Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Genesis, Chapters 46-47 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
Genesis 47: 1-6: … [God Honors Faithfulness] ... 1 Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen.” 2 He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh. 3 Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?” “Your servants are shepherds,” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” 4 They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants’ flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.” 5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, 6 and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock.”
My Journal for Today: There are times in the lives of faithful Christians when we’re not given clear-cut and visibly obvious rewards from God for our faithfulness.. However, after so many years when it must’ve seemed to Joseph like God was silent or absent, in today’s focus passage we read of Joseph seeing clearly God’s reward for his humble faithfulness.
And as I have read through Joseph’s story of his family reunion and his family being allowed to settle in Egypt, which was a total breech of culture (i.e., shepherds living in the land of Pharaoh), Joseph and Jacob had to have seen that God was rewarding Joseph for his past life of faithfulness; and I thought of this being illustrative of the truth in the New Testament chapter on the “hall of faith,” … Hebrews, chapter 11. In verses 1 and 6 of that chapter, it says, … 1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. … 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him.
And that pretty well describes the life of Joseph, doesn’t it? All those years he languished in slavery and in prison; but finally, we read today of his humble faithfulness being rewarded by God; and Jacob and his family got a glimpse of glory in their lives, … the glory which awaits the faithful believer who diligently seeks a relationship with His God.
That was most certainly Joseph; but are we being humble and faithful followers of God? Joseph was a clear Bible picture of Christlike faithfulness? And meditating on Joseph’s life today … in this quiet moment with my Lord and Savior … I’m praying that I can live a life as a faithful follower of the One Who died so that I could follow Him into eternity as an heir of salvation. And I’m so thankful that God has given me such a picture of Joseph … a life of faithfulness which He, God, so clearly rewarded.
My Prayer Today: … Lord, help me to faithfully follow You, knowing that my reward is eternity and a reunion with the family of God. Amen
Showing posts with label God's faithfulness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's faithfulness. Show all posts
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Saturday, February 26, 2011
February 26, 2011 … God Is Faithful To Keep Us
Passage of the Day: 1st Thessalonians 5: 23 – 24 [see bold/underlined in context] … 23 May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.
My Journal for Today: Talk about faithfulness! Yesterday we saw that God is faithful to PROVIDE for us and to PROTECT us. But it gets better! Yes, even when we blow it – and we most certainly do! – God is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us (I’ll bet you know 1st John 1: 9 – if not, check it out; … maybe even memorize it!). And even beyond this, God promises to selectively “forget” our sins (see Jeremiah 31: 34 below as the prophet speaks for God)…
SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 31: 34 … No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."
And yes, there’s even more from God’s faithfulness! His promises continue to mount as He is faithful to perfect believers (i.e., sanctify or complete us) into Christ’s image, which He predestined for us (do a study of today’s verse plus Philippians 1: 6 and Romans 8: 29).
Now that’s faithfulness!!
I love the story that John MacArthur writes in Strength for Today on this date to illustrate God’s wondrous faithfulness. He writes about a dad who tells his young boy to wait in front of a dime store window for him while the father must run an errand (this was in a day when such things were safe). On the way to complete the errand, the car breaks down and five hours elapse until the frantic father can get back to his son, whom he finds waiting and looking longingly into the store window – just as the dad had charged him to do. The dad asks, “Weren’t you worried?” And the boy replied, “No, Dad, I knew you were coming. You said you would.”
And that is God’s faithfulness, especially to obedient children who know, by faith, that He’s going to return, … even for the disobedient children who somehow, at some time in their lives, come to develop the faith of that little child so that repentant child of God will be received into God’s family - forever! And personally, having come from a life of so much disobedience and having been cleansed and redeemed from that sinful life by God’s faithfulness, how could I not cling to the faithfulness of God’s grace to allow me to wait on Him until He returns?
I pray, my dear one, that we’re both like that little child, waiting at the store window, for our Abba Father to come get us, … just as He has promised He would.
My Prayer Today: Until You come for me, Lord; I’m here waiting. Amen
My Journal for Today: Talk about faithfulness! Yesterday we saw that God is faithful to PROVIDE for us and to PROTECT us. But it gets better! Yes, even when we blow it – and we most certainly do! – God is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us (I’ll bet you know 1st John 1: 9 – if not, check it out; … maybe even memorize it!). And even beyond this, God promises to selectively “forget” our sins (see Jeremiah 31: 34 below as the prophet speaks for God)…
SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 31: 34 … No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."
And yes, there’s even more from God’s faithfulness! His promises continue to mount as He is faithful to perfect believers (i.e., sanctify or complete us) into Christ’s image, which He predestined for us (do a study of today’s verse plus Philippians 1: 6 and Romans 8: 29).
Now that’s faithfulness!!
I love the story that John MacArthur writes in Strength for Today on this date to illustrate God’s wondrous faithfulness. He writes about a dad who tells his young boy to wait in front of a dime store window for him while the father must run an errand (this was in a day when such things were safe). On the way to complete the errand, the car breaks down and five hours elapse until the frantic father can get back to his son, whom he finds waiting and looking longingly into the store window – just as the dad had charged him to do. The dad asks, “Weren’t you worried?” And the boy replied, “No, Dad, I knew you were coming. You said you would.”
And that is God’s faithfulness, especially to obedient children who know, by faith, that He’s going to return, … even for the disobedient children who somehow, at some time in their lives, come to develop the faith of that little child so that repentant child of God will be received into God’s family - forever! And personally, having come from a life of so much disobedience and having been cleansed and redeemed from that sinful life by God’s faithfulness, how could I not cling to the faithfulness of God’s grace to allow me to wait on Him until He returns?
I pray, my dear one, that we’re both like that little child, waiting at the store window, for our Abba Father to come get us, … just as He has promised He would.
My Prayer Today: Until You come for me, Lord; I’m here waiting. Amen
Friday, February 25, 2011
February 25, 2011 … God Is Faithful To Care For Us
Passage of the Day: 1st Corinthians 1: 9 [see bold/underlined in context] … God, Who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
My Journal for Today: If you are reading this, I think you’d agree with me that our world and life is riddled with unfaithfulness. Think of the companies here in the 21st century, such as Enron, who have defrauded their employees. We have a divorce rate well over 50%, indicating that relational distrust in marriage is at an all time high in our country. And this involves Christian couples as well as marriages of unbelievers. Who reading this has not been “damaged” in some way by someone who was not faithful to our trust or expectations? Who among us has not been unfaithful to another person in some way, even to those with whom we’re close?
So Paul’s simple declarative, “God … is faithful” stands as a stark contrast to the world’s human record on faithfulness. God’s faithfulness is touted again and again in the Old Testament (see Deut. 7: 9; Lam. 3: 23; and Ps. 36: 5); and the New Testament teaches about the benefits of God’s faithfulness in two primary areas: PROVISION and PROTECTION. Note Peter’s words in 1st Peter 4: 19 below …
SCRIPTURE: 1st Peter 4: 19 … So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
According to MacArthur in Strength for Today, that term “commit” (or “entrust” in other translations) in Peter’s declaration above is a term with a banking origin from the Greek (the word is “paratithami” – Strong 3908), which refers to a safe or trustworthy deposit. In other words, in more modern language, we might say that we can take our trust in God’s faithfulness, in both areas of provision and protection, “to the bank” as we turn our lives over to Him in “living sacrifice.” (see an oft-sited [by me], trustworthy scripture in Rom. 12: 1) God’s PROVISION, this first area of God’s faithfulness, tells us that all things or all circumstances are provided faithfully by God in all ways for our well being (see Phil. 4: 19 and Rom. 8: 28). And the Greek word for “all” means “ALL!” God’s provision, even when we don’t particularly like what is provided, is ALWAYS faithful.
BUT, I fully admit, it’s really tough to see God’s faithfulness in His PROVISION when things are not going well in our human circumstances. By that I mean, when things are not going the way of our own plans or desires – especially when these circumstances are painful, it’s hard for us to see our God as a “faithful” provider. 1st Cor. 10 : 13 and Hebrews 13: 5, however, tell us that God is always faithful, and He will never abandon us – even when the trials of life test our faith. Now, … we either believe God’s word and live accordingly; … or we live in constant doubt that God is faithful.
But moving on, … the second area summarized by MacArthur in his devotional about God’s faithfulness, is the area of PROTECTION. No truly believing Christian can cop-out and claim that our temporal or worldly circumstances, even the trials and tribulations, are just too much for us. No, … we can’t claim that because God promise is to FAITHFULLY help us deal with any/all such circumstances (again I cite 1st Cor. 10: 13, which, if you’re following me, you probably have memorized by now from the frequency of its citation in my devotional journal entries). And in all of our life situations, God promises from His word to give us strength and protection to deal with life – and even with the devil himself (research Phil. 4: 13; 2nd Cor. 12: 9; and 1st Thes. 3: 3).
My brothers/sisters, … again I say, “We either believe in God and His faithfulness; or we don’t!” Personally, I choose to believe … and to know that I’m covered in life – no matter how bad things get! … Now will I say that tomorrow if I I’m engulfed in painful circumstances? I hope so – no, I pray so – that I will!
My Prayer Today: You are truly faithful, O Lord! Amen
My Journal for Today: If you are reading this, I think you’d agree with me that our world and life is riddled with unfaithfulness. Think of the companies here in the 21st century, such as Enron, who have defrauded their employees. We have a divorce rate well over 50%, indicating that relational distrust in marriage is at an all time high in our country. And this involves Christian couples as well as marriages of unbelievers. Who reading this has not been “damaged” in some way by someone who was not faithful to our trust or expectations? Who among us has not been unfaithful to another person in some way, even to those with whom we’re close?
So Paul’s simple declarative, “God … is faithful” stands as a stark contrast to the world’s human record on faithfulness. God’s faithfulness is touted again and again in the Old Testament (see Deut. 7: 9; Lam. 3: 23; and Ps. 36: 5); and the New Testament teaches about the benefits of God’s faithfulness in two primary areas: PROVISION and PROTECTION. Note Peter’s words in 1st Peter 4: 19 below …
SCRIPTURE: 1st Peter 4: 19 … So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
According to MacArthur in Strength for Today, that term “commit” (or “entrust” in other translations) in Peter’s declaration above is a term with a banking origin from the Greek (the word is “paratithami” – Strong 3908), which refers to a safe or trustworthy deposit. In other words, in more modern language, we might say that we can take our trust in God’s faithfulness, in both areas of provision and protection, “to the bank” as we turn our lives over to Him in “living sacrifice.” (see an oft-sited [by me], trustworthy scripture in Rom. 12: 1) God’s PROVISION, this first area of God’s faithfulness, tells us that all things or all circumstances are provided faithfully by God in all ways for our well being (see Phil. 4: 19 and Rom. 8: 28). And the Greek word for “all” means “ALL!” God’s provision, even when we don’t particularly like what is provided, is ALWAYS faithful.
BUT, I fully admit, it’s really tough to see God’s faithfulness in His PROVISION when things are not going well in our human circumstances. By that I mean, when things are not going the way of our own plans or desires – especially when these circumstances are painful, it’s hard for us to see our God as a “faithful” provider. 1st Cor. 10 : 13 and Hebrews 13: 5, however, tell us that God is always faithful, and He will never abandon us – even when the trials of life test our faith. Now, … we either believe God’s word and live accordingly; … or we live in constant doubt that God is faithful.
But moving on, … the second area summarized by MacArthur in his devotional about God’s faithfulness, is the area of PROTECTION. No truly believing Christian can cop-out and claim that our temporal or worldly circumstances, even the trials and tribulations, are just too much for us. No, … we can’t claim that because God promise is to FAITHFULLY help us deal with any/all such circumstances (again I cite 1st Cor. 10: 13, which, if you’re following me, you probably have memorized by now from the frequency of its citation in my devotional journal entries). And in all of our life situations, God promises from His word to give us strength and protection to deal with life – and even with the devil himself (research Phil. 4: 13; 2nd Cor. 12: 9; and 1st Thes. 3: 3).
My brothers/sisters, … again I say, “We either believe in God and His faithfulness; or we don’t!” Personally, I choose to believe … and to know that I’m covered in life – no matter how bad things get! … Now will I say that tomorrow if I I’m engulfed in painful circumstances? I hope so – no, I pray so – that I will!
My Prayer Today: You are truly faithful, O Lord! Amen
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
February 16, 2011 … The Comfort of God’s Omniscience
Passage of the Day: John 21: 17 … The third time He [Jesus] said to him [Peter], "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love Me?" He said, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love you."
My Journal for Today: Like the impetuous Apostle, Peter, in my past I’ve been a stumbler … yes, even in denial of Christ. I’ve done things that exhibit my mockery of God. But today’s verse shows that Peter was restored of confidence in His Savior and Lord … in God’s omniscience. And we all can share in that confidence that God knows everything about each and every one of us.
It may seem at times that we are lost in insignificance, especially when we are isolating ourselves in sin or disobedience from God or unGodly habits. But as God declared through Malachi to His people, God knows His children AND He will save them … see Malachi 3: 17 …
SCRIPTURE: Malachi 3: 17 … "They will be Mine," says the LORD Almighty, "in the day when I make up My treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him.”
David wrote of his remorse over his sin, desiring that God spare him [see Psalm 56:8] …
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 56: 8 … Record my lament; list my tears on Your scroll — are they not in Your record?
But Jesus declares (in John 6: 37) that He will never let any in His flock be lost …
SCRIPTURE: John 6: 37 … “All that the Father gives me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away.”
So, as a formerly lost and now found child of God, my Good Shepherd, even knowing my deceitful heart (see Jer. 17: 9) will never cast me out of His flock; and He will never leave me, nor forsake me [see Heb. 13: 5]. And it is greatly comforting knowing, in my heart of hearts, that my God is all knowing and that there is nothing about be of which He does not know … and yet, He still loves me!
Therefore, just like Peter [in today’s verse], I can declare with assurance, “Lord, You know all things; and so, You know I love You.”
My Prayer Today: I love You, Lord! Amen
My Journal for Today: Like the impetuous Apostle, Peter, in my past I’ve been a stumbler … yes, even in denial of Christ. I’ve done things that exhibit my mockery of God. But today’s verse shows that Peter was restored of confidence in His Savior and Lord … in God’s omniscience. And we all can share in that confidence that God knows everything about each and every one of us.
It may seem at times that we are lost in insignificance, especially when we are isolating ourselves in sin or disobedience from God or unGodly habits. But as God declared through Malachi to His people, God knows His children AND He will save them … see Malachi 3: 17 …
SCRIPTURE: Malachi 3: 17 … "They will be Mine," says the LORD Almighty, "in the day when I make up My treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him.”
David wrote of his remorse over his sin, desiring that God spare him [see Psalm 56:8] …
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 56: 8 … Record my lament; list my tears on Your scroll — are they not in Your record?
But Jesus declares (in John 6: 37) that He will never let any in His flock be lost …
SCRIPTURE: John 6: 37 … “All that the Father gives me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away.”
So, as a formerly lost and now found child of God, my Good Shepherd, even knowing my deceitful heart (see Jer. 17: 9) will never cast me out of His flock; and He will never leave me, nor forsake me [see Heb. 13: 5]. And it is greatly comforting knowing, in my heart of hearts, that my God is all knowing and that there is nothing about be of which He does not know … and yet, He still loves me!
Therefore, just like Peter [in today’s verse], I can declare with assurance, “Lord, You know all things; and so, You know I love You.”
My Prayer Today: I love You, Lord! Amen
Thursday, February 10, 2011
February 10, 2011 … God Is Everywhere
Passage of the Day: 1st Kings 8: 27 … [From Solomon’s prayer] … “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain You. How much less this temple I have built! ”
My Journal for Today: As I explore the attributes of God this month, one that is most reassuring to me as a Christian is the characteristic of God being OMNIPRESENT. No, there is no way that I can totally get my mind around that quality completely. But when I think of the reality of God being infinitely present everywhere and always, it goes “hand-in-glove” with the proclamation of Hebrews 13: 5 …
SCRIPTURE: Heb. 13: 5 … God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." [quoted from Deut. 31: 6]
And when God’s word, and especially when Jesus, commands us to do something, even something enormous like the Great Commission (see Matt. 18: 19-20), we can know that He’s always there WITH us and FOR us. That’s also the promise of 1st Cor. 10: 13 … a verse which I memorized a long time ago to help me in times of testing, trial, and/or temptation …
SCRIPTURE: 1st Cor. 10: 13 No temptation [which can also be translated “test, trial, trouble, or tribulation”] has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
It’s God’s infinitely caring omnipresence that makes such a promise possible, affirming for believers that God is ALWAYS faithful and will ALWAYS be there, ANYWHERE and in ANY SITUATION, to provide the way for us when were being tried, tested, or tempted. Now is that cool, or what?!!!
And so, I believe the reality of God’s omnipresence should not seem like a God who’s constantly tracking us, … like some all powerful private eye. No, rather it should motivate us towards holiness because of God’s omnipresent love, mercy, and grace, which is always there to lift us up when we need it (see Isaiah 41: 10). Certainly, there is no where we can go to hide our sin from God (see Ps. 139: 1-12). But God’s omnipresence is much more positively seen in His promise of everlasting cleansing from sin (1st John 1: 9), allowing us to move on toward a life of Christlikeness (see Gal. 2: 20).
[Blogger’s Note: Other than the highlight verse for the day from 1st Kings and possibly the longer passage from Ps. 139, I think any reader should be motivated to memorize all of the other verses quoted in the exposition of today’s devotional entry. They are all verses which can useful for encouragement when circumstances are challenging. And who of us couldn’t use that?!]
My Prayer Today: Thanks for being everywhere with me, Lord. Amen
My Journal for Today: As I explore the attributes of God this month, one that is most reassuring to me as a Christian is the characteristic of God being OMNIPRESENT. No, there is no way that I can totally get my mind around that quality completely. But when I think of the reality of God being infinitely present everywhere and always, it goes “hand-in-glove” with the proclamation of Hebrews 13: 5 …
SCRIPTURE: Heb. 13: 5 … God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." [quoted from Deut. 31: 6]
And when God’s word, and especially when Jesus, commands us to do something, even something enormous like the Great Commission (see Matt. 18: 19-20), we can know that He’s always there WITH us and FOR us. That’s also the promise of 1st Cor. 10: 13 … a verse which I memorized a long time ago to help me in times of testing, trial, and/or temptation …
SCRIPTURE: 1st Cor. 10: 13 No temptation [which can also be translated “test, trial, trouble, or tribulation”] has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
It’s God’s infinitely caring omnipresence that makes such a promise possible, affirming for believers that God is ALWAYS faithful and will ALWAYS be there, ANYWHERE and in ANY SITUATION, to provide the way for us when were being tried, tested, or tempted. Now is that cool, or what?!!!
And so, I believe the reality of God’s omnipresence should not seem like a God who’s constantly tracking us, … like some all powerful private eye. No, rather it should motivate us towards holiness because of God’s omnipresent love, mercy, and grace, which is always there to lift us up when we need it (see Isaiah 41: 10). Certainly, there is no where we can go to hide our sin from God (see Ps. 139: 1-12). But God’s omnipresence is much more positively seen in His promise of everlasting cleansing from sin (1st John 1: 9), allowing us to move on toward a life of Christlikeness (see Gal. 2: 20).
[Blogger’s Note: Other than the highlight verse for the day from 1st Kings and possibly the longer passage from Ps. 139, I think any reader should be motivated to memorize all of the other verses quoted in the exposition of today’s devotional entry. They are all verses which can useful for encouragement when circumstances are challenging. And who of us couldn’t use that?!]
My Prayer Today: Thanks for being everywhere with me, Lord. Amen
Saturday, September 04, 2010
2010 – September 4 – Regardless of the Consequences
Study from God’s Word… Daniel, Chapter 3 … Passage for Reflection: Daniel 3: 16 – 18 … NIV 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
My Journal for Today: Dr. Smith, the Editor of The Daily Bible in Chronological Order,has his readers today going through one of my favorite chapters in the OT, … that great – TRUE – story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and their confrontation with King Nebuchanezzar. If you’re a fan of OT stories, I’ll bet it’s a favorite of yours as well.
And like Dr. Smith, I always come away from this story wondering if I would have been as brave as these three were if my very life was threatened and my faith challenged as theirs was. I do hope so; but if I did stand up for God they way these three lads did, it would only be because I surrendered to God, received His empowering grace, and allowed Him to lift me up the way His word promises in passages I have in my heart and memory, … passages like Isaiah 41: 10, Romans 8: 31, and Philippians 4: 13. But these young warriors for God did stay strong in their witness for their faith; and in doing so they gave powerful witness to a pagan and prideful king, who had to take notice of God from their incredible faith and the awesome display of power from their God. You can go back and read about their influence of witness in Daniel, Chapter 3, verses 28 – 30.
LaGard Smith, as he does daily, closes his devotional today with a self examination question. He asks, ”What would I be willing to give up for the Lord, even if there was no hope of rescue?” And I have to say that I’m radically convicted by such a challenge. I say convicted because I find myself even unwilling to give up some sinful, selfish eating patterns in my life, knowing that my God would be honored if I was readily willing to restrain myself in my eating patterns.
Do you have any “fiery furnaces” in your life, as my gluttony is for me? And by conviction, is God asking you, as He is for me, to give witness to Him by giving up something or doing something which recognizes God’s power to overcome the fiery furnaces of our lives … just as God did for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? I’ll let you wrestle with God for His blessing over that one as I’m doing right now over my eating habits. And if we can surrender to our God as these three boys did, perhaps we can be stronger witnesses for our God than if we turn away, not believing that God can – and will – give us the strength we need to be warriors for Him rather then wimps for self.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, thank you for the pain of conviction, which draws me closer to becoming the man You desire me to be. Amen
My Journal for Today: Dr. Smith, the Editor of The Daily Bible in Chronological Order,has his readers today going through one of my favorite chapters in the OT, … that great – TRUE – story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and their confrontation with King Nebuchanezzar. If you’re a fan of OT stories, I’ll bet it’s a favorite of yours as well.
And like Dr. Smith, I always come away from this story wondering if I would have been as brave as these three were if my very life was threatened and my faith challenged as theirs was. I do hope so; but if I did stand up for God they way these three lads did, it would only be because I surrendered to God, received His empowering grace, and allowed Him to lift me up the way His word promises in passages I have in my heart and memory, … passages like Isaiah 41: 10, Romans 8: 31, and Philippians 4: 13. But these young warriors for God did stay strong in their witness for their faith; and in doing so they gave powerful witness to a pagan and prideful king, who had to take notice of God from their incredible faith and the awesome display of power from their God. You can go back and read about their influence of witness in Daniel, Chapter 3, verses 28 – 30.
LaGard Smith, as he does daily, closes his devotional today with a self examination question. He asks, ”What would I be willing to give up for the Lord, even if there was no hope of rescue?” And I have to say that I’m radically convicted by such a challenge. I say convicted because I find myself even unwilling to give up some sinful, selfish eating patterns in my life, knowing that my God would be honored if I was readily willing to restrain myself in my eating patterns.
Do you have any “fiery furnaces” in your life, as my gluttony is for me? And by conviction, is God asking you, as He is for me, to give witness to Him by giving up something or doing something which recognizes God’s power to overcome the fiery furnaces of our lives … just as God did for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? I’ll let you wrestle with God for His blessing over that one as I’m doing right now over my eating habits. And if we can surrender to our God as these three boys did, perhaps we can be stronger witnesses for our God than if we turn away, not believing that God can – and will – give us the strength we need to be warriors for Him rather then wimps for self.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, thank you for the pain of conviction, which draws me closer to becoming the man You desire me to be. Amen
Monday, August 30, 2010
2010 – August 30 – Faithful as the Rising Sun
Study from God’s Word… Lamentations, Chapters 3 – 5 … Passage for Reflection: Lamentation 3: 22 – 23 … NIV 22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
My Journal for Today: Does anyone, besides me, love a beautiful sunrise? Oh, I love a pretty sunset too; but for my own special reasons, wrapped in my desire for constancy, I revel when I see the sun changing colors and showing itself, coming up over the horizon. As I said, I think it tells me that God is going to be with me that day, just as God’s word speaks out in two of my favorite verses in the Old Testament, which are today’s highlight text.
Each day, especially these days, brings forth plenty enough evil or ugliness; and we certainly don’t need to seek it out. It is trumpeted every day by others, by the media, and by our life circumstances. And yes, a lovely sunset is comforting to put a tough day behind us; … but when that sun comes up – and I see it in the morning – it’s like God saying, “Don’t worry; I’m here to be with you all through today.” And when He presents Himself in all the colors of His spectrum, it loudly declares, from God Himself, “I’m in control!”
Yes, my dear one, the truth of Lamentations 3: 22-23, is a testament to God’s constancy, His faithfulness, and His sovereignty. And if you get that truth into your heart, clinging and believing it’s strength, you’ll live with the knowledge that the days of evil are forever wrapped and sandwiched between the bread of life, the sunrises of every morning and the sunsets of every evening. God is faithful; and Dr. Smith in his devotional for today, reminded me of this by referring me to the words of Henry Francis Lyte’s classic hymn … Abide With Me …
Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.
I need Thy presence every passing hour.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.
Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.
And when you know that Henry Lyte was dying of TB in 1847, when he wrote this classic lyric, it adds to the poignancy and power of its truth, … that when we abide in the Lord and let Him abide in us, we will experience the beauty of God’s constant sunsets and sunrises in our lives.
My Prayer for Today: O Lord, abide in me! Amen
My Journal for Today: Does anyone, besides me, love a beautiful sunrise? Oh, I love a pretty sunset too; but for my own special reasons, wrapped in my desire for constancy, I revel when I see the sun changing colors and showing itself, coming up over the horizon. As I said, I think it tells me that God is going to be with me that day, just as God’s word speaks out in two of my favorite verses in the Old Testament, which are today’s highlight text.
Each day, especially these days, brings forth plenty enough evil or ugliness; and we certainly don’t need to seek it out. It is trumpeted every day by others, by the media, and by our life circumstances. And yes, a lovely sunset is comforting to put a tough day behind us; … but when that sun comes up – and I see it in the morning – it’s like God saying, “Don’t worry; I’m here to be with you all through today.” And when He presents Himself in all the colors of His spectrum, it loudly declares, from God Himself, “I’m in control!”
Yes, my dear one, the truth of Lamentations 3: 22-23, is a testament to God’s constancy, His faithfulness, and His sovereignty. And if you get that truth into your heart, clinging and believing it’s strength, you’ll live with the knowledge that the days of evil are forever wrapped and sandwiched between the bread of life, the sunrises of every morning and the sunsets of every evening. God is faithful; and Dr. Smith in his devotional for today, reminded me of this by referring me to the words of Henry Francis Lyte’s classic hymn … Abide With Me …
Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.
I need Thy presence every passing hour.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.
Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.
And when you know that Henry Lyte was dying of TB in 1847, when he wrote this classic lyric, it adds to the poignancy and power of its truth, … that when we abide in the Lord and let Him abide in us, we will experience the beauty of God’s constant sunsets and sunrises in our lives.
My Prayer for Today: O Lord, abide in me! Amen
Saturday, August 28, 2010
2010 – August 28 – Safe In God’s Arms
Study from God’s Word… 2Kgs 25: 2-4 [Jer. 39: 2-3]; 2Kgs 25: 4-6 [Jer. 39: 4-5]; 2Kgs 25: 6-7 [Jer 39: 5-7; 52: 9-11]; 2Kgs 25: 8-10 [2Chron 36: 17-19 and Jer. 39: 8; 52: 12-14]; 2Kgs 25: 18-21 [Jer 52: 24-27]; 2Kgs 25: 13-17 [2Chron 36: 18 and Jer 52: 17-23]; 2Kgs 25: 11-12 [Jer 39: 9-10; 52: 15-16]; 2Kgs 25: 21 [Jer 52: 27-30]; 2Chron 36: 20-21; 2Kgs 25: 22; Jer. 39: 15-18; Jer. 39: 11-14; Jer. 40: 1-5 … Passage for Reflection: Jeremiah 39: 17 – 18 … NIV 15 While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him: 16 "Go and tell Ebed-Melech the Cushite, 'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city through disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. 17 But I will rescue you on that day, declares the LORD; you will not be handed over to those you fear. 18 I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the LORD.' "
My Journal for Today: If you were to go back and read the parallel accounts of the fall of Jerusalem which I was led to read today via The Daily Bible in Chronological Order, edited by Dr. F. LaGard Smith, you would see what a tragic time this was in Israel’s history; and it had been fully prophesied by Jeremiah and a number of God’s Prophets of the time. But God’s children ignored His prophesies; and they fell. But today, in the highlighted text, we’re led to read of an assurance that God gave to one of the Hebrew leaders [and thereby all of God’s people – including you and me] by Jeremiah which shows God’s ultimate mercy and His retained love for His recalcitrant, disobedient children, whom God had disciplined through the Babylonian captivity.
To illustrate the point of today’s text (underlined and emboldened above), Dr. Smith uses a word picture with which most parents, and especially dads, can identify. It is the picture of the little one at pool side, afraid to jump in the water but being encouraged by his dad to do so. And as often is the case, to help the little one make the jump, the dad declares, “Come on; jump, I’ll catch you!” And the fearful child jumps in spite of the fear because he trusts in his dad to be there to catch him.
And I think you can see the descriptive parallel between today’s text and this very common picture of a father helping his child overcome a fear. That, of course, was what God’s children needed to do coming out of the Babylonian enslavement. They needed to trust their God and jump into His arms, letting Him rescue them from their captivating fears. And that is what ALL OF US MUST DO in our relationship with Christ, our Messiah and Lord. And as I write this, you may be thinking, as I am right now, of that wonderful proverb Solomon wrote to his son (and to you and me - Prov. 3: 5 – 6 - which states, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart …” Or maybe you were thinking of the passage from Isaiah 41: 10, in which God, the Father, declares, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Or maybe this encouragement from the Apostle Paul came to your mind, where he declared in “Romans 8: 31, “If God be for us, who can be against us.”
All of these passages are God, our Father, at poolside, trying to get us to jump into His arms; … because the truth is (see Heb. 13: 5-6 or Deut. 31: 6) God will always be there to catch us.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I cling to the trust that You’ll always be there for me. Amen
My Journal for Today: If you were to go back and read the parallel accounts of the fall of Jerusalem which I was led to read today via The Daily Bible in Chronological Order, edited by Dr. F. LaGard Smith, you would see what a tragic time this was in Israel’s history; and it had been fully prophesied by Jeremiah and a number of God’s Prophets of the time. But God’s children ignored His prophesies; and they fell. But today, in the highlighted text, we’re led to read of an assurance that God gave to one of the Hebrew leaders [and thereby all of God’s people – including you and me] by Jeremiah which shows God’s ultimate mercy and His retained love for His recalcitrant, disobedient children, whom God had disciplined through the Babylonian captivity.
To illustrate the point of today’s text (underlined and emboldened above), Dr. Smith uses a word picture with which most parents, and especially dads, can identify. It is the picture of the little one at pool side, afraid to jump in the water but being encouraged by his dad to do so. And as often is the case, to help the little one make the jump, the dad declares, “Come on; jump, I’ll catch you!” And the fearful child jumps in spite of the fear because he trusts in his dad to be there to catch him.
And I think you can see the descriptive parallel between today’s text and this very common picture of a father helping his child overcome a fear. That, of course, was what God’s children needed to do coming out of the Babylonian enslavement. They needed to trust their God and jump into His arms, letting Him rescue them from their captivating fears. And that is what ALL OF US MUST DO in our relationship with Christ, our Messiah and Lord. And as I write this, you may be thinking, as I am right now, of that wonderful proverb Solomon wrote to his son (and to you and me - Prov. 3: 5 – 6 - which states, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart …” Or maybe you were thinking of the passage from Isaiah 41: 10, in which God, the Father, declares, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Or maybe this encouragement from the Apostle Paul came to your mind, where he declared in “Romans 8: 31, “If God be for us, who can be against us.”
All of these passages are God, our Father, at poolside, trying to get us to jump into His arms; … because the truth is (see Heb. 13: 5-6 or Deut. 31: 6) God will always be there to catch us.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I cling to the trust that You’ll always be there for me. Amen
Sunday, February 21, 2010
2010 – Feb. 21 – Keeping Faith Alive
Study from God’s word: Lev. 1: 1 – 17; Lev. 6: 8 – 13; Num. 28: 1-8; Lev. 17: 8-9; Lev. 2: 1-10; Lev. 2: 11-13, 14-16; Lev. 6: 14-23; Num. 15: 1-12; Num. 15: 13-21; … Passage for Reflection: Leviticus 6: 13 … NIV The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.
My Journal for Today: Today my trek through the times of Moses from my Daily Bible reading had me looking at the sacrifices and offerings which God established to help in the removal of guilt (i.e., the expiation of sin) from a people who were born into sin and needed the removal or payment (i.e., propitiation) of that sin on a continual basis. The Day of Atonement, for example, was an annual feast (now called “Yom Kippur”) where the people were given an opportunity to confess and have atonement for their sins through the sacrifices and offerings brought to God’s altar on that day. And a blood sacrifice was necessary for that to be accomplished through these ceremonies. But God knew that His people needed more than an annual feast to keep the fires of worship burning for God so that He could pour His grace out for His chosen people.
And one thing Dr. Smith did in this study of the sacrifices and offerings the people was to highlight what was required of the Priests for devotion and worship, keeping the fire of the altar lit and burning continuously (see the focus verse for today in Lev. 6: 13). Why did God order the Priesthood to keep the worship altar fire burning? Well, I’d bet that you know the answer to that one. It’s because God knows how hard it is for His children to keep their minds/hearts focused and burning in worship to our God, Who is our protector, provider, and the essence of our purpose. God knows – and we’ve seen – just how weak of purpose we can be in our continual worship of our God. But we need to remember that we, as Christians, are now God’s Priesthood (see 1st Pet. 2: 9); and thereby we need to keep that fire of devotion burning in our hearts, where God now resides, forever.
Did any of you make New Year’s resolutions this year; … maybe to lose weight; … perhaps to exercise more and more regularly; … maybe to have a deeper and more devoted quiet time with God each morning? How’re you doing? Well, if you are like many of us, it’s easy to let the demands of the flesh or of the world interrupt our commitment; and our focus and attention to our Godly goals wane, breaking through and letting the fires of devotion dwindle and then to die. Do I sense a confession of “Amen!” to that?
Well, God, knowing how easy it would be for His children, who had a heart described by Jeremiah (see Jer. 17: 9) as “deceitful … beyond cure,” commanded the Priests, the spiritual leaders for God’s people to keep the flame on the altar of worship burning – continually - to remind the people to hold their worship out for God on a daily basis. It is far easier to keep a fire burning than to have to restart it when it has died out, … isn’t it? And once someone has developed a habit of regular devotion, worship, or Bible study, it would be a lot easier to keep it going daily than to let the habit dwindle and die and then have to restart and re-establish the habit again. But unfortunately the latter is the way most New Year’s resolutions go, … don’t they?
So, where do we go with this very human tendency to let the fires of purpose die in our lives? Well, if we know that we need to have a regular and deeper devotional life with God, when and how are we going to relight the fire and keep it burning? Would it be better to wait until tomorrow or begin again today? And if the answer is today, as we know would be better, what do we need to do set the fire of our worship/devotion of God ablaze for His glory?
At the beginning of this year, I did an inventory of my life and determined a number of disciplines which were honoring to God, … disciplines which I needed to keep going or to get going. I listed them and began on a 40 days of commitment to document and report [to a select accountability group] how I was doing on these disciplines as part of my daily devotion to God.
Well, I was able to do the 40 days; but then I realized that if I didn’t keep this fire burning in the way I had started it – on a daily basis, my own default sin nature would likely let it burn out sometime down the road. So, I made a commitment on Day 40 to make it a 365 day commitment to the Lord and report every day to my select group how I was doing on my list of offerings of purpose. If you are in the group who get this devotional journal with my daily listing of behavioral entries, you would know that I’m still doing my listings daily. And I’m reporting this to praise God for giving me the enabling grace to keep this fire of devotion to Him burning (see 1st Cor. 10: 13 and 2nd Cor. 12: 9).
Have I waxed and waned on some of the individual disciplines? Yes, I have; but I immediately know it as I report it daily; and I can – and have – rekindled that fire to keep it burning. Recognizing how weak I can be, this is my way of following through with my behavioral and devotional offerings daily; … to keep the fires of worship burning in my heart for God. And I recognize that this may not be a way that you can or will keep your worship fires for God burning. However, I maintain that you’re going to need to do something, on a daily basis, to do it; because we do have a flesh which will pull us away from God. And we have an arch enemy, Satan, who will pour gas on those fleshly embers so that our fleshly choices will draw us away from keeping the fires of devotion lit and burning for God.
How are you keeping your fires of commitment burning – every day - for God?
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to keep my fires burning each day; no, each moment, for You! Amen
My Journal for Today: Today my trek through the times of Moses from my Daily Bible reading had me looking at the sacrifices and offerings which God established to help in the removal of guilt (i.e., the expiation of sin) from a people who were born into sin and needed the removal or payment (i.e., propitiation) of that sin on a continual basis. The Day of Atonement, for example, was an annual feast (now called “Yom Kippur”) where the people were given an opportunity to confess and have atonement for their sins through the sacrifices and offerings brought to God’s altar on that day. And a blood sacrifice was necessary for that to be accomplished through these ceremonies. But God knew that His people needed more than an annual feast to keep the fires of worship burning for God so that He could pour His grace out for His chosen people.
And one thing Dr. Smith did in this study of the sacrifices and offerings the people was to highlight what was required of the Priests for devotion and worship, keeping the fire of the altar lit and burning continuously (see the focus verse for today in Lev. 6: 13). Why did God order the Priesthood to keep the worship altar fire burning? Well, I’d bet that you know the answer to that one. It’s because God knows how hard it is for His children to keep their minds/hearts focused and burning in worship to our God, Who is our protector, provider, and the essence of our purpose. God knows – and we’ve seen – just how weak of purpose we can be in our continual worship of our God. But we need to remember that we, as Christians, are now God’s Priesthood (see 1st Pet. 2: 9); and thereby we need to keep that fire of devotion burning in our hearts, where God now resides, forever.
Did any of you make New Year’s resolutions this year; … maybe to lose weight; … perhaps to exercise more and more regularly; … maybe to have a deeper and more devoted quiet time with God each morning? How’re you doing? Well, if you are like many of us, it’s easy to let the demands of the flesh or of the world interrupt our commitment; and our focus and attention to our Godly goals wane, breaking through and letting the fires of devotion dwindle and then to die. Do I sense a confession of “Amen!” to that?
Well, God, knowing how easy it would be for His children, who had a heart described by Jeremiah (see Jer. 17: 9) as “deceitful … beyond cure,” commanded the Priests, the spiritual leaders for God’s people to keep the flame on the altar of worship burning – continually - to remind the people to hold their worship out for God on a daily basis. It is far easier to keep a fire burning than to have to restart it when it has died out, … isn’t it? And once someone has developed a habit of regular devotion, worship, or Bible study, it would be a lot easier to keep it going daily than to let the habit dwindle and die and then have to restart and re-establish the habit again. But unfortunately the latter is the way most New Year’s resolutions go, … don’t they?
So, where do we go with this very human tendency to let the fires of purpose die in our lives? Well, if we know that we need to have a regular and deeper devotional life with God, when and how are we going to relight the fire and keep it burning? Would it be better to wait until tomorrow or begin again today? And if the answer is today, as we know would be better, what do we need to do set the fire of our worship/devotion of God ablaze for His glory?
At the beginning of this year, I did an inventory of my life and determined a number of disciplines which were honoring to God, … disciplines which I needed to keep going or to get going. I listed them and began on a 40 days of commitment to document and report [to a select accountability group] how I was doing on these disciplines as part of my daily devotion to God.
Well, I was able to do the 40 days; but then I realized that if I didn’t keep this fire burning in the way I had started it – on a daily basis, my own default sin nature would likely let it burn out sometime down the road. So, I made a commitment on Day 40 to make it a 365 day commitment to the Lord and report every day to my select group how I was doing on my list of offerings of purpose. If you are in the group who get this devotional journal with my daily listing of behavioral entries, you would know that I’m still doing my listings daily. And I’m reporting this to praise God for giving me the enabling grace to keep this fire of devotion to Him burning (see 1st Cor. 10: 13 and 2nd Cor. 12: 9).
Have I waxed and waned on some of the individual disciplines? Yes, I have; but I immediately know it as I report it daily; and I can – and have – rekindled that fire to keep it burning. Recognizing how weak I can be, this is my way of following through with my behavioral and devotional offerings daily; … to keep the fires of worship burning in my heart for God. And I recognize that this may not be a way that you can or will keep your worship fires for God burning. However, I maintain that you’re going to need to do something, on a daily basis, to do it; because we do have a flesh which will pull us away from God. And we have an arch enemy, Satan, who will pour gas on those fleshly embers so that our fleshly choices will draw us away from keeping the fires of devotion lit and burning for God.
How are you keeping your fires of commitment burning – every day - for God?
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to keep my fires burning each day; no, each moment, for You! Amen
Saturday, January 23, 2010
2010 – Day 23. Jan. 23 – Bargaining with God
Study from Exodus 5 – 8; Passage for Reflection: Exodus 8: 15 … NIV But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.
My Journal for Today: Have you ever had a plague of frogs in your life? Well, maybe not literally; but maybe you were immersed in a catastrophic disease, involving yourself or a loved one? Perhaps you were in the midst of a rancorous divorce for a long period of time; or maybe you experienced the grief which follows the death of a loved one. And sometimes these emotionally laden plagues can be overwhelming; can’t they?
And in the midst of a plague of “frogs or locusts, or flaming hail stones,” did you ever find yourself bargaining with God? Maybe you prayed, “God deliver me from this horrible habit [whatever your sin stronghold might be], and I’ll never do it again!” Or maybe you could be heard to pray, “Lord, if you solve this problem for me, I’ll be a better servant for whatever you want me to do.” And then when the plague passed you and the panic diminished, your part of the “bargain” was forgotten or ignored into the future. Ever been there? I have.
Or maybe … all of a sudden … out of the blue, after praying a bargain basement prayer to God, perhaps the plague went away … quickly, seemingly giving you a positive answer to your prayer. Most certainly God can do that; and, though not often, occasionally He does. But most of the time, the plague of circumstances, which has you so wrapped up or is discouraging you, must run its course in time; and you have to deal with the fact that God may have heard you but answered with a “wait and see” or maybe a “sorry, Charlie” response. Oh, how easy it is to think that God has rejected you or forgotten you as you’re riding out a long-term storm in your life. When God says, as He did to the Prophet Habakkuk, “Things are going to get worse before they get better;” … it’s hard to be patient and believe in the truth of Romans 8: 28 (and I hope you know that one by heart). To believe and live with the truth that ALL things work together for my good, as a Christian, in the midst of some personal plague is a big and hard pill to swallow. And often I’m tempted to bargain with God for relief. But God is God; and He will not be mocked by our trying to make Him into a “genie in the bottle,” with pitiful bargains we usually can’t or won’t keep anyway.
I hope you’ve grown to the place in your walk with God that you know He is doing good things for you … yes, even when the plague of frogs is upon you. I really hope, and will pray today, that you believe and live with the truth that any storm in life is there for a purpose and that purpose involves bringing you closer to God and reshaping you into the image of His Son.
Yesterday, I was a breakout speaker at a Maximum Man Conference in Jackson, TN; and I had the opportunity to meet and hear Dr. Tony Evans, the well-known Pastor and speaker from Dallas, TX. And his talk last night was taken from Jer. 29: 11-13 [linked here]. That’s a great passage, taken from a chapter where the Prophet was having a really tough time in the midst of a Book where God’s people were REALLY having a bad time. And then there is this wonderful verse, Jer. 29: 11, which is so uplifting when you, like Jeremiah, may be experiencing one of those “plagues” or storms in life. Isn’t it great, when you’re going through a bad time – a really bad time – to know that God still has plans for you, … that He wants to use this current rotten set of circumstances to draw you to Himself and then to use you for HIS glory. I don’t know about you; but the timing of Dr. Evan’s message last night, being totally in accord with my devotional this morning, spoke volumes to my soul. I hope it has for you as well.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I actively pray, as I do often, that You’ll be patient with my impatience … that You’ll give me grace when I’m graceless … and that You’ll reshape me into Your image when I’m so covered with the warts of my past sin. Amen
My Journal for Today: Have you ever had a plague of frogs in your life? Well, maybe not literally; but maybe you were immersed in a catastrophic disease, involving yourself or a loved one? Perhaps you were in the midst of a rancorous divorce for a long period of time; or maybe you experienced the grief which follows the death of a loved one. And sometimes these emotionally laden plagues can be overwhelming; can’t they?
And in the midst of a plague of “frogs or locusts, or flaming hail stones,” did you ever find yourself bargaining with God? Maybe you prayed, “God deliver me from this horrible habit [whatever your sin stronghold might be], and I’ll never do it again!” Or maybe you could be heard to pray, “Lord, if you solve this problem for me, I’ll be a better servant for whatever you want me to do.” And then when the plague passed you and the panic diminished, your part of the “bargain” was forgotten or ignored into the future. Ever been there? I have.
Or maybe … all of a sudden … out of the blue, after praying a bargain basement prayer to God, perhaps the plague went away … quickly, seemingly giving you a positive answer to your prayer. Most certainly God can do that; and, though not often, occasionally He does. But most of the time, the plague of circumstances, which has you so wrapped up or is discouraging you, must run its course in time; and you have to deal with the fact that God may have heard you but answered with a “wait and see” or maybe a “sorry, Charlie” response. Oh, how easy it is to think that God has rejected you or forgotten you as you’re riding out a long-term storm in your life. When God says, as He did to the Prophet Habakkuk, “Things are going to get worse before they get better;” … it’s hard to be patient and believe in the truth of Romans 8: 28 (and I hope you know that one by heart). To believe and live with the truth that ALL things work together for my good, as a Christian, in the midst of some personal plague is a big and hard pill to swallow. And often I’m tempted to bargain with God for relief. But God is God; and He will not be mocked by our trying to make Him into a “genie in the bottle,” with pitiful bargains we usually can’t or won’t keep anyway.
I hope you’ve grown to the place in your walk with God that you know He is doing good things for you … yes, even when the plague of frogs is upon you. I really hope, and will pray today, that you believe and live with the truth that any storm in life is there for a purpose and that purpose involves bringing you closer to God and reshaping you into the image of His Son.
Yesterday, I was a breakout speaker at a Maximum Man Conference in Jackson, TN; and I had the opportunity to meet and hear Dr. Tony Evans, the well-known Pastor and speaker from Dallas, TX. And his talk last night was taken from Jer. 29: 11-13 [linked here]. That’s a great passage, taken from a chapter where the Prophet was having a really tough time in the midst of a Book where God’s people were REALLY having a bad time. And then there is this wonderful verse, Jer. 29: 11, which is so uplifting when you, like Jeremiah, may be experiencing one of those “plagues” or storms in life. Isn’t it great, when you’re going through a bad time – a really bad time – to know that God still has plans for you, … that He wants to use this current rotten set of circumstances to draw you to Himself and then to use you for HIS glory. I don’t know about you; but the timing of Dr. Evan’s message last night, being totally in accord with my devotional this morning, spoke volumes to my soul. I hope it has for you as well.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I actively pray, as I do often, that You’ll be patient with my impatience … that You’ll give me grace when I’m graceless … and that You’ll reshape me into Your image when I’m so covered with the warts of my past sin. Amen
Friday, September 11, 2009
2009 – Day 253.Sept 11 – Accepting God’s Plan
Passage of the Day: Job 24 … Linked for study …
My Journal for Today: Wow, to say the least, this chapter illustrates our occasional frustration when we see God’s plan unfolding in the circumstances of life. And like Job, we have trouble understanding why our God, Whom we love to see as always being loving and merciful; and why He would allow such pain and agony to prevail in the lives of His children, especially those, like Job, who have been so good.
We see it all the time. A really good person like Lou Gehrig or your child comes down with an incurable disease. Some lovely, but gullible, elderly widow is wiped out by an unscrupulous con-man. Or a staunch and Godly person prays and prays for a relief from pain; and God seems far away, obviously saying “NO” or “WAIT” to the prayers. Why does God allow such bad things to visit such good people?
We can’t answer that question with great certainty, can we? And the Bible is full of stories about men of faith, like Job, who came to a place in their lives when God’s plan, which was unfolding for them, seemed like craziness. Think of Moses in the presence of the burning bush, overwhelmed by God’s instructions to go and free His people. Or there was the mighty Prophet, Elijah, sitting under the broom tree, wishing he could die in such despair and confusion. And there was the Apostle, Paul, who prayed and prayed and prayed for relief from the “thorn” God had allowed Satan to give him; and the pain just wouldn’t go away.
As Swindoll states today in his devotional entry, sometimes, “… we cannot explain the inexplicable. We cannot fathom the unfathomable. So, let’s not try to unscrew the inscrutable.” Job is coming to the realization, in today’s focus chapter 24, that God’s plan is just flat too confusing to figure out. He’s coming to the realization of what God says in Isaiah 55: 8 – 9 …
8 “ For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
9 “ For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Wouldn’t Job had felt better hearing his three friends say something like, “Job, we just don’t have a clue what’s going on. And we just don’t understand why God is allowing all these things to happen to you; but we’re here for you … no matter what.” That would have been a lot easier to take than the feeble attempts of these three counselors to give him their OWN insights.
Sometimes, we’re at a loss to explain God’s plan; but, again, if we believe the truth of my own personal “hang-on” scriptures, some of which I’ve been using these past few days, we’ll come out okay in God’s long run. So, let me exhort you, if you’re reading this, to memorize and internalize a few key “strength” scriptures. I’ll not quote them here or link you to them. I want you to look them up, study them in context, memorize them, and then let God use His truth to give you comfort or strength when you need it like Job did.
Here are my hall-of-fame strength-giving passages which I turn to when I’m in the midst of some personal storm of circumstances. 2nd Tim. 3: 16-17 … Isaiah 26: 3 and 41: 10 … Romans 8: 28 … Phil. 4: 13 … 1st Cor. 10: 13 … 2nd Cor. 12: 9. And when I am grappling with my circumstances in life, totally confused, and down-in-the-dumps, I get to a quiet place and I begin reciting (aloud) these verses, which I have embedded deeply in my heart. And in between my verbal meditation, I pray such words as “Lord, I don’t understand what’s going on or why You’re leading me through this valley; but I know You love me and I know you are doing this for my good. Help me to see it, Lord; or help me even more to accept it.”
This faith exercise may not – and often doesn’t – make the bad stuff go away; but it ALWAYS quiets my heart and gives me God’s peace in the midst of my storm. I pray this little discipline will help someone else as much as it has me.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, thank You for giving me Your word to light my path, especially when things get really dark. Amen
My Journal for Today: Wow, to say the least, this chapter illustrates our occasional frustration when we see God’s plan unfolding in the circumstances of life. And like Job, we have trouble understanding why our God, Whom we love to see as always being loving and merciful; and why He would allow such pain and agony to prevail in the lives of His children, especially those, like Job, who have been so good.
We see it all the time. A really good person like Lou Gehrig or your child comes down with an incurable disease. Some lovely, but gullible, elderly widow is wiped out by an unscrupulous con-man. Or a staunch and Godly person prays and prays for a relief from pain; and God seems far away, obviously saying “NO” or “WAIT” to the prayers. Why does God allow such bad things to visit such good people?
We can’t answer that question with great certainty, can we? And the Bible is full of stories about men of faith, like Job, who came to a place in their lives when God’s plan, which was unfolding for them, seemed like craziness. Think of Moses in the presence of the burning bush, overwhelmed by God’s instructions to go and free His people. Or there was the mighty Prophet, Elijah, sitting under the broom tree, wishing he could die in such despair and confusion. And there was the Apostle, Paul, who prayed and prayed and prayed for relief from the “thorn” God had allowed Satan to give him; and the pain just wouldn’t go away.
As Swindoll states today in his devotional entry, sometimes, “… we cannot explain the inexplicable. We cannot fathom the unfathomable. So, let’s not try to unscrew the inscrutable.” Job is coming to the realization, in today’s focus chapter 24, that God’s plan is just flat too confusing to figure out. He’s coming to the realization of what God says in Isaiah 55: 8 – 9 …
8 “ For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
9 “ For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Wouldn’t Job had felt better hearing his three friends say something like, “Job, we just don’t have a clue what’s going on. And we just don’t understand why God is allowing all these things to happen to you; but we’re here for you … no matter what.” That would have been a lot easier to take than the feeble attempts of these three counselors to give him their OWN insights.
Sometimes, we’re at a loss to explain God’s plan; but, again, if we believe the truth of my own personal “hang-on” scriptures, some of which I’ve been using these past few days, we’ll come out okay in God’s long run. So, let me exhort you, if you’re reading this, to memorize and internalize a few key “strength” scriptures. I’ll not quote them here or link you to them. I want you to look them up, study them in context, memorize them, and then let God use His truth to give you comfort or strength when you need it like Job did.
Here are my hall-of-fame strength-giving passages which I turn to when I’m in the midst of some personal storm of circumstances. 2nd Tim. 3: 16-17 … Isaiah 26: 3 and 41: 10 … Romans 8: 28 … Phil. 4: 13 … 1st Cor. 10: 13 … 2nd Cor. 12: 9. And when I am grappling with my circumstances in life, totally confused, and down-in-the-dumps, I get to a quiet place and I begin reciting (aloud) these verses, which I have embedded deeply in my heart. And in between my verbal meditation, I pray such words as “Lord, I don’t understand what’s going on or why You’re leading me through this valley; but I know You love me and I know you are doing this for my good. Help me to see it, Lord; or help me even more to accept it.”
This faith exercise may not – and often doesn’t – make the bad stuff go away; but it ALWAYS quiets my heart and gives me God’s peace in the midst of my storm. I pray this little discipline will help someone else as much as it has me.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, thank You for giving me Your word to light my path, especially when things get really dark. Amen
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
2009 – Day 222.Aug 11 – On Loan
Passage of the Day: Focus on Job 1: 21 … 20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said: “ Naked I came from my mother’s womb, … And naked shall I return there. …The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; … Blessed be the name of the LORD.” 22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.
My Journal for Today: Chuck Swindoll begins today’s focus on verse 21 of Job’s entry chapter, … that incredibly powerful and poetic response of Job to all the grief and horror which had beset this man. And what Satan heard from the man he had wagered would curse God had to have been the worst words he could hear. And these words, praising instead of cursing God, were truly incredible, weren’t they? And I think, after yesterday’s study, looking at verse 20 and reading of Job’s grief response to fall down and worship God, avoiding the “WHY, ME!” reaction most – if not all – of us would have, we be awe stricken, even as was Satan, by our hero’s, faithful reaction.
And now we read, in verse 21, Job’s powerfully poetic response; and it’s worthy of repeating …
“ Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
And when we analyze this grief stricken response as Job worships his God, we read some astounding theological truths. And as Swindoll points out in his devotional study, we cannot deny that we come into the world as helpless, naked little babes; and in the normal course of life, we leave the world as wrinkled, helpless corpses. And, in between, everything we gain or have in life is on loan from the hand of God. Swindoll, uses a quote from a New Testament truth, to help explain this statement from Job, writing from James 1: 17, “… every good and perfect gift if from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.”
However, we ask, how could a man who had lost everything God had loaned him, remember this truth and reflexively respond to the terror of this moment by praising God in his horror stricken realization? And my friends, I cannot explain it … other than it coming from God pouring His own enabling grace into the mind and heart of the man Satan had undertaken, as a prideful project, to show up God.
Somehow, my dear one, we must learn that God can, if we will but surrender to Him, give us the enabling grace to handle even the most desperate challenges in life. Yesterday we looked at Paul’s exhortation in 1st Cor. 10: 13 about how God will not allow us into any trial we cannot handle without His faithful help. And today, God helped me remember a tandem truth, from 2nd Cor. 12: 9, which I often call up from memory, which always seems to go with that one from 1st Cor. I hope you know it, as it reads, as Paul’s only direct quote from Jesus in his letters. And these are red letters, if you have such a Bible. In Jesus’ own words, “My grace is sufficient for you; for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
And there you have our Lord’s promises as to how a man like Job, or a weakened believer like you or me, could worship and praise God in the face of horrible grief. It was for Job, or it is for us, because we can be able to surrender our own will to God’s. Job was able to let God’s grace cover his own weakness; and it was God’s grace which responded to the horrible circumstances, not Job’s desire to be compensated for the grief which had befallen him.
My friend, may we all pray, as I will now, that we understand and remember that all we have from God is on loan and we ALWAYS must praise our God for what HE has given us in this life.
My Prayer for Today: LORD, You are the giver of life and all things we have. May our surrender to You in life ALWAYS be thanks and praise, … yes, even when all is taken from us. Amen
My Journal for Today: Chuck Swindoll begins today’s focus on verse 21 of Job’s entry chapter, … that incredibly powerful and poetic response of Job to all the grief and horror which had beset this man. And what Satan heard from the man he had wagered would curse God had to have been the worst words he could hear. And these words, praising instead of cursing God, were truly incredible, weren’t they? And I think, after yesterday’s study, looking at verse 20 and reading of Job’s grief response to fall down and worship God, avoiding the “WHY, ME!” reaction most – if not all – of us would have, we be awe stricken, even as was Satan, by our hero’s, faithful reaction.
And now we read, in verse 21, Job’s powerfully poetic response; and it’s worthy of repeating …
“ Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
And when we analyze this grief stricken response as Job worships his God, we read some astounding theological truths. And as Swindoll points out in his devotional study, we cannot deny that we come into the world as helpless, naked little babes; and in the normal course of life, we leave the world as wrinkled, helpless corpses. And, in between, everything we gain or have in life is on loan from the hand of God. Swindoll, uses a quote from a New Testament truth, to help explain this statement from Job, writing from James 1: 17, “… every good and perfect gift if from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.”
However, we ask, how could a man who had lost everything God had loaned him, remember this truth and reflexively respond to the terror of this moment by praising God in his horror stricken realization? And my friends, I cannot explain it … other than it coming from God pouring His own enabling grace into the mind and heart of the man Satan had undertaken, as a prideful project, to show up God.
Somehow, my dear one, we must learn that God can, if we will but surrender to Him, give us the enabling grace to handle even the most desperate challenges in life. Yesterday we looked at Paul’s exhortation in 1st Cor. 10: 13 about how God will not allow us into any trial we cannot handle without His faithful help. And today, God helped me remember a tandem truth, from 2nd Cor. 12: 9, which I often call up from memory, which always seems to go with that one from 1st Cor. I hope you know it, as it reads, as Paul’s only direct quote from Jesus in his letters. And these are red letters, if you have such a Bible. In Jesus’ own words, “My grace is sufficient for you; for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
And there you have our Lord’s promises as to how a man like Job, or a weakened believer like you or me, could worship and praise God in the face of horrible grief. It was for Job, or it is for us, because we can be able to surrender our own will to God’s. Job was able to let God’s grace cover his own weakness; and it was God’s grace which responded to the horrible circumstances, not Job’s desire to be compensated for the grief which had befallen him.
My friend, may we all pray, as I will now, that we understand and remember that all we have from God is on loan and we ALWAYS must praise our God for what HE has given us in this life.
My Prayer for Today: LORD, You are the giver of life and all things we have. May our surrender to You in life ALWAYS be thanks and praise, … yes, even when all is taken from us. Amen
Friday, July 24, 2009
2009 – Day 204.July 24 – God Notices
Passage of the Day: Esther 6: 1 – 14 … Linked for study …
My Journal for Today: Well, when all seemed lost in the milieu of hatred Haman was spreading around, Mordecai becomes a model of Godly patience. And we don’t find Mordecai reacting as most of us would react to this threat to his life. As Swindoll points out in today’s devotional, Esther’s dear daddy figure restrains himself from any bitterness or even situational anger. Swindoll writes, “Through all that happens to him, Mordecai never becomes a man of vengeance. He never tries to get back at Haman, even when he has the opportunity, … even when he had Haman in a very vulnerable spot.”
And I have to ask myself, … would I be faithful enough, believing our God is in control, to respond as did Mordecai? Or would I spill the beans to exact recompense at the first opportunity if someone had done me wrong? Mordecai knew that God was watching all that had transpired; and He had faith that God was going to be the Covenant God Whom he knew and loved. And so he waited on God to do business; and as we read, God did exactly that.
At this point in his devotional entry, Swindoll quotes a pertinent NT passage from Hebrews 6: 10, which states, For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. We must remember, when circumstances seem to be crashing down around us, GOD NOTICES. And as I’ve quoted often in this study of Esther and Mordecai from Deut. 31: 8, the Lord has already gone ahead in our life to show His unfailing love for those who diligently seek Him (as also expressed in Heb. 11: 6).
So, today am I going to be a Mordecai and wait on God to do business with this world, which seems so dark and malevolent? Can I be a shining light for my God as was Mordecai in his day? God notices.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, may I shine Your Light, as You command me to do, no matter how dark things seem. Amen
My Journal for Today: Well, when all seemed lost in the milieu of hatred Haman was spreading around, Mordecai becomes a model of Godly patience. And we don’t find Mordecai reacting as most of us would react to this threat to his life. As Swindoll points out in today’s devotional, Esther’s dear daddy figure restrains himself from any bitterness or even situational anger. Swindoll writes, “Through all that happens to him, Mordecai never becomes a man of vengeance. He never tries to get back at Haman, even when he has the opportunity, … even when he had Haman in a very vulnerable spot.”
And I have to ask myself, … would I be faithful enough, believing our God is in control, to respond as did Mordecai? Or would I spill the beans to exact recompense at the first opportunity if someone had done me wrong? Mordecai knew that God was watching all that had transpired; and He had faith that God was going to be the Covenant God Whom he knew and loved. And so he waited on God to do business; and as we read, God did exactly that.
At this point in his devotional entry, Swindoll quotes a pertinent NT passage from Hebrews 6: 10, which states, For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. We must remember, when circumstances seem to be crashing down around us, GOD NOTICES. And as I’ve quoted often in this study of Esther and Mordecai from Deut. 31: 8, the Lord has already gone ahead in our life to show His unfailing love for those who diligently seek Him (as also expressed in Heb. 11: 6).
So, today am I going to be a Mordecai and wait on God to do business with this world, which seems so dark and malevolent? Can I be a shining light for my God as was Mordecai in his day? God notices.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, may I shine Your Light, as You command me to do, no matter how dark things seem. Amen
Sunday, July 05, 2009
2009 – Day 185.July 5 – Mundane and Miraculous
2009 – Day 185.July 5 – Mundane and Miraculous
Passage of the Day: Esther 2: 1 – 7 … Linked for study …
My Journal for Today: As a point of emphasis from these first lessons in the life of Esther, today Chuck Swindoll provides a nice little three-point sermonette on God’s sovereignty in the face of man’s mundane existence. And his overriding point, again, is that God will not be thwarted by mankind’s propensity toward stupidity and mundane selfishness.
Quoting Swindoll’s first point, "God’s plans are not hindered when the events of the world are carnal or secular.” And we saw this early in the life of our heroine, Esther. Here a remnant of God’s people, staying behind in Persia, are caught up in the intrigue of social politics in the life of a king and his marital problems, and God uses these carnal events to bring Esther to a place where she will ultimately influence the king and save God’s people (yes, I’ve read ahead). Swindoll’s point … No matter how carnal things seem, God is doing His thing.
Secondly, Swindoll points out, “God’s purposes are not frustrated by moral or marital failures.” Being our Heavenly Father, God’s grace always has the long-term good of His people in mind. That’s the essence of the truth expressed in Romans 8: 28, which I hope you have deeply embedded in your heart and mind. And so, as we see marriages crumbling at a rate in the church the same as the world, it’s somehow hard to see that God is working in life to send the message that He hates divorce. But in the long haul, God’s will with regard to marriage and morality is going to be heard and His will WILL be done. It happened that way in the days of Esther; and it will happen here and now as well.
Finally, "God’s people are not excluded from high places because of handicap or hardship.” Right now, at this point in history, we see unGodly leadership vaulting into power, and the actions of our government may seem anti-biblical or even immoral; but make no mistake, God will not forget His remnant; and the current carnal ways will ultimately bring God’s best to the fore. It was the case with Esther; and it will be the case – praise the Lord – in these secular times as well.
Swindoll again, “God’s hand is not so short that it cannot work; nor is his ear so heavy that it cannot hear.” We many not sense His presence; but Deut. 31: 6, 8 in the Old Testament as well as Heb. 13: 5 in the New proclaim that God is with His chosen; and He will always be going ahead to pave the way for His glory. We may have trouble seeing Him; but He’s there. We may have trouble sensing Him; but he’s listening. We may have trouble serving Him; but He’s glorified when we do, no matter how much the world may mock or stand in the way.
So, we keep on keeping on; and we let God be God because we are not. Again from Luke 9: 23, our Lord, no matter what things may look like here on earth, calls for us to follow Him; and so, we do … and so, we must! Oh, how I pray that we are all seeking His way and will from His faithful and truth-filled word; and we march forward, following His light into the darkness. He’s out there; and we are called out to shine his light and be His salt.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help us! Amen
Passage of the Day: Esther 2: 1 – 7 … Linked for study …
My Journal for Today: As a point of emphasis from these first lessons in the life of Esther, today Chuck Swindoll provides a nice little three-point sermonette on God’s sovereignty in the face of man’s mundane existence. And his overriding point, again, is that God will not be thwarted by mankind’s propensity toward stupidity and mundane selfishness.
Quoting Swindoll’s first point, "God’s plans are not hindered when the events of the world are carnal or secular.” And we saw this early in the life of our heroine, Esther. Here a remnant of God’s people, staying behind in Persia, are caught up in the intrigue of social politics in the life of a king and his marital problems, and God uses these carnal events to bring Esther to a place where she will ultimately influence the king and save God’s people (yes, I’ve read ahead). Swindoll’s point … No matter how carnal things seem, God is doing His thing.
Secondly, Swindoll points out, “God’s purposes are not frustrated by moral or marital failures.” Being our Heavenly Father, God’s grace always has the long-term good of His people in mind. That’s the essence of the truth expressed in Romans 8: 28, which I hope you have deeply embedded in your heart and mind. And so, as we see marriages crumbling at a rate in the church the same as the world, it’s somehow hard to see that God is working in life to send the message that He hates divorce. But in the long haul, God’s will with regard to marriage and morality is going to be heard and His will WILL be done. It happened that way in the days of Esther; and it will happen here and now as well.
Finally, "God’s people are not excluded from high places because of handicap or hardship.” Right now, at this point in history, we see unGodly leadership vaulting into power, and the actions of our government may seem anti-biblical or even immoral; but make no mistake, God will not forget His remnant; and the current carnal ways will ultimately bring God’s best to the fore. It was the case with Esther; and it will be the case – praise the Lord – in these secular times as well.
Swindoll again, “God’s hand is not so short that it cannot work; nor is his ear so heavy that it cannot hear.” We many not sense His presence; but Deut. 31: 6, 8 in the Old Testament as well as Heb. 13: 5 in the New proclaim that God is with His chosen; and He will always be going ahead to pave the way for His glory. We may have trouble seeing Him; but He’s there. We may have trouble sensing Him; but he’s listening. We may have trouble serving Him; but He’s glorified when we do, no matter how much the world may mock or stand in the way.
So, we keep on keeping on; and we let God be God because we are not. Again from Luke 9: 23, our Lord, no matter what things may look like here on earth, calls for us to follow Him; and so, we do … and so, we must! Oh, how I pray that we are all seeking His way and will from His faithful and truth-filled word; and we march forward, following His light into the darkness. He’s out there; and we are called out to shine his light and be His salt.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help us! Amen
Saturday, July 04, 2009
2009 – Day 184.July 4 – Not Forgotten
2009 – Day 184.July 4 – Not Forgotten
Passage of the Day: Esther 2: 1 – 7 … Linked for study …
My Journal for Today: How wonderful is the truth of a God, Who, at times, may seem AWOL; but is ALWAYS tirelessly and powerfully working “behind the scenes” of life to bring all things into focus for His glory. And this is the story behind the story of Esther.
As was mentioned yesterday, a reader cannot find the Name of God mentioned anywhere in the book of Esther. Yet, in this wonderful biography of the little girl who lost her parents and was raised by her uncle, Mordecai, we see God working and shaping this young virgin to a place where she can become a heroine for the ages, … the girl who saves the entire Hebrew people. And only a loving, caring, merciful, and grace-bearing God could do such a thing.
I identify completely with the story in Esther; because I was one who had felt abandoned by God, left to deal with life without the closeness of a mother and a father. My parents were loving parents who simply could not express their love openly and physically; and I longed for the hugs which affirmed their love for me. And early in my formative years, much like it must’ve been for Esther, I did not have the gentle hugs of a mother to soothe my fears or the closeness of a dad to affirm my being. And so, at age 12, when I was abused by a teenaged Boy Scout who introduced me along with a group of other boys to pornography, I mistakenly felt that I had found the feelings of “love” which had been missing in my youthful development. And so I began to seek out these “love” feelings in all the wrong places.
So, I spent 22 years of my life, living a Dr. Jeckyl/Mr. Hyde life, developing feelings of distorted “love” by seeking out the feelings attached to sexual idols. And behind the scenes, seemingly absent from my life, was The Lord, shaping and breaking me to a place where I could and would come to Him, receive His saving grace, and respond to His love and mercy, finding what had been absent in my life earlier. And so, I relate this story which shows any who might read the book of Esther that God may not seem like He’s close; but as it says in Deut. 31: 8 - [linked here], He is not only close, He’s going on ahead in our lives to make a way, … His way, for us.
We’re going to see that with Esther; and it begins, here in Chapter 2, by a set of circumstances where the Persian King where Esther lived would call for his court to present a bevy of virgins and to bring before him for the talent show of the ages, where he could select a new queen. And in today’s passage this scenario is introduced for us to see that God is quietly, but powerfully, putting together the elements which would ultimately bring the orphaned, young Jewish girl before King Xerxes. It’s a God thing; and we should read this and marvel at the way God moves in our lives to reveal His glory to us.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I know – from my story – that You are always there and going on before me to show me Your way. Amen
Passage of the Day: Esther 2: 1 – 7 … Linked for study …
My Journal for Today: How wonderful is the truth of a God, Who, at times, may seem AWOL; but is ALWAYS tirelessly and powerfully working “behind the scenes” of life to bring all things into focus for His glory. And this is the story behind the story of Esther.
As was mentioned yesterday, a reader cannot find the Name of God mentioned anywhere in the book of Esther. Yet, in this wonderful biography of the little girl who lost her parents and was raised by her uncle, Mordecai, we see God working and shaping this young virgin to a place where she can become a heroine for the ages, … the girl who saves the entire Hebrew people. And only a loving, caring, merciful, and grace-bearing God could do such a thing.
I identify completely with the story in Esther; because I was one who had felt abandoned by God, left to deal with life without the closeness of a mother and a father. My parents were loving parents who simply could not express their love openly and physically; and I longed for the hugs which affirmed their love for me. And early in my formative years, much like it must’ve been for Esther, I did not have the gentle hugs of a mother to soothe my fears or the closeness of a dad to affirm my being. And so, at age 12, when I was abused by a teenaged Boy Scout who introduced me along with a group of other boys to pornography, I mistakenly felt that I had found the feelings of “love” which had been missing in my youthful development. And so I began to seek out these “love” feelings in all the wrong places.
So, I spent 22 years of my life, living a Dr. Jeckyl/Mr. Hyde life, developing feelings of distorted “love” by seeking out the feelings attached to sexual idols. And behind the scenes, seemingly absent from my life, was The Lord, shaping and breaking me to a place where I could and would come to Him, receive His saving grace, and respond to His love and mercy, finding what had been absent in my life earlier. And so, I relate this story which shows any who might read the book of Esther that God may not seem like He’s close; but as it says in Deut. 31: 8 - [linked here], He is not only close, He’s going on ahead in our lives to make a way, … His way, for us.
We’re going to see that with Esther; and it begins, here in Chapter 2, by a set of circumstances where the Persian King where Esther lived would call for his court to present a bevy of virgins and to bring before him for the talent show of the ages, where he could select a new queen. And in today’s passage this scenario is introduced for us to see that God is quietly, but powerfully, putting together the elements which would ultimately bring the orphaned, young Jewish girl before King Xerxes. It’s a God thing; and we should read this and marvel at the way God moves in our lives to reveal His glory to us.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I know – from my story – that You are always there and going on before me to show me Your way. Amen
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