Working the Steps the Bible’s Way

And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages. And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not; Luke 3:10-15

Steps: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

John the Baptist was like a sponsor, prophet, educator, counselor, all mixed into one. He had touched the hearts of the people and they were ready to ask for guidance and to know what to do. They listed out the inventory of their behaviors, and then God instructed them as to what to do to correct and pay back what they had done and then how to live on a day by day basis. John did such a nice job that the people wondered if John was the Messiah or should they look for another.

Prayer for Today: God help us to be willing to investigate our thinking and behaviors. We need Your help to know the difference between good and evil and we ask that when You tell us about what we are doing that we will be willing to listen to You and not our own selves. When You tell us Your perspectives on us, help us to not react as though You are being mean to us, but that You are simply telling us the facts. Then when You tell us about ourselves, help us to also believe that You have the power and the desire to help us. Grant us the courage to accept Your ways and to accept the power to change. Thank You for Your help.

Inventory Time

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Matthew 3:7-12

Steps: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

In this story the prophet of God takes the inventory of the Jewish leadership. He calls them vipers for in their hearts they did not want to serve God. The Pharisees and Sadducees came to the prophet to look like they were in harmony with God when they were not at all. God knows the hearts of all men and He chose to reveal these men’s hearts publicly to give them a chance at recovery and to alert the people around them that all was not as it appeared. The mission of Jesus was to reveal the hearts of men and to give each and every one a chance to repent, to get power from Him and to get into recovery through His power. That opportunity is available to all people, including us.

Prayer for Today: God, it is scary to know that You can reveal our heart to all the world at any time. We know that You are not intent upon embarrassing us but to give us all a chance to repent and to come into recovery with You. Help us to recognize that You are not trying to hurt us, but our addictions are intent upon killing us. Help us to surrender the addictive thoughts and behaviors to You and to receive the gift of recovery from You. Thank You again for Your mercies toward us.

The Call of John the Baptist

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. Matthew 3:1-6

Steps: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12

After the childhood years of Jesus had concluded and Jesus was a man of about 30 years of age, he hears the call of John the Baptist. He recognizes that John is the forerunner. Scripture prophesied that one would come to prepare the way for the Messiah about the time of 27AD in fulfillment of the prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27. When stories started coming into Nazareth of the work of John the Baptist, Jesus recognized that His time had come. The Father was calling to Him through the prophet. As in all things, Jesus was immediately ready to obey the call of His Father in heaven. He prepared the people around Him to care for the carpentry shop because He had to leave to attend to His calling to start His ministry. Jesus recognized that His ministry would be only 3.5 years long according to the prophecy of Daniel 9:26-27. Jesus was ever ready to do His Father’s will and He was ready to respond to the call of John the Baptist.

Prayer for Today: Thank You God for Your detailed care of Jesus. Help us please to recognize that as much as You helped Jesus is to show how much care You want to invest into our care as well. It is amazing that You want to work with us and to help us to have victory over addiction in all of its forms in our lives. Thank You for your watch care and for Your efforts to care for us. Thank You for these stories to give us hope in You.

Jesus Stayed with Joseph and Mary for 18 More Years

And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. Luke 2:51-52

Steps: 1, 2, 3, 11, 12

Jesus was aware of Who He was and yet He chose to stay with Joseph and Mary and stayed under their direction while He developed and matured as a man. Jesus recognized prophetically that His time had not yet come. He stayed out of sight in Nazareth until the time was full and He knew that His Father would make it abundantly clear when His time had come. Yet all of the time in Nazareth He continued to increase in wisdom, and in size, and He was increased in the respect of God and man. He was becoming a man and when His time to step on the scene would come He would be fully developed and fully ready to do the will of His Father in heaven. Jesus trusted in the care of His Father in heaven.

Prayer for Today: We thank You again Father that we can see glimpses of how One totally surrendered to You waited upon You to care for Him and to guide Him day by day – one day at a time. Help us to develop that same level of trust in You so that we don’t go out and force something that is not yet ready. Help us to learn to trust You like Jesus did. Help us to believe that You have a plan for us just like You had a plan for Him. Help us to have a spiritual awakening like He did, and to cooperate with You like He did as well. Thank You for Your love and patience.

Jesus in His Temple as a Child

Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. Luke 2:41-50

Steps: 1, 2, 3, 11, 12

When Jesus was 12 years, old enough to be a participant in religious activities in Israel, Jesus’ parents brought Him to Jerusalem to participate in the Passover sacrifices in the time of March-April. Jesus participated in the whole ritual and recognized His role in the Passover services and knew that in the providences of His Father in heaven He would someday be the real Passover Lamb of God and have to be sacrificed for mankind. When the services were done His family headed back to Nazareth and were not aware that Jesus was not with them. After three days they found Him and He was teaching in the temple. Jesus’ parents heard Him interacting with the professors of the temple school and all were amazed and His understanding and His answers to questions. When Mary and Joseph finally got Jesus alone they chastised them by asking Him why He had not come with them. Jesus corrected them and reproved them for losing Him by saying that He was doing the work that His True Father in heaven had called Him to do, while they had gotten caught up in the celebration. Jesus was telling them that He recognized Who He was but they did not understand what He had said to them.

Prayer for Today: Help us to recognize that many things are going on around us and many times we do not understand what You are doing for us and in us. Help us to trust You that You have a plan and that we will be blessed if we will just stick with You and allow You to communicate with us. Thank You for Your special gifts to us.

Jesus Grows Up Anonymously

And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. Luke 2:40


Steps: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12


When Joseph, Mary, and Jesus returned to Nazareth they set up their home, Joseph returned to his business as a carpenter and the family settled into the task of raising a family. They lived their lives and did their work and the greatest work they did was to teach Jesus how to be a God-fearing child and to learn the things of God. Jesus was taught about the truths of the Word of God like any other child. The biggest difference was that Jesus never sinned against God, or His family, and so He had a particularly sweet disposition and He was filled with the Holy Spirit and God blessed Him with many gifts and Jesus took full advantage of all of the gifts of God and He grew up in a manner that God intended every child of the world to grow up. God had told us how this was to be done in Deuteronomy 6:3-9 “Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” These highlighted principles Joseph and Mary did to the best of their ability and God did for them what they could not do. God blessed them and Jesus grew up a totally converted, totally surrendered, non-addicted child of God.

Prayer for Today: God, when we look at Jesus, and certainly when we hear Him as an adult, we see total success and we are stunned by Your original plan. We see how poorly we were raised, in many cases anyway, and are tempted to feel that life was unfair and if we had lived with Mary and Joseph and had Your blessings we would have turned out differently. While that may be true in some cases, most of us had many opportunities to work with You but we have been so preoccupied with our own ways that even when You offered us special help we turned You down. Help us now to recognize where we went wrong and be willing to surrender to You for help and start on the right path today. Thank You for coming to look for us and to offer us Your assistance today.

Jesus Comes to Nazareth

But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene. Matthew 2:19-23

Steps: 11, 12

After God had sent His Son to Egypt then He called Him back again after the death of Herod. Again God instructed Joseph when and where to bring His Son and Joseph obeyed. He brought Mary and Jesus back to Israel and sent them to Nazareth where God had instructed him to go. This town was familiar to Joseph and it was another part of the prophetic puzzle for this name was to be a part of Jesus forever. God wanted us to know Him as a Nazarene or a Nazarite – one who separated from his brethren and one dedicated to God in a special way like Samuel and Samson. Numbers 6:1-21.

Prayer for Today: God, when it is our turn to be led by You we pray that we may listen to You as well as Joseph did. Help us to learn to trust Your voice and to trust You in such a way as we do not think we are smarter than You are. Help us to rest in Your care and to believe that You have thought all these things out and that You know where You are going, and where You are leading us. Help us to trust Your steps, and Your leading. Thank You for Your patience in working with us.