24 Av 5983 / 11 August 2023
Day 223 Readings:
Torah Readings: Parshat Re'eh, 6th Portion Deuteronomy 15:1-18
1 “At the end of every seven years you shall grant a [a]release of debts. 2 And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall [b]release it; he shall not [c]require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the Lord’s release. 3 Of a foreigner you may require it; but you shall give up your claim to what is owed by your brother, 4 except when there may be no poor among you; for the Lord will greatly bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance— 5 only if you carefully obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe with care all these commandments which I command you today.
7 “If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the [d]gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, 8 but you shall [e]open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs.
12 “If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. 13 And when you [g]send him away free from you, you shall not let him go away empty-handed; 14 you shall supply him liberally from your flock, from your threshing floor, and from your winepress. From what the Lord your God has blessed you with, you shall give to him.
Bible Study Together:
Dueteronomy 1:26-46
29 “Then I said to you, ‘Do not be terrified, or afraid of them. 30 The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, 31 and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ 32 Yet, for all that, you did not believe the Lord your God, 33 who went in the way before you to search out a place for you to pitch your tents, to show you the way you should go, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day.
Deuteronomy 10:12-22
12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to [d]fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the Lord’s commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good? 14 Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the [e]highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it. 15 Yet the Lord set His affection on your fathers, to love them, and He chose their [f]descendants after them, you over all the other peoples, as it is this day. 16 So circumcise [g]your heart, and do not stiffen your neck any longer. 17 For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who does not show partiality, nor take a bribe. 18 He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the stranger by giving him food and clothing. 19 So show your love for the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. 20 You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name. 21 He is your glory and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen. 22 Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons in all, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.
Romans 2:17-29
28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from people, but from God.
365 Daily Kingdom Living
National Honour For A Holy Nation
Do you get tears in your eyes or a swelling in your chest when your home country wins a medal? How about when your national anthem is played as your country’s flag ascends the flag pole? Do you sense a national honour or pride? Nehemiah possessed a deep Jewish soul mindset for his native homeland- God’s promised land - back in Jerusalem. Nehemiah felt strongly about God’s people and city. What a wonderful lesson for us to learn to become a “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that we may proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his marvellous light (1 Peter 2:9).” Is your heart set on heaven and the kingdom of God?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, just as Nehemiah had a strong devotion and connection with his Jewish heritage, may you also allow me a sense of connection to your holy nation that I, too may recognize the need for prayer for your chosen people. Amen.
Scripture
Nehemiah 1
4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
5 And I said: “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love [c]You and observe [d]Your commandments, 6 please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You.
Nehemiah 2
17 Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies [p]waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” 18 And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me.
So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set[q] their hands to this good work.
1 Corinthians 7:1-24
8 But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; 9 but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
Keep Your Marriage Vows
10 Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. 11 But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.
19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters. 20 Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. 21 Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. 22 For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave. 23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. 24 Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called.
Psalms 31:19-24
19 Oh, how great is Your goodness,Which You have laid up for those who fear You,Which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men! 20 You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence From the plots of man;You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion From the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be the Lord, For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city! 22 For I said in my haste,“I am cut off from before Your eyes”; Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplicationsWhen I cried out to You.
23 Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person. 24 Be of good courage,And He shall strengthen your heart,All you who hope in the Lord.
Proverbs 21:4
4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart, The lamp of the wicked, is sin.
Dear AVI,
HOLY are YOU O GOD ALmighty, KING of Glory reigning in all the Universe!!! Have mercy on me O GOD, for I am broken and lowly. I feel that too many people are used by the enemy to bring pain to me. Protect me O GOD from being harmed by everybody around me, especially Pauline, Jeward and Dean and Denesse. Protect me from such people who envy me, who try to hurt me O GOD. I feel so sad sometimes because of the pain these people have brought to my heart, because I loved them but I know they are only used by the enemy. I pray O LORD, because I hope in YOU, set me free from being broken and sad, take away all the pain within me because YOU always heal me. Everytime YOU heal me, the enemy causes me to be hurt again, but LORD, I look to YOU because YOU love me and them too. I look to YOU, to help me overcome and forgive those that have offended me. Even though I am only hurt by their own traumas O GOD but I know YOUR mercy upon me flows like a river and YOU love me too. I don't know how to overcome these pains O GOD, help me to forgive them. Nganu laban man jud sa uban LORD??? Nganu dli ka laban nako??? Pastor Jonah pitied Jeward but he has disregarded my pain. And I am very hurt by this today. Even Pipoy judged me even though he is not happy with Pauline. Everyone has failed me, but YOU will not allow me to be in this defeat O GOD. I cry out to YOU please be merciful to me and heal me. Take care of me and heal me. Love me too, not just them O GOD, please do justice to me and redeem me from all the pain I have ever gone through in this life. Let YOUR rewards come pouring down on me, even though I am not deserving but let YOUR grace abound in me O GOD and give me something that I do not deserve that I may always praise and give YOU the honor that is due YOU. I pray for Mosab who has been familiar with pain like Yousef was, I pray that all our pain and traumas will be healed by YOUR love. I pray that we will hold on to YOUR love even more as we suffer more pain in this world as we wait on YOU, I pray that YOU will answer the prayer of our hearts and save our loved ones, Shiek Hassan Yousef, Sabha Abu Salem and all his siblings, save the Hattab family of Moayed, Nader, Fadi, Shadi and Isaam in London, please save Ramon Tiu, Jose Gulfan and Jeannie Rose too. Please save all our relatives that do not know YOU. Please save us all O GOD, and have mercy on us because without YOU we are but soil. Heal me LORD, comfort me for I am broken. I am very broken. I want to be happy but I cannot be happy because of this broken world. Help me AVI, help me for YOU deserve all the glory and honor and praise that I want to give, YOU deserve everything of me.
Ba HaShem YESHUA HaMashiach, Amen!