March 10, 2010- Pleasing God

Scripture to read today:
Deuteronomy 13; Deuteronomy 14; Deuteronomy 15; Galatians 1

Scripture that spoke to me:
Galatians 1:10
Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.

Observation:
Paul was determinedly focused. He had his sights on Jesus and didn’t waver, even in the face of persecution. He knew who he was, and he knew Whose he was.

Application:
I think I want to please people too much. I at least want their approval and friendship. Which is hard to come by sometimes if you’re doing things God’s way. But Paul gave me a good reminder today- pleasing people should not be my goal. Pleasing God should.

Prayer:
Lord, I want to be Your servant and please You. Help me to not be concerned about pleasing others but to only want to please You. Amen.

January 30, 2010- Walking with God

Scripture to read today:
Exodus 25; Exodus 26; Exodus 27; Acts 6

Scripture that spoke to me:
Acts 6:10
But they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.

Observation:
Stephen was walking with God and was full of the Holy Spirit. No matter who tried to oppose him, they couldn’t fault what he was speaking. They had to go to the Sanedrin with lies and false witnesses.

Application:
When you’re walking with God, it shows. I wonder sometimes what people see when they look at me. Do they see someone walking with God or someone sold out to the world? I hope it is the first but often I find myself wallowing in the things of this world. I like them- they bring pleasure, they feel good…

Prayer:
Lord, forgive me for those times that I turn my back on You for the pleasures of the world. Let me come back to You. Amen.

January 7, 2010- Our Hospitality to God

Scripture to read today:
Genesis 18; Genesis 19; Psalm 3; Luke 7

Scripture that spoke to me:
Genesis 18:2-3
Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my Lord, do not pass your servant by.

Observation:
Abraham has been visited by the Lord before and must recognize Him as being amongst these men. He hurries to meet Him and honor Him. In later verses, we see Abraham’s hospitality to God in the way he prepares the best meal he has to offer.

Application:
I wonder if we accept God so easily. I really don’t know if we rush to offer Him our very best. But we should use this example by Abraham as a model. We should rush to God, eagerly seeking Him out, but often we’re afraid of the intimacy with Him. We see so much that we can lose by following Him but we don’t understand what we can gain. We also don’t offer Him our best, but often cast Him the leftovers- if there are any.

Prayer:
Lord, forgive us for our unhospitality toward You. We don’t bring You our best; we don’t eagerly greet You. Help us to recognize You more and welcome You into our lives in more places. Amen.

December 2, 2009- Balancing Money

Scripture to read today:

Romans 9; Romans 10; Romans 11; Romans 12

Scripture that spoke to me:
Romans 11:16
If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

Observation:
This makes good sense. If our offering is holy then so is the rest of our money. This means that the other 90% came from God, too, and should be considered as His money as well. That makes what I do with it even more important.

Application:
I live pretty frugally, but I can waste money, too. I eat out too much- 3 or 4 times a week for either lunch or dinner. I know I could save money if I packed my lunch, but I enjoy the social time. If it really came down to it, I could save some money that way. If it is all God’s money, what would He want me doing with it? I pay my bills, usually on time or early, and I do tithe. But I’m not sure I’m totally spending the way that would make Him proud.

Prayer:
Lord, guide me in the way You would want me to go with my finances. I am giving and like to help people if I can. I also enjoy being able to enjoy myself. Help me find the balance. Amen.

November 14, 2009- Bad Company Corrupts Good Character

Scripture to read today:

Psalm 149; 1 Corinthians 15; 1 Corinthians 16

Scripture that spoke to me:
1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

Observation:
Paul says this to the people of Corinth to have them take notice of their actions. Many felt that, since Jesus forgives, they could do whatever they wanted as long as they asked forgiveness for it.

Application:
It isn’t enough just to run to Jesus for forgiveness. If He is truly in your heart, you’ll live each day for Him- at least with an effort to be the best you can be. That doesn’t mean that you’ll never sin, but you’ll not plan to sin just to ask forgiveness for it later. That includes letting people into your life who may help you stray off the path. It is so tempting to think that you’ll change them into someone good, but more often that not, one small thing will lead to something larger.

Prayer:
Lord, help me to know who I need in my life. I do want to help others, lead them to You. But let me be strong enough to withstand coming across someone who may try to lead me away from You. Amen.

August 23, 2009- Real Love

Scripture to read today:

Jeremiah 31; Jeremiah 32; 1 John 4

Scripture that spoke to me:
1 John 4:16-18
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Observation:
Love is what binds us to God. The love we have for Him, the love He has for us, and the love we have for each other. True love overcomes fear- if we have love, if we have God, there is no need to fear anything. Jesus had real love- he didn’t like what a lot of people were doing, but He loved them enough to sit and talk with them, explain things to them, and die for them.

Application:
I think of all different kinds of love- the love I have for my family, for my friends, for things (and yes, don’t we say “I love my car” or “I love french fries” and such?) Much of that love is conditional. We love our friends until they say something nasty about us, or until they betray us, and then we hate them instead. We love our family, but as my cousin pointed out yesterday, there are some unlovable people in our family, too. And even french fries let me down! What we should have is true love for each other. The kind that doesn’t fear- or doesn’t care- if we are loved in return (because we are loved by God!) The kind of love that uplifts those around us. And this is hard, because I’ve been hurt many times by people I love, and there is a real tendency to not stick my heart out there again to get it crushed. But real love doesn’t fear. Real love just loves because it can’t do anything else.

Prayer:
Lord, help me to love others, and You, with a real love that isn’t scared. And help me include people who have hurt me and people I don’t like very much. Amen.

August 5, 2009- Becoming Famous

Scripture to read today:

2 Kings 23; 2 Chronicles 35; John 7

Scripture that spoke to me:
John 7:4
You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!”

Observation:
Jesus’ brothers are trying to convince him to go to the festival and show what he can do. Their thinking is, if he can do such miraculous things, he should do them and become famous. Jesus’ answer, of course, is that his time has not yet come. He wasn’t there to put on a show, or be famous, but to tell the world of God’s goodness.

Application:
We’d opt for the show. I’m pretty sure that if I could do just one of the miracles Jesus did, I’d want to show off. I’d want people to see what I could do. The difference is, Jesus was showing what God could do- not he himself. I struggle with that- I give God the credit sometimes, but I like the accolades from people who tell me I do a good job.

Prayer:
Forgive me Lord for wanting the praises when they should all be Yours. Amen.

June 27, 2009- Making up the Rules

Scripture to read today:
2 Kings 13, 14; 2 Chronicles 25; 2 Timothy 3

Scripture that spoke to me:
2 Kings 13:18-19
Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”

Observation:
Elisha told Jehoash (King of Israel) to take the Lord’s arrows and strike the ground. Because the king chose to strike the ground three times, he would only win three times. He could have chosen to hit the ground once or 10 times, but he didn’t know what the rules were.

Application:
Do we know the rules, or make them up as we go along? The choices we make – even seemingly small decisions – have an effect on the future. And at times, the “rules” are only revealed after our choice.

Prayer:
Lord, let me be mindful of how the things I do today affect me tomorrow. Amen.

June 24, 2009- The Love of Money

Scripture to read today:

2 Kings 11; 2 Kings 12; 2 Chronicles 24; 1 Timothy 6

Scripture that spoke to me:
1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Observation:
We mistake this quote sometimes, turning it so that MONEY is the root of all evil. In fact it says the LOVE of MONEY is the root of all evil. People, eager to make money, turn to manipulation, theft, deceit, corruption- all things of this world and not of the faith- to obtain it. The consequences of this is grief.

Application:
So there has to be a fine line in there somewhere. We can’t live without money- without food, shelter, clothing, etc. But when is enough enough? When can we be pleased with what we have and not want more? And when does wanting more become a problem? I think it is when, in the wanting, we compromise our morals. When we cheat or lie or steal to get what we want. I also believe it is when money (or possessions) become more important than God. Even if we’ve been honest in our business, if it is consuming us, taking us away from spending time with God, then it is a problem.

Prayer:
Lord, please see that all my needs are met, and a few of my wants, but don’t let things come between us. Amen.

June 17, 2009- Getting Out of My Own Way

Scripture to read today:

1 Kings 20; 1 Kings 21; 2 Chronicles 17; Colossians 3

Scripture that spoke to me:
Colossians 3: 5-6, 12
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming… Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Observation:
Paul’s words are easy, but in practice they’re a seemingly insurmountable mountain. Turning away our own nature is, well, unnatural. But Jesus cane to show us that is can be done. He set an example for us to follow, even if we fall short.

Application:
I had a conversation with a friend today about giving everything to God and not taking it back. Why is our nature so hard to overcome? I want to do it all myself, on my own strength. I want to make the plans, set them in motion, and see them through. Oh, I say I trust God, but I want Him to do things my way! To do something that goes against my most innate desire, even if it is the right thing to do, is so very hard. But that is what sets us apart as Christians- we don’t live for this world. We understand that the things we gain in this life aren’t gained forever- it is what we store up in heaven that remains.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, help me get over myself sometimes. Help me get out of my own way and on to what You have planned. Amen