Scripture to read today:
Zechariah 13; Zechariah 14; Psalm 147; Luke 15
Scripture that spoke to me:
Psalm 147:12-13
Extol the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion,
for he strengthens the bars of your gates
and blesses your people within you.
Observation:
I love the imagery in this verse- He strengthens the bars of your gates… In other words, He makes you a better “you” than you are without Him! We are flesh, merely men and women, but with God girding us, we are filled with the Light and strengthened by His mighty hand.
Application:
I look at people who don’t know God and wonder how they make it sometimes. I know that they go throughout their day with the same struggles I face. I know that their lives are not much different from mine in the tasks that lie ahead. But there is such a peace about me- I know that God is with me and will help things turn out ok in the end, even when they don’t seem like they will at the moment. I wonder how others make it, relying only on themselves.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for letting me lean on You every day. Thanks for strengthening me to face another day and another task. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Jeremiah 18; Jeremiah 19; Jeremiah 20; Psalm 93; John 17
Scripture that spoke to me:
John 17:20-21
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
Observation:
Jesus prayed for me- for anyone who believes in Him- that we would be one in Him. He prayed for us to know Him, to have unity with each other and come to know the love that God has for us all.
Application:
I don’t think we truly understand the love that God has for us. We try, but our minds just can’t go there. The love that we understand is often based on how someone treats us, whether we think they are worthy of our love, and whether they love us back. God’s love (agape, in Greek) is much stronger than that! It is a totally forgiving love- it sees past the flaws to the inner person. I once heard a minister at a wedding tell the bride and groom not to say “I love you in spite of your flaws” but rather “I love you because of your flaws- they make you who you are, and I love who you are.” That is what God says to us- He loves us, just the way we are.
Prayer:
Lord, I love You. Thank You for making me me, flaws and all. Let even the flaws in me work for Your kingdom and help others come to know You. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
2 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 34; John 6
Scripture that spoke to me:
John 6:19-21
They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here” Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!
Observation:
This accounting of the story is different from the story in Mark, where the storm is calmed as soon as He enters the boat and again from Matthew, where Peter joins Jesus out on the sea. But in every story, the disciples are asked to “fear not” and trust in Jesus. But “fear not” doesn’t mean you’re not going to get hurt, or wet, or cold, or whatever; it means that whatever happens won’t be nearly as horrible with God by your side. I rece
Application:
I’m often in a situation where I’m scared, but I’ve never managed to “fear not!” It may help to know that Jesus is there, and it does make things less frightening, but I don’t know that the anxiety ever goes away. I experienced this first hand two weeks ago when I had to have a breast biopsy. The fact that my mammogram showed a calcification that could possibly have been (but thank God, wasn’t) malignant wasn’t as scary as the actual thought of the biopsy. Call me a wimp, but I’m not that into pain, and the fact that you didn’t get any loopy meds or painkillers was even more threatening. I don’t think I have ever been as close to Jesus as through that procedure- He told me to “fear not” and I focused on him instead of on the doctors and nurses. So it can be done- it sure wasn’t as scary as it could have been- but there was still plenty of fear there.
Prayer:
Lord, forgive me when I don’t trust You enough to stop the fear. I know that You will never let anything happen to me (eternally) and that if I have to endure some pain, You will be there with me. Thank you for giving me comfort and holding my hand. Amen.
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.
Scripture to read today:
Isaiah 22; Isaiah 23; Isaiah 24; Hebrews 12
Scripture that spoke to me:
Hebrews 12:22-24
No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.
Observation:
We don’t worship a god of signs- a god of idols. We don’t have to pray only at an altar, or stand in awe of a burning bush, we have the living Jesus with us always, to be with us wherever we are. We don’t have to rid ourselves of our enemies, or ride into battle; instead, we only need to lean on Jesus for our troubles to be eased.
Application:
So, leaning on Jesus sounds like an easy thing to do, but how do you do it? For me, it just means to speak to him at times throughout the day. Keep him present in my life. Then, I have a friend I can tell everything to- someone to listen and to be there whether things are good or things are bad. And all that most of us want is just to know that we’re not alone in this world- and we aren’t if we have Jesus by our side.
Prayer:
Thank you dear Jesus for being with me throughout my day- no matter what may come up, I know you are a faithful friend. I love you. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Isaiah 15; Isaiah 16; Isaiah 17; Isaiah 18; Hebrews 10
Scripture that spoke to me:
Isaiah 17: 9-10a
Their largest cities will be like a deserted forest,
like the land the Hivites and Amorites abandoned
when the Israelites came here so long ago.
It will be utterly desolate.
Why? Because you have turned from the God who can save you.
You have forgotten the Rock who can hide you.
Observation:
Isaiah is prophesying destruction in Israel, because the people have turned away from the Lord and are worshiping idols. They have forgotten the One who has brought them through so many calamities.
Application:
It is easy to turn to God in a calamity. He is the first I go running to when something is wrong. But in times of ease, it is easy to sit back and forget to thank Him, to worship Him, for all that is good. When it goes wrong again, I’m right back with Him. I’m trying to do, and think I am doing, much better at being with God in both the good and the bad times. I don’t want to forget “the Rock who can hide you.”
Prayer:
Lord, thanks for being my Rock. For always being there- strong and able to withstand anything. When I am with You, I feel able to stand against anything, too. Help me remember that, even when there is nothing to stand against. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Isaiah 1; Isaiah 2; Isaiah 3; Titus 3
Scripture that spoke to me:
Titus 3: 3-5
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
Observation:
Once, we lived with malice, envy and hatred- captivated with passions and pleasures, but then Jesus saved us.
Application:
What caught my eye was “Enslaved by passions and pleasures.” I’ve felt that- you want something or someone so much that it is like an addiction- and you do things that you know ae wrong just to try to have it. Jesus came to save us from that, too- sot that we yearn for Him, not something on the earth. But there is a definite pull in both directions- and often, the world seems to win.
Prayer:
Jesus, I yearn for You. Help release me from my earthly addictions that separate me from you. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
1 Kings 17; 1 Kings 18; 1 Kings 19; Colossians 2
Scripture that spoke to me:
1 Kings 19:11-12
The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
Observation:
The Lord was not in the wind or the fire or the earthquake, but in the gentle whisper. Often we will find the Lord in a unique place, and usually only if we are looking for Him, waiting for Him as Elijah was.
Application:
How many times do we look to see God in something spectacular, when He is mostly found in the ordinary? We are a bit like Naaman in 2 Kings, where he was told his leprosy would be cured if he washed in the Jordan river (which was really dirty!) He was hoping for something showy and miraculous. But God doesn’t always work that way. He works through ordinary people in normal circumstances, so you have to listen closely and pay attention to see how He is moving.
Prayer:
Lord, keep my eyes open to Your great works- especially those found in everyday things. Amen.
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.
Scripture to read today:
1 Kings 7; 2 Chronicles 4; Psalm 98; Romans 2
Scripture that spoke to me:
Romans 2:1
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
Observation:
It is true that the things we hate the most in other people are the things we hate about ourselves. When we judge them for something that we see as wrong (or bad, or at least not ideal) then we should also judge ourselves, for we have the same affliction in us. I think it is what we most closely monitor in ourselves that gets monitored in others, too.
Application:
I see this very clearly- I see a fat person and go ewwww (but I don’t like the fatness in myself!) People who are unorganized drive me crazy! But I am unorganized- actually, I fight to keep myself mostly organized most of the time. I have a friend who likes to say “pot…kettle” anytime I say something to her that also applies to me! Because I work on my weight, I work on organization… so I’m thinking about those things a lot, and they’re usually some of the first things I notice about others, too.
Prayer:
Lord, help me be kinder in judging myself and others- let me look more for the wonderful things and learn to ignore the weaknesses. Amen.
