August 7th~Stand Up, Stand Out

Daniel 2:1-3:30

Jeremiah 7:1-8:3

The Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar has risen to world power, conquered Judah, and taken captive some of the people. Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were among them. However, though the Jews were under Babylonian authority, the Lord quickly reminded the Babylonians that they were under His authority. He did this with two events.

First, He disturbed Nebuchadnezzar with a dream that only He could interpret (2:1-49). It was a dream of a giant statue of mixed metals. The head was made of gold, the chest and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of bronze, the legs of iron, and the feet of iron and clay. In short, the Lord revealed to the King the four great empires of ancient history — the Babylonians (the head of gold), the Medo-Persians (chest and arms of silver), the Greeks (belly and thighs of bronze), and the legs of iron (Romans). The rock that fell from heaven and struck the feet of iron and clay is the Kingdom of God that will be established by Christ in the end times.

The second event occurred when Nebuchadnezzar built and dedicated a statue to himself. At the dedication, he demanded that all people bow before it. Of course, doing so would defy the first commandment, of having no other gods but the One True God. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down, they were cast into a fiery furnace, only to be rescued by the Lord. It was the second time that Nebuchadnezzar had a run-in with our God.

As great and powerful as he was, he discovered that there was a higher power than him, the God of heaven and earth. Daniel wrote, “Praise His name forever and ever, for He alone has all wisdom and power. He determines the course of world events; He removes kings and sets others on the throne” (2:19, 20).

Daily Reflection

While it is an honor to serve our God, it is never easy, especially when the world wants to “tear us limb from limb” or throw us into “a furnace.” Standing up for the Lord among the cynical skeptics of the world demands a great deal of courage and faith. Have you ever faced such a decision, when you were forced to choose God or going with the flow? Explain.

What did you do when you were faced with this tough choice? Did you demonstrate courage and faith or cower to the enemy?

Persecution is quickly becoming a reality in America. Why do you think that is?

With a world system that is bent on plowing under the principles and people of God, it is only a matter of time before the pressure will be put on you to make a choice. What will you do in that moment, bow down like everyone else or stand up and represent your God?

BiAY.org | Day 219 — 146 Days to Go

August 6th~Identity Crisis

Jeremiah 19:1-20:18

Daniel 1:1-21

We came to the end of the warnings about the fall of Judah and it finally happened. Jeremiah was the prophet alive at the time; he, unfortunately, witnessed it all. “I will hand the people of Judah over to the king of Babylon,” says the Lord. “He will take them captive or run them through with the sword. I will let her enemies plunder Jerusalem. All the famed treasures of the city will be carried away...” (Jeremiah 20:5).

After all of the warnings, the event was described in only two verses in Daniel. “During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it with his armies. The Lord gave him victory... When Nebuchadnezzar returned, he took with him some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God and placed them in the treasure house of his god...” (1:1, 2).

Among those taken captive were four young men — Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, otherwise known as Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Did you notice that the King chose them for his service, for the reason that they were “strong, healthy, and good looking, and because they were gifted with knowledge, good sense, and poise”? Then, the king sentenced them, and many more like them, to a three-year indoctrination process, to turn them into good Babylonian boys.

However, Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s food and wine. Because of Daniel’s determination not to compromise his convictions, the other three boys joined him; and, because the Lord had blessed them all with knowledge and wisdom, when it came time for the evaluation process, these four youth stood out from the others. In fact, “the king found the advice of these young men to be ten times better!” (1:20).

Daily Reflection

It must have been tempting for these boys to give in to the hospitality and education of their captors. At least they were alive and being treated well, right? While that may be true, Daniel saw through the charade. He discerned what was happening, that by catering to the boys’ desires, they would let down their guard and accept whatever propaganda they were fed. They were even given new names, to reflect their changed identities.

But, you will notice that Daniel refused his new name; for the rest of his book, he will refer to himself by his Jewish name. In other words, although the Babylonians did their best to change his identity, he remained faithful to the Lord’s will and ways. As a result, he would influence not only his friends but the entire kingdom.

Do you see any similarities to the enemy’s strategy with God’s people today? What are they?

Your spiritual enemy despises the fact that you are a follower of Christ. He will do everything in his power “to take you captive” by his world system and by his warped way of thinking. His ultimate goal is to change your identity into one who forsakes the Lord to serve his own purposes. You must resist him at all costs!

Faithfulness to the Lord’s will and ways, however difficult it may be, will prove to be ten times better in the end! You must not forsake your identity in Christ for the pleasures or philosophies of the world. Be faithful to the true King and refuse to give in to enemy schemes.

BiAY.org | Day 218 — 147 Days to Go

August 5th~Shake Off the Dust

Jeremiah 25:15-38

Jeremiah 36:1-32

Jeremiah 45:1-46:28

Jeremiah again prophesied judgment against Judah, the people of God, and the surrounding nations. He warned Egypt that Nebuchadnezzar of the Babylonians would ruin their country and that its capital at Memphis would be leveled. He also predicted Babylon’s eventual fall and the return of the people of Judah. “I will destroy the nations to which I have exiled you, but I will not destroy you. I must discipline you. I cannot let you go unpunished” (46:28).

The most important event today was the scroll on which Jeremiah wrote God’s warnings and which Baruch read to the people of Jerusalem, the priests and other officials, and which eventually made it to King Jehoiakim. Of course Jehoiakim, in the hardness of his heart, rejected the scroll, tore it up, and threw it in the fire.

Imagine pleading with friends and family not to board a train because you knew that a bridge down the line had collapsed and that everyone on board would surely die. Now, imagine that your loved ones refused to believe you, and they climbed aboard the train anyway. How dumbfounded and heartbroken you would be, to think that you did all that you could but to no avail.

Such was the ministry of Jeremiah. He pled with the people to turn from their evil ways, knowing that they were headed off a cliff. No one took him seriously; the King, his advisers, and all the people happily went to their doom. No wonder Jeremiah was known as the “Weeping Prophet.”

God is often viewed by skeptics as heartless and cruel, especially in the Old Testament; but, what they fail to see, or refuse to believe, is that before He pronounced judgment on anyone, He always gave them fair warning. However, oftentimes, His prophets were ignored. What was He to do with those who refused to listen?

Daily Reflection

One of the reasons that we, as believers, do not readily share the Gospel with others is that we fear rejection or repercussions. Today, especially, there seems to be a spirit of disdain for the things of God. Have you ever experienced this type of rejection when sharing Christ with someone or when expressing your beliefs? Describe it here. How did you feel?

What are you to do when you are rejected like this? Are you to get offended, to quit talking about the things of God, or to walk away from your faith? No, of course not. Jesus told His disciples that if anyone did not receive their words to “shake off the dust from your feet” and go to the next person (Matthew 10:5-14).

Remember, Jesus called you and I to be “fishers of men” (4:19). As a fisherman, you are not commanded to catch fish, but rather you are simply commanded to fish, to cast your line. Not all fish will be interested, and that’s okay. The people whom the Lord has drawn to Himself, by His Spirit, will be open and willing to hear you. Those are the ones you are to pursue.

Keep in mind that those who reject the Gospel are not rejecting you. They are rejecting Christ. As long as you openly share the good news of God, you have done what the Lord has asked. If someone takes your “scroll,” tears it up, and throws it into the fire, what are you to do? Shake off the dust from your feet and move to another fishing hole.

BiAY.org | Day 217 — 148 Days to Go

August 4th~Hard Head, Hard Heart

2 Chronicles 36:1-4

2 Kings 23:31-37


2 Chronicles 36:5

Jeremiah 22:1-23

Jeremiah 26:1-24

2 Kings 24:1-4

Jeremiah 25:1-14

After the good King Josiah died, his son Jehoahaz took the throne. He was immediately deposed and taken captive by Neco, the Pharaoh of Egypt (probably as repayment for his father’s attack on him at Megiddo). Neco placed Jehoahaz’s brother Eliakim on the throne, changed his name to Jehoiakim, and, then, used him as a puppet to pay him money.

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and, instead of following in his father Josiah’s footsteps, he did what was evil in the Lord’s sight and, therefore, hastened the destruction of Judah. It was during Jehoiakim’s reign that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon sieged Jerusalem and carried away the people into exile.

While the fall of Judah had been prophesied for decades, no one had ever predicted the length of time that God’s people would be in exile. Jeremiah was the first to do so. He announced that their punishment would last seventy (70) years (25:11, 12). After that period, God would punish and enslave the Babylonians for their sins. “I will punish them in proportion to the suffering they cause My people” (25:14).

Right here towards the end of Judah’s existence, the prophets Jeremiah, Uriah, and Ahikam, came in full force to prevent its fall, to beg the king and the people to turn from their ways, but the people would have none of it. The Lord said through Jeremiah, “When you were prosperous, I warned you, but you replied, ‘Don’t bother me.’ Since childhood you have been that way. You simply would not listen! I have sent them again and again to you, but you would not listen to them... I will destroy this Temple and I will make Jerusalem an object of cursing for every nation on earth” (22:21; 26:4-6).

Daily Reflection

What was it about God’s people that they would not listen to Him? Was He not concerned for their future? Was He not trying to preserve their nation? Did He not have their best interests in mind? Of course, but it didn’t matter. The people wanted to do what they wanted to do; and, instead of seeing God as a help, they saw Him as a hindrance. They would rather fulfill their desires and suffer the consequences than turn from their ways and prevent disaster.

Does this describe you at all, hard of hearing?

Perhaps it’s not that you are hard of hearing but simply hard headed. You want to do what you want to do, and you don’t want anyone, not even the Lord, to get in your way. You would rather suffer the consequences of your sin than turn from it and prevent disaster.

Why are we like that? Why are you like that? Ignoring God’s voice reveals a deeper problem. What is it?

Satan is crafty; he will deceive you. He will tell you that you can’t help your desires, that you are not hurting anyone, or that no one will know what you are thinking or doing. He will pull you into his trap and, before you know it, you are stuck. His ways may seem right at first, but they only lead to death.

Is God warning you? Are you stubbornly repeating your offenses, ignoring His voice, or refusing His pleas? Are you trying to drown out His warnings to do what you know is wrong to do? A hard head is a symptom of a hard heart.

BiAY.org | Day 216 — 149 Days to Go

August 3rd~Cautious or Careless

Zephaniah 2:8-3:20


2 Chronicles 35:20-27

2 Kings 23:29, 30

Jeremiah 47:1-48:47

The great King Josiah was killed. Tucked away in the middle of prophecies from Zephaniah and Jeremiah was the account of the king’s unfortunate demise. When Josiah heard that King Neco of Egypt was nearby, in the northern valley of Megiddo, he was alarmed to the danger of invasion. What good king wouldn’t be concerned?

However, Neco was not there to attack God’s people; rather he was there to assist the Assyrians against the Babylonians at Carchemish. He warned Josiah not to interfere. “What do you want with me, King of Judah? I have no quarrel with you! I only want to fight the nation with which I am at war. God has told me to hurry. Do not interfere with God, who is with me, or He will destroy you” (2 Chronicles 35:21).

When Josiah heard Neco’s warning, he did not believe it. Military leaders will say all sorts of things to maintain the advantage over their enemies. Josiah would not fall for that trick, especially when Neco stated that God was on his side. After God had blessed all of Josiah’s efforts, he knew that the Lord was with His people. Why would He be assisting the Egyptians? Thus, he refused to listen to Neco’s words.

Nonetheless, we are told that the Lord had indeed spoken to Neco and ordered him to Carchemish (v.22). How? We do not know, perhaps a vision, a dream, or a prophet. God was not assisting Egypt to gain victory over Judah or even the Babylonians; rather He was leading these nations into destruction. Still, how was Josiah to know that? Simple, all he had to do was inquire of the Lord and ask about His plans.

While I do not blame King Josiah for being alarmed or for leading his army out to war. He was simply protecting his nation from an apparent invader. However, I do find it odd that Josiah went to war without seeking God’s direction.

He assumed that he knew what was taking place and that it was right to enter the fight. He was wrong. His assumptions led his men into danger and set matters into motion for his death. After Josiah was pierced by an arrow, he was hurried off the battlefield, back to his palace in Jerusalem, where he soon died.

The great King Josiah was dead and the people mourned. Jeremiah wrote funeral songs that the people sung for decades. They understood how this man’s right actions had been a protection for their country. They were also aware of the prophecies, that their destruction was near. With Josiah out of the way, their time was short.

Daily Reflection

Have you ever gotten into trouble because you assumed that you knew what was best? Have you made a decision without inquiring of the Lord only to make things worse? Explain.

How do you avoid the trouble of false assumptions, of thinking you know what God is doing? How do you ensure this doesn’t happen to you?

Assume nothing, but, instead, pray. Acting upon assumptions is unwise and rarely ends well. Be cautious rather than careless, lest the enemy stick an arrow in you.

BiAY.org | Day 215 — 150 Days to Go

August 2nd~Mountain Climbing

Habakkuk 1:1-3:19

Zephaniah 1:1-2:7

We observed messages from two of the minor prophets — Habakkuk and Zephaniah. We call them minor prophets, not because they are any less important than others, but because their letters or books were short compared to Isaiah or Jeremiah. Their prophecies were similar in nature to the others we’ve been reading. They were predicting the fall of Judah to Babylon.

For example, the Lord told Habakkuk, “Look and be amazed. Watch and be astounded at what I will do! For I am doing something in your day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it. I am raising up the Babylonians to be a new power on the world scene. They are a cruel and violent nation who will march across the world and conquer it” (1:5, 6).

The Lord also told Zephaniah, “Stand in silence, in the presence of the Sovereign Lord, for the awesome day of the Lord’s judgment has come. The Lord has prepared His people for a great slaughter and has chosen their executioners... I will crush Judah and Jerusalem for their Baal worship... Because of their sins, I will make them as helpless as a blind man searching for a path” (1:4, 7, 17).

Despite the terrible destruction that was headed his way, I love Habakkuk’s response, “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms and there are no grapes on the vine, even though the olive crop fails and the fields are empty, even though the flocks die in the fields and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation. The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He will make me as sure-footed as a deer and bring me safely over the mountains” (3:17-19). As God would punish the wicked of Judah, the righteous would suffer too; yet Habakkuk did not fear or complain, but, instead, he chose joy.

Daily Reflection

Habakkuk’s response reminds me of what Job said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb and I will be stripped of everything when I die. The Lord gave me everything I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord” (1:21). When his wife said to him, “Are you going to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die!” Job replied, “Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” (2:8-10).

Take a minute to rewrite Habakkuk’s response with personal experiences that you face today.

Even though ______________________________________, even though _______________________________________________, and even though ________________________________________, yet I will rejoice in the Lord!

Is this your typical response when things don’t go your way? Obviously, it is not natural for us to be content in the midst of chaos or to trust the Lord in the midst of trials or tragedy. Joy is a choice. You are choosing to rely upon your faith in God instead of reacting to your fear of the circumstances.

Though it is not easy, when you choose joy and trust the Lord, you will be as “sure-footed as a deer.” He will help you navigate the obstacles and “bring you safely over the mountain!” What mountains are you currently facing? Rejoice in the Lord and He will help you climb them!

BiAY.org | Day 214 — 151 Days to Go

August 1st~The Key to Our Revival

2 Kings 23:1-20


2 Chronicles 34:29-33

2 Kings 23:21-28


2 Chronicles 35:1-19

Nahum 1:1-3:19

We read the second half of Josiah’s reforms in Judah. Remember he had ordered the restoration of the Temple and in the process rediscovered the books of Moses which contained the laws of God. After hearing them read, Josiah was moved to begin a nation-wide revival.

We also covered the prophecies of Nahum today, whose messages were aimed at the kingdom of Assyria and its capital at Nineveh. Remember that the prophet Jonah was sent to Nineveh, years earlier, to call the people to repentance, to which they responded and God spared the city. However, by Nahum’s time, we can clearly see that the Assyrians had reverted to their old ways. God’s patience had run out and He was now ready to judge and destroy them. “The Lord is slow to get angry, but He never lets the guilty go unpunished” (1:3).

To eliminate the kingdom of Assyria, God used the people of Babylon. With their allies, the Medes, Persians, and Scythians, the Babylonians destroyed Nineveh (612 BC) and, then, a few years later, defeated the Assyrians once and for all at the epic Battle of Carchemish. “Nineveh lies in utter ruin,” wrote Nahum, yet no one will regret your destruction... All who hear it will clap their hands for joy” (3:2, 19). Nations rise and fall, according to God’s plan and purposes. Babylon will now dominate the ancient world.

Speaking of falling nations, Judah was still in a moral decline and had angered God with its idolatry. He had sworn to destroy His own people for their sins. However, the actions of the righteous King Josiah had postponed their judgment. “Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses; and, there has never been a king like him since” (2 Kings 23:25 ).

Daily Reflection

What specifically had Josiah done to ignite a revival in Judah? He cut down, smashed, and burned the idols of the land. He removed and executed all false prophets and priests and desecrated their temples and altars. He cleansed the Temple and reinstated the Levitical leaders, then called the people to account for obeying the Mosaic laws and keeping the sacred festivals and sacrifices. So Josiah had eliminated “all the detestable idols and required everyone to worship the Lord, and throughout the rest of his lifetime, they did not turn away from the God of their ancestors” (2 Chronicles 34:33).

Do you remember what prompted this revival?

It was the rediscovery and reading of God’s Word. When people take seriously the words of God and make it a priority to obey them, the Lord will do a work in their hearts and minds.

Is God’s Word a priority in your life? What about in the life of your family, your church, or your nation?

What is it about the words of God that can restore a life, a marriage, a family, or a nation?

What else can you learn from Josiah, in regards to his character, his courage, or his leadership?

BiAY.org | Day 213 — 152 Days to Go