​Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
 
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.
 
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
 
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.
 
25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.
 
Meditation
Questions fill life and faith. Jesus is a teacher, and He not only answers His disciple’s questions, He also promises the Spirit of Truth to help us in our discipleship.
 
Peter had asked, “Lord, where are you going?” (13:36) Jesus says, “I am going to prepare a place for you… and I will come again to take you to myself.”
 
Thomas asks, “We do not know where you are going- how can we know the way?” (5) Jesus replies, “I am the way… no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
 
Phillip asks Jesus to show the disciples the Father (8). Jesus responds by reminding the disciples that when they see Him, they see the Father.
 
Judas (not Iscariot) asks how Jesus will manifest Himself to the world. Jesus answers by refocusing the disciples- Love leads us to obedience, and through Christ we have a home with the Father and show His love when we keep His commandments. 
 
More powerful than the disciples’ dialog with Jesus is the promises of the merciful Master. Jesus desires disciples to have peace and believe (1). Jesus promises, when we believe we will do His works and delight in Him, trusting Jesus to give desires of our heart (12-14).
 
Jesus promises a Helper, the Spirit of truth (16-17) who seals adoption and empowers disciples to love the Lord with all our hearts (18-25). The Father sends the Spirit who teaches disciples all things (26).  The presence of God’s Spirit is a promise of peace, calming troubles and cultivating belief (27-31).
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially the Q and A with Jesus?
 
-Where do you identify, having questions for Jesus about life and faith? What are they?
 
-How does the promised Spirit of Truth, our Helper, give you peace in the unknowns and desire to make Him known by loving Jesus and obeying Him? Be specific.
 
Key verse
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

​And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have obeyed your voice in all that you have said to me and have made a king over you. 2 And now, behold, the king walks before you, and I am old and gray; and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day. 3 Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you.” 4 They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.” 5 And he said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.”
 
6 And Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is witness, who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous deeds of the Lord that he performed for you and for your fathers. 8 When Jacob went into Egypt, and the Egyptians oppressed them, then your fathers cried out to the Lord and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place. 9 But they forgot the Lord their God. And he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab. And they fought against them. 10 And they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, that we may serve you.’ 11 And the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Barak and Jephthah and Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety. 12 And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your king. 13 And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you. 14 If you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well. 15 But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king. 16 Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. 17 Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.” 18 So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.
 
19 And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” 20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 22 For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. 23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24 Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. 25 But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”
 
Meditation
God’s faithfulness interrupts self-destructive cycles to give ground to walk forward in faithfulness. Grace gives new beginnings- God’s mercy is new every morning.
 
Samuel’s farewell address is an invitation for Israel to move forward in fear of the Lord. The kingdom had been renewed (chapter 11) and Samuel’s days were dimming. Samuel prioritizes identifying toxic cycles in Israel’s history to set a new trajectory for their future, recognizing God’s authority for Israel to humbly move into a new practice.
 
Israel’s history had been sequences of slavery, crying out for salvation, God raising up a rescuer, and a return to rebellion. This was true in Egypt, the wilderness, and during the days of the Judges. Samuel parallels Israel’s request for a king with past requests for rescue. In God’s steadfast love, God heard their request and responded by giving Saul as king. In God’s mercy, God warns them to break the toxic cycles of their history.
 
Samuel emphasized God’s authority by calling on the Lord to send a storm that served both as a warning and an invitation. The storm warned of what would come if Israel rebelled again. The storm invited Israel to trust the Lord with all their heart. The people repented and Samuel set their focus on fearing the Lord to follow Him faithfully, considering the great things He had done for them. God is faithful when His people are faithless (2 Timothy 2:13).
 
Jesus is the true king whose love interrupts our self-destructive cycle, His grace giving us ground to walk forward in fear of the Lord.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially how Samuel seeks to identify toxic cycles in Israel’s past to set a new trajectory for Israel’s future?
 
- Where do you identify, allowing toxic cycles of your past to continue, rather than “considering all the Lord has done” to set a new trajectory for your life, to move forward fearing the Lord to walk faithfully with Him?
 
-How does the grace of God in Jesus give you opportunity for a fresh start- today? Where do you need to repent, return to Jesus as your rescuer, and begin again? Be specific.
 
Key Verse
20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.

And the Lord said to Job:
2     “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
He who argues with God, let him answer it.”
Job Promises Silence
3 Then Job answered the Lord and said:
4     “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?
I lay my hand on my mouth.
5     I have spoken once, and I will not answer;
twice, but I will proceed no further.”
The Lord Challenges Job
6 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
7     “Dress for action like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
8     Will you even put me in the wrong?
Will you condemn me that you may be in the right?
9     Have you an arm like God,
and can you thunder with a voice like his?
10    “Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity;
clothe yourself with glory and splendor.
11    Pour out the overflowings of your anger,
and look on everyone who is proud and abase him.
12    Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low
and tread down the wicked where they stand.
13    Hide them all in the dust together;
bind their faces in the world below.
14    Then will I also acknowledge to you
that your own right hand can save you.
15    “Behold, Behemoth,
which I made as I made you;
he eats grass like an ox.
16    Behold, his strength in his loins,
and his power in the muscles of his belly.
17    He makes his tail stiff like a cedar;
the sinews of his thighs are knit together.
18    His bones are tubes of bronze,
his limbs like bars of iron.
19    “He is the first of the works of God;
let him who made him bring near his sword!
20    For the mountains yield food for him
where all the wild beasts play.
21    Under the lotus plants he lies,
in the shelter of the reeds and in the marsh.
22    For his shade the lotus trees cover him;
the willows of the brook surround him.
23    Behold, if the river is turbulent he is not frightened;
he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mouth.
24    Can one take him by his eyes,
or pierce his nose with a snare?
 
Meditation
The cross reinforces (at least) two truths: First, God is sovereign over suffering, transforming evil for His glory and the good of His people. Second, God is sovereign over death, creating gardens of glory from graves.
 
Job is familiar with death, losing his ten children, servants, and animals to the grave. Death is an invader into God’s good creation, a result of Adam’s rejection of God and His word (Genesis 3). Through the work of Jesus, there will be no more death (Revelation 21:4). Until the work of Jesus is fully applied, we join Job in the difficult digestion of the prevalence of death in the world.
 
The Behemoth is described as an untamable, powerful, hungry, super-beast. In actuality, the animal is the mythical embodiment of death. The Behemoth is described as being created by God and can only be tamed by God. God feeds the super-monster and only God has tamed the Behemoth.
 
God challenges Job- If you can bring low the proud and tread down the wicked, you can save yourself! But Job could not (12-14). Only God has death on a leash, using the darkest part of the fallen world for His salvific purposes.
 
How can a good God feed the monster of death? Somehow it is through feeding death that God destroys the power of death (Hebrews 2:14). Death was defeated through redemptive suffering. Jesus took sin, the sting of death (1 Corinthians 15:56), and Jesus conquered death to be a doorway of hope and life for all who trust Him and His promises.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially God’s description of His taming of Behemoth, that is, death?
 
-Why is it easy to put God on trial, demanding He justify Himself and His actions of allowing death?
 
-How does the work of Jesus strengthen your faith, knowing Jesus has defeated death!?
 
Key Verse
15    “Behold, Behemoth, which I made as I made you;  he eats grass like an ox. 

1  In the Lord I take refuge;
       how can you say to my soul,
“Flee like a bird to your mountain,
2     for behold, the wicked bend the bow;
they have fitted their arrow to the string
to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;
3     if the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”
4     The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord’s throne is in heaven;
his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.
5     The Lord tests the righteous,
but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
6     Let him rain coals on the wicked;
fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
7     For the Lord is righteous;
       he loves righteous deeds;
the upright shall behold his face.
 
Meditation
Worship confesses confidence in our King when the world around is crumbling. Persecutions and problems come to people holding fast to faith in the Lord, power to persevere prevail through relentless faith in God and His promises (2 Timothy 3:10-15).
 
King David rejoices when his world is in ruin, celebrating refuge in the Lord (1). In spite of struggles and suffering, David steadfastly focuses on God- His power and His promises. When foundations are fractured or falling apart, the righteous focus faith on our faithful God (2-3).
 
The Lord is in His temple, on His throne in heaven, yet His eyes see all the children of humanity- even you (4). The test of the Lord (5) is to turn our eyes of faith from our trouble to Him, seeing above anxieties to focus on His sovereign rule and reign.
 
The Lord hates wickedness and it will come to an end. The imagery of sulfur and scorching wind falling like judgement on Sodom is a prayer to give God’s people peace (6), trusting the wicked will find their end when the judgement of God begins. The righteous are secure in God’s sovereign love and those who belong to Him by faith will one day see the Father’s face (7).
 
Concrete confidence in God’s covenant faithfulness focuses on God when foundations are cracking and the world is fracturing. Jesus defeated death, ascended to Heaven, is seated on the throne, and He is making all things new! Faith in King Jesus fuels worship marked with confidence in Him.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from this Psalm of confidence?
 
-Why is it difficult to have concrete confidence in the Lord when the world is crumbling around us and it appears wickedness is winning?
 
-How much of a difference does it make to know Jesus has defeated the one who causes wickedness, is working all things for His glory, making all things new?
 
Key Verse
5     The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. 

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.
 
How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
Wisdom from Above
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
 
Meditation
God’s grace gives us ground from which godliness grows. Saving faith shows fruit in sanctified speech and wisdom shaped lives.
 
“No human being can tame the tongue,” (8) but believers with a new heart and a new Spirit can redeem our words for the work of God. The tongue is powerful, like a bit in a horse’s mouth, a ship’s rudder, or spark of fire. The tongue is wild, untamable by human effort. The tongue reveals the heart. When Jesus gives a new heart, believers can redeem words by surrendering speech to His Spirit.
 
“Who is wise and understanding?” James uses imagery from his brother Jesus (Matthew 7:17) to answer this question and emphasize this fruit of faith- A wise tree bears good fruit. Wisdom coming from above bears fruit of holiness, gentleness, reason, peace, impartiality, mercy, purity, and sincerity. Worldly wisdom bears fruit of bitterness, jealousy, selfishness, pride, and speaking falsities. When faith sinks roots deep into the soil of Christ’s salvation then the fruit of wisdom will grow from our life.
 
“A harvest of righteousness” will be sown and grown by those who have peace with God through the work of Jesus Christ. Wise words give the fruit of life (Proverbs 12) from new hearts. New creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) put on their new selves, learning to speak truth in love (Ephesians 4). Fruit of saving faith is evidenced by lives being sanctified by Christ’s Spirit, fertilized by Christ’s faithfulness, growing in godliness, evidenced by fruit of love from our lips and lives.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from James’s teaching on both taming the tongue and bearing good fruit of wisdom?
 
-Where do you diagnose some heart issues in how you use your tongue?
 
-How does the work of Jesus give you power to redeem your worst ways of using your tongue, and fertilize faith so you can live fruitfully in wisdom?
 
Key Verse
18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.
2 Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord. 5 And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, 6 so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, 7 and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land.
 
8 Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.
 
14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17 Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” 18 So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.
 
Meditation
To help you see, surrender to God’s sovereignty.
 
Wealth typically leads people to surrender to strategic plans rather than God’s sovereign plan. Abram was “very rich” and surrendered to God’s sovereignty, allowing Lot to choose wherever he wanted to live. Lot lived by sight, “lifting up his eyes” to see the fertile Jordan Valley, moving his tent as far as Sodom. Abram trusted God’s strategic plan.
 
The Lord tells him to “lift up your eyes” and he sees God and His promises. Abraham believed God would give the land of Canaan, and through His promise God would spread Abram’s offspring throughout the earth. In his meekness, Abram said to God “Wherever you lead, I will live.” And God gave him the earth (Matthew 5:5).
 
Abram’s faith was fueled by worship, setting up an altar to call upon the name of the Lord (4). Worshipping the Lord changes everything (Psalm 73) because it secures us in God’s sovereignty, forcing faith so we can really see. Abram was rich, but he looked to a Heavenly city (Hebrews 11:8-16). Worship and walking personally with the Lord fueled Abram to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
 
Abram looks good in today’s reading, but soon his life will help us see we need someone greater than his example. Jesus is the One who totally surrendered to the Father’s sovereignty, giving up everything to die for us so we can be forgiven. Jesus left the riches of Heaven so all who believe can be rich in faith, love, and mercy.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What jumps out to you from today’s reading, especially the contrast between Abram and Lot?
 
-How does this reveal Abram’s surrender to God and his sovereignty? Why is it tempting to live by sight in our own resources rather than trusting God and His abundant resources?
 
-Why does it fuel our faith to see Jesus totally surrendering to God’s sovereign plan, living to die for us so we can be forgiven and freed to totally trust in Him? Where do you need to surrender to God’s sovereignty, living by faith and not by sight?
 
Key Verse
14 “…Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever.”