May 6, 2010- Just Do What You’re Supposed to Do, Already!

Scripture to read today:
2 Samuel 11; 2 Samuel 12; Psalm 51; Matthew 23

Scripture that spoke to me:
2 Samuel 11:1
In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.

Observation:
The first thing I noticed was that it was time for the kings to go off to work, but David stayed home. While he was at home (instead of where he should be) he gets into the worst trouble of his life. I don’t know why he stayed home- the scriptures don’t tell us- but I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have messed up if he’d been doing what he was supposed to.

Application:
Sometimes it is hard to do what you’re supposed to. Especially if it is one of those things that comes around routinely. Maybe David thought “not again… I’m tired of going off to war… I think I’ll just send Joab this time.” I’m tempted to skip things I’m supposed to do because I’m tired of doing them, don’t feel like it, or just think that skipping it won’t be that big of a deal. I guess I need to remember David the next time.

Prayer:
Lord, keep me on the right path and help me know what You would have me do, whether I want to do it or not. Amen.

February 28, 2010- Cut it Out

Scripture to read today:
Numbers 24; Numbers 25; Numbers 26; Numbers 27; 1 Corinthians 13

Scripture that spoke to me:
Numbers 25:6-9
Just then one of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman into his tent, right before the eyes of Moses and all the people, as everyone was weeping at the entrance of the Tabernacle. When Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest saw this, he jumped up and left the assembly. He took a spear and rushed after the man into his tent. Phinehas thrust the spear all the way through the man’s body and into the woman’s stomach. So the plague against the Israelites was stopped, but not before 24,000 people had died.

Observation:
The Israelites are, once again, angering the Lord. This time, it is the men having sexual relations with the Moabite women. Worse than that, they’re following the women to rituals where they are worshiping Baal. God isn’t too happy about this (<<<understatement) and calls for the death of all the men who have worshiped Baal.

Application:
Lots of stories in the Old Testament seem extreme to me. There is a lot of violence and bloodshed. But this one spoke to me. Once one sin gets in, others follow. It is very easy to sin once. But if you don't get caught- if there are no consequences- it is much easier to sin again and again. We should be as vigilant about sin in our own lives as God was in this story. When we see sin in our life, we should do all we can to "cut it out." And sometimes, that feels extreme, but so does living a godly life in a godless world.

Prayer:
Lord, help me to be more vigilant with my own life. Help me to "cut out" the sins that surround me and make me a stronger witness for You. Amen.

November 9, 2009- The Ways of the World

Scripture to read today:

Job 34; 1 Corinthians 4; 1 Corinthians 5; 1 Corinthians 6

Scripture that spoke to me:
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.

Observation:
Paul is right- no one who lives for this world will pass through to the next. But what you’re not seeing in these verses is grace- the grace of God that cleanses us from these earthly sins. That doesn’t mean you can go back to them time and time again, but with the help of God can move past these desires and desire Christ more.

Application:
I’ve seen too many of these things destroy families. Some of them destroyed mine. So it isn’t just for one person’s sake that God take you away from these… it can affect way more than that. I know that He gives me the strength to overcome the things that have affected me- and the strength to stay away from these things as well.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank You for grace. It really is amazing! Forgive me for turning to the ways of the world and help me stay focused on Christ. Amen.

September 3, 2009- Facing the Music

Scripture to read today:

Ezekiel 20; Ezekiel 21; Psalm 111; Revelation 8

Scripture that spoke to me:
Ezekiel 20:25-26
I gave them over to worthless decrees and regulations that would not lead to life. I let them pollute themselves with the very gifts I had given them, and I allowed them to give their firstborn children as offerings to their gods—so I might devastate them and remind them that I alone am the Lord.

Observation:
God has treated the rebellious children of Israel the way a good father would. He has tried to give them everything, only to have them not appreciate what they were given. So he gave them a bunch of rules to follow. That didn’t make a difference, so he allowed them to just do whatever they want- but not without recourse. Now they’re having to face the music for all the wrong things they have done.

Application:
How do we confess our sins? One at a time as they happen? Or do we let them build up until there is a dam of sins about to burst, then confess them all at once? I don’t know that it matters. What does matter is that we recognize how we have misused the gifts that God has given us. We confess that we don’t understand- don’t follow- don’t obey- and are able to reconcile with God. Sin separates us from Him, and the more we are aware of these sins and confess them to Him, the closer we come back to Him.

Prayer:
Lord, I confess that I sin constantly. Some are sins of thought, some are sins of deeds. Others are just sins that come from not keeping You in everything in my life. Forgive me. Draw me closer to You and help me to understand the things that I can do to be a better person in Your eyes. Amen.

August 26, 2009- Check Your Sin at the Door

Scripture to read today:

Jeremiah 50; Jeremiah 51; 3 John 1

Scripture that spoke to me:
1 John 3:9-10
I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.

Observation:
All should be welcomed in the church. Diotrephes is certainly not the last person who has not been welcoming of others. John calls this evil, and reminds his friend to show hospitality to men so that they may work together for God.

Application:
I have heard countless stories from friends about how they were not welcomed, and in some cases, shunned from the church. I had an experience once with a lady who called the church trying to get her ex thrown out. She ended up mad at me (which was ok) because I wasn’t going to do anything! He was living with a girl he was about to marry- living in sin according to her- and why wasn’t the church letting them come? My reply was that we don’t check sins at the door. Everyone who comes to church sins, and if we only let the righteous in, there wouldn’t be anyone here!

Prayer:
Lord, help  us all to realize that everyone has their problems. Church should be a safe haven- where we can come to try to get back on that narrow path, and not a place that judges how far we fell from the path. Help me, help my church, help us all to realize that none of us are better than anyone else, and we’re all saved only through the grace of Jesus. Amen.

August 20, 2009- How to be Healed

Scripture to read today:

Jeremiah 48; Jeremiah 49; Psalm 67; 1 John 1

Scripture that spoke to me:
1 John 1:8-10
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

Observation:
We are all sinners in one way or another. God knows it. He knows us. He wants us to confess our sins and He will forgive them. He knows that we aren’t going to make it through life doing all the right things. So if we claim that we’re perfect, we’re in essence saying that He is wrong about us.

Application:
I want to be a good person, and I expect most people do, too. I don’t want to be wrong- to  have faults- to have things happen badly that I caused. But it happens. If I deny my  involvement or don’t take the responsibility for my part in it, then I can’t be forgiven. It took me a long time in my divorce to see what I had done wrong. He left for another woman and I wanted to walk around going “look, I did everything right and he’s the one who messed this all up.” It took a long time for me to understand just how I had played a part in that, too. But I do understand and asked for forgiveness and healing from God. God wants us to understand and confess our faults, not to make us look bad in His eyes (He knows anyway) but so that He can bring about healing in our lives.

Prayer:
Lord, heal my faults. Help me understand how I can be a better person and forgive me for the things that I do that I know are wrong or cause others grief. Amen.

July 20, 2009- Come Dirty, Leave Clean

Scripture to read today:

2 Chronicles 29-31; James 4

Scripture that spoke to me:

2 Chronicles 30:18b-19

Hezekiah prayed for them (the people) saying “May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone who sets his heart on seeking God- the Lord, the God of his fathers- even if he is not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.’

Observation:
King Hezekiah is doing his best to re-establish the temple in Jerusalem- to lead the people back to the Lord. They are holding the feast of the Passover late, along with the festival of unleavened bread, because not enough priests were consecrated at the right time. Hezekiah asks the Lord to allow the people to make their sacrifices even if they haven’t followed all the rules for doing so. With all the rules that the people of Israel tried to follow,  it is no wonder that so many of them messed up! But Hezekiah knows that praise and offering to the Lord is more important than whether they are ‘clean’ or not- and asks the Lord to forgive them for their uncleanliness and not punish them for simply wanting to serve Him.

Application:

I am sure glad I live under Jesus’ new covenant! I know that praise and honor to the Lord is more important than following a set of rituals. I also have the assurance that Jesus died to forgive me of my sins, and that would include not always approaching the Lord the way I should. I can come to the Lord as dirty as ever and He will make me clean.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for washing me in the blood of Jesus. For when I come to You dirty, full of filth, You make me clean again. Thank you. Amen.

July 19, 2009- Causing others to Sin

Scripture to read today:

2 Kings 17; 2 Chronicles 28; Psalm 46; James 3

Scripture that spoke to me:

James 2:1-2a

Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways.

Observation:
Those who teach, who instruct, will be looked up to, and others will try to imitate them in their way to life. Therefore, they will be held to a higher accountability.

Application:
Mark 9:42 says “if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone around his neck.” If you are a teacher- a leader- then people look up to you and look at you for the right things to do. That doesn’t mean you’re going to be perfect, but it does mean you have to try pretty hard not to let them down, to show them the right way.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, help me be a good example to those who look up to me. Amen

June 2, 2009- Define Sin

Scripture to read today:

Proverbs 22; Proverbs 23; Proverbs 24; Romans 14

Scripture that spoke to me:
Romans 14:17-18
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

Observation:
Paul points out that what one man considers right, another considers wrong. And they’re both right! Those who believe they sin by eating a certain food will sin in their hearts if they eat it. Those who think that drinking wine is wrong will feel guilty if they drink wine. But the kingdom is not determined by what we eat or drink, but by believing in Jesus and serving Him.

Application:
Scott and I got in a deep discussion about sin last night. We both agree that sin is anything that separates you from God. For instance, he believes that drinking is a sin for Him because of where it leads him and how it separates him from Christ. I can have a glass of wine at book club or out with friends and it does me no harm. It is not a sin for me. I have a tendency to separate myself from God by focusing more on other people than on Him. Therefore, I have to watch to balance my time with God and my time with others, for my enabler tendencies get in the way of my relationship with Him.

Prayer:
Lord, lead us closer to You. Remove the obstacles, which we create for ourselves, that separate us from fully loving and worshiping You. Amen.

May 26, 2009- Doing the Very Thing I Hate

Scripture to read today:

Proverbs 1; Proverbs 2; Proverbs 3; Romans 7

Scripture that spoke to me:
Romans 7:15-19
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

Observation:
Paul is trying to explain about the nature of sin and the law. The law doesn’t create sinners- it is our evil nature that does that. Here, he is saying that it is very hard to control that sinful part of yourself, no matter how hard you try.

Application:
Paul actually makes me feel a little better. Because I know I sin- I don’t do the things I should and do some things I know I shouldn’t- and it is nearly out of my control at times. I do desire to do good but fall short. Reading the Bible, I see that most people in here (ok, everyone but Jesus!) had sinful things  in their life. And God used them for His purposes anyway! I don’t have to be perfect- just forgiven.

Prayer:
Lord, thank You for loving and forgiving me. Help me to conquer the evil that lives within me and live a better life for You and for my children. Amen.