DBB-69

Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly. (Mark 14:4, 5)

While Jesus was in Bethany, in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. That's when there arose a discussion and a condemnation regarding her actions.

But Jesus defended her saying, ""Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."(Mark 14:6-9)

There are many things that we may do because of our love for our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, which others may think is a waste or they consider trivial, but that shouldn't deter us from what we are doing. The Savior will approve even when people condemn, so we should not lose heart but show our love to him in ways that are pleasing to him.

DBB-68

The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people, "Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! (Joshua 6:16)

Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. God spoke to Joshua and said, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in." 
The people of God, the Israelites were promised by God that he would be leading them to the promised land and Jericho was a hindrance on the way. But God had a plan in place for overcoming the obstacle and Joshua and the Israelites were to go according to that.
They did as God told them and there was deliverance.
It's the same for you and me. God has a plan in place for each of us at several points on our journey to our eternal home "heaven" and we need to obey it to see hindrances overcome. He has called us to be "over-comers" and we can achieve that only by following his plan and leading. 

DBB-67

About Benjamin he said: "Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders." (Deuteronomy 33:12)

"O Lord, my God, let me and my family and loved ones rest secure in you; shield us all day and let us rest between your shoulders" is a simple but effective prayer that each of us can pray everyday. At a time when states and countries are upgrading security so very frequently, every believer can have assurance and peace of mind by praying to the Lord for security and safety. For the believer, it's not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord. That doesn't mean that we must not be careful, but our trust is in the Lord for protection and deliverance.
Who can shield us better than the Lord?
Long back, God spoke to his servant Abraham to reassure him amidst uncertainities. He said: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. "(Genesis 15:1)
Yes, God is our shield.  The Psalmist affirms that by singing, "He is a shield for all who take refuge in him." (Psalm 18:30)
Isaiah, the prophet wrote, "Like birds hovering overhead, the Lord Almighty will shield Jerusalem; he will shield it and deliver it, he will 'pass over' it and will rescue it." (Isaiah 31:5)
Same with you and me, child of God. He will shield and protect us as we cry out to him each day of our lives.

DBB-66

Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.(Daniel 9:18)

That, I would say, is a fine attitude when we approach God for anything. Daniel here, is making it clear that it's not of his or God's nation Israel's righteousness that he is interceding, but because God is merciful and willing to heal, restore and bless. 
We should harbor no doubts about God being merciful. He has been so from the beginning and will remain so always.
Regarding God's mercy towards his chosen people, Isaiah the prophet wrote:
In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. (Isaiah 63:9)
It is because of this same mercy of God that mankind has found salvation through Jesus Christ.
Writing to Titus, the Apostle Paul speaks highly of the mercy of God.....But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy........(Titus 3:4, 5)
The Apostle Peter confirms this by writing......Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.... (1 Peter 1:3)
So let us approach the throne of grace with confidence every day, because we serve a merciful God who is willing to heal, restore and bless us. 

DBB-65

Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Luke 18:39)

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" And that is when he was harshly rebuked. But he shouted all the more.
This man had nothing to lose. He sensed he had a chance to be freed from what had bound him to the life of roadside begging....his blindness!
He had not seen any miracles that Jesus had done, but he had heard and he had believed. Thus he shouted all the more despite the rebukes. And Jesus honored his faith. Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" "Lord, I want to see," he replied. Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you."Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. 
No harm brother, no harm sister........just cry out to the Lord in faith. If there is one thing that God honors in a believer, it is faith. There will always be someone around to rebuke, but you should not miss your miracle because of not shouting out to God.

DBB-64

Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay. (Psalm 70:5)

A desperate cry for deliverance from a man in suffering and many of us can relate to him at several junctures of our lives. A quick deliverance was what he sought and he starts off his pleading by saying, "Hasten, O God, to save me; O Lord, come quickly to help me." (Psalm 70:1)
Pursued relentlessly by the enemy, this was his heart cry. Many a time, this man David, pleaded for deliverance and the Lord was compassionate and saved him. In fact, God saved him from every enemy that he faced. That's what we read in the titles of one of his Psalms, namely Psalm 18- [For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord . He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul]
God is good and we can rest assured that he will hear our heart cries and deliver us speedily from the enemy. 

DBB-63

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (Matthew 5:8)

Anyone desiring to see God, must take this to heart. A very simple statement, but the ultimate desire of God, regarding each one of us. Jesus, once saw a man approaching him and said this regarding him: "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." (John 1:47) The man (Nathaniel) was pleasantly surprised when he heard that and asked Jesus, "How do you know me?" and Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."(John 1:48)
Everything about our lives is known minutely by the Lord. Nothing is hid from him. He knows exactly how pure we are in our hearts. We must all strive for purity in heart, trusting in the Lord's strength, rather than ours to remain pure.
David, the great king of Israel, understood this and prayed to the Lord, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10)
It's a prayer that each of us can pray to the Lord everyday. 
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. (1 John 3:2, 3)