Pastor’s Bible Reading Schedule:
Deuteronomy 26-29
Most of us are familiar with the conversion story of Charles Spurgeon. Few people would have predicted that anything important would have happened on that frigid Sunday morning in January of 1850 when the “Prince of Preachers,” then fifteen years of age, ducked into a church to get out of the snow. As might be expected, the crowd was really small; not even the minister came. (My wife reminds me that people will notice if I am not in church on any given Sunday. :)) Speaking impromptu and from his limited education, a layman of the church simply read a text in Isaiah and made a few comments on each verse. He came to Isaiah 45:22, which says, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” The preacher noted that obedience to this call did not require great ability, because anyone could look… even a child. After about ten minutes of exposition, the preacher fixed his gaze on Spurgeon and said, “Young man, you look miserable, and you will always be miserable, in life and death, if you don’t obey this text. You have nothing to do but look and live!”
Spurgeon looked to God that Sunday morning and was indeed gloriously saved. Through Spurgeon’s conversion, God used that humble substitute preacher, armed only with the words of Scripture, to produce tens of thousands of spiritual descendants and to validate the power of God’s Word. Always remember that God keeps perfect record and will reward accurately and appropriately one day.
Deuteronomy 27 is a record of how important the word of God is and how God promises to honor and bless His words. “Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.” (vs. 26) The curses of this section of Deuteronomy does not reflect some supposed belief in the magical power of chanting some words. Rather, they recognize the ability of the omnipresent God to enforce His own legislation. Whether He chooses some kind of direct confrontation with violators or would use providentially arranged circumstances to accomplish His purpose is quite irrelevant. We must be thankful for God’s word and demonstrate that thankfulness through consistent obedience to His law.
Prayer Requests:
Personal
- Lord, please help me to love your word and allow it to impact and change me each day.
- Lord, please help me to memorize your word so that I will not sin against you.
- Lord, please help me to remember each time I preach, the next Charles Spurgeon could be sitting in the crowd.
Political
- US Representative Debbie Dingle
- Senator Kevin Daley
- Representative Gary Eisen