Refreshing

Daily
in Gods Word
Emphasis on

Where?????
 Where Art Thou?
September 1

Bible Reading: Genesis 3:1-19

Key Verse: Verse 9- And the LORD God called unto
Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?"
Key Words: Where art thou?

Its not that God didnt know where Adam was; God is
omniscient. When we sin, God wants us to acknowledge our
sin, confess it and ask for forgiveness. But that is far from
what Adam and Eve did. Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed
Satan.
Howard Hendricks has a unique way of making you
squirm on the horns of a dilemma. One of those unsettling
dilemmas involves marriage partners who are frustrated with
the way their spouse turned out. One such guy approached Dr.
Hendricks with a list of gripes about his wife. Hendricks
consoled the guy with his Columbo-type tactics. He told the
man he was really surprised that a man of his intelligence
would marry a woman with so many blatant faults. The man
quickly defended his prenuptial decision by declaring, She
wasnt that way when I married her! Hendricks then
retorted, Then I guess you made her that way. The fault we
often foist upon our spouse can frequently be the result of our
own activities, or lack thereof. As one old cowboy put it, A
man who treats his wife like a thoroughbred will never end up
with an old nag.
Thought: If Adam and Eve lived today, they would
probably sue the snake.

What to do:
It takes a small person to blame another for
their failure.
 Where Is Thy Brother?
September 2

Bible Reading: Genesis 4:9-18

Key Verse: Verse 9 - And the LORD said unto Cain,
Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not:
Am I my brother's keeper?"
Key Words: Where is Abel thy brother?

Its interesting to note that Cain answered the Lords

question with a question. Am I my brothers keeper? The
answer of course is yes. We do have a responsibility to our
brother; not just ours ; not just our flesh and blood brother,
but our brother in the Lord as well. (Deuteronomy 22:1-12)
(James 2:15)
In 1992, Southwestern Bell Telephone Company
started a new program called Call Completion. It is now a
standard part of the phone companys daily operation. If you
call directory assistance for a phone number, they offer to
complete the call for you by dialing the number and charging
you thirty cents. Obviously, you can hang up and make the
call yourself and save the three dimes. Nonetheless, nearly 8
percent of their customers use the service and generate an
extra $2 million annually for the phone company. Customer
Convenience is the buzz-phrase for today.
Significant numbers of people prefer to pay someone
else to do what God has equipped them to do. Be your
brothers keeper.

What to do:
Do you know where your brother in Christ that
youve not seen for weeks is? You are your brothers
keeper.
 Where Is the Lamb?
September 3

Bible Reading: Genesis 22:1-14

Key Verse: Verse 7 - And Isaac spake unto Abraham
his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am
I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood:
but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
Key Words: where is the lamb

We know Isaac asked the question, Where is the

lamb? Abrahams answer is not only one of faith; it is also
prophetic. God will provide Himself a lamb. And He did---
Jesus Christ.
John the Baptist, upon seeing Jesus said, Behold the
Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. John
1;29b
The biggest bulldozer in the world is the D575A. Its 16
feet long, 25 feet wide, and 41 feet high. It weighs 225,000
pounds. Its a huge machine to bulldoze dirt. A couple of
years ago, it came to a county where there was an overload of
garbage, and the bulldozer was brought in to dig a big hole
that would collect the garbage and remove it from the lives of
the citizens.
On the cross, God dug a hole so big He could collect
the sins of the whole world---past, present, and future. On the
cross, He gathered all the sin and took out His eternal wrath
on Jesus Christ for you and for me. God made Him to be sin
for us, who knew no sin. 2 Corinthians 5:21a
God will provide Himself a lamb. Genesis 22:8
(Prophetic)
Behold, the Lamb of God. John 1:29 (Prophecy
fulfilled)

What to do:
Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
 The Where of Loyalty
September 4

Bible Reading: Ruth 1:1-18

Key Verse: Verse 17 - Where thou diest, will I die, and

there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and

more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
Key Words: Where thou diest, will I die

Ruth was a Moabite leaving her homeland to go with

her mother-in-law Naomi to Israel. Ruth had been begged (vs.
16) by Naomi to stay in Moab, but Ruth refused and said,
Where thou diest, will I die. Now thats loyalty. Heres what
Ive foundif someone isnt loyal to you, theyll not be loyal to
God either and vice versa. If one is not loyal to God, theyll
not be loyal to you either.
Remember Adam and Eve who listened to the serpent
and disobeyed God. They were not loyal to God; but they
werent loyal to anyone. Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the
serpent. No loyalty at all.
Ruth had a character that was loyal.
As the soldiers prepared for a frontline attack from the
enemy, a young private handed his buddy a letter. If I dont
make it back and you do, would you take this letter and see
that Sally gets it? Tell her my last thoughts were of her, and
her name was the last word on my lips. And heres a letter for
Helen, too. Tell her the same thing.
Now what kind of loyalty do you have for God? Ruths
or the soldiers?
Ruth was beautiful both outwardly and inwardly. It
can be seen through these wordsWhere thou diest, will I
die.

What to do:
How loyal are you to God?
 Where Are They?
September 5

Bible Reading: I Samuel 19:18-24

Key Verse: Verse 22 - " Then went he also to Ramah,
and came to a great well that is in Sechu: and he
asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And
one said, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah."
Key Words: Where are Samuel and David

First Samuel 19 is a picture of Gods intervention and

protection. King Saul, out of jealousy, wants David dead.
David, knowing this, flees to Samuel for protection. When
Saul finds out where David is, he sends messengers to
capture David. When they arrive, there is a revival taking
place, and the Spirit of God falls upon them. When Saul finds
out, he sends another group to capture David, but they have
the same result as the first group. Saul sends a third group
which ends in the same result as the first two groups. So Saul
goes himself, and the Spirit of God comes upon him. Now he,
like the other three groups, is more concerned with other
things than capturing David. All of this is Gods intervention
and protection.
Lorrie Anderson, missionary to the head-shrinking
Candoshi Shapra Indians of Peru, was looking for a quiet
place for her daily time of Bible reading and prayer, so she
went down by the edge of the river. After reading the Bible,
she took up her prayer list. Eyes closed, she did not see the
deadly anaconda weaving through the water until it struck,
flesh. It withdrew to strike, biting her arm again and again as
it held her, screaming, in its coils. It reared up for the death
blows. Then suddenly the giant snake, never known to release
its prey, relaxed its grip and slithered off through the water.
While Lorrie was being treated, a witch doctor from a nearby
village burst into the hut and stared at her. She couldnt
believe Lorrie had survived. She said her son-in-law, also a
witch doctor, had chanted to the spirit of the anaconda that
morning and sent it to kill the young missionary. Im
certain, Lorrie said, that except for the protection of God, it
would have worked.

What to do:
No matter where you are, in Gods will, you are
under Gods protection.

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Where is the God of Elijah?

September 6

Bible Reading: 2 Kings 2:1-14

Key Verse: Verse 14 - And he took the mantle of
Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and
said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he
also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and
thither: and Elisha went over."
Key Words: Where is the LORD God of Elijah

The essence of what Elisha is saying is that he wanted

the power that God had placed upon Elijah to be placed upon
him. Elisha looked to God for his authorityhis powernot
man or organizations.
J. Vernon McGee writes, This man Elisha is taking
Elijahs place, and he demonstrates his faith. He takes
Elijahs robe, and smites the waters just as Elijah had done.
The power is not in the robe nor in Elijah; the power is in
God, and Elisha knows that. Elisha had the faith Elijah had,
and it is faith in the God of Elijah. He asks the question,
Where is the Lord God of Elijah? This is the important
question today. Instead of looking to men or women,
methods or some nostrum for help, as many people do, why
not look to the Lord God of Israel? He is the living God, He is
the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look to Him,
my friend. Elisha took Elijahs mantle, smote the waters, and
they parted. He crossed over the river to begin a new phase in
his life.
 One New Years Day, in the Tournament of Roses
parade, a beautiful float suddenly sputtered and quit. It was
out of gas. The whole parade was held up until someone
could get a can of gas. The amusing thing was this float
represented the Standard Oil Company. With its vast oil
resources, its truck was out of gas.
Often Christians neglect their spiritual maintenance,
and though they are clothed with power (Luke 24:49) find
themselves out of gas.
The power of God is available to us; but we need to fill
up with the Spirit.

What to do:
Fill up with the power of God.

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Where Are The Vessels?

September 7

Bible Reading: Nehemiah 10:28-39

Key Verse: Verse 39 - For the children of Israel and
the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the
corn, of the new wine, and the oil, unto the chambers,
where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests
that minister, and the porters, and the singers: and
we will not forsake the house of our God."
Key Words: where are the vessels

The statement Where are the vessels is not so much

a question of the vessels being lost; its a statement of bringing
the offerings of corn, new wine, and oil to the area where the
vessels are. It has to do with location.
I remember as a young lad my mother buying some
canning jars, and she was having a hard time finding a place
to store them. Finally, she said, Son, go put the jars where
the preserved vegetables are. I knew exactly where she
wanted them. I knew the exact location of the where.
 The where of our text deals with organization.
Everything has a place, and everything in its place helps the
ministry to minister.
In a peanuts cartoon, Lucy demanded that Linus
change TV channels, threatening him with her fist if he didnt.
What makes you think you can walk right in here and take
over? asks Linus. These five fingers, says Lucy.
Individually, theyre nothing, but when I curl them together
like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible
to behold. Which channel do you want? asks Linus.
Turning away, he looks at his fingers and says, Why cant you
guys get organized like that?
Organization helps.

What to do:
Organization helps not only put things together, but
helps you organize your spiritual life for Gods glory.

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The Where of Presuming

September 8

Bible Reading: Esther 7

Key Verse: Verse 5 - Then the king Ahasuerus
answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he,
and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do
so?"
Key Words: where is he that durst presume

Do you know the story of the King, Esther, Haman,

and Mordecai? Rather than presume that you do, I will briefly
write about it.
Esther had been chosen by the king to be his queen
after Vashti his previous wife had refused to be put on
display by the king.
Esther was the niece of Mordecai, a leader of the Jews.
Haman was the kings right hand man and had persuaded the
king to give him additional authority over the Jewish people.
Hamans plan was to execute the Jew who refused to bow
before him. Mordecai did refuse and so Haman is out to kill
him. Unbeknownst to Haman was the fact that Mordecai is
the uncle of the queen, who interceded for Mordecai and the
Jews. She told the king of a mans plot to destroy her people
(the Jews). Thus the words of the king, Where is he that
durst presume in his heart to do so?
Haman assumed the king would stand with him but he
presumed incorrectly. Of course this resulted in the execution
of Haman. Presuming can get you into trouble.
A family of five was rushed to the hospital to have their
stomachs washed out after the cat with whom they had shared
a meal of mushrooms suddenly began to have stomach
contractions. While members of the family showed no signs
of illness, the doctor still had them rushed to the hospital.
When they returned home, they found the cat feeling well,
after having produced five kittens.
Oh the pain of being presuming!!!!! I think we all get
the point by now.

What to do:
Presumebut it may end up hurting you.

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Where Is My Hope?
September 9

Bible Reading: Job 17

Key Verse: Verse 15 - And where is now my hope? as
for my hope, who shall see it?"
Key Words: where is now my hope

Job is convinced he is going to die. His body is weak

and he is so very sick. He is ready to give up the ghost. If
youve ever been so ill that even death looked sweet, then you
know what Job is going through. Job indeed appears to have
lost hope.
Do you realize that its hope that brings life to us? Its
hope that gives us a reason to live.
From Parade magazine comes the story of self-made
millionaire Eugene Lang, who greatly changed the lives of a
sixth-grade class in East Harlem. Mr. Lang had been asked to
speak to a class of 59 sixth-graders. What could he say to
inspire these students, most of whom would drop out of
school? He wondered how he could get these predominantly
black and Puerto Rican children to even look at him.
Scrapping his notes, he decided to speak to them from his
heart. Stay in school, he admonished, and Ill help pay the
college tuition for every one of you. At that moment the lives
of these students changed. For the first time, they had hope.
Said one student, I had something to look forward to,
something waiting for me. It was a golden feeling. Nearly 90
percent of that class went on to graduate high school.
In regard to Job, we read in Job 42:16 After this lived
Job an hundred and forty years You see, God can turn
hopeless into hope, death into life, brokenness into
wholeness. To God be the glory.

What to do:
Where is your hope? Anything other than God
equals hopelessness.

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Where Is Wisdom?
September 10

Bible Reading: Job 28:1-12

Key Verse: Verse 12 - " But where shall wisdom be
found? and where is the place of understanding?
Key Words: where shall wisdom be found
 There are four types of wisdom mentioned in Gods
Wordearthly, sensual, devilish, and of course, Gods
wisdom. No doubt, Job had Gods wisdom in mind when he
asked, Where is wisdom? The answer is with God and only
God can give true wisdom.
Exodus 28:3a And thou shalt speak unto all that are
wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom.
Psalm 111:10a The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
wisdom.
Ephesians 1:17a That the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of
wisdom.
The question is how bad do you want this wisdom?
Theres a story about a proud young man who came to
Socrates asking for wisdom. He walked up to the muscular
philosopher and said, O great Socrates, I come to you for
wisdom.
Socrates recognized a pompous numbskull when he
saw one. He led the young man through the streets, to the
sea, and chest deep into water. Then he asked, What do you
want?
Wisdom, O wise Socrates, said the young man with a
smile. Socrates put his strong hands on the mans shoulders
and pushed him under. Thirty seconds later Socrates let him
up. What do you want? he asked again. Wisdom, the
young man sputtered, O great and wise Socrates.
Socrates crunched him under again. Thirty seconds
passed, thirty-five. Forty. Socrates let him up. The man was
gasping. What do you want, young man? Between heavy,
heaving breaths the fellow wheezed, Wisdom, O wise and
wonderful Socrates jammed him under again. Forty
seconds passed. Fifty. What do you want?
Air! the young man screeched. I need air!
Socrates then said, When you want wisdom as you have just
wanted air, then you will have wisdom.
You cannot learn Godly wisdom in a university and get
a degree in it. It can only come from a heart in right
relationship with God, and seeking it. The only true wisdom
is in knowing you know nothing. ~ Socrates
Where is wisdom? With God and in God. James 1:5,
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to
all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given
him.

What to do:
Youll never get Gods wisdom by looking to the
world.

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Where Were You?

September 11

Bible Reading: Job 38:1-11

Key Verse: Verse 4 - Where wast thou when I laid the
foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast
understanding."
Key Words: Where wast thou when I laid the
foundation of the earth?

Good question for all of the evolutionists! Where were

you when the earth was formed?
J. Vernon McGee tells about the time a geologist once
took him up to a ridge in northern Arizona he thought it
was a ridge, but it was just sand. He couldn't understand why
sand was piled up there. He kicked away the sand and under it
was a petrified log. He asked, "My, where did this come
from?" He said, "California." Bro. McGee said, "Who hauled it
in here?" He answered, "It floated in here."
Now if you look at that Arizona desert, it is hard to
imagine that there was ever any water that could have floated
that log. But, apparently that is what has happened. That log
had floated in from California.
Bro. McGee asked the geologist, "When did that
happen?" He said, "Well, about 250,000 years ago." And he
said it like he had been there when the log arrived. Now it
may be that he was right.
I am saying that there are a lot of folks today who seem
to know what took place years ago. How this earth, they say
evolved into existence. So we ask the question God asks,
"Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Once I was a tadpole just beginning to begin,
Then I was a frog with my tail tucked in;
Then I was a monkey hanging from a tree;
Now, look, Im a college professor with a PHD!

What to do:
The choice is yours: believe God believe man.

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Where Is God?
September 12
Bible Reading: Psalm 42
Key Verse: Verse 3 My tears have been my meat
day and night, while they continually say unto me,
Where is thy God?"
Key Words: Where is thy God

No doubt the psalmist is going through a difficult time.

The scoffers and the skeptics are mocking and asking where I
thy God.
The answer is simple. God hasnt moved. We may
have but God hasnt. God is omnipresent.
A burglar had done an excellent job of casing the
house. When the family left on vacation, he knew his heist
would be easy. He entered the house just like planned but
was startled by an unsuspected voice. It said, Jesus sees
you. He initially panicked but realized nobody could be
home. This voice repeated the phrase, and he shined his
flashlight in the general direction. He relaxed and turned on
the main light switch. To his horror, he saw a huge Doberman
pinscher crouched in the corner. Then came the voice of the
parrot again, Sic `em, Jesus.
What to do:
When we ask, where is Jesus; the answer is right
where He is supposed to be.

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The Where of Vision

September 13

Bible Reading: Proverbs 29:18-27

Key Verse: Verse 18 Where there is no vision, the
people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is
he."
Key Words: Where there is no vision

Visionnow, that is an interesting word! Vision is

seeing things that dont exist any place but in your heart and
mind.
The pastors need a vision for the church.
The parents need a vision for the family.
The President needs a vision for the country.
And the list goes on and on.
Oftentimes vision can be hindered by eyesight. In
Numbers 13, Moses sent out twelve spies to spy out the
Promised Land. It was a land flowing with milk and honey
but ten of the spies said, There are Anaks in the land. They
are giants. We are not strong enough to defeat them! Their
eyes affected their vision.
On the other hand, David went to the front of the
battle against the Philistines. When he arrived, he saw the
giant Goliath mocking the God of Israel. David said, Is there
not a cause? We know that David went out and fought
against Goliath. His physical sight did not affect his vision.
David knew that Goliath would fall. He had a vision of
Goliath, This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand;
and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will
give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto
the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all
the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
 David had a vision. The ten spies had sight. Where
there is no vision, the people fail. Israel failed; but because
David had a vision Israel succeeded. Ask God to give you a
vision for your church, home, business.

What to do:
Remember problems are nothing more than
opportunities for improvement.

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Where Are the Gods?

September 14
Bible Reading: Isaiah 36:15-22
Key Verse: Verse 19 Where are the gods of Hamath
and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and
have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?"
Key Words: Where are the gods

The Scripture in Isaiah, chapters 36 38, take us back

to II Kings 18 and 19, where the Assyrian army was on the
verge of attacking Israel. The Assyrians had defeated nine
other kings. Isaiah, undaunted, told the leaders of the
Assyrians that God would give the victory. Rabshakeh, the
Assyrian general, warned Hezekiah that they had heard that
from the other nations who had told them that their god, the
gods of Hamath, Arphad, and Sepharvaim would deliver
them; but they didnt! The Assyrians were not facing just
another god, but the God of all gods Jehovah God!!
There's a magnificent hotel in the Bahamas. It's
named after the lost city of Atlantis. It is a monstrosity of a
building and is viewed as one of the greatest hotels in the
world. There is a water park in the middle of the hotel. In the
middle of the water park is a water slide disguised as a huge
Egyptian pyramid. This pyramid water slide goes straight
down at lightning speed. Lines are always long for this slide.
Not only is it a thriller, but as you go down you slide through
an aquarium that holds some of the most dangerous fish in
the world. The aquarium is contained by thick glass that acts
as a barrier between the hotel guests and that which would eat
them alive. That slide is a scary drop through a tank of scary
fish, but there is a protective covering to keep the fish away
from the visitors.
Sometimes life is a scary slide. Sometimes there
seems to be trouble all around. But God protects those who
fear Him and delivers them out of their trouble. Sometimes
He keeps us from the trouble altogether; sometimes He lets us
slide right on through. Either way, we come out on the other
side.

What to do:
Remember, if God be for you, who can be against
you? But if God be against you, who can be for you?

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here Is the Word?

September 15

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 17:5-18

Key Verse: Verse 15 Behold, they say unto me,
Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now."
Key Words: Where is the word of the LORD

Jeremiah 17 is a prayer of Jeremiah as he pleas to God

for His aid. The people called Jeremiah a false prophet and
kept asking him when his prophecy of destruction was going
to come.
The people failed to realize that Gods delays were
actually opportunities for the nation to repent and be saved
from ruin. Then they refused to hear the preaching of
Jeremiah and asked, Where is the word of the Lord? Let it
come now.
Which organ of the body requires the most energy?
The first two obvious guesses might be the heart or brain.
Actually, the inner ear demands the most bodily energy.
Attentive listening can be a draining experience, so God made
sure the ears got all of the necessary power to carry out his
important taskand He also gave us two of them.
The real problem with the Jewish people was they did
not have ears to hear. What a shame!
You can always tell the doubters. They make fun and
mock what they dont understand.

What to do:
Hear and heed Gods Word. Failure to do so only
produces your own demise.

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Where Is the Corn and Wine?

September 16

Bible Reading: Lamentations 2:11-17

Key Verse: Verse 12 They say to their mothers,
Where is corn and wine? when they swooned as the
wounded in the streets of the city, when their soul
was poured out into their mothers' bosom."
Key Words: Where is the corn and wine

There is a famine in Israel because of the sin of the

people (Lamentations 1:8). As a result of this famine, children
are dying of starvation.
As Jeremiah watches the children dying, his eyes fill
with tears (verse 11). I am reminded of James words in
James 1:15b, and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth
death.
How sad to hear your children ask for food and you
have none to give them; and you watch them swoon and die in
the streets.
Some years ago, I heard my oldest child talking on the
phone. She said, We dont have any money, but we can send
food. I was curious as to who she was talking to until I went
into the living room and saw the television was on and they
were giving a report on the children dying of starvation in
Ethiopia. As I gazed at the TV screen, I couldnt imagine the
horror of watching my children die from a lack of food. That
was Israels condition. They had turned their backs on God
and turned to other gods; and their consequences were
astounding.
All around the world today children are starving to
death; and as sad as that is, there is a death that is far worse
and that is to die without Christ, which is to spend an eternity
in hell.
As a pastor I ache as I watch children of any nation
starving; but I hurt and sorrow even more watching young
people reject Jesus Christ and go off into eternity without
Him.
Today, we have the food of Gods Word. Lets share it
so our children will not starve to death spiritually.

What to do:
Come to Jesus, He is the Bread of Life.

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Where Is the Daubing?

September 17

Bible Reading: Ezekiel 13:1-16

Key Verse: Verse 12 Lo, when the wall is fallen,
shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing
wherewith ye have daubed it?
Key Words: Where is the daubing

Daubing is not a term we use today. It actually means

plaster or mud. It was the daubing that would hold a house or
building together to keep it from falling. So if a building fell,
the people would ask, Where is the daubing? Whats wrong
with the daubing?
 There is an analogy here. The false prophets were
telling the people of Israel that there is a day comingvictory
is at handpeace is at hand. But the prophecies kept failing.
So Ezekiel asked, If the daubing fails, we all ask, where is the
daubing? But when their prophecies fail, we say nothing and
keep believing them.
Daniel Webster said: If religious books are not widely
circulated among the masses in this country, I do not know
what is going to become of us as a nation. If truth be not
diffused, error will be. If the evangelical volume does not
reach every community, the pages of a corrupt and licentious
literature will. If the power of the Gospel is not felt
throughout the length and breadth of the land, anarchy and
misrule, degeneration and misery, corruption and darkness,
will reign without mitigation or end. These words of a
century-and-a-half ago had a strangely prophetic ring.
(Source Unknown).

What to do:
We often hear, Let freedom ring. But freedom will
only ring as we shout out the Truth.

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Where Is He Who Can Save?

September 18

Bible Reading: Hosea 13:9-16

Key Verse: Verse 10 I will be thy king: where is any
other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy
judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and
princes?
Key Words: where is any other that may save thee

Israel wanted a king and God gave them Saul. Again Israel
wanted a king and God gave them Hoshea, and again, that
didnt work out too well. Israel again wanted a king and got
Zedekiahnot too good. So God tells Israel, I will be thy
king. I am the only One Who can save you. How true!!
In 1981, a Minnesota radio station reported a story about a
stolen car in California. Police were staging an intense search
for the vehicle and the driver, even to the point of placing
announcements on local radio stations to contact the thief.
On the front seat of the stolen car sat a box of crackers that,
unknown to the thief, were laced with poison. The car owner
had intended to use the crackers as rat bait. Now the police
and the owner of the VW Bug were more interested in
apprehending the thief to save his life than to recover the car.
So often when we run from God, we feel it is to escape His
punishment. But what we are actually doing is eluding His
rescue.
That is what Israel was doing, running from God when He was
the only king Who could save.

What to do:
Look to the King of Kings for deliverance. No other
king can save.

****************************************

Where Is Their God?

September 19

Bible Reading: Joel 2:12-17

Key Verse: Verse 17 Let the priests, the ministers of
the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and
let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not
thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should
rule over them: wherefore should they say among the
people, Where is their God?"
Key Words: Where is their God

Its sad when the heathen are asking, where is their

(Israels) God?
 When my wife and I were in Israel, one of the pastors
traveling with our group began a conversation with a sharp
young Jewish man who said to the pastor, If it is as you say,
why doesnt He intervene for us today? The pastor told him
very candidly, Because right now, you are not with God.
Until you come back in repentance to Him, He is not dealing
with you as His chosen people. Today God is doing a new
thing. He is calling out from among your people and our
people Jews and Gentiles a people to His name. You are
just not up-to-date with God. You are going way back to the
Mosaic system which is outmoded. The latest thing, the
newest model, is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. You see,
God is inviting whosoever will to trust Christ and become a
part of the new organism which He calls the church.
The young man said, Yes, but we do not accept the
New Testament as Gods Word. The pastor replied, I know
and thats a shame because you are living under law and
missing out on Gods amazing grace.
Where is their God? He has not moved. He is still
offering salvation to all through His amazing grace.

What to do:
Answer this question: Where is your God? Who is
your God?

****************************************

Where Is the Gin?

September 20

Bible Reading: Amos 3:1-8

Key Verse: Verse 5 Can a bird fall in a snare upon
the earth, where no gin is for him? shall one take up a
snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all?"
Key Words: where no gin is for him

Israel is living in iniquity (verse 2), and they believe

they will receive no chastening for their iniquity. So Amos
asks (verse 4), Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no
prey? And the answer is, of course not. Verse 6, Shall a
trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid?
Absolutely not. Verse 5, Can a bird fall in a snare upon the
earth, where no gin [trap] is for him? No.
A gin is a trap. Of course a bird is not going to get
caught in a snare unless a trap is laid for him. When I was a
boy, they used to tell me that I could catch a bird if I put salt
on its tail. So I ran all over the neighborhood trying to get salt
on a birds tailand found it didnt work! I found that I
couldnt catch a bird without a trap. In nature there is always
the principle of cause and effect. If you are going to catch a
bird, you will have to have a trap.
Now here is another question: Shall one take up a
snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all? A man
is not going to keep setting a trap if he doesnt catch anything
in it. I used to have six traps when I was a boy. In the fall of
the year, I would ride down on my bicycle every morning
before school to see if I had caught anything. In one of those
six traps I would usually have a possum or a rabbit,
sometimes I would have a skunk. (I always gave the skunk to
a friend of mine. Although I could get more for the fur, I
didnt care for the scent.) After I had left a trap in a place day
after day and caught nothing, it would be foolish for me to
continue to leave the trap there; so I would move it to some
other place. If you are going to put out a trap, you expect to
catch something in the trap.
The principle here is easy. God isnt going to allow
Israel to continue to live the way they are living. They are
going to ensnare themselves in the trap of life.

What to do:
Remember, you will never get away with sin. It will
find you out.

Where Are the Lions?

 September 21

Bible Reading: Nahum 2:1-11

Key Verse: Verse 11 Where is the dwelling of the
lions, and the feedingplace of the young lions, where
the lion, even the old lion, walked, and the lion's
whelp, and none made them afraid?"
Key Words: Where is the dwelling of the lions

Both Assyria and Babylon used the lion as the symbol

of their empires. Nahum could be referring here to the actual
lions which the Assyrians had there, or he could be referring
to their strong young men because the lion was the symbol of
the strength of the kingdom. The whole point is that, whether
it is the literal lions or the strength of their army, they are
gonetheyve left, or theyve been killed.
Although it is difficult for me to believe that Nahum
was referring to Babylon because at least a form of the
Babylonian empire returns during the tribulation period. This
is probably a reference to Assyria which is now extinct. While
the land is there, it is occupied by Iran and Iraq. God does
have a way of extinguishing the ungodly.
Nahum reminds us of what happens to a godless
nation. The same can be said for a godless people.
For example, Napoleon Bonaparte: Responsible for
the death of 500,000 French men in battle, approximately 1/6
of the population. Was exiled by the British for the last 6
years of his life on the Island of St. Helena. His wife Marie
Louise never wrote him and married another man while he
was still living. He never heard from his son again. He was
confined to the house and grounds, needing the escort of a
British soldier whenever he ventured anywhere on the island.
The tombstone on his grave read simply, "here lies."

What to do:
Be strong in Christ. Our day is coming.
Where Are Your Fathers?
 September 22

Bible Reading: Zechariah 1:1-11

Key Verse: Verse 5 Your fathers, where are they?
and the prophets, do they live for ever?"
Key Words: Your fathers, where are they

Zechariah was a prophet of God during the time of the

Mede-Persian Empire under Darius. Remember Darius? He
was the one who had Daniel put into the den of lions.
The Jews, now held captive by the Medes and the
Persians, kept talking about how great their fathers were.
Finally, Zechariah had had enough and cries out, Your
fathers, where are they? It was their fathers who had turned
their backs on God and had brought them to the place of
captivity. (See verse 4.) Their fathers had refused to hear
God.
I have discovered that with age comes numerous
challenges, one of which is hearing. I often say to my dear
wife, Youre losing your hearing. She insists its not her, but
me.
After encountering considerable trouble
communicating with his wife, the husband concluded the poor
old gal was losing her hearing. On a mission to prove his
point, he conducted a personal hearing check. While she sat
on the other side of the room with her back to him, he quietly
asked, Can you hear me? There was no response. He then
moved a little closer and repeated his question. Again, no
response. The self-proclaimed audiologist got even closer and
asked the same question. With no reply he took his test to the
back of the chair and asked, Can you hear me now? To his
total surprise, she responded with a twinge of irritation, For
the fourth time, yes!
And this is the point, we often think its the other
person who has a hearing problem with God when it might be
us!! Think about it.

What to do:
 Who really has the hearing problem? You or the
other guy?

****************************************

Where Is the Honor?

September 23

Bible Reading: Malachi 1:1-11

Key Verse: Verse 6 A son honoureth his father, and
a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is
mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear?
saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that
despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we
despised thy name?
Key Words: where is mine honor

As our Father, God is to be honored. The fifth of the

Ten Commandments tells us to honor our father and our
mother. So God as our Heavenly Father is to be honored
above all, but the Jewish leaders were refusing to do so. They
dishonored God through their despising of His name and
polluting the bread on the altar.
Once there was a little old man. His eyes blinked and
his hands trembled; when he ate he clattered the silverware
distressingly, missed his mouth with the spoon as often as
not, and dribbled a bit of his food on the tablecloth. Now he
lived with his married son, having nowhere else to live, and
his sons wife didnt like the arrangement.
I cant have this, she said. It interferes with my right
to happiness. So she and her husband took the old man
gently but firmly by the arm and led him to the corner of the
kitchen. There they set him on a stool and gave him his food
in an earthenware bowl. From then on he always ate in the
corner, blinking at the table with wistful eyes.
One day his hands trembled rather more than usual,
and the earthenware bowl fell and broke. If you are a pig,
said the daughter-in-law, you must eat out of a trough. So
they made him a little wooden trough and he got his meals in
that.
 These people had a four-year-old son of whom they
were very fond. One evening the young man noticed his boy
playing intently with some bits of wood and asked what he
was doing. Im making a trough, he said, smiling up for
approval, to feed you and Mamma out of when I get big.
The man and his wife looked at each other for a while
and didnt say anything. Then they cried a little. They then
went to the corner and took the old man by the arm and led
him back to the table. They sat him in a comfortable chair
and gave him his food on a plate, and from then on nobody
ever scolded when he clattered or spilled or broke things.
Just as we should respect our earthly father, we should
so much more respect our Heavenly Father.

What to do:
If God is your Heavenly Father, then where is His
honor?

****************************************

Where Is Your Treasure?

September 24

Bible Reading: Matthew 6:19-34

Key Verse: Verse 21 For where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also."
Key Words: where your treasure is

Law enforcement has a saying for how to resolve a

crime, Follow the money.
The same can be said for where the heart of the child
of God is. Follow the money when you find where the
money is spent, you will find their heart.
In this day when some are complaining about a
shortage of their money, I have found it doesnt stop them
from vacations, and sometimes expensive hobbies they may
have. Ive often said during the summer months that it is
Gods money paying for Christians vacations.
Some thieves one day broke into a store but didn't
steal anything. They just exchanged the tags. They took a
$6,000 tag off a diamond ring and put it on an imitation
diamond. They took the imitation diamond tag of $99.95 and
put it on the $6,000 ring. They took an imitation print
painting and reversed its tag with that of an expensive
original. People came in and bought stuff up. They spent a lot
of money on the worthless and a little bit of money on the
expensive.
We live in a culture today that has switched the tags.
We put a lot of money on the flashy and put 39 cents on
character. We put a lot of money on expensive cars and high
positions of career, but we put 10 cents on integrity,
truthfulness, dignity, and character. We have switched the
tags. Dont let anybody switch your tags.

What to do:
Remember, you know your heart by where your
money goes.

****************************************

Where Jesus Is
September 25

Bible Reading: Mark 2:1-12

Key Verse: Verse 4 And when they could not come
nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof
where he was: and when they had broken it up, they
let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay."
Key Words: they uncovered the roof where he was
 These men were determined to get their friend to
Jesus. No obstacle was too great; no crowd was too big for
them not to get to Jesus.
They understood that Jesus would make a difference
in this mans life if they could get to where Jesus was.
I recently read a story about D. L. Moody and his
determination.
D. L. Moody had a keen memory for names and faces.
If one of his children was missing from Sunday school, he
knew it, and he would do everything possible to find out why.
One day he saw an absentee coming down the street, so he
took off after her. She ran down the sidewalk, across the
street, and through an alley into a saloon, up the stairs to a
back apartment, into the bedroom, and then dived under the
bed. Moody went after her, and just as he was claiming his
prize, the mother showed up.
Panting from the exertion, Moody simply explained,
"I'm Moody." He said that he had missed the girl and would
be happy if all the family could come to the services. Within a
few weeks he had every child in the family in his school.
If we are to have any success in reaching people, we
have to be determined to get them to where Jesus is.

What to do:
Be determined. Remember, success is simply
getting up when you fall down.

****************************************

Where the Worm Never Dies

September 26

Bible Reading: Mark 9:38-50

Key Verse: Verses 44, 46, 48 Where their worm
dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."
Key Words: where their worm dieth not
 Have you ever noticed that the reference to the worm
is personal, their worm.
The word worm means maggot, a worm that lives off
dead bodies. So hell is a place where there is no death or
annihilation, and that worms constantly are eating at ones
flesh.
What happens to people who die without Christ? They
go to hell! There is no respectable way to say it. They go to
HELL. For how long? Forever!
There is always the person who will say, Wait a
minute. I am not sure I believe in hell. This is one chance
that may not be worth taking. Certain things you can afford to
make a mistake on, but this isnt one of them.
If a man doesnt have food, thats bad but he can
recover from that. If a man doesnt have a good house, thats
bad but he can recover from that. If a man doesnt have the
best clothes, thats bad but he can recover from that. If he
doesnt have the job he prefers to have, thats bad but he can
recover from that. If a man has to walk because he cant
afford a car, thats bad but he can recover from that. No
matter how bad a persons finances are, they can recover from
that. But if a man dies without a personal relationship with
Jesus Christ and wakes up in hell, thats a blow that he can
never recover from; and he will dwell forever in hell where his
worm dieth not.

What to do:
Remember, you can excuse yourself into hell but
you cant excuse yourself out.

****************************************

Where Is Your Faith?

September 27

Bible Reading: Luke 8:19-25

Key Verse: Verse 25 - And he said unto them, Where
is your faith? And they being afraid wondered,
saying one to another, What manner of man is this!
 for he commandeth even the winds and water, and
they obey him."
Key Words: Where is your faith

Have you ever been in a frightful situation, and as a

result, lacked in faith? Sure! We all have at some point; and
we need to be reminded of that factthat at times we are
lacking in faith.
The key to Bible faith is the object of our faith. Some
people have faith in their job. Some have faith in their
possessions. Some even have faith in faith. None of these will
please God though. The object of our faith is (or should be)
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You see, the object of your
faith is important.
If a man stands in front of a pond with a thin sheet of
ice and says I have faith that the ice will hold me; and he
jumps and goes crashing down through the ice, the problem is
not his faithit is the object of his faith.
A businessman had to travel to a small town for a
meeting and invited his wife to come with him. She was
excited about the trip until she learned her husband was going
to be flown to the small town in a small twin-engine plane.
She said, Honey, Ive decided not to go I am not going on a
little-bitty, small twin-engine plane.
Her husband smiled and knowingly said, Honey, your
faith is too small. She quipped, No, the plane is too small.
The businessman really wanted his wife to go with him, so he
booked travel on a major airline. His wife went with him
because, as she put it, her faith grew because the size of the
plane grew.
The object of her faith determined how much faith she
decided to have. We serve a big God so you can have a big
faith.

What to do:
Make sure the object of your faith is Jesus Christ.

Where Are the Accusers?

 September 28

Bible Reading: John 8:1-11

Key Verse: Verse 10 - When Jesus had lifted up
himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto
her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no
man condemned thee?"
Key Words: Where are those thine accusers

Im convinced that when Jesus wrote in the sand, he

was writing the sins of the accusers of the adulterous woman.
Be careful about accusing others. It may come back
and bite you.
One of the stories told by that beloved Texas pastor,
the late Dr. George W. Truett, was that of a young lady
brought before the church for discipline because of a violation
of the church covenant. It was suggested that she be dropped
from the roll of the church. As the debate developed the
pastor said, Let us also call the church treasurer and have
him read the record of the giving of every member, and let us
vote to drop everyone who has violated Gods law against
covetousness. That bombshell cleared the air of accusers, as
did the reminder of Jesus: He that is without sin among you,
let him first cast a stone at her.
Like I said, be careful about accusing others. It may
come back to bite you.

What to do:
Let he that is without sin, cast the first stone.

Where Is Our Boasting?

 September 29

Bible Reading: Romans 3:20-28

Key Verse: Verse 27 - Where is boasting then? It is
excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the
law of faith."
Key Words: Where is boasting then

If we are saved by the grace of God through faith (and

it is the only way to be saved), then what do we have to boast
about?
Romans 3:24, Being justified freely by his grace
through redemption that is in Christ Jesus
I will confess to you, boasters can have a tendency to
bother me just a tad.
Boasting reminds me of a sightseeing bus that was
making the rounds through Washington, D. C., and the driver
was pointing out spots of interest. As they passed the
Pentagon building, he mentioned that it cost taxpayers
millions of dollars and that it took a year and a half to build.
While everyone was looking at it, a little old woman piped up:
In Peoria we could have built the same building for
less, and it would have been completed even sooner than
that!
The next sight on the tour was the Justice Department
building. Once again the bus driver said that it cost so many
millions to build and took almost two years to complete.
The woman repeated: In Peoria we would have done
it for less money, and it would have been finished much
sooner.
The tour finally came to the Washington Monument,
and the driver just passed slowly by without saying a word.
The old woman was curious. Hey, she shouted to the
driver, whats that tall white building back there?
The driver looked out the window, waited a minute
and then said, Search me, lady. It wasnt there yesterday.
I love it!!

What to do:
 Remember, when it comes to salvation, we have
nothing to boast about other than Jesus.

****************************************

Where Is the Wise?

September 30
Bible Reading: I Corinthians 1:14-22
Key Verse: Verse 20 Where is the wise? where is
the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath
not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
Key Words: Where is the wise

There is devilish wisdom, worldly wisdom, and then

Godly wisdom. Paul is asking, where are those who have
Godly wisdom? Not many of those around today; and
evidently, not many in Corinth in Pauls day. Wisdom is like
silver or hidden treasure.
Tony Evans writes: When speaking about wisdom,
the Bible says, Seek her as silver and search for her as for
hidden treasures. Silver and hidden treasure are located
underneath the ground. They require digging. The fact that
the treasures are hidden implies that it is not on top of the
ground, obvious to the casual eye. Why would God not make
wisdom available for anyone to pick up too easily? Its too
valuable. He doesnt want folks to pick it up who dont intend
on using it. He has placed wisdom as a hidden treasure
underneath the ground for those who really want it. Just like
people who truly desire to find gold dont mind digging and
working to find it, wisdom is only to be found by people who
value it enough to search for it.
Where is wisdom? Its in Gods Word; but you have to
find it!

What to do:
Seek for wisdom (Gods wisdom).
I deeply appreciate the
help of

Mary Parsons

Glenda Myrick

And my lovely wife, Linda

Without God using these

people to help, this
devotional would not
have been possible.
Dr. Mike Rouse
 is a ministry of

5568 Chalkville Mountain Road

Birmingham, AL. 35235
(205) 854-2741
www.mountainviewbaptist.org