Scripture to read today:
Matthew 14; Matthew 15; Matthew 16
Scripture that spoke to me:
Matthew 16:27
For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
Observation:
Jesus gets the good job- handing out rewards for those who have done well. This verse says that our actions do count- what we do matters. It isn’t just enough to believe, but we have to do well.
Application:
I know you can’t “earn” your way into heaven. But I believe you can earn your way out of heaven! There is something about trying, worshiping, giving, and leading that does gain favor with God. This is one of the biggest contradictions I see in faith- you don’t have to earn it- you can’t earn grace and forgiveness- but you do have to try to do the best you can. And you see that throughout Paul’s writings as he cautions the people not to go do what they want and then ask for forgiveness- over and over again!
Prayer:
Lord, show me the way to go. Let me live for you in all that I say and all that I do. And when I fail to do that, please forgive me. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Ezra 7; Ezra 8; Luke 20
Scripture that spoke to me:
Ezra 7:28b
So I was encouraged, as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me; and I gathered leading men of Israel to go up with me.
Observation:
Ezra has been sent by God (and with the king’s blessing) to Jerusalem to take silver and gold as gifts to the temple; inquire of the people there; and supply the temple with servants. Going with the blessing of both God and the king makes Ezra’s job better.
Application:
If the hand of God is upon you, then you will be blessed in all you do in the name of the Lord. Life may not seem easier, but doors open that may have stayed closed otherwise. It’s like God lines things up that, if you’re in tune with him and paying attention, will make things fall in line.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for caring about my life, for making the things You ask me to do easier to do; for blessing me with more than I deserve. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Ezekiel 36; Ezekiel 37; Psalm 110; Revelation 19
Scripture that spoke to me:
Ezekiel 36:9
See, I care about you, and I will pay attention to you. Your ground will be plowed and your crops planted.
Application:
The Lord is promising to bring the children of Israel home. He isn’t banishing them forever. They will be a prosperous people again. The Lord cares for His people.
Observation:
If you care for someone, you pay attention to them. You help them when they are in trouble. That is why love and service go hand in hand- why James says that faith without deeds is dead. Because loving means wanting to make life better for someone else. It means paying attention to them and to their needs.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, help me to love more people. Help us all to love each other and put hands to that love. I imagine a world where our goal is to help each other. What a wonderful world that would be, full of the love You have for us. Help me to do my part. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Jeremiah 21; Jeremiah 24; Jeremiah 27; Psalm 118; 1 John 2
Scripture that spoke to me:
Jeremiah 21:14
I will punish you as your deeds deserve,
declares the LORD.
I will kindle a fire in your forests
that will consume everything around you.’
Observation:
The Lord has had it with the children of Israel- running to Him when things are bad, pushing Him away when things are better- serving other gods and making idols. Now they have to see how serious things are by being punished- much like a father who has let his son get away with way too much and now has to tighten the reigns.
Application:
Can I just say I’m so glad that we live under the new covenant? Jesus forgives our sins, and doesn’t give us what we deserve. I’m not saying that He doesn’t punish us, but we don’t have to earn our salvation, either. Prevenient grace is an amazing thing indeed! Nothing we do, or don’t do, can take away the love that God has for us. I’m also not saying that we don’t need to do good deeds- because if you love someone you want to do things for them- I’m just saying that we aren’t judged by our deeds- only our love. That is sanctifying grace- the sustaining grace that propels us to serve out our beliefs.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for loving us and for sending Your Son to die for us, no deeds required. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Jeremiah 45; Jeremiah 46; Jeremiah 47; Psalm 105; John 21
Scripture that spoke to me:
John 21:16
Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
Observation:
Peter loved Jesus. No matter if he denied Him three times, Peter was a devoted disciple. Jesus asks Peter three times if Peter loves Him (maybe as a way for Peter to make up for the denial) and commands Peter to take care of His sheep. If Peter loves Jesus, he will care for those around him, not as proof that he loves, but because he loves.
Application:
Love is a verb- it cannot sit still. Love requires action. If you love someone, you want to do things for them. You want to make their life easier. So because we love Jesus, we should want to care for those around us, too. Sometimes that is hard- I know I want to pick and choose who I think is worthy of help- but Jesus asked that we take care of His sheep. Feed my lambs- take care of my sheep.
Prayer:
Lord, let me do a better job at taking care of Your sheep. Help my love have action. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Isaiah 65; Isaiah 66; Psalm 62; John 3
Scripture that spoke to me:
Isaiah 66:1
This is what the LORD says:
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
Where is the house you will build for me?
Where will my resting place be?
Observation:
The heavens and the earth belong to the Creator. God made everything we see; He gave us everything that we have. What can we do for Him? The Lord can have anything the way He wants it. He could move a mountain, change a sea. So what can we really do for Him? All our work is useless to Him unless it glorifies Him. If it allows more people to see who He is and what He does, then it is good work for Him.
Application:
This is a hard thing to reconcile sometimes. Steve is leaving for Mexico to build houses; Jaki is leaving for Africa next Saturday on a medical mission; I went to Cherokee and Savannah went to Gatlinburg; a host of church members have been places like Nicaragua, Honduras, Peru, Israel… for what? To help people, of course, but why? Is it for us, to make us feel like we’re helping, or for God? I believe it is for God. Yes, we were helping, but doing it in His name passes on the love and caring that Jesus showed. And Jesus said to feed the hungry, clothe the poor. And that’s what we’re doing.
Prayer:
Lord, forgive us if our work isn’t the best- or our motives totally pure. We do want to work for You and we realize that there isn’t really anything we can do FOR You- only to help Your people live a little easier, and hopefully come to see Your love through our actions. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Isaiah 50; Isaiah 51; Isaiah 52; Psalm 92; 2 Peter 1
Scripture that spoke to me:
Psalm 92:12-14
But the godly will flourish like palm trees
and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.
For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house.
They flourish in the courts of our God.
Even in old age they will still produce fruit;
they will remain vital and green.
Observation:
Following the Lord means that you have eternal life, transplanted into the Lord’s own house. You bear fruit even into old age, and are a vital part of life in the kingdom.
Application:
This made me think of my 92 year old grandmother. She has been dead for 17 years now, but was such a dear person and had such a strong, sweet faith. Even into her 90’s, she was still able to shine the light of Jesus and help others along the way. I wonder now about my 87 year old grandma with Altzheimers- what her role in life still is? She mostly eats and sleeps. Maybe she touches the life of a nurse, or there is something that her family gets from going to see her. I know that God has a plan for all of our lives- all our life, so I’m sure there is a good reason that she is still here (although she isn’t all “there” anymore.)
Prayer:
Lord, take my life and use it to the fullest, until the very end. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Isaiah 46; Isaiah 47; Isaiah 48; Isaiah 49; 1 Peter 5
Scripture that spoke to me:
Isaiah 49:4
I replied, “But my work seems so useless!
I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose.
Yet I leave it all in the Lord’s hand;
I will trust God for my reward.”
Observation:
God asks us to do things sometimes that don’t seem like they make a difference. A day helping someone rake leaves, just to see more fall. A meal taken that will be eaten and gone. Sometimes work seems like it doesn’t have a purpose- but God has a big plan, and our work is but one tiny piece of some whole picture that, when finished, is truly spectacular.
Application:
Have you ever worked a 1000 piece puzzle to find that one piece is lost? And it is probably a piece that looks like 50 other pieces. But that one piece is important! That is how God works. You get your one piece to work on that seems insignificant- just like a hundred others- and you think that whatever you do with it will not matter that much. But imagine the big picture without that one piece. It loses its whole look. It isn’t finished. I need to remember that I don’t have (and probably don’t want to have) half of the puzzle to work on, so I can’t see just how significant my tiny piece is!
Prayer:
Lord, please help me remember that Your kingdom is vast, and I know only a small part of it. Help me care for my little part well. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Isaiah 43; Isaiah 44; Isaiah 45; 1 Peter 4
Scripture that spoke to me:
1 Peter 4: 10-11
God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
Observation:
God has given each of us a gift, maybe more. What we do with them is what is important. Do we use our gifts for good? Do we use them at all? If we don’t use them, they go away. If we use them well, it won’t even feel like we’re having to work very hard.
Application:
I haven’t played my saxophone in almost a year, and I’m sure I am not as good at it as I was when I was playing 30 hours a week. Talents fade if we don’t use them. I am musically talented, and good with kids, so the fact that I’m our children’s worship music leader is perfect for me. It doesn’t even feel like work! Using the talents that God gives us for Him will just make you happy! Now if you asked me to serve in the kitchen for a meal, I’d do it but it would be work and it wouldn’t be as rewarding. It isn’t my talent. That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t do it from time to time, but there are people who are so comfortable in that kitchen that it is like home to them. So if everyone can match their gifts up with their work, we’d truly be Paul’s ideal of a body of Christ, where each part works together to make a whole.
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for giving me the gift of music and putting me in a place that I can use it well. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Isaiah 8; Isaiah 9; Isaiah 10; Hebrews 8
Scripture that spoke to me:
Isaiah 10:15
Does the ax raise itself above him who swings it,
or the saw boast against him who uses it?
As if a rod were to wield him who lifts it up,
or a club brandish him who is not wood!
Observation:
Tools are handy things. They help us do our jobs and our chores better. But tools are useless if they just lie there. It takes someone to manipulate them- put them to use- in order for them to be useful. So, the tool is not more important than the one who uses it.
Application:
I hope that God is using me for something good. I try, anyway. But I have to remember, with any good thing that I do, God is the one guiding me. I am His tool. So I am not more important than He is, and the work that I accomplish is only because He is the one putting me to use.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, help me not to boast of my good deeds, but give You credit always for giving me the chance, the ability, and the means to help others. Amen.
