Scripture to read today:
Nehemiah 7; Nehemiah 8; Acts 1
Scripture that spoke to me:
Acts 1:11
“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”
Observation:
Have you ever let go of a helium balloon and watched it rise until you couldn’t see it? There’s always that final glimpse of it, after you thought you’d lost it, when you see it again. I can just imagine the disciples standing there, looking up, hungry for that one final glimpse. But there’s also that time that you have to decide that you’ve seen it for the last time, look down, and go on. This is the time that the disciples must have dreaded- going on with life without their Messiah with them there physically.
Application:
How do you go on after you have lost something important? There is that time that you have to decide to stop longing for what is gone and move on. There is still work to be done. But we are comforted that Jesus hasn’t really left us- He is with us always! We can call on him, talk to him, listen for him, and learn from his teachings every day. We can long for the time that we will see him face to face, but he is not gone- he is right here!
Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank you for living in our lives every day, giving us wonderful things that remind us of your presence. Forgive us for looking up when we should be looking forward, ready to go on and do your work. 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:
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 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.
Scripture to read today:
2 Samuel 11; 2 Samuel 12; Psalm 51; Matthew 23
Scripture that spoke to me:
Matthew 23:11-12
The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Observation:
Jesus is speaking to his disciples about the Pharisees. These men like for people to look at them and see how important they are. Jesus is cautioning them to be different. Humble themselves. Serve each other- and never think that they’re too good to get their hands dirty.
Application:
Good leaders do this! I learned a long time ago that a good leader is willing to do the job of anyone he leads. That means a good CEO should be willing to take out the trash! Workers respect a leader like that, and feel that their job is more worthy if the boss is willing to do it.
Prayer:
Lord, let me be a good leader. Let me see that serving others is the best way to lead. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Ruth 1; Ruth 2; Psalm 53; Psalm 61; 2 Corinthians 5
Scripture that spoke to me:
Ruth 2: 11-12
Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”
Observation:
The story of Ruth is a beautiful story of love for an entire family- including a mother-in-law! Ruth is willing to leave all she knows to remain in the family she married into. She works hard gleaning grain in the fields to provide for the two of them.
Application:
I don’t know why, because it doesn’t seem to apply, but I see this as a missionary passage. Ruth leaves her home to go to a new place and care for someone who isn’t her blood kin. And the Lord blesses her for it. I love mission trips. It is great to see new places and get to know the people there. The work isn’t easy, but at the same time it is not hard. It is truly rewarding. Maybe Ruth was an early missionary, with a small mission field.
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for giving me a heart for mission. May You lead me to my field- no matter what the size. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Judges 1; Judges 2; Judges 3; 1 Corinthians 12
Scripture that spoke to me:
1 Corinthians 12:4-6
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
Observation:
We are not all the same. We do not have the same abilities or thoughts. We do not have the same talents or the same purpose in life. We do all come from the same Creator and are given the same Spirit. God is the glue that binds us together in similarity.
Application:
We don’t like to be different. I find it hard to disagree with people sometimes, even over simple things. I want to like what my friends like and do what my friends do. But the older I get, the more I see the value in being different. I don’t have to like all the same foods. I don’t have to like all the same activities. Doing different things gives me access to different people. If we were all the same, how could we grow? However, we are all one in Jesus Christ. That is where we come together- to worship and serve our risen Savior. As long as we are one in Christ, our other differences don’t matter- in fact, they are necessary. We are given different talents so that we can help each other. Maybe I can sing and you can’t carry a tune, but you like to hear me sing. And you can organize an event where I may be unorganized. Since we’re working together, we don’t all have to be good at everything!
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for giving us each other. Let us recognize our gifts and learn to be proud of the fact that ours are different from our neighbor’s. Amen.
