Focusing on God’s relationship with the nation of Israel throughout history, this 5-day biblical study also draws on the power and truth of the Gospel that forever changed the world. Inspired by IN OUR HANDS: The Battle for Jerusalem, a CBN Documentaries film, this study highlights God’s relentless love, mercy, and grace available to everyone who will call upon His name. See IN OUR HANDS, a special one-night event, in theaters Tuesday, May 23.

History Makers and World Changers

A 5-DAY DEVOTIONAL

DAY 1Read Genesis 15:1-21

This Bible passage contains what is known as God’s Covenant with Abraham. This account in Scripture is not simply a mystical metaphor or a whimsical tale, but the record of an actual conversation between God and man. The Great I AM was making some God-sized promises. He was telling Abraham not only his future, but also the future of his nation as well.

We find in verse 6 one of the most amazing phrases in the Bible, stating that Abram (soon to be Abraham) believed the Lord. Think about God telling a man to look up into the clear night sky, and that from him will come more children throughout the generations than the number of stars he can see! Abram’s response was not only to believe it was true, but also that it would be true.

Throughout Israel’s tumultuous past with so many historic attempts and acts to annihilate this nation, from Abraham to today, Jewish men and women have been called upon to commit to extraordinary faith and heroic action.

Watch today’s clip, which depicts the turning point and moment of truth for Arik Achmon, the 55th Paratrooper Brigade’s Chief Intelligence Officer.

Starting with God’s promise in Genesis, we have the privilege today of being able to follow the amazing stories of the nation of Israel, through Moses, David, Solomon, and down the line, right up to the introduction of Jesus. For example, in post-resurrection Acts 7, as Stephen is testifying before the Sanhedrin court, he offers a thorough account of his ancestors and their history to tie into his faith in the risen Christ.

In our own spiritual journey as we walk in faith, we must constantly listen for God to whisper His plans and provisions to us, and believe as He fulfills His promises for our lives that are far grander and much farther-reaching than any of our own. Then after we hear His voice, we too must respond with it being said of us that we believed the Lord.

What is God speaking to your own life, as you are also a part of His grand story between the Genesis of mankind to the final prophecies to come as given to us in Revelation?

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DAY 2Read Psalm 126

Watch today’s clip of Israel’s Defense Minister, Moshe Dayan, challenging his officers as to which gate they should use when their forces enter Jerusalem.

When the Israeli army recaptured the Temple Mount, around the world Jews and Christians alike saw this moment as a direct intervention from God, recalling the words of today’s passage. On that day in 1967, the eyes of the world were fixed on God’s chosen people, as well as Jerusalem, the legendary biblical site.

The commanders told the soldiers that after thousands of years, they were the ones given the privilege to restore Jerusalem to the Jewish people. Regardless of how religious these particular young men were, this was indeed a moving and historic moment for them all.

One of the amazing elements we find throughout the Old Testament is descriptions that may be interpreted as analogies of God’s salvation and deliverance to those who would choose His freedom from sin, death, and the world’s grip.

Regarding verse 1 of Psalm 126, human hearts have always longed for “something more.” We know deep in our souls that life was meant for far greater things than we experience in this world, so, upon salvation, God restores us to what we could only imagine before.

In verse 2, true laughter is produced out of pure joy. The great things God has done will be reflected in our lives.

In verse 3, because God has accomplished these miraculous deeds on our behalf and continues to do so, our joy is made evident to the world around us.

In verses 4-6, the riches of heaven are restored to us, joy replaces tears, and God will allow His seed in our lives to grow a harvest that blesses us as well as all those around us.

For God to accomplish His mighty works in unique and mysterious ways, He will often do just as Defense Minister Dayan stated, by coming in “the gate” anyone would least suspect. But, no matter the situation, the Lion of Judah will enter at the time and place of His choosing, and those who recognize and receive His entrance will be blessed.

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DAY 3Read Deuteronomy 6:4-9

God knew that sinful man had to have rules to attempt to maintain right relationships. When He gave Moses the Ten Commandments recorded in Deuteronomy 5, the first four had to do with Israel’s relationship with God while the final six had to do with their relationships with one another. Those six were given to protect the community at large. But the common intention for all ten rules was clearly focused on keeping order in mankind’s relationships.

Following the declaration of these commandments, Moses then communicated God’s heart for His relationship with His people and for their relationships with one another—the love behind the Law.

Verse 5 is the first time we see the foundation for what Jesus would later call the “first and greatest commandment.” In verses 6 through 9, Moses told the people that God wanted His laws to saturate all aspects of life—their hearts, parenting, homes, and neighborhoods. He invited them to place the commands at the forefront of all their activities, from the time they got up to the moment they lay down to sleep. From their individual houses to the city gates, this nation’s relationship with God should be displayed in their lives.

And why would the people do this? What should be their driving force motivating such focused and intentional obedience? Loving their God with all they had in their hearts and souls.

In His wisdom and sovereignty, God knew mankind’s relationship with Him and His Word would support and strengthen every area of life and all relationships like nothing else possibly could.

Today’s film clip is a depiction of the Israeli soldiers gathered at the Western Wall to pray after entering into and retaking Jerusalem. What these men had been through drew them humbly to the God of their ancestors, and to lean on one another, in this historic moment as they declared the words of today’s passage, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one.”

Consider today how you can connect God’s Word to your own life in a deeper way to impact and strengthen your relationship not only with Him, but also with all those around you.

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DAY 4Read Luke 18:1-8

Jesus offered a compelling parable to teach us about the persistence of prayer. We often need helpful reminders about the importance of this most basic discipline of our faith.

If we were to ask the average Christian today, “Do you believe in the power of prayer?” the answer would likely be, “Yes. Absolutely.”

Then the next question we ask is, “Does the time you spend in prayer reflect that conviction?” In other words, does behavior match belief? For the majority of us, we aren’t as active as we want to be, or should be, in our prayer lives.

In this passage, Jesus was not comparing His Father to an unjust judge. But, as in many of His rabbinical teaching analogies, He was setting up a contrast: if an uncaring and unjust human judge will listen and respond to a persistent plea for justice, how much more will a loving and kind God take action? Jesus closes by saying that He wants to find in us the kind of relentless faith that this woman showed in regularly appearing at the judge’s door to ask for help.

The bottom line of this parable is that God wants to hear the concerns of the hearts of His children, anytime, day or night.

Watch today’s clip, as two soldiers at the Western Wall display the gamut of emotions, from the celebration of victory to the experience of extreme grief at the loss of friends. Here we see the power of prayer in all circumstances.

Be encouraged today to know:

• Prayer is simply a heart-to-heart conversation between you and your heavenly Father. • Your Father always wants to hear what is on your heart. • Your Father wants you to be specific with Him about what you feel and what you need.

For reasons higher than we can understand, Scripture is quite clear that God desires for us to tell Him what He, in His sovereignty, already knows about us. And that can only be for one reason—He desires a deep relationship with His children.

Today, allow a simple, heartfelt prayer to renew or refine your own relationship with your heavenly Father.

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DAY 5Read Romans 8:31-37

Beginning in Exodus 3, we read how God sent a fugitive from Egypt back into the palace to go head-to-head with the pharaoh, eventually leading the nation of Israel out of captivity and toward the Promised Land.

In Judges 6 and 7, we read how God took an obscure unknown man named Gideon and called him a mighty warrior when that was the last title this farmer would have given himself. God then whittled down the army Gideon put together, to just 300 men to overtake the nation’s enemies without even striking a blow.

In Joshua 6, we read how Israel, led by Joshua, brought down the walls of Jericho in the most non-military strategy ever conceived—marching, shouting, and blowing trumpets.

In 2 Samuel 5, we read how David was finally declared king over Israel and entered the palace after years of fleeing King Saul and fighting battle after battle with his small band of mighty men.

Watch today’s clip, detailing the incredible odds that Israel faced as Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq declared war against the nation.

We learn at a very young age that power, might, fame, and wealth are the ways of the world and the measure of success. We come to accept that “survival of the fittest” and “bigger is better” are the paths to victory. But Scripture paints a very different picture, as outlined in these four example passages above. From Moses to Christ, no matter the odds stacked against any human or any army, if God was involved, He changed every single circumstance.

In our own lives, we may not have opposing nations surrounding us, an evil pharaoh threatening us, or an enemy camp to invade. But to live a life following Christ, we do have a cross to bear. Yet, once we have accepted His death for our own and allowed His Spirit to raise us to new life, all the odds turn in our favor and no circumstance can threaten our position as His children.

Today, no matter what your situation, no matter how you might feel about yourself and the direction of your life, Christ—the Messiah to whom the entire Bible points from day one to the final page—desires to graciously give you His life, show you His great love, and train you in the ways of the Conqueror.

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The Christian Broadcasting Network977 Centerville Turnpike, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23463

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This spring marks the 50th anniversary of the Six-Day War. A CBN Documentaries Film commemorates this historical battle with the new movie, IN OUR HANDS: The Battle for Jerusalem.

For centuries, their nation had been in exile. For a generation, they had been without access to their ancestral city. For six days, surrounded by enemies, Israel stood alone … and changed history.

IN OUR HANDS tells the story of Israel’s 55th Paratrooper Brigade and how Israel Defense Forces risked everything for the sake of their homeland.

With firsthand interviews and historical reenactments, this powerful docudrama focuses on the commitment and sacrifice of the soldiers who reunited Jerusalem.

This special one-night event in select movie theaters shares the story of Israel’s incredible battle for survival fifty years ago. Get your tickets today to experience IN OUR HANDS in theaters Tuesday, May 23 only.

InOurHands1967.com

The Christian Broadcasting Network977 Centerville Turnpike, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23463

800.700.7000 | CBN.com

A Special One-Night EventONLY IN THEATERSTUESDAY, MAY 23

InOurHands1967.com