February 22, 2010- Wait on the Lord

Scripture to read today:
Numbers 10; Numbers 11; Psalm 27; Mark 1

Scripture that spoke to me:
Psalm 27:14
Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

Observation:
It takes strength to wait on the Lord. Especially if you’re a doer. Waiting doesn’t come naturally, but if you don’t have God with you, moving forward isn’t going to be very successful.

Application:
I am a “get it done” girl. I don’t like waiting, wasting time, or taking time to pause. But sometimes that is where the best stuff happens. If you jump right into a project, it often doesn’t go as well as if you take time to think about it, gather ideas, pray about it, etc. God wants us to wait for a reason. The reasons vary, but some might be so that others have time to join us, so that we have all the tools that we need, or so that we can be more prepared for what’s ahead.

Prayer:
Lord, help make the waiting times not feel so bad. We don’t like to wait, but see the value in having all Your plans in place. Help us to not hurry. Amen.

February 17, 2010- Overcoming Insurmountable Obstacles

Scripture to read today:
Numbers 1; Numbers 2; Acts 24

Scripture that spoke to me:
Numbers 2:32
These are the Israelites, counted according to their families. All those in the camps, by their divisions, number 603,550. The Levites, however, were not counted along with the other Israelites, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Observation:
There were 603,550 people counted in Moses’ census. This was the number of Israelite men aged 20 and over who were able to serve in the army. This didn’t count the number of women and children, elderly men, or the Levites. Moses was looking at moving probably a million people through the desert.

Application:
I wonder sometimes how I can lead this church of 1100 members. As lay leader, I know they’re relying on me for some key things. I don’t know if I’m up to the challenge. But reading this, I see that Moses had a huge challenge and he usually didn’t feel up to the task. But with God, all things are possible, no matter how impossible they seem to us.

Prayer:
Lord, You are almighty, everlasting God! You can do anything! I praise You for Your goodness and Your mighty power that can overcome any challenge that we may think is insurmountable. Thank You for helping us as we work for You. Amen.

February 16, 2010- Learning to Obey

Scripture to read today:
Leviticus 26; Leviticus 27; Acts 23

Scripture that spoke to me:
Leviticus 26:3-8
‘If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit. Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.

‘I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove savage beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country. You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.
Observation:
Look at all the things the Lord has promised! Rain for fruitful crops, a plentiful harvest, plenty of food, peace in the land, no war, no enemies…. all for obeying God’s commands.

Application:
Why is it so hard, then? Why is it that human nature insists that we learn things “the hard way”? Or we think our way is going to work out just fine. God had a plan from the beginning and we’ve been fighting to do our own thing, go our own way, ever since.

Prayer:
Lord, forgive me. I’m a stubborn control freak and You’re my almighty God! I should have faith and trust that You have wonderful things planned for me. Help me to learn to rely on you more. Amen.

January 29, 2010- Doing God’s Will

Scripture to read today:
Exodus 23; Exodus 24; Psalm 14; Acts 5

Scripture that spoke to me:
Acts 5:38-39
Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

Observation:
Gamaliel the Pharisee gives this advice to the entire Sanhedrin during their debate about what to do with the disciples. The disciples were ordered not to teach in the name of Jesus, but Peter answered that he would follow God, not them.

Application:
I hear people ask (and sometimes I ask myself) how to make sure they’re following God. Here is a good example. If something has been laid on your heart (and is, of course, in line with what God teaches) then a way will be made for it to be done. If it is God’s will, He will see that it happens.

Prayer:
Lord, show us what Your will is and allow us to see how we can play a role in seeing it happen. Amen.

January 28, 2010- Do the Right Thing

Scripture to read today:
Exodus 21; Exodus 22; Psalm 12; Acts 4

Scripture that spoke to me:
Acts 4:19
But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God.

Observation:
The Sadducees were upset with Peter and John for the things they were preaching. Mostly they were upset that the teachings about Jesus claimed that he was raised from the dead since as a group, the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. They brought Peter and John before the Sanhedrin to try to silence them. They were warned to stop speaking in the name of Jesus. Peter and John’s reply was simply that they would choose God’s wishes over the wishes of men.

Application:
How hard this is to do! We have been talking in children’s worship about upside down thinking- how the world sees things 180 degrees from the way God sees them. But we have to live in this world. We have to navigate it without conforming to it, and that is so hard. It is hard to do the right thing because often, the right thing is not the popular thing.

Prayer:
Lord, help me do the right thing even when it is tough to do. Amen.

January 18, 2010 – Asking for What you Want

Scripture to read today:
Genesis 44; Genesis 45; Genesis 46; Luke 18

Scripture that spoke to me:
Luke 18:40-42
When Jesus heard him, he stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord,” he said, “I want to see!”
And Jesus said, “All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.”

Observation:
The blind man called out to Jesus- cried out in his misery and in faith. But he still had to tell Jesus exactly what he wanted. Jesus healed his eyes so he could see again.

Application:
I’m bad at asking for what I want. I want God’s will to be done, not mine. But Jesus asked the man specifically what he wanted. I’m thinking Jesus could have figured it out without asking, but He wanted to hear it from the man himself. We need to remember that in prayer- to be specific about what we want.

Prayer:
Lord, I want to do a better job of asking for what I want. I also want what is in Your will. Help me to know how to reconcile those two things. Amen.

December 19, 2009- Planning Ahead

Scripture to read today:
John 5; John 6

Scripture that spoke to me:
John 6:53-56
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.

Observation:
Jesus already knew about the Last Supper- about the covenant he would share with his disciples and all who follow Him. It is good to have reminders throughout the Bible that God is proactive- He plans ahead and already knows what He wants to accomplish.

Application:
I love communion. It is such a great reminder of the closeness that we have with Jesus. I am so glad to see that God plans ahead. I know that He has plans for me (he tells me so in Jeremiah 29:11) and I trust that they are wonderful plans, plans that He has laid out ahead of time. I only need to listen and follow to bring those plans to fruition.

Prayer:
Lord, help me to listen. Help me to hear You so I know what You have planned for me. I trust that you have wonderful things ahead for me that will further Your kingdom. Help me to be open to Your call. Amen.

December 15, 2009- Thy Will be Done

Scripture to read today:
James 1; James 2; James 3; James 4; James 5

Scripture that spoke to me:
James 4:2-3
You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Observation:
We all know that God answers prayers, but He doesn’t always answer them the way we would like. And that is because of us- we want what makes us happy, not what makes God happy.

Application:
I know this, but sometimes I don’t know what makes God happy! The big things are obvious, but it is the little things. How do I know what he has planned for my children? Or if he wants me to love this person or that one? Or go this way or that, when both look honorable to me? I try to pray for God’s will to be done, but then the Bible says to ask for what you want! So this is all really easy for James to say, but in practice it becomes tougher. I just will pray for what I want if it is God’s will and let it be. (oh, the “and let it be” is the toughest part!)

Prayer:
Lord, I know You have a plan for my life. Help me find it. Let my prayers reflect Your will and grant me grace, peace, and forgiveness through Jesus Christ, Amen.

November 4, 2009- Go

Scripture to read today:

Job 26; Job 27; Mark 15; Mark 16

Scripture that spoke to me:
Mark 16:15
And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.

Observation:
This is the Great Commission. Go and make disciples. This is what we are called to do even today. Spread the Good News!

Application:
I get complacent at times. I pray to God and wait for an answer. What am I to do with my life? Where does He want me? I forget that He has already told us to GO! I may need to wait on going to a new place, but that shouldn’t mean that I can’t go right here. Speak about Him- spread the Good News.

Prayer:
Lord, forgive me when I forget that You already gave me my orders- to go. Help me to know when, where, and how, but never let me forget that I am to go. Amen.

November 3, 2009- Thy Will be Done

Scripture to read today:

Job 25; Mark 13; Mark 14

Scripture that spoke to me:
Mark 14:36
“Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

Observation:
Jesus knows that he has a job to do. We see here that he doesn’t really want to do it, but is faithful to God and His plan. He acknowledges that everything is possible for God, but not always in the plan.

Application:
Savannah had a bad experience last week- she didn’t make the school basketball team after she had made the team last year- and has always made whatever team she wanted to be on. I let her grieve, rant and rave, cry, and then we talked. We talked about how God has plans that we don’t see, don’t understand, and sometimes don’t like very much. But looking back on them, they were great! They caused lots more good in our life than any plan we had in mind. It is really hard when things don’t go the way we want them to, but God has a plan and I trust Him to turn up with something great!

Prayer:
Lord, thank You for being a faithful God and having an awesome plan. Help me understand when things don’t go my way, that Your plan will be even better than what I can conceive of. Thank you for blessing me and caring for me. Amen.