May 17, 2010- He Who Dies with the Most Stuff Wins

Scripture to read today:
1 Kings 2; 1 Chronicles 29; Psalm 95; 2 Thessalonians 1

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.

May 11, 2010- Too Much Stuff

Scripture to read today:
2 Samuel 19; 2 Samuel 20; Psalm 55; Matthew 28

Scripture that spoke to me:
2 Samuel 19:28
All my relatives and I could expect only death from you, my lord, but instead you have honored me by allowing me to eat at your own table! What more can I ask?”

Observation:
Mephibosheth (Jonathan’s crippled son) has found mercy in David. David and Jonathan were best friends and, although David and Saul ended things as near-enemies, David has taken in his grandson. Mephibosheth wants no riches from David, but his fellowship.

Application:
We tend to pass by people for things. The focus is on acquiring, not on befriending. I think we have it all wrong. All the stuff in the world isn’t fun if you don’t have someone to share it with.

Prayer:
Lord, bless me with friends who are honest and true. I want to be around people who love You and want to put friendship ahead of possessions. Amen,

January 16, 2010- Upside Down Thinking

Scripture to read today:
Genesis 39; Genesis 40; Genesis 41; Luke 16

Scripture that spoke to me:
Luke 16:8
“The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light.

Observation:
Living like God wants and living like the world tells you to are opposite ways of thinking. The world asks that you be shrewd, manipulative, and do whatever you have to in order to succeed; God tells you to love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, and give someone in need the shirt off your back.

Application:
We have been talking in children’s worship about living in an upside-down world. The world seems to praise dishonesty and craftiness; doesn’t promote forgiveness; honors those who are smart enough to find a way around the law, and encourages self-promotion. God asks us to be selfless, giving and loving to others who are different than we are. I want to live in God’s world, as a child of the light.

Prayer:
Lord, help me to keep the temptations of the world at bay. I know it isn’t all about me as the center of the world, but of You as Creator of all. Amen.

November 24, 2009- Sold Out?

Scripture to read today:

Matthew 17; Matthew 18; Matthew 19

Scripture that spoke to me:
Matthew 19:16-21
Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.”

“Which ones?” the man inquired.

Jesus replied, ” ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.”

“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Observation:
The man wasn’t going to be perfect by keeping the commandments. Perfection came when he let go of the things he loved the most in the world and followed Jesus.

Application:
What is it that I put between me and Jesus? My house? Job, kids, car… church? Am I sold out to Jesus- would I sell out and follow Him? I don’t know- I’d like to think I would, but I really don’t know.

Prayer:
Lord, sometimes I’m not the person I wish I am. Forgive me for the times I am not what you had in mind for me to be. Help me become all that you wish. Amen.

Seotember 17, 2009- Kiss the Messenger

Scripture to read today:

Ezekiel 42; Ezekiel 43; Ezekiel 44; Revelation 22

Scripture that spoke to me:
Revelation 22: 8-9
I, John, am the one who heard and saw all these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me. But he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this book. Worship only God!”

Observation:
In this last chapter of Revelation, John is telling us how he heard and saw all these things. An angel, sent from Jesus, gave him this message. And he was so in awe, he fell at the angel’s feet. But the angel reminded John that he was only the messenger- the praise belongs to the Lord.

Application:
I want to look at this as the messenger. We are all sent to spread the Good News- be the messenger. But how many times do we get the praise when something goes right? Do we remember to deflect that praise on to God? Or do we absorb the praise for ourselves?  Especially with music, I struggle with the fact that I want to sing well- I want people to like what I’m singing- and I want the praise that comes with a job well done. But my motives need to be right. The praise is fine as long as I understand that the praise belongs to God, who gave me the gift I use to glorify Him.

Prayer:
Lord, this is hard. It is hard to not be prideful when a job is well done. Help me to balance that pride with worship and thanksgiving for the good things You give me. Help me to do a good job of showing You to other people through these gifts. Amen.

August 6, 2009- Bonds of Slavery

Scripture to read today:

Habakkuk 1; Habakkuk 2; Habakkuk 3; John 8

Scripture that spoke to me:
John 8:34-36
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

Observation:
Freedom is offered by the master, but it comes at a cost- the cost of giving up sin. Many people don’t even realize that their sins enslave them- holding them captive to the sin and causing them much pain.

Application:
I have a real easy time seeing this in my older children and my ex. It is so easy to see the things that hold others captive. It is not so easy to see this in myself. I live behind rose-colored glasses sometimes and can pretend things are wonderful with the best of them. But I am not without sin, therefore I know I am a slave. When I am honest and truthful with myself, I see what my sins are and can repent of them.

Prayer:
Lord, forgive me for being shortsighted and intentionally ignorant of my world. Forgive me for not putting  You first in most cases. Amen.

July 17, 2009- Tell Me No Lies

Scripture to read today:

Isaiah 29; Isaiah 30; Isaiah 31; James 1

Scripture that spoke to me:
Isaiah 30:10
They tell the seers,
“Stop seeing visions!”
They tell the prophets,
“Don’t tell us what is right.
Tell us nice things.
Tell us lies.

Observation:
Isaiah is speaking of people who refuse to listen to the Lord’s instructions. Most probably, he is talking of the leaders of that time who have enlisted the help of Egypt to protect them instead of turning to the Lord. The prophets may warn them, but they don’t want to hear it. They want “yes-men” around them, telling them what they want to hear instead of what is right.

Application:
We all want to hear nice things- even if it is a lie- because it makes us feel better about ourselves or our situation. But that feeling is short-lived, especially if the truth is hard to take. Because at some point, we will have to face that truth head-on. I don’t have a particular situation in mind, but say you’ve gained 5 lbs and you want to believe you haven’t, that you’ll still look the same and that it isn’t any big deal. Or maybe it is more weight, but at some point, you look in the mirror and realize that your clothes are tight and don’t look right. Or it could be something way more serious than that. The truth is better to take straight up, but most people like hearing the lies better.

Prayer:
Lord, thank You for always being a truthful God. Even if it is hard to hear, or hard to bear, let me remember that the truth is better than and good-feeling lies. Amen.

July 14, 2009- You Can’t Always Get What You Want

Scripture to read today:

Isaiah 19; Isaiah 20; Isaiah 21; Hebrews 11

Scripture that spoke to me:
Hebrews 11:1, 39
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see..   All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised.

Observation:
This chapter defines faith, then gives many Biblical examples of faith- Noah building the boat, Abraham leaving his country, Jacob, Joseph, Gideon… and then verse 39 is neat- none of these people received everything that God promised (or everything they wanted.) Faith isn’t about getting things. Faith is about believing in God and knowing that what you have is enough.

Application:
I like things- I like to shop and buy pretty things. Too bad I never have any money, because I could do that very well! But I know that this life isn’t about what we have- it is about what we do, who we love, how we worship. Looking at the lives of all these great men of God, even they did not get everything they wanted. And neither should I.

Prayer:
Lord, thank You for blessing me with everything I have. Help me to be satisfied with all the good things around me. Amen.

June 26, 2009- Trust in the Lord

Scripture to read today:

Jonah 1; Jonah 2; Jonah 3; Jonah 4; 2 Timothy 2

Scripture that spoke to me:
Jonah 4:2
He prayed to the LORD, “O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity

Observation:
Jonah was told to go to Nineveh and preach to the people there. When he did, the city turned from its evil ways and God had mercy on them. Now, Jonah is upset because God didn’t smite them all! This wasn’t the way he wanted things to turn out.

Application:
This is probably my biggest fault. I know how I want things. I don’t always know how God wants them, though. I try to order my world so that I’m pleased with it. I don’t leave things for God because He might not do things the way I want them. I recognize this, and try hard to change it so that God’s will is done, not my own. I try to see the big picture, but it isn’t always easy.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, forgive me for not trusting in You. Forgive me for not laying everything at Your feet and giving over to your will. I know that You work through everything for good- help me to be able to give it all to You. Amen.

JUne 20, 2009- The Small Things

Scripture to read today:

2 Kings 4; 2 Kings 5; Psalm 83; 1 Timothy 2

Scripture that spoke to me:
2 Kings 5:10-12
Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.  Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

Observation:
Naaman has been sent to Elisha to find a cure for his leprosy. But the remedy that Elisha has for him is not what he expected. He wanted fireworks- a big show- instead of being sent to the nastiest river around to wash. Luckily for Naaman, he ends up listening to Elisha and is cured.

Application:
Oh boy, can I be like Naaman sometimes! I want some big, showy thing from God. I expect him to tell me to go to Zimbabwe and be a speaker at a large gathering when instead, he wants me to talk to one overlooked person right here. Or I expect him to bless me with a huge miracle when in fact, he has already blessed me with several hundred small ones. We all have an easier time seeing God in the big things- when He is most often found in the smaller, less desirable things.

Prayer:
Lord, help me remember that this life isn’t what it is all about- that Your kingdom cannot be judged by the ways of man. Help me to see you in the everyday, ordinary things in life. Amen.

***it occurred to me later that Naaman’s other issue was that he was called to be active in his own healing. We often want to do nothing and receive God’s gift- when in fact we are called to be an active participant in our own blessings.