July 5, 2026 – Redemption
Prevail #186 – Ezekiel 34:25 – “I will make a covenant of peace with my people and drive away the dangerous animals from the land. Then they will be able to camp safely in the wildest places and sleep in the woods without fear.” After I read this passage and the first part of the devotion, I realized afresh that God is in control and can make things better if we will let Him. Larson asks, “Why did the Israelites perpetually wander? How did they forget about God’s love, time and time again? Since God is a loving, wise heavenly Father, He gave them over to their desires and allowed them to experience the consequence of their choices…. They were without hope if not for the love of God. It’s the same with us. Our capacity to ruin our lives is staggering.” That truth is where I stopped to think about how God provides for and protects us even when we pull away like toddlers saying we want to do things our own way.
Larson continues, “Yet God knows the end from the beginning, and He is set on the full redemption of our story…. Jesus will take the rubble of our lives – the broken parts of our story that are still a part of our present reality – and remove it forever. We’ll know only health, wholeness, and restoration. We’ll live with the deep joy of serving our giftedness without any hindrance, obstacle, or enemy.”
JA – “WALK IN THE LIGHT OF MY PRESENCE…. Though you will continue to sin in this life, My perfect righteousness is already credited to your account. When you walk in My glorious Light, My blood continually cleanses you from all sin…. This blessing is for all believers, making it possible for My followers to have rich fellowship with one another.” May it be so, Lord. See Psalm 89:15-16, Psalm 31:16, Romans 3:22, and 1 John 1:7.
Max starts with Exodus 14:14 – “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” which reminds us of what the Israelites tended to forget and he prays, “Lord, you are the God of armies, the defender of the weak. The battle truly belongs to you. You have defeated the evil one…. Forgive me when I try to fight my own battles…. I end up feeling exhausted and defeated by my own efforts…. Go before me this day as I face temptation… anxiety, fear, and uncertainty. Protect me in every spiritual battle…. help me surrender each battle to you. God, I am so grateful that you are my Protector…. Amen.”
Power – “Philippians 2:14 NIV – “Do everything without complaining or arguing.” Joyce points out that, “One of the reasons the Israelites spent forty years wandering in the wilderness for what should have been an eleven-day journey was because they were complaining…. One of the worst parts about complaining is that it prevents us from seeing all the blessings we do have…. Start finding things to be thankful for.”
Streams – Hosea 2:14-15 – “I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert….There I will give her back her vineyards.” Cowman explains, “The desert is certainly a strange place to find vineyards! Can it be true that the riches of life that we need can be found in the desert – a place that symbolizes loneliness, and through which we can seldom find our way? …Yes, God knows our need for a desert experience. He knows exactly where and how to produce enduring qualities in us.” From selected sources, Cowman concludes, “We never know where God has hidden His streams. We see a large stone and have not idea that it covers the source of a spring…. God leads me into heard and difficult places, and it is there I realize I am where eternal streams abide.”
Utmost – Psalm 37:5 – “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.” Chambers adds these thoughts about avoiding, or at least getting through, desert times, “Don’t calculate without God. God seems to have a delightful way of upsetting the things we have calculated on without taking Him into account. We get into circumstances which were not chosen by God, and suddenly we find we have been calculating without God; He has not entered in as a living factor. The one thing that keeps us from the possibility of worrying is bringing God in as the greatest factor in all our calculations. In our religion it is customary to put God first, but we are apt to think it is an impertinence to put Him first in the practical issues of our lives…. You cannot lay up for a rainy day if you are trusting Jesus Christ. Jesus said, ‘Let not your heart be troubled.’ God will not keep your heart from being troubled. It is a command – ‘Let not….’ Haul yourself up a hundred and one times a day in order to do it, until you get into the habit of putting God first and calculating with Him in view.”
JC – “Draw near to Me with a thankful heart, aware that your cup is overflowing with blessings…. Whenever you start to feel anxious, remind yourself that your security rests in Me alone, and I am totally trustworthy. You will never be in control of your life circumstances, but you can relax and trust in My control…. I long to make your life a glorious adventure, but you must stop clinging to old ways…. Be on the lookout for all that I have prepared for you.” See Romans 8:38-39, Psalm 56:3-4, and Isaiah 43:19.
JL – “Gracious God, You are so great, glorious, and compassionate that it’s impossible to praise or than You too much! …A grateful heart has plenty of room for You…. Please teach me how to fill up the spare moments of my life with praise and thanksgiving…. In Your praiseworthy Name, Jesus, Amen.” See Psalm 22:3, Psalm 146:1-2, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, and Psalm 100:4.
