Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Numbers, Chapters 26-27 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
Numbers 26: 63-65: … [God’s Promises and the People] … 63 These are the ones counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest when they counted the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. 64 Not one of them was among those counted by Moses and Aaron the priest when they counted the Israelites in the Desert of Sinai. 65 For the LORD had told those Israelites they would surely die in the wilderness, and not one of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
==========
Numbers 27: 15-23 : … [Leadership Selected by God] … To study this passage, go to this link -
=============
My Journal for Today: Day 65 in my chronological read through the Bible this year; and today we see that God cares about the documentation – in His word – of His purpose, His promises, and His plan for God’s people as He leads them, using Moses and the lineage of God’s directed leadership , into the promised land. It may be boring reading; but it’s awesome in considering how patient, long-suffering, and merciful God is to carry out His designs for the future of His people in the lives of those who are obedient and have faith in His promises.
And if you’re reading along with me today, I want you to use the link I’ve provided above to go to Numbers 27: 15-23 and note how Moses went to God to selected a successor to lead the people into the promised land, knowing that he, Moses, would not be able to do so. And also note how God specifically picked a groomed and capable leader, Joshua, to be that anointed successor, … a man who had passed the test of action over many years, following God’s and Moses’ leadership. And so Joshua became the commissioned and God-anointed leader to take the people into the land which God had promised to Abraham in His covenant generations before. And it is beautiful for to me to read this morning how God picks and uses people, … people of faith and with gifts He has imparted, to carry out His plans and His promises.
Some years ago, I saw this happen in the church where I had been selected – and surprisingly so – to be an Elder for our congregation. And after my anointing and apprenticeship as an Elder, as well as after a few years of service, I wondered why I had been selected to Eldership for our flock. I just didn’t seem to have a place and didn’t seem to have the skills and gifts which matched where our church was going. But then, out of the blue, our church was confronted with a deeply disturbing and potentially divisive scenario which involved the Elders having to investigate our Pastor at the time for an alleged action of a sexual impropriety. Well, there was only one Elder on our board at this time who had had any personal experience with sexual sin; and that was yours truly. And because I had gone through many years of that sin pattern prior to becoming a Christian; and I had been delivered by God’s prevenient and sanctifying grace from that habitual sin – even to the point of becoming an anointed Elder – I was the perfect person to help lead our Eldership and our church through this fire storm and into the future God had awaiting His Church and our local body of believers.
It’s a long, complex story, which I’ll not go through here; but like the scenario which Moses was faced with in today’s highlight passage in Numbers 27, God had prepared exactly the right person, having shaped His man for the job through many years of God’s personally engineered preparation. I’ve experienced just how intimately and personally God’s preparation is when He needs His person to be His leader in His time and in His place … for His purposes. And if you’ve read through and into the future of God’s leadership, using Joshua, taking His people into His promised land, we know that God had groomed just the right man for His purposes and His plans for His people. And that will always be the case in our world as God readies us for His will for our future.
God has a plan for me, … and for you, my dear one; … and we need to surrender to His purposes for our lives to be used in His timing and for His glory.
My Prayer Today: … Lord, continue to use me in Your way and in Your time for Your glory all the remaining years of my life. Amen
Showing posts with label God's plan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's plan. Show all posts
Monday, March 05, 2012
Thursday, July 01, 2010
2010 – July 1 – Global Sovereignty
Blogger's Note: I continue on with my commitment to read through the Bible in a year, using Dr. LaGard Smith's, edited, The Daily Bible in Chronological Order. And I must say that this decision/discipline, as well as using his book, The Daily Bible Devotional, has taken me deeper into God's truth, especially with regard to its application to my life, than I certianly imagined. And I'm humbled/honored that a few have decided to come along with me by reading my journal entries here. May we all be blessed by God's truth. ... <'BB><
======================
Study from God’s Word… Isaiah 34: 1-4; Isaiah 14: 24 – 27; Is 15: 1-9; Is 16: 6-14; Is 17: 1-14 … Passage for Reflection: Isaiah 14: 26 – 27 … NIV 26 This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. 27 For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart Him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?
My Journal for Today: I am caught up short by conviction and reflection on today’s entry by Dr. Smith. First I read the suggested text passages – today in the Book of Isaiah – which reflect on how God was to intervene in the affairs of mankind in the time of Isaiah, the Prophet, who projected God’s word to the people about God’s sovereignty over the entire world, over all the nations [read today’s passage].
You know, LaGard Smith is right, national sovereignty is a big deal; and not a day goes by in which we don’t likely read something in the news about how borders are being challenged, breached, or how they need to be protected against invaders or illegal aliens. The nations of the world have become politically paranoid as to their sovereignty; and we seem to be constantly dealing with “brinksmanship” with regard to what we – America - should do as the nations of the earth exercise their political sovereignty muscles in the world games of politics.
But think about it. In the Old Testament, as in this Book of Isaiah and today’s highlight passage, we read that God was constantly moving and maneuvering in the plans and processes of nations; and He exercised total sovereignty over the world He created and the people who were allowed to occupy His world. Read again today’s highlight passage where Isaiah prophesied God’s control over His (the Lord’s) world; and then think on the God you worship and serve … TODAY.
Is God today in any less in control than He was when Isaiah prophesied the words from God’s Spirit, spoken at the time in history when they were written into our Bible? If you believe as I do, that God [i.e., my Lord, Jesus] is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (see Hebrews 13: 8) then we must believe – and declare – that God is just as sovereign over nations and the events of history being shaped in the headlines of today as He was in the times of Isaiah; and God certainly loves His people (i.e., you and me) just as much today as He loved His disobedient children about whom we read of in the times of Isaiah.
And that truth has caused me to take note of my own attitude about God and what is going on in today’s world. And it was Dr. Smith’s self examination question which brought me up short today, looking into my life from the mirror of God’s truth, as Dr. Smith asked me to ask myself, ”When I vehemently disagree with how political affairs are being handled, [and I most certainly do!] am I railing against God’s will?
Ouch! … Double OUCH!! … Oh, how I gripe and moan about how the world seems to be falling apart around me (us); and I do so often carry on about what the President and Congress are doing – or not doing – about things for which I vehemently disagree with their decisions/actions. But now I realize that God is just as much in control of the affairs of man as He was during the dreadful times of disobedience I’m reading about in the Book of Isaiah. And my God, especially evidenced in the death and resurrection of Jesus, my Savior, is just as much in control of the events of history today as He was in Isaiah’s day. So, this now causes me to realize that God’s plan and His will are being worked out in my life TODAY; and I need to see my SOVEREIGN GOD doing His thing in the workings of history today.
And, even more so, I need to be thankful for that reality and seeking where/how I can be part of God’s sovereign plan, especially where His plan involves me, my attitudes, my worship (i.e., my life for Him), and my service.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to realize that You are TOTALLY in control and that You desire for me to be a part of YOUR history as it unfolds in my life. Amen
======================
Study from God’s Word… Isaiah 34: 1-4; Isaiah 14: 24 – 27; Is 15: 1-9; Is 16: 6-14; Is 17: 1-14 … Passage for Reflection: Isaiah 14: 26 – 27 … NIV 26 This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. 27 For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart Him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?
My Journal for Today: I am caught up short by conviction and reflection on today’s entry by Dr. Smith. First I read the suggested text passages – today in the Book of Isaiah – which reflect on how God was to intervene in the affairs of mankind in the time of Isaiah, the Prophet, who projected God’s word to the people about God’s sovereignty over the entire world, over all the nations [read today’s passage].
You know, LaGard Smith is right, national sovereignty is a big deal; and not a day goes by in which we don’t likely read something in the news about how borders are being challenged, breached, or how they need to be protected against invaders or illegal aliens. The nations of the world have become politically paranoid as to their sovereignty; and we seem to be constantly dealing with “brinksmanship” with regard to what we – America - should do as the nations of the earth exercise their political sovereignty muscles in the world games of politics.
But think about it. In the Old Testament, as in this Book of Isaiah and today’s highlight passage, we read that God was constantly moving and maneuvering in the plans and processes of nations; and He exercised total sovereignty over the world He created and the people who were allowed to occupy His world. Read again today’s highlight passage where Isaiah prophesied God’s control over His (the Lord’s) world; and then think on the God you worship and serve … TODAY.
Is God today in any less in control than He was when Isaiah prophesied the words from God’s Spirit, spoken at the time in history when they were written into our Bible? If you believe as I do, that God [i.e., my Lord, Jesus] is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (see Hebrews 13: 8) then we must believe – and declare – that God is just as sovereign over nations and the events of history being shaped in the headlines of today as He was in the times of Isaiah; and God certainly loves His people (i.e., you and me) just as much today as He loved His disobedient children about whom we read of in the times of Isaiah.
And that truth has caused me to take note of my own attitude about God and what is going on in today’s world. And it was Dr. Smith’s self examination question which brought me up short today, looking into my life from the mirror of God’s truth, as Dr. Smith asked me to ask myself, ”When I vehemently disagree with how political affairs are being handled, [and I most certainly do!] am I railing against God’s will?
Ouch! … Double OUCH!! … Oh, how I gripe and moan about how the world seems to be falling apart around me (us); and I do so often carry on about what the President and Congress are doing – or not doing – about things for which I vehemently disagree with their decisions/actions. But now I realize that God is just as much in control of the affairs of man as He was during the dreadful times of disobedience I’m reading about in the Book of Isaiah. And my God, especially evidenced in the death and resurrection of Jesus, my Savior, is just as much in control of the events of history today as He was in Isaiah’s day. So, this now causes me to realize that God’s plan and His will are being worked out in my life TODAY; and I need to see my SOVEREIGN GOD doing His thing in the workings of history today.
And, even more so, I need to be thankful for that reality and seeking where/how I can be part of God’s sovereign plan, especially where His plan involves me, my attitudes, my worship (i.e., my life for Him), and my service.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to realize that You are TOTALLY in control and that You desire for me to be a part of YOUR history as it unfolds in my life. Amen
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
2010 – June 29 – Knowing What To Fear
Study from God’s Word… Isaiah, Chapters 7 – 9 … Passage for Reflection: Isaiah 8: 12 – 13 … NIV 12 "Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. 13 The LORD Almighty is the One you are to regard as Holy, He is the one you are to fear, He is the one you are to dread, …
My Journal for Today: Dr. Smith, my devotional teacher, posits an interesting premise today; and it centers on how we can tend to get wrapped up in conspiracy theories, which become fueled by fears of – and human empathy with – human greed and desire. We can buy into human conspiracies because we are all sinners and we know how mankind can become greedy to the point of being involved in conspiracy.
Yes, conspiracies do exist. We’ve seen them being perpetuated in our times as greedy men/women plot to take the retirement incomes in companies like Enron and others. We’ve heard many, many conspiracy theories being put forth about how JFK was assassinated or about how the lunar landings were staged by a Hollywood conspiracy being put forth to make the America believe we had landed on the moon. And there are those who believe, fueled by political fears, that there was no holocaust; … that it was all a conspiracy by the Jews to put down the Arab nations.
Conspiracy theories are birthed and thrive in overtones of fear. And we remember the words of FDR, who said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself;” and then he ironically used fear to conspire to incarcerate a whole nation of Asian-Americans into internment camps. Go figure the way we allow fear to drive our minds to believe the worst about mankind.
But as Dr. Smith shepherds our thoughts today, and in his words to put twist on what FDR said, ”We have nothing to fear but God Himself!” … But, … do we? … I think not.
I think we’re far too willing to buy into the fears of mankind; and to minimize what we should call “the fear of God.” If we but feared God the way we should, we would never have to be subject to fearing mankind or his conspiracies. My friend, I hope you realize, believe, and live out the truth that “… in the fear of the Lord is … the beginning of all knowledge …” [Prov. 1: 7]; “… is the beginning of wisdom …” [Prov. 9: 10]; “… is the fountain of life …” [Prov. 14: 27]; and … “… is riches, honor, and life.” [Prov. 22: 4]
But we don’t get it; do we? Certainly ancient Israel and Judah didn’t get it; and see what happened to them. Their conspiracies and political intrigue, spread by human and sinful fears, broke up the people of God and ultimately led to the judgment of God being visited on them by their enslavement and dispersal throughout the world.
But God has His own conspiracy going down. And He is perpetuating that great scheme in the form of His plan of salvation and redemption for His people; and a grand “conspiracy” it is for sure? And Isaiah prophesied about God’s grand conspiracy to save His people by bringing a sacrificial Lamb to be slain so that the shedding of His blood would atone for the sins of all mankind; and that is the only conspiracy truth (not theory) which mankind must hear, understand, and believe. Because when we do, we are saved!
It is the “Gospel Conspiracy,” my friend; and I hope you know it, believe it, and live it!
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I believe in the greatest truth conspiracy of all times; and because I do, I will be with You in eternity. Amen
My Journal for Today: Dr. Smith, my devotional teacher, posits an interesting premise today; and it centers on how we can tend to get wrapped up in conspiracy theories, which become fueled by fears of – and human empathy with – human greed and desire. We can buy into human conspiracies because we are all sinners and we know how mankind can become greedy to the point of being involved in conspiracy.
Yes, conspiracies do exist. We’ve seen them being perpetuated in our times as greedy men/women plot to take the retirement incomes in companies like Enron and others. We’ve heard many, many conspiracy theories being put forth about how JFK was assassinated or about how the lunar landings were staged by a Hollywood conspiracy being put forth to make the America believe we had landed on the moon. And there are those who believe, fueled by political fears, that there was no holocaust; … that it was all a conspiracy by the Jews to put down the Arab nations.
Conspiracy theories are birthed and thrive in overtones of fear. And we remember the words of FDR, who said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself;” and then he ironically used fear to conspire to incarcerate a whole nation of Asian-Americans into internment camps. Go figure the way we allow fear to drive our minds to believe the worst about mankind.
But as Dr. Smith shepherds our thoughts today, and in his words to put twist on what FDR said, ”We have nothing to fear but God Himself!” … But, … do we? … I think not.
I think we’re far too willing to buy into the fears of mankind; and to minimize what we should call “the fear of God.” If we but feared God the way we should, we would never have to be subject to fearing mankind or his conspiracies. My friend, I hope you realize, believe, and live out the truth that “… in the fear of the Lord is … the beginning of all knowledge …” [Prov. 1: 7]; “… is the beginning of wisdom …” [Prov. 9: 10]; “… is the fountain of life …” [Prov. 14: 27]; and … “… is riches, honor, and life.” [Prov. 22: 4]
But we don’t get it; do we? Certainly ancient Israel and Judah didn’t get it; and see what happened to them. Their conspiracies and political intrigue, spread by human and sinful fears, broke up the people of God and ultimately led to the judgment of God being visited on them by their enslavement and dispersal throughout the world.
But God has His own conspiracy going down. And He is perpetuating that great scheme in the form of His plan of salvation and redemption for His people; and a grand “conspiracy” it is for sure? And Isaiah prophesied about God’s grand conspiracy to save His people by bringing a sacrificial Lamb to be slain so that the shedding of His blood would atone for the sins of all mankind; and that is the only conspiracy truth (not theory) which mankind must hear, understand, and believe. Because when we do, we are saved!
It is the “Gospel Conspiracy,” my friend; and I hope you know it, believe it, and live it!
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I believe in the greatest truth conspiracy of all times; and because I do, I will be with You in eternity. Amen
2010 – June 29 – Knowing What To Fear
Study from God’s Word… Isaiah, Chapters 7 – 9 … Passage for Reflection: Isaiah 8: 12 – 13 … NIV 12 "Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. 13 The LORD Almighty is the One you are to regard as Holy, He is the one you are to fear, He is the one you are to dread, …
My Journal for Today: Dr. Smith, my devotional teacher, posits an interesting premise today; and it centers on how we can tend to get wrapped up in conspiracy theories, which become fueled by fears of – and human empathy with – human greed and desire. We can buy into human conspiracies because we are all sinners and we know how mankind can become greedy to the point of being involved in conspiracy.
Yes, conspiracies do exist. We’ve seen them being perpetuated in our times as greedy men/women plot to take the retirement incomes in companies like Enron and others. We’ve heard many, many conspiracy theories being put forth about how JFK was assassinated or about how the lunar landings were staged by a Hollywood conspiracy being put forth to make the America believe we had landed on the moon. And there are those who believe, fueled by political fears, that there was no holocaust; … that it was all a conspiracy by the Jews to put down the Arab nations.
Conspiracy theories are birthed and thrive in overtones of fear. And we remember the words of FDR, who said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself;” and then he ironically used fear to conspire to incarcerate a whole nation of Asian-Americans into internment camps. Go figure the way we allow fear to drive our minds to believe the worst about mankind.
But as Dr. Smith shepherds our thoughts today, and in his words to put twist on what FDR said, ”We have nothing to fear but God Himself!” … But, … do we? … I think not.
I think we’re far too willing to buy into the fears of mankind; and to minimize what we should call “the fear of God.” If we but feared God the way we should, we would never have to be subject to fearing mankind or his conspiracies. My friend, I hope you realize, believe, and live out the truth that “… in the fear of the Lord is … the beginning of all knowledge …” [Prov. 1: 7]; “… is the beginning of wisdom …” [Prov. 9: 10]; “… is the fountain of life …” [Prov. 14: 27]; and … “… is riches, honor, and life.” [Prov. 22: 4]
But we don’t get it; do we? Certainly ancient Israel and Judah didn’t get it; and see what happened to them. Their conspiracies and political intrigue, spread by human and sinful fears, broke up the people of God and ultimately led to the judgment of God being visited on them by their enslavement and dispersal throughout the world.
But God has His own conspiracy going down. And He is perpetuating that great scheme in the form of His plan of salvation and redemption for His people; and a grand “conspiracy” it is for sure? And Isaiah prophesied about God’s grand conspiracy to save His people by bringing a sacrificial Lamb to be slain so that the shedding of His blood would atone for the sins of all mankind; and that is the only conspiracy truth (not theory) which mankind must hear, understand, and believe. Because when we do, we are saved!
It is the “Gospel Conspiracy,” my friend; and I hope you know it, believe it, and live it!
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I believe in the greatest truth conspiracy of all times; and because I do, I will be with You in eternity. Amen
My Journal for Today: Dr. Smith, my devotional teacher, posits an interesting premise today; and it centers on how we can tend to get wrapped up in conspiracy theories, which become fueled by fears of – and human empathy with – human greed and desire. We can buy into human conspiracies because we are all sinners and we know how mankind can become greedy to the point of being involved in conspiracy.
Yes, conspiracies do exist. We’ve seen them being perpetuated in our times as greedy men/women plot to take the retirement incomes in companies like Enron and others. We’ve heard many, many conspiracy theories being put forth about how JFK was assassinated or about how the lunar landings were staged by a Hollywood conspiracy being put forth to make the America believe we had landed on the moon. And there are those who believe, fueled by political fears, that there was no holocaust; … that it was all a conspiracy by the Jews to put down the Arab nations.
Conspiracy theories are birthed and thrive in overtones of fear. And we remember the words of FDR, who said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself;” and then he ironically used fear to conspire to incarcerate a whole nation of Asian-Americans into internment camps. Go figure the way we allow fear to drive our minds to believe the worst about mankind.
But as Dr. Smith shepherds our thoughts today, and in his words to put twist on what FDR said, ”We have nothing to fear but God Himself!” … But, … do we? … I think not.
I think we’re far too willing to buy into the fears of mankind; and to minimize what we should call “the fear of God.” If we but feared God the way we should, we would never have to be subject to fearing mankind or his conspiracies. My friend, I hope you realize, believe, and live out the truth that “… in the fear of the Lord is … the beginning of all knowledge …” [Prov. 1: 7]; “… is the beginning of wisdom …” [Prov. 9: 10]; “… is the fountain of life …” [Prov. 14: 27]; and … “… is riches, honor, and life.” [Prov. 22: 4]
But we don’t get it; do we? Certainly ancient Israel and Judah didn’t get it; and see what happened to them. Their conspiracies and political intrigue, spread by human and sinful fears, broke up the people of God and ultimately led to the judgment of God being visited on them by their enslavement and dispersal throughout the world.
But God has His own conspiracy going down. And He is perpetuating that great scheme in the form of His plan of salvation and redemption for His people; and a grand “conspiracy” it is for sure? And Isaiah prophesied about God’s grand conspiracy to save His people by bringing a sacrificial Lamb to be slain so that the shedding of His blood would atone for the sins of all mankind; and that is the only conspiracy truth (not theory) which mankind must hear, understand, and believe. Because when we do, we are saved!
It is the “Gospel Conspiracy,” my friend; and I hope you know it, believe it, and live it!
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I believe in the greatest truth conspiracy of all times; and because I do, I will be with You in eternity. Amen
Friday, May 14, 2010
2010 – May 14 – The Best Laid Plans
Study from God’s Word… 1st Kings 8: 1-11 [2nd Chron. 5: 2-14]; 1st Kings 8: 12-21 [2nd Chron. 6: 1-11]; 1st Kings 8: 22-30 [2nd Chron. 6: 12-21]; 1st Kings 8: 31,-53 [2nd Chron. 6: 22-42]; 1st Kings 8: 54-61; 2nd Chronicles 7: 1-3; 1st Kings 8: 62-66 [2nd Chron. 7: 4-10] … Passage for Reflection: 2nd Chronicles 6: 8 – 9 … NIV [Solomon] 7 "My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 8 But the LORD said to my father David, … ‘Because it was in your heart to build a temple for my Name, you did well to have this in your heart. 9 Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, who is your own flesh and blood—he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.’ …”
My Journal for Today: As I read through the wondrous accomplishment of Solomon overseeing the completion and dedication of the Temple his father, David, had dreamed to dedicate for the Lord’s glory, one can’t help but think about God not allowing David to be the one to bring this temple to fruition. But that was not to be in God’s planning; and I expect you may have had some great dream or idea, one which may have been, upon completion, a great way of glorifying God; but thus far in your life, and for the foreseeable future, it just doesn’t look like it’s in God’s scheme for your dream to become reality.
Dr. Smith points to two of Solomon’s Proverbs which seem to point to the dreaming and fulfillment of projects which are dedicated to God and His glory. In Proverbs 16: 3 we read, Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. And then, there is Proverbs 19: 21, stating, Many are the plans in man’s heart; but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
As my devotional shepherd, F. LaGard Smith, points out, somehow when we dream up something which seems like a grand and Godly idea to bring glory to God, and then we put choices and actions into motion to make it happen, we must realize that God is still in control of all things; and it should be God Whom we allow to take charge of the timing and completion of HIS project. If we want to be in charge of the project, how much glory can God really get from its completion?
But Solomon repeatedly, in his dedication ceremony and prayers, gave his father both credit and affirmation for the project of which David conceived but was not given the opportunity to finish in his lifetime. Perhaps you still have some idea or dream which is yet to be completed; but it seems to be something that would glorify God big-time if your idea were to come to completion. I have always had dreams that BattlePlan Ministries, the ministry which God led me to found, would become so powerful that the XXX forces in the world would be defeated and eradicated; but for years my eyes have been way bigger than my stomach. But I refuse to stop dreaming that God can - AND WILL - bring down the strongholds and beachheads of sexual sin which we see proliferating in our culture. The fact that I haven’t been the leader force to bring that about does not diminish the dream; nor does it reduce God in any way. God can – AND WILL – bring about His victory … in HIS time and in HIS way; and HE will be glorified.
What I must do is continue to dream and pray for someone, like a Solomon, to take the dream and allow God to get the glory whenever God decides to bring about the dream … again, for His glory!
My Prayer for Today: Lord, it is the dream You planted in my soul; and I pray that one day, with the leader You have already designated, all the evil forces in this world which now have such a stronghold in our culture will be totally and glorious eradicated. Amen
My Journal for Today: As I read through the wondrous accomplishment of Solomon overseeing the completion and dedication of the Temple his father, David, had dreamed to dedicate for the Lord’s glory, one can’t help but think about God not allowing David to be the one to bring this temple to fruition. But that was not to be in God’s planning; and I expect you may have had some great dream or idea, one which may have been, upon completion, a great way of glorifying God; but thus far in your life, and for the foreseeable future, it just doesn’t look like it’s in God’s scheme for your dream to become reality.
Dr. Smith points to two of Solomon’s Proverbs which seem to point to the dreaming and fulfillment of projects which are dedicated to God and His glory. In Proverbs 16: 3 we read, Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. And then, there is Proverbs 19: 21, stating, Many are the plans in man’s heart; but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
As my devotional shepherd, F. LaGard Smith, points out, somehow when we dream up something which seems like a grand and Godly idea to bring glory to God, and then we put choices and actions into motion to make it happen, we must realize that God is still in control of all things; and it should be God Whom we allow to take charge of the timing and completion of HIS project. If we want to be in charge of the project, how much glory can God really get from its completion?
But Solomon repeatedly, in his dedication ceremony and prayers, gave his father both credit and affirmation for the project of which David conceived but was not given the opportunity to finish in his lifetime. Perhaps you still have some idea or dream which is yet to be completed; but it seems to be something that would glorify God big-time if your idea were to come to completion. I have always had dreams that BattlePlan Ministries, the ministry which God led me to found, would become so powerful that the XXX forces in the world would be defeated and eradicated; but for years my eyes have been way bigger than my stomach. But I refuse to stop dreaming that God can - AND WILL - bring down the strongholds and beachheads of sexual sin which we see proliferating in our culture. The fact that I haven’t been the leader force to bring that about does not diminish the dream; nor does it reduce God in any way. God can – AND WILL – bring about His victory … in HIS time and in HIS way; and HE will be glorified.
What I must do is continue to dream and pray for someone, like a Solomon, to take the dream and allow God to get the glory whenever God decides to bring about the dream … again, for His glory!
My Prayer for Today: Lord, it is the dream You planted in my soul; and I pray that one day, with the leader You have already designated, all the evil forces in this world which now have such a stronghold in our culture will be totally and glorious eradicated. Amen
Friday, September 25, 2009
2009 – Day 267.Sept 25 – A Profound Plan
Passage of the Day: Job 42 … Linked for study …
My Journal for Today: And now, Job having come to the realization that his God had a plan all along, … that the Lord knew what was best all along, … and that God’s ways are profound and way beyond the vision of man, the Lord’s mercy and justice is worked out before Job’s eyes. And as we read it in Chapter 42, those who gave Job all that bad information were reproved by God and Job was fully restored in his lifetime. Therefore, Job’s situation becomes a model of God’s justice being perfect; and we see that the scales held by the Father of all justice will one day be brought back into perfect balance – His balance.
My friend, we have to realize, as the circumstances of life seem to put those scales of justice out of balance, that God’s ways are mysterious to us. In my devotionals on Job these past few weeks, I have been brought to remember the truths of Isaiah 55: 8 – 9 [linked here for your meditation] and Romans 8: 28, the latter which I hope you have already memorized. These truths tell us that all things in our lives are for our good as Christians and that God’s ways are so much higher than our ways, often being so obscure that we are not given the privilege of seeing their profound ways in this life.
But Job was finally able to see God put it all into balance; and sometimes we will be given that privilege. I can remember thinking some of these same thoughts when we saw Neil Armstrong step down on the moon or when the Berlin wall was brought down in crumbles. Both of those events in our times seemed to be the result of a God moving to right the scales of justice. They had come about in such a miraculous way that it had to be something beyond man moving those events in our times. At the time Armstrong stepped on the moon I was not even a Christian; but I had to recognize that that accomplishment was way more than man could bring about himself. However, my perspective was very different when the Berlin wall and communism in Europe fell. The Lord was in my life then; and I saw, as did millions of others, that God can and will move in wondrous ways to bring about His own profound plan.
Are things all out of whack in your life? Are the scales of justice imbalanced from your perspective? Well, stay in there, fellow believer! Pray for patience and diligence because God is likely preparing you for some profound plan which you cannot see right now. If nothing else, He’s preparing you for Heaven; and that should be enough for any of us. One day the scales of God’s order are going to be brought into perfect balance; and we will be privileged to see God’s perfect plan in its perfection. But now, we simply must acknowledge that God is the only One Who can see it; and we will see only what HE designs for us to see and know. And truly all things do work themselves for His good and His glory.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to have the patience to wait for Your plan to reach Your perfection. Amen
My Journal for Today: And now, Job having come to the realization that his God had a plan all along, … that the Lord knew what was best all along, … and that God’s ways are profound and way beyond the vision of man, the Lord’s mercy and justice is worked out before Job’s eyes. And as we read it in Chapter 42, those who gave Job all that bad information were reproved by God and Job was fully restored in his lifetime. Therefore, Job’s situation becomes a model of God’s justice being perfect; and we see that the scales held by the Father of all justice will one day be brought back into perfect balance – His balance.
My friend, we have to realize, as the circumstances of life seem to put those scales of justice out of balance, that God’s ways are mysterious to us. In my devotionals on Job these past few weeks, I have been brought to remember the truths of Isaiah 55: 8 – 9 [linked here for your meditation] and Romans 8: 28, the latter which I hope you have already memorized. These truths tell us that all things in our lives are for our good as Christians and that God’s ways are so much higher than our ways, often being so obscure that we are not given the privilege of seeing their profound ways in this life.
But Job was finally able to see God put it all into balance; and sometimes we will be given that privilege. I can remember thinking some of these same thoughts when we saw Neil Armstrong step down on the moon or when the Berlin wall was brought down in crumbles. Both of those events in our times seemed to be the result of a God moving to right the scales of justice. They had come about in such a miraculous way that it had to be something beyond man moving those events in our times. At the time Armstrong stepped on the moon I was not even a Christian; but I had to recognize that that accomplishment was way more than man could bring about himself. However, my perspective was very different when the Berlin wall and communism in Europe fell. The Lord was in my life then; and I saw, as did millions of others, that God can and will move in wondrous ways to bring about His own profound plan.
Are things all out of whack in your life? Are the scales of justice imbalanced from your perspective? Well, stay in there, fellow believer! Pray for patience and diligence because God is likely preparing you for some profound plan which you cannot see right now. If nothing else, He’s preparing you for Heaven; and that should be enough for any of us. One day the scales of God’s order are going to be brought into perfect balance; and we will be privileged to see God’s perfect plan in its perfection. But now, we simply must acknowledge that God is the only One Who can see it; and we will see only what HE designs for us to see and know. And truly all things do work themselves for His good and His glory.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to have the patience to wait for Your plan to reach Your perfection. 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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
