Today's Reading: Jeremiah 10; Jeremiah 11; Jeremiah 12; John 14
Scripture: John 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me..."
Observation: There is much to be troubled about. Wars and rumors of wars. Famine, earthquakes, pestilence... I mean, there is a bunch of trouble in our world. High gas prices, political controversies, terrorist plots, social upheaval. Plus we have our own personal crises: financial problems, marriages in trouble, dysfunctional grown children, job trouble. It can be downright depressing.
Application: Jesus gives us a simple answer. Some people would say it's simplistic. Maybe so. I'll take simplistic any day, as long as it works.
(Think of those who have no belief in God, what do they have to hold on to?)
"Do not let your heart be troubled." I take that to mean that I am not to permit myself to get stressed by what would normally stress me. I must stop the worry and fear by taking hold of my emotions by an act of my will. I have seen people who just get completely caught up in the worry and fear -- like riding a wave that's coming over them. Jesus says, "don't go there."
Bottom line: I must use my will to control my emotions. Stop worry and fear, stop fretting -- decide not to be caught up in the wave of trouble -- and choose to trust. Trust in the Lord. Let Him be the One that I rely upon, instead of myself.
Prayer: Lord, You are my shelter in the time of storm. You know my tendency to bear many burdens and carry many stresses. Yet You call me to give them to You -- to not try to bear them myself. Thank You. Help me to remember that it is a choice -- a decision of my will -- to stress or not to stress. Help me to choose to surrender my troubles to You and to simply trust that You are able to take care of all the things that trouble or threaten me.
This I pray in Jesus' name, Amen.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Friday, August 11, 2006
Title: Well Intentioned But Weak / Topic: Character & Grace
Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 7; Jeremiah 8; Jeremiah 9; John 13
Scripture: John 13:37-38
37 Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."
38 Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
Observation: Peter thought he would take a strong stand for Jesus, even to the point of death. But Jesus questions Peter's assertions, "Will you really lay down your life for me?" And Jesus tells Peter what will actually happen as Peter will be challenged and will disavow any knowledge of Jesus, doing the opposite of his claims.
Application: I can relate to Peter. I want to take a stand. I think I am strong enough. But the Lord knows what I am really capable of, in spite of my assertions or intentions. I appreciate the fact that Jesus doesn't take Peter's coming denials as rejection. He knows that Peter's weaknesses are something that have been a struggle for him and Jesus cares for Peter in spite of his failures.
Prayer: Lord, You know me inside and out. You know the desire of my heart and also the weakness of my duplicity. I want to do better than I actually do. It's nice to know that You don't reject me, but that You knew in advance just how inconsistent I would be and You called me to Your service anyway. Help me to embrace the disciplines that will assist me to grow in spiritual power and consistency so that my deeds more closely line up with my desires.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Scripture: John 13:37-38
37 Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."
38 Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
Observation: Peter thought he would take a strong stand for Jesus, even to the point of death. But Jesus questions Peter's assertions, "Will you really lay down your life for me?" And Jesus tells Peter what will actually happen as Peter will be challenged and will disavow any knowledge of Jesus, doing the opposite of his claims.
Application: I can relate to Peter. I want to take a stand. I think I am strong enough. But the Lord knows what I am really capable of, in spite of my assertions or intentions. I appreciate the fact that Jesus doesn't take Peter's coming denials as rejection. He knows that Peter's weaknesses are something that have been a struggle for him and Jesus cares for Peter in spite of his failures.
Prayer: Lord, You know me inside and out. You know the desire of my heart and also the weakness of my duplicity. I want to do better than I actually do. It's nice to know that You don't reject me, but that You knew in advance just how inconsistent I would be and You called me to Your service anyway. Help me to embrace the disciplines that will assist me to grow in spiritual power and consistency so that my deeds more closely line up with my desires.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Title: Don't Tell Me What To Do! / Topic: Submission
Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 5; Jeremiah 6; John 12
Scripture: John 12:49-50
49 "...For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."
Observation: Jesus words are truly amazing. He explains that everything He says does not originate with Him. He is repeating what He is told to say by His Father. Look how He puts it: "...the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it." Wow! That is strong. The word commanded has a severe nature to it. And the restriction in not only what to say but also how to say it seems very strict.
Application: I would think that Jesus would be able to say whatever He pleased. But no. He only says what the Father tells Him to say in the way the Father tells Him to say it. Isn't that demeaning? I mean, a person who only says what they're told to say is little more than a glorified parrot. Right? Apparently not. If it was not beneath Jesus to restrict Himself to the direction of God and to see Himself only as one who was exclusively responsive to God's command, it is not beneath anyone.
Bottom line: Total surrender and submission to God is not a trendy teaching but it is what Jesus modeled and what we are to do. It is my challenge to be so well connected to the Father that I can know what He wants me to say and do and how He wants me to say it and do it.
Prayer: Lord, help me to rid myself of the silly notions of pride and self. What a great privilege it is to be a mouthpiece of Almighty God -- to have Your words pass through my lips. How stupid I am to think that my words based on my thoughts would be preferable to Yours. Lord, I want to have such a strong connection to You that I know what You want me to do, say, think, and feel. I would rather be Your puppet or parrot than to be directed only by my own earthbound thoughts and feelings which are so unsteady and unreliable. Take all of me -- change me, Lord.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Scripture: John 12:49-50
49 "...For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."
Observation: Jesus words are truly amazing. He explains that everything He says does not originate with Him. He is repeating what He is told to say by His Father. Look how He puts it: "...the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it." Wow! That is strong. The word commanded has a severe nature to it. And the restriction in not only what to say but also how to say it seems very strict.
Application: I would think that Jesus would be able to say whatever He pleased. But no. He only says what the Father tells Him to say in the way the Father tells Him to say it. Isn't that demeaning? I mean, a person who only says what they're told to say is little more than a glorified parrot. Right? Apparently not. If it was not beneath Jesus to restrict Himself to the direction of God and to see Himself only as one who was exclusively responsive to God's command, it is not beneath anyone.
Bottom line: Total surrender and submission to God is not a trendy teaching but it is what Jesus modeled and what we are to do. It is my challenge to be so well connected to the Father that I can know what He wants me to say and do and how He wants me to say it and do it.
Prayer: Lord, help me to rid myself of the silly notions of pride and self. What a great privilege it is to be a mouthpiece of Almighty God -- to have Your words pass through my lips. How stupid I am to think that my words based on my thoughts would be preferable to Yours. Lord, I want to have such a strong connection to You that I know what You want me to do, say, think, and feel. I would rather be Your puppet or parrot than to be directed only by my own earthbound thoughts and feelings which are so unsteady and unreliable. Take all of me -- change me, Lord.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Title: Thinking God's Thoughts / Topic: God's Will
This post has been an exercise in frustration. From an Internet outage at our home which is still ongoing, to a dead battery in my Mac, to using a PC keyboard, to losing my post just before I posted. Ironcially, I am writing about getting God's perspective in place of our own natural thoughts!
Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 3; Jeremiah 4; John 11
Scripture: John 11:5-6
5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.
Observation: Jesus loves Lazarus and his sisters and yet he delays His coming two additional days and the result is Lazarus' death. This would make no sense to anyone. Jesus words are questioned or challenged throughout the story. Reread it and see for yourself.
Application: I need to keep from the simple reliance on my own way of thinking. My thoughts are not His, especially when I am stressed for any reason. I must train myself not to stop and think, but stop and seek His mind.
Prayer: Lord, help me. I need a mind makeover. I want to think rightly so that my life isn't based on my own earthbound thinking.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 3; Jeremiah 4; John 11
Scripture: John 11:5-6
5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.
Observation: Jesus loves Lazarus and his sisters and yet he delays His coming two additional days and the result is Lazarus' death. This would make no sense to anyone. Jesus words are questioned or challenged throughout the story. Reread it and see for yourself.
Application: I need to keep from the simple reliance on my own way of thinking. My thoughts are not His, especially when I am stressed for any reason. I must train myself not to stop and think, but stop and seek His mind.
Prayer: Lord, help me. I need a mind makeover. I want to think rightly so that my life isn't based on my own earthbound thinking.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Title: The Lover / Topic: Intimacy
Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 1; Jeremiah 2; John 10
Scripture: Jeremiah 2:2, 19
2 "...'I remember the devotion of your youth,
how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the desert,
through a land not sown...'"
19 "...Consider then and realize
how evil and bitter it is for you
when you forsake the LORD your God
and have no awe of me,"
declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.
Observation: Verse 2 touches my heart. It reminds me of the passionate reality of relationship that I have at times experiences with my Lord. It sparks a wistfulness within me, for at this moment my relationship with Jesus is real but not in that fresh and vibrant state. The contrast between verse 2 and verse 19 is stark -- from a young bride in the blush of new love, to an "evil and bitter" person who has long ago strayed and left the passion far behind.
Application: Both extremes are a potential reality but most people live somewhere in the middle. That's where I am at this moment. I have not forsaken Jesus -- I have merely become distracted from the simple joys of His love. But I hear the voice of my Lover calling me back to those moments of intimacy and freshness. How can I get back to that place?
Prayer: Dear Lord, help me. I want to be close with You -- intimate, passionate, head over heels crazy about You. Forgive me for allowing the stuff of life to distract me. I have been focused on the wrong things. Help me to turn my gaze to You -- to fix my eyes upon You -- to live and dream and dwell in the present moment with You -- to take thoughts of You with me and have them always at the forefront of my mind. Lord, I love You. Help me to keep the fires of passion burning in my heart.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Scripture: Jeremiah 2:2, 19
2 "...'I remember the devotion of your youth,
how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the desert,
through a land not sown...'"
19 "...Consider then and realize
how evil and bitter it is for you
when you forsake the LORD your God
and have no awe of me,"
declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.
Observation: Verse 2 touches my heart. It reminds me of the passionate reality of relationship that I have at times experiences with my Lord. It sparks a wistfulness within me, for at this moment my relationship with Jesus is real but not in that fresh and vibrant state. The contrast between verse 2 and verse 19 is stark -- from a young bride in the blush of new love, to an "evil and bitter" person who has long ago strayed and left the passion far behind.
Application: Both extremes are a potential reality but most people live somewhere in the middle. That's where I am at this moment. I have not forsaken Jesus -- I have merely become distracted from the simple joys of His love. But I hear the voice of my Lover calling me back to those moments of intimacy and freshness. How can I get back to that place?
Prayer: Dear Lord, help me. I want to be close with You -- intimate, passionate, head over heels crazy about You. Forgive me for allowing the stuff of life to distract me. I have been focused on the wrong things. Help me to turn my gaze to You -- to fix my eyes upon You -- to live and dream and dwell in the present moment with You -- to take thoughts of You with me and have them always at the forefront of my mind. Lord, I love You. Help me to keep the fires of passion burning in my heart.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Monday, August 07, 2006
Title: Are You Blind? / Topic: Pride vs. Humility
Today’s Reading: Zephaniah 1; Zephaniah 2; Zephaniah 3; John 9
Scripture: John 9:39 Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."
Observation: It's all about how we think. If we start with pride as our basis, then we get one result. If we start with humility, we get the other result. Pride says, "I see," and the result is true blindness. Humility says, "I can't see, I am blind," and the result is true spiritual vision. This is the case because God is the source of this kind of vision which only comes through revelation -- spiritual enlightenment from the only true light of the world Jesus Christ (as He calls Himself in this chapter, chapter 9 in John). Since we have to receive the revelation from God, it is how we think, pride or humility, that determines if we get it. The word tells us that "God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble."
Application: Nothing could be clearer: if you stand in your pride, you will stand alone. And nothing could be more sad or bereft of purpose or forsaken. So we must come to God on our knees, with humility, earnest seeking, and true openness, and God will give us all things. God Himself will stand with us.
Prayer: Thank You, Lord, that You give us true vision. Thank You for the revelation of truth that we would never be able to see or comprehend were it not for Your great grace. Help all Your people to remember that pride is deadly and does no good for anyone -- may we forsake pride, admit our need, and receive the riches of Your blessing.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Scripture: John 9:39 Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."
Observation: It's all about how we think. If we start with pride as our basis, then we get one result. If we start with humility, we get the other result. Pride says, "I see," and the result is true blindness. Humility says, "I can't see, I am blind," and the result is true spiritual vision. This is the case because God is the source of this kind of vision which only comes through revelation -- spiritual enlightenment from the only true light of the world Jesus Christ (as He calls Himself in this chapter, chapter 9 in John). Since we have to receive the revelation from God, it is how we think, pride or humility, that determines if we get it. The word tells us that "God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble."
Application: Nothing could be clearer: if you stand in your pride, you will stand alone. And nothing could be more sad or bereft of purpose or forsaken. So we must come to God on our knees, with humility, earnest seeking, and true openness, and God will give us all things. God Himself will stand with us.
Prayer: Thank You, Lord, that You give us true vision. Thank You for the revelation of truth that we would never be able to see or comprehend were it not for Your great grace. Help all Your people to remember that pride is deadly and does no good for anyone -- may we forsake pride, admit our need, and receive the riches of Your blessing.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Title: Say What?! / Topic: Denial
Today’s Reading: Habakkuk 1; Habakkuk 2; Habakkuk 3; John 8
Scripture: John 8:33 They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"
Observation: This is truly a most remarkable statement. And it's so easy to pass right by it as it falls in the middle of an argument between Jesus and the hypocritical Jewish religious leaders. They actually make the claim that as Jews (i.e. Abraham's descendants), they have never been conquered! Say what?! Talk about some pathological denial! The whole history of the descendants of Abraham is peppered with instances of enslavement, from Egypt, to the Philistines, to the Babylonians, the Medes and Persians, and even as these people argue with Jesus, they subject to the rule of Rome!
Application: People will claim some amazing things with a straight face. Apparently, sometimes they actually believe it. Here, the pride of the Jewish leaders was so pervasive that it made them blind to their own ignominious past as a people. They have been anything but faithful to God as they further claimed in the same conversation. But their denials and beliefs based on lies were necessary to prop up their desired outcome, which was a self-reliance apart from any need to repent or change anything. "We're just fine," was their claim. But it was such a lie and it sadly prevented them from being able to receive the message of Jesus.
Bottom line: get rid of lies and face the truth about yourself. Lies may be comforting in some ways but they are ultimately destructive as they push real solutions away and keep us in our dysfunction.
Prayer: Lord, help me to see the places that I am in denial or believing lies about myself. I want to know the truth about me so that I can receive the truth about You and apply it rightly. Help Your people to come to the light and see the truth for what it really is.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Scripture: John 8:33 They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"
Observation: This is truly a most remarkable statement. And it's so easy to pass right by it as it falls in the middle of an argument between Jesus and the hypocritical Jewish religious leaders. They actually make the claim that as Jews (i.e. Abraham's descendants), they have never been conquered! Say what?! Talk about some pathological denial! The whole history of the descendants of Abraham is peppered with instances of enslavement, from Egypt, to the Philistines, to the Babylonians, the Medes and Persians, and even as these people argue with Jesus, they subject to the rule of Rome!
Application: People will claim some amazing things with a straight face. Apparently, sometimes they actually believe it. Here, the pride of the Jewish leaders was so pervasive that it made them blind to their own ignominious past as a people. They have been anything but faithful to God as they further claimed in the same conversation. But their denials and beliefs based on lies were necessary to prop up their desired outcome, which was a self-reliance apart from any need to repent or change anything. "We're just fine," was their claim. But it was such a lie and it sadly prevented them from being able to receive the message of Jesus.
Bottom line: get rid of lies and face the truth about yourself. Lies may be comforting in some ways but they are ultimately destructive as they push real solutions away and keep us in our dysfunction.
Prayer: Lord, help me to see the places that I am in denial or believing lies about myself. I want to know the truth about me so that I can receive the truth about You and apply it rightly. Help Your people to come to the light and see the truth for what it really is.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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