preaching and not other ministries that other believers can accomplish. It just makes sense.
Prayer:
Lord, You have provided me with gifts. May I have discernment to serve Your cause well. I volunteer! Amen.
October 3 Scripture (Psalm 119: 129-130)
Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them. The unfolding of Your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.
God speaks to us through His word, through the Bible stories of His heroes, saints through the ages, through accounts of His victories over insurmountable odds, His prophesies fulfilled, and through His unmistakable plan for our salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus for our transgressions. The more we read of the miracles, His faithfulness to all generations, and His infinite love for us, the more our faith walk becomes belief.
When we ignore the blessing of studying what the Bible says, the more inconsistent our faith walk is. We stumble, we sometimes grumble, and we lose focus, don’t we?
The book of Hebrews warns us not to “drift,” to let other priorities rule us, or to think that once we confess our belief in Jesus, we are “covered,” and have punched our ticket to heaven. Not true! The closer we walk with Jesus in this life, the more kingdom blessings we notice in our mortal lives.
As the seasons of our lives pass, let us endeavor to grow in our God-wisdom, share His message with others, and in doing so, yearn for heaven’s blessings all the more each day.
Prayer:
Almighty Father, I have the blessing of scripture to guide my every step. It is the lamp and the light for my earth-journey. Let me not neglect to read, study, discuss, understand, and use its guidance, for it is indeed the blessing I have as Your adopted child, and can call on You, Abba Father, all my life. “The Bible tells me so.” Amen.
October 4 Scripture (Romans 8:26)
Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words
Have you ever felt so disconsolate, so desperate for answers, so discouraged, so alone that you couldn’t face a situation?
I think of the disciples the day after the crucifixion sometimes. Imagine it. They gathered in fear in that upper room. Perhaps it is even more personal for you. Listen to Mandisa’s contemporary song, He Is With You. (You Tube.)
I remember uttering the question, “Why, Lord? Why?” when life seemed difficult. Although my head knew God is always in charge and sees the “big picture” I could not yet fathom such a blessing. Only later did I comprehend that He needed me to call on Him to make things easier to bear.
Scripture tells us Jesus is our intercessor to the Father, and when Jesus ascended, the Holy Spirit, became our Comforter, our Sustainer, and the one who guides us. The Holy Spirit helps us take another step when our strength fails, helps us to find just the right scripture to sustain us for one more day, and sends us people of faith to walk alongside. Sometimes we need desperate circumstances to understand the full extension of God’s Presence with us.
Prayer:
Lord, help me to know that when my strength fails, You carry me through deep waters. I need to humble myself; Your amazing grace refreshes me. Those are the times I recall in thanksgiving Your special unmistakable sustaining Presence. You never ignore the prayers of Your saints. Amen.
October 5 Scripture (Romans 8: 37-39)
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The Romans Christians faced persecution and harsh rule. Imagine the “secret” life of Christians in China, parts of India, Nigeria, Iran, the Congo even today.
I had a “tough” time recently. Three funerals in a week plus news that another church family buried a newborn. What is it that carries us through times like this? These Christian saints are now in the Presence of the Lord. We celebrated their lives.
Paul, at one time a persecutor of Christians, had it right. NOTHING in all creation can separate us from Christ once we are His followers. We will never be separated from Jesus.
Even though, at eighty-six I am sending more sympathy cards than birthday greetings these days, I know who holds the past, present, and my future, and He will never let me go. Is that the joy and assurance you need or is there someone in your life who needs an ambassador like you to deliver that proclamation today?
Prayer:
My faith is strengthened by Paul’s words. On that road from Damascus, God changed Paul from his dastardly deeds, even the stoning of Stephen, to the writer of much of the New Testament. Today’s verse’s truth strengthens me and has strengthened persecuted Christians through the ages. Thanks be to God for His transforming power. Amen.
October 6 Scripture (Matther 13:31-32)
He (Jesus) put another parable before them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’
One birthday, my mother gave me a bracelet with a little plastic circle containing a preserved mustard seed in it, an object lesson. She told me I was getting bigger and bigger, and she told me that I could do great things.
That’s not exactly what the disciples were learning the day Jesus gave them this message, but little beginnings have great consequences, don’t they? Jesus proclaimed that a little faith could have great impact. I took my mother’s advice to grow my possibility thinking dreams. I’d like to think the disciples of Jesus can see the generations of Christians influenced by their passion for Christ that day on that hillside. I trust they’re rejoicing in heaven as they see hundreds being baptized on college campuses right now. Or is our Lord not smiling at the dream-taught Muslim who finally sees Jesus as Lord? God is reaching out to save the world in our day, too. From little seeds, great things grow.
Prayer:
Lord, I am witnessing the spread of the gospel in our time through the internet, on Chat AI, and on TV networks. But, I see antisemitism and fanatical satanists spreading ugliness in our world. Nonetheless, I praise You, Lord Jesus, who will one day reign supreme, though You came from a lowly Bethlehem manger to change the world forever. Amen.
October 7 Scripture (Acts 14:15-17 ESV)
We bring you good news, that you should turn from the vain things to a living God, Who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. In past generations, He allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet He did not leave Himself without a witness, for He did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.
Paul and Barnabas were being celebrated by the crowd at Lystra. The crowd cheered them after a healing, calling them Hermes and Zeus. Paul would have none of this, so he used their celebration of them to preach about One True God.
Paul preached about Almighty God and the universal grace He gives to mankind, the witness of His power over creation and that He never left mankind without His presence. Let us also notice the harvest of souls wherever it is occurring and rejoice that God speaks to His people and indeed satisfies our hearts with food and gladness each and every moment of every day. Hallelujah!
Prayer:
Lord Almighty, even when people don’t acknowledge Your eternal presence in our world, Your manifold blessings provided each moment, day, and season, year after year are testimonies of Your mercy and power. You satisfy my every need with good things, and I testify to this with gladness. You are the Source of all good; I celebrate You just as Paul and Barnabas tried to do in Lystra so long ago. Help me as the messenger to get out of the way so people focus only on You. Help me to become the person You need me to be to advance Your kingdom. In Jesus’ Precious Name. Amen.
October 8 Scripture (Psalm 27:1-3)
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.
When David wrote this, the armies of Saul were seeking to kill him, yet God protected him, and David’s confidence never waned. He even had opportunity to kill Saul but did not. He knew God was in charge. May it be so for us.
May we always feel God’s Presence with us, whatever turmoil or danger we may face. That confidence can only come when we completely trust in God alone, not in our strength, for in suffering we may exhibit to others that we are indeed, not our own, but belong to our faithful God, and in Jesus’ power we can overcome all obstacles. May we always give Him the praise and glory, witnessing to His eternal love for His people.
Prayer:
O Lord God, let me remember the examples from scripture of those who have endured only through Your strength and power. May I be confident, as David was, as Jonah was, as Noah was, as Paul was, as Jesus was, that You are All- powerful, that You Who run the universe can save me in times of turmoil and decision-making, for You see the big picture and never leave me or forsake me. May I be a faithful witness to Your power in my life, both in the daily blessings, and in the specific answers to prayer when I have called upon You for help which You always provide. I trust in Your Presence, confident I am in Your hands always. Amen.
October 9 Scripture (Ephesians 4:29-31)
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And, do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
The apostle Paul is instructing “baby” Christians in the church at Ephesus to guard their witness, to not live as those who are not worshippers of Christ. While we may make errors, may forget Whose we are, and daily need to assess our growth toward sanctification (a lifelong process), we confess our frailties, our wanderings, our loss of focus.
The Holy Spirit will point out our personal issues if we listen to His guidance.
Let us consider who or what is entering our lives and whether “the world is too much with us,” and we are straying from scriptural truth. In that poem,William Wordsworth writes, “we are out of tune.” Indeed, we are when we stray from God’s purpose in our lives.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, You have shown me through Scripture the way I should be living as your child in this world. I pray, as the disciples learned, to trust the Holy Spirit to remind me of Your truths, of Your principles, and to live as You guide me. Yes, let me put aside all that tarnishes my witness for You, and when I fail, make me quick to confess those insights and live as You guide me daily. Thank You for Your patience with me so I am singing in tune. Amen.
October 10 Scripture (I Peter 4:12-14
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
The early church was being tested. Yet, through that testing, the church grew stronger, by God’s grace. We may be maligned, ignored, taunted, reviled, and yet God will turn evil to good if it is to His Glory. Remember in Acts 5, Peter and the apostles were put in jail, but God let them out of jail? Chapter 5 of Acts is awesome! Gamaliel, one of the highly respected members of the Sanhedrin, said, in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God! So, they “took his advice.” (verses 38-39) How right he was!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I am amazed at how You grew the early church. Today I see Your mighty hand bringing new Christians to You. I see revival, watch in amazement as our political leaders proclaim Your kingdom’s Presence. I welcome the strength of persecuted churches in countries opposing Your message. I support church-planting and rejoice in Your message reaching millions through the internet and social media, all to Your glory. Help me speak of these miraculous happenings and to support their ministries, whatever the cost, to Your glory. Amen.
October 11 Scripture (Philippians 3:8-9)
Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—
Paul had been a “rising star” as a Pharisee, persecuting the church, witnessing, even participating in the murder of Stephen, the first known martyr for Jesus. That reputation of his role made him suspect to new formerly Jewish converts, so God threw all his past glory away and let Peter witness to the Jews and Paul to the Gentiles. Imagine that!
But Paul is quick to witness to God’s power and the amazing conversion to write much of the New Testament, and used his own persecution, sufferings, shipwrecks, imprisonment, and physical pain (thorn in the flesh), turning these adversities to praise for the privilege of knowing and servicing Jesus. What a story! He became who he was meant to be! While we may not “suffer for Jesus” in such dramatic terms, we may be dismissed by powerful influencers in this world who think the message of Jesus is irrelevant. They do so at their souls’ detriment. For we know that the present sufferings in this world will result in our good and God’s glory.
Prayer:
Lord, prepare divine encounters for me so that I can tell others about Jesus. Use me to bring others to your Word, Your promises, Your guidance, and Your Son’s power which changes lives one at a time for You. I dare to pray this. Amen.
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