My verse:
Genesis 30:31-36- “What wages do you want?” Laban asked again.

Jacob replied, “Don’t give me anything. Just do this one thing, and I’ll continue to tend and watch over your flocks. Let me inspect your flocks today and remove all the sheep and goats that are speckled or spotted, along with all the black sheep. Give these to me as my wages. In the future, when you check on the animals you have given me as my wages, you’ll see that I have been honest. If you find in my flock any goats without speckles or spots, or any sheep that are not black, you will know that I have stolen them from you.”

“All right,” Laban replied. “It will be as you say.” But that very day Laban went out and removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted or had white patches, and all the black sheep. He placed them in the care of his own sons, who took them a three-days’ journey from where Jacob was. Meanwhile, Jacob stayed and cared for the rest of Laban’s flock.

Observation:
Laban was not an honorable guy! He tricked Jacob into marrying Leah instead of Rachel, and now he steals animals from him. Jacob knew what had been done to him but remains above the fray. He finds a way around the dishonor done to him without resorting to violence.

Application:
I’m not sure I could have been as patient as Jacob (although with as much sex as he was getting, maybe he was just tired!) Anyway, I don’t think I could have continued to work for Laban day after day. Somehow Jacob remained honorable to Laban even when he shouldn’t have been. And he was greatly blessed for it.

Prayer:
Lord, I’m sure I miss out on some blessings because I rush headlong with my feelings. Help me to know the right things to do in these kinds of situations. Amen.

My verse:
Genesis 15:7-8 He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.” But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”

Observation:
God has made a promise to Abraham- He has made many promises to Abraham, but this time Abraham wants to be assured of the truth of the promise.

Application:
Boy, is that me! I know God is faithful, and He will do what He says He will do, but I want to know how he plans to do it. When. What I’m supposed to do to help. Sometimes, I think I get in my own way and I need to get out of the way so that God can do His thing!

Prayer:
Lord, help me be more faithful, more trustful of You, especially when I don’t know the plan or have all the answers.

Today’s Scripture:
Genesis 12; Genesis 13; Genesis 14; Luke 5
My verse:
Luke 5:18-20
Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.”

Observation:
There are several players in this story. Jesus, the paralyzed man, and his friends. The friends are faithful to the paralyzed man, going to great lengths to get him to Jesus. What is curious to me is that Jesus, based on the faith of the paralyzed man’s friends, offers him forgiveness. What is even more curious to me is that he didn’t ask for it. He didn’t even ask for healing. He was simply lowered down to Jesus.

Application:
This tells me that you need to choose your friends wisely! Jesus forgave on the strength of the faith of the man’s friends. Now I know that we are each responsible for our own salvation, but this passage makes me think that the people we’re surrounded with are important in that salvation, too. Maybe we can’t do it without them….

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for giving me faithful friends. Let me be a friend like this to others, too. Amen.

Scripture that spoke to me:
Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Observation:
In Matthew, Jesus tells us not to worry. Don’t worry about food or clothes, don’t worry about tomorrow, and don’t worry about what to say. Here, Paul is telling us to not worry, but pray instead. Pray for what you need and leave the rest to God, and you will have peace.

Application:
This becomes one of my catch-22 situations. I know I shouldn’t worry. But with worry comes planning and action. Because I worry, I work toward making sure we have food and clothes. But by my worrying, is that saying that I don’t trust God? I sure do think I can trust Him! How much responsibility am I supposed to have in providing things for my family? I don’t think I can sit on the sofa and hope that God will deliver groceries to my door. So I end up trying not to worry but just keep on working.

Prayer:
Lord, forgive me when I don’t seem to trust You to provide for my needs. I trust You to give me the strength to provide for my needs. Help me to not worry about tomorrow but praise You today. Amen.

Scripture that spoke to me:
1 Kings 16:29-30
In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him.

Observation:
Israel is God’s chosen people, yet they do not always do right. Their leaders certainly do not always do right. However, there are always some faithful within the nation- those who remember what the laws are and strive to keep them.

Application:
I was reading Greg Laurie’s daily devotional today. His verse was “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14). This verse doesn’t say “if congress…” or “if Hollywood….” but MY PEOPLE. We can’t rely on the leadership of our nation to do the right thing for us. It is up to us to do it!

Prayer:
Lord, forgive me when I think that I’m insignificant and that what I do doesn’t matter. I can only change me, I can only affect my little bit of the world around me. Help me to make a positive difference where I can. Amen.

Scripture that spoke to me:
Romans 7:21-23
So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.

Observation:
Paul is saying that good and evil go hand in hand. You wouldn’t know right without the example of the wrong. But I think he is also saying that sometimes people do evil when they think they’re doing good.

Application:
I’ve been convicted of this lately. Just about the time I think I’m doing things right, I see how evil is still a part of it. I’ll give you an example: I hadn’t really read the Bible more than a chapter or two here and there until I found this study. It has been 2 1/2 years and I’ve read the entire Bible through twice and then some. Now that’s good- but being proud of it is not! So I’ve had this struggle lately- to read or not to read. I have to go back to reading. The other way makes me feel too detached. But I have to watch getting wrapped up in the pride of it.

Prayer:
Lord, You know I have a long way to go when it comes to my pride. I want to do the right thing, but I often want others to notice how good I am doing. Help me with this- and forgive me when I cross that line. Amen.

Scripture that spoke to me:
1 Kings 5:3-5
“You know that because of the wars waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build a temple for the Name of the LORD his God until the LORD put his enemies under his feet. But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster. I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the LORD my God, as the LORD told my father David, when he said, ‘Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.’

Observation:
Solomon is preparing to build the temple that his father, David planned. The Lord told David that he had seen too much bloodshed- had been too long in war- to build the temple. The Lord wanted Solomon to do it. Now Solomon is experiencing peace and goes about the work that has been planned.

Application:
Solomon could have just enjoyed the peace. Usually when things are going well we forget to work toward our goal. We tend to sit back and relax and enjoy. We also forget to praise God for the good times we are experiencing.

Prayer:
Lord, please forgive me for becoming happy and complacent in times of prosperity. I always need Your blessing; You always deserve my praise. Thank You for loving and blessing me. Amen.

Scripture that spoke to me:
1 Chronicles 29:14
“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.

Observation:
David recognized that all he has was given to him by the Lord. He wasn’t entitled to it, and by this statement, seems to believe that he wasn’t worthy of it. But the Lord gave it to him, so David felt that he was able to also pass it along to others in generosity.

Application:
We are living in a society that believes in acquiring things. I had a poster once in college that said “he who dies with the most stuff wins.” That seems to be the belief of many Americans. But we need to remember (and yes, I need to remember) that what we have was given to us by God. He wants us to be as generous to others as He has been to us. Which isn’t easy in a world that tells you to get more… and more… and more. Because the real winner is not the one who dies with the most stuff, but the one who gives the most before he dies.

Prayer:
Lord, help me to be unselfish and to share my bounty with others. Amen.

Scripture that spoke to me:
2 Samuel 24:21-24
Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?”
“To buy your threshing floor,” David answered, “so I can build an altar to the LORD, that the plague on the people may be stopped.”

Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever pleases him and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. O king, Araunah gives all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the LORD your God accept you.”
But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”

Observation:
David wants to purchase a place to build an altar and make sacrifices to the Lord. This is the place where he saw an angel that was sent to bring a plague on Israel caused by David’s actions. David wants this to cost him something so he can truly sacrifice to the Lord.

Application:
If we are committed to something, it means that we put that first no matter how we feel. It is easy to be committed to something when it is fun- or when we are happy with it- or getting something from it. I tried to teach this to Savannah last week when she didn’t want to go to ball practice. It was hot and she was tired from a long week. But she made a commitment to the team, and that didn’t mean only showing up when she felt like it. It means being there no matter what. That’s the way we should be in our committed relationships with each other and with our Lord.

Prayer:
Lord, it is hard to be committed to something when it costs us something. Help us see the wonderful joys that come from keeping our commitments. Amen.

Scripture that spoke to me:
2 Samuel 22:1
David 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.

Observation:
David just won a big victory against the Philistines and he sings a song to the Lord. This is a song of praise and thanksgiving for the Lord. David recognized that the Lord helped him win and is praising Him.

Application:
I don’t know how many times I do something and metaphorically “high five” myself. Sometimes I remember that God is with me and helped me but often I don’t. I’m proud of what I was able to do myself. I need to remember where my strength and ability come from and praise the Lord just like David did.

Prayer:
Lord, You’re awesome. Thank You so much for allowing me to succeed at the things that I do. Let me remember to give You the praise, not myself. Forgive me when I forget that it wasn’t “me” who did these things but You working through me. Amen.