July 2, 2013

Tuesday: July 2, 2013

READ: Leviticus 23-24

THINK: In 1763 Augustus M. Toplady, a preacher from the village of Blagdon in England was walking along the gorge of Burrington Combe in the Mendip Hills when he was caught in a vicious storm that caused him to fear for his life. He prayerfully entrusted himself to God and ended up finding shelter in a gap in the gorge. While waiting out the storm in that shelter he was amazed at God’s provision for him and he came up with a song title and some lyrics which he scribbled on a playing card that he had with him. The song was entitled, “Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me.”

Toplady’s experience reminded him that he was completely dependent upon God for everything. And that God was faithful to provide. That’s also the point of the Israelites’ experience in the Feast of Tabernacles or Succoth. We tend to think of homes as being structures that keep us safe from all of the elements of nature and weather. But that was certainly not the point of the shelters built for Succoth. God instructed them to live in very basic, temporary dwellings made from leaves and branches. And in Jewish tradition this often required that the roof be left unfinished enough to see the stars through it.

The Succoth dwellings clearly provided little to no shelter or protection from nature. But that’s the reason God instituted them. They were designed to a physical reminder of a profound spiritual truth: that God is our shelter and protection. Just as he brought his people out of Egypt and provided for them during their 40 years of living in temporary structures while traversing the desert, he is faithful to provide for his people even now.

It is so easy to get caught up in our stuff. It is so easy to be tempted into believing that real security – the security we most need – comes from our possessions or the size of our bank accounts. But ultimately those things will not save us from the darkest storms of life. Succoth calls us to examine our lives to make sure that our security rests not on the world and it’s many possessions but on God’s truth. The Feast of Tabernacles reminds us that all of life is sustained by God’s goodness.

When we make God our refuge, no storm can threaten us!

PRAY: Take a few minutes to listen (or sing) to Rock of Ages. Then spend time thanking God for his incredible provision and trustworthiness!

Posted by on July 2, 2013 in Uncategorized.

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July 1, 2013

Monday: July 1, 2013

READ: Mark 16

THINK: I just finished a training weekend with a team of high school students who will be headed on a mission trip in less than three weeks. Over the course of the weekend I shared a number of Bible verses with them, but one, in particular, sums up what the trip is all about. In fact, I would argue that it sums up what the very life of every one of God’s children is all about. Mark 16:15 quotes Jesus as saying to his disciples, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”

What good news? The good news that there is a God who created everything. And he created us. And we rejected him and cut ourselves off from him. But he didn’t abandon us or leave us in our brokenness. Instead he set about drawing all people to himself. And he made a way for our sins to be washed clean. The only way for that to happen was for blood to be shed. Perfect blood. God himself came to earth and took on human flesh and gave up his life for us. And then he rose again from the dead. And he is making all things new – setting all of the brokenness around us right. And he wants to draw every person in the world to himself and wash them clean through his sacrifice and embrace them eternally in his love and set everything about their past, present, and future right. THAT good news!

In the Old Testament God chose the nation of Israel to be his people so that they could shine his light to all the nations of the world. In the New Testament God calls the church to do that. In Greek, the word for church is ekklesia which is a compound word ek – out + kaleo – called. The church is the group of people that have been called out of sin and death into redemption and relationship with God. And we have the awesome privilege and responsibility of serving as his hands, his feet, and his mouthpiece in this world to draw others around us to him. There is nothing that matters more. Let God light a fire in you that gives you the vision, the passion, and the courage to call those around you – wherever you are – out of brokenness and darkness into the hope that is found through faith in Jesus Christ.

PRAY: Listen to this song. Sing along once you catch on to the tune. Let it be your earnest prayer. Mean what you sing. Then ask God to open your eyes to what that means, specifically, for your life and your interactions this week.

Posted by on July 1, 2013 in Gospels.

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June 30, 2013

Sunday: June 30, 2012

READ: 1 Chronicles 4-6

THINK: A lot more names. A lot. But there is something here that is worth noting beyond the fact that Hezelelponi is a ridiculously awesome name and if I ever have another daughter that’s what I’m naming her. The stream throughout all of this is God’s provision for his people – his covenant faithfulness to generation after generation after generation. These list were incredibly important to the ancient Hebrew culture for whom this text was originally written. And that wasn’t just because ancestry.com wasn’t around to equip them to trace their roots back then. The genealogies were important because it reminded the people of Israel of God’s continual love and provision and presence and faithfulness to them.

So, why does that matter to us thousands of years later? What difference does God’s covenant faithfulness to ancient Israel make to 21st century Americans? The answer: a ton!

God’s covenant faithfulness to his people matters because we are his people – everyone who has chosen to put their faith in Christ and follow him – and being faithful and loving and kind and ever-present is who God is. It matters because sometimes – amidst all of the storms and the difficulties of life in this sin-stained world – we need to be reminded that God wants to bless us and that he works things out for our good. We know that life isn’t easy and that God promises his people there will be trials along the way. But that is not the end of the promise. He never abandons us there. The promise is that despite the trials we endure because of the brokenness of humanity God is there and God cares and God meets us where we are and uses every situation to draw us – and those around us – to himself.

This section of Scripture contains the prayer of Jabez.  Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.”  Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request. – 1 Chronicles 4:9-10  This prayer was the focus of a best-selling book a few years ago. And it has often been used by those who preach a prosperity gospel to encourage people to name it and claim it, so to speak. There are some who read it and say, “See! All you have to do is pray for God’s blessings and he’ll give you all the desires of your heart. Name it and claim it!” Others reject it entirely and say, “God is a God of suffering. Christ suffered and so we must. We have no business praying for blessings.” So what’s the truth? What’s the right answer? The answer lies in-between. This prayer is clearly in the Bible. And God answered it! But God also says that things won’t be easy and we’ll suffer for his name.

The balance is found in understanding the prayer of Jabez in it’s context. God is faithful. There is brokenness in our world because of sin. That is inevitable. Suffering and pain are inevitable. And God is not some magic genie in the business of granting all of our wishes and removing us from the world that we are a part of. But he is in the business of blessing the world. He is in the business of saving the world. He is in the business of making all things new! Believe – be absolutely convinced at the very core of your being – that God is a God of blessing who is present with you and who is fighting for you and who is richly giving you what you need – if not what you want – at every moment for his glory and your benefit. If all these silly names are of any benefit to you whatsoever, let them be a reminder that God is lovingly faithful.

PRAY: Thank God for being faithful. Thank him for his love. Thank him for blessing you in countless ways despite the fact that your sin doesn’t deserve it. Worship God today.

Posted by on June 30, 2013 in History.

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June 29, 2013

Saturday: June 29, 2013

READ: 1 Thessalonians 3

THINK: The believers in Thessalonica were experiencing severe trials and persecution. In the midst of those difficulties Paul, who had first preached Christ to them, had to escape quickly from Thessalonica and continue his ministry elsewhere. One of the key points of Paul’s letter is made in this chapter: Though believers may be experiencing trouble, and though Paul had to leave quickly, he did not leave them without help. God had not abandoned them. They could rely on the Lord in the midst of their trials and troubles. The truth is: we can all expect difficulties in this life, but God has provided resources to give us strength.

And Paul, while he is being encouraging in this passage, shows at least eight ways that we can be strengthened in these verses. We can be strengthened by submitting to God’s will (verses 1-5). We can be strengthened by focusing on the work God is doing within us (1-5). We can be strengthened by the example of others (6-8). We can be strengthened by giving God thanks (9). We can be strengthened by rejoicing in the Lord (9). We can be strengthened through the ministry of prayer (10). We can be strengthened through continuous growth (10-12). We can be strengthened by looking forward to Christ’s return (12-13).

When you go through difficulties, you can lean on all of these things to find hope and strength. But there is a catch. Every one of them requires something of you. During the storms of life it takes trust, humility, discipline, and commitment to engage these things. When times are hard it’s not always simple to just say, “Lord, I rejoice in you!” or “Lord, thanks so much!” or, especially, “Lord, I just submit myself entirely to what you want and not what I want.” But this is what we must do if we are going to grow through our trials and not be tempted in some way by the tempter, as Paul puts it.

I encourage all of you, above all else in difficult times, to always trust that God is sovereign and that his will is perfect. Even if it’s hard to submit, in the end it’s much better. In the words of Oswald Chambers, “As long as you maintain your own personal interests and ambitions, you cannot be completely aligned or identified with God’s interests. This can only be accomplished by giving up all of your personal plans once and for all, and by allowing God to take you directly into His purpose for the world. … I must learn that the purpose of my life belongs to God, not me. God is using me from His great personal perspective, and all He asks of me is that I trust Him. I should never say, “Lord, this causes me such heartache.” To talk that way makes me a stumbling block. When I stop telling God what I want, He can freely work His will in me without any hindrance. He can crush me, exalt me, or do anything else He chooses. He simply asks me to have absolute faith in Him and His goodness. Self-pity is of the devil, and if I wallow in it I cannot be used by God for His purpose in the world. Doing this creates for me my own cozy “world within the world,” and God will not be allowed to move me from it because of my fear of being “frost- bitten.”

PRAY: Thank God for providing strength and hope during the difficult seasons of life. Ask him to help you completely surrender yourself to his will.

Posted by on June 29, 2013 in Epistles.

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June 28, 2013

Friday: June 28, 2013

THINK: To ruminate literally means “to chew the cud.” A cow will chew on one particular wad of cud for hours at a time, over and over again, swallowing it and bringing it back up from it’s stomach. Consider the metaphor of the cud as you think about some of the phrases in this Psalm that stand out to you.

READ: Read Psalm 139 three times slowly, ruminating on it. Don’t skim or speed-read; chew on each word. Hold the words in your minds until you feel you’ve considered every aspect of them.

PRAY: Spend time in silence, meditating on these phrases. Let them bounce around in your brain. Look at them from every direction. As you do that, explore the emotions and thoughts you are having. Specifically ask God, “Why am I feeling this way, God?” and put your heart in a posture of listening. Expect to hear from God.

LIVE: Spend a few more minutes listening to God and ask him, “What do you want me to do with what you have given me?”

Adapted from Eugene Peterson in Solo

Posted by on June 28, 2013 in Psalms.

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June 27, 2013

Thursday: June 27, 2013

READ: Job 32

THINK: “But it is the spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding.” – Job 32:8


Elihu had waited whilst the three elder men said all that was in their hearts. He now excuses his youth and demands audience, because so conscious that the breath of inspiration had entered his soul. Wisdom is not with age; but wherever the heart is freely open to God, He will make it wise. We have received not the spirit which is of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we may know.


George Fox tells us that though he read the Scriptures which spoke of Christ and of God, yet he knew Him not till He who had the key did open. “Then the Lord gently led me along and let me see His love, which was endless and eternal, surpassing all the knowledge that men have in the natural state, or can get by history or books. I had not fellowship with any people, priests or professors, but with Christ, who hath the key, and opened the door of life and light unto me. His one message was the necessity of the Inner Light, the inward witness of the Spirit, His secret revelations of truth to the soul.”


This distinction needs to be deeply pondered. We have been trying to know God by the intellect, by reading the Bible intellectually, by endeavoring to apprehend human systems. There is, however, a deeper and truer method. “There is a spirit in man!” Open your spirit to the Divine Spirit as you open a window to the sunny air. Instantly God enters and fills. The Spirit witnesses with our spirit. The inbreathed life of God gives us light. We know by intuition, by fellowship with God, by direct vision, what the wise of this world could never discover.

 

By: F.B. Meyer

 

PRAY: Ask God to help you open up your spirit to his today. Create space for him to come in and fill you up with his presence and his truth.

Posted by on June 27, 2013 in Uncategorized.

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June 26, 2013

Wednesday: June 26, 2013

READ: Zephaniah

BACKGROUND: Zephaniah was likely related to the royal line and had considerable social standing in Judah. His book of prophecy deals specifically with the current political issues of the day due to his familiarity with them. This book was written during the reign of King Josiah – which means he was a contemporary of Jeremiah, Nahum, and possibly Habakkuk. His book was very likely written before Josiah’s reforms when the nation was still in the horrible spiritual condition that the reigns of Manasseh and Amon brought. The big idea of the book is to announce God’s impending judgment for Judah’s sinful rejection of him and to highlight the coming day of the Lord when God will judge all the nations – including rebellious Judah. There is powerful and graphic imagery throughout and it ends with the hopeful note of God showing mercy and restoring Judah.

THINK: This is Charles Spurgeon’s devotional commentary on some of the final verses of the book. Soak it in as you read:

3:12 “I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord.”

When true religion is ready to die out among the wealthy it finds a home among the poor of this world, rich in faith. The Lord has even now His faithful remnant. Am I one of them?

Perhaps it is because men are afflicted and poor that they learn to trust in the name of the Lord. He that hath no money must try what he can do on trust. He whose own name is good for nothing in his own esteem, acts wisely to rest in another name, even that best of names, the name of Jehovah. God will always have a trusting people, and these will be an afflicted and poor people. Little as the world thinks of them, their being left in the midst of a nation is the channel of untold blessings to it. Here we have the conserving salt which keeps in check the corruption which is in the world through lust.

Again the question comes home to each one of us: am I one of them? Am I afflicted by the sin within me and around me? Am I poor in spirit, poor spiritually in my own judgment? Do I trust in the Lord? That is the main business. Jesus reveals the name, the character, the person of God: am I trusting in Him? If so, I am left in this world for a purpose. Lord, help me to fulfill it.

3:13  “They shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.”

[Already we’ve thought] of the afflicted and poor people whom the Lord left to be a living seed in a dead world. The prophet says of such that they shall not work iniquity nor speak lies. So that while they had neither rank nor riches to guard them, they were also quite unable to use those weapons in which the wicked place so much reliance: they could neither defend themselves by sin nor by subtlety.

What then? Would they be destroyed? By no means! They should both feed and rest, and be not merely free from danger, but even quiet from fear of evil. Sheep are very feeble creatures, and wolves are terrible enemies; yet at this hour, sheep are more numerous than wolves, and the cause of the sheep is always winning, while the cause of the wolves is always declining. One day flocks of sheep will cover the plains, and not a wolf will be left. The fact is that sheep have a shepherd, and this gives them provender, protection, and peace. “None,” which means not one, whether in human or diabolical form, “shall make them afraid.” Who shall terrify the Lord’s flock when He is near? We lie down in green pastures, for Jesus Himself is food and rest to our souls.

 

3:17 “The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”

What a word is this! Jehovah God in the center of His people in all the majesty of His power! This presence alone suffices to inspire us with peace and hope. Treasures of boundless might are stored in our Jehovah, and He dwells in His church; therefore may His people shout for joy.

We not only have His presence, but He is engaged upon His choice work of salvation. “He will save.” He is always saving: He takes His name of Jesus from it. Let us not fear any danger for He is mighty to save.

Nor is this all. He abides evermore the same; He loves, He finds rest in loving, and He will not cease to love. His love gives Him joy. He even finds a theme for song in His beloved. This is exceedingly wonderful. When God wrought creation He did not sing, but simply said, “It is very good.” But when He came to redemption, then the sacred Trinity felt a joy to be expressed in song. Think of it and be astonished! Jehovah Jesus sings a marriage song over His chosen bride. She is to Him His love, His joy, His rest, His song. O Lord Jesus, by thine immeasurable love to us, teach us to love thee, to rejoice in thee, and to sing unto thee our Life-psalm.

 

3:19 “I will save her that halteth.”

There are plenty of these lame ones, both male and female. You may meet “her that halteth” twenty times in an hour. They are in the right road, and exceedingly anxious to run in it with diligence; but they are lame, and make a sorry walk of it. On the heavenly road there are many cripples. It may be that they say in their hearts, what will become of us? Sin will overtake us. Satan will throw us down. Ready-to-halt is our name and our nature; the Lord can never make good soldiers of us, nor even nimble messengers to go on His errands. Well, well! He will save us, and that is no small thing. He says, “I will save her that halteth.” In saving us, He will greatly glorify Himself. Everybody will ask how came this lame woman to run the race and win the crown? And then the praise will all be given to almighty grace.

Lord, though I halt in faith, in prayer, in praise, in service, and in patience, save me, I beseech thee! Only thou canst save such a cripple as I am. Lord, let me not perish because I am among the hindmost, but gather up by thy grace the slowest of thy pilgrims, even me. Behold He hath said that it shall be so. Therefore, like Jacob, prevailing in prayer, I go forward though my sinew be shrunk.

PRAY: Thank God for his grace. Confess your own Judah-like rebellion and spend some time considering the fate that you deserve for it. And then come humbly before God, admit that only he can save you and fall upon his grace.

Posted by on June 26, 2013 in Prophecy.

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June 25, 2013

Tuesday: June 25, 2013

READ: 1 Chronicles 1-3

THINK: You want to shoot me right now for having you read that, don’t you? Or you just want to bang your head against a wall for a while. But don’t worry – there are only 6 more chapters like this in the entire…beginning of Chronicles.  And it could have been more, but not every generation gets mentioned. The book heats up in Chapter 10 though. 🙂 So here’s the question: WHY!? Why all of the lists upon lists of names? Why such an extensive genealogy?

The answer is simple: identity. This book was written to the people of Israel at a time when they were returning from a long period of exile. They’d been conquered, captured, and spread out all over the Babylonian empire because of their sin and their disobedience to God. They were discouraged and beaten down, and their time in exile had caused many to either forget or doubt who they were – God’s chosen nation whom he wanted to bless and through whom he wanted to bless the world. So this book is written as an encouragement. The stories are carefully chosen to help remind the people of just who they are and who they have been created to be.

This genealogy reminds them of who God is. And it does not shy away from reminding them that he is holy – reminding them of how they got to the place where they are, both good and bad. Some of their ancestors served and worshipped God. Many sinned and displeased him, and this led to the exile. But ultimately these chapters are all about identity. Who is God? And who are we created to be in light of that? It traces all the way back to Adam as a reminder that God’s plan for his people dated all the way back to creation.

As you read these chapters, let them serve as a reminder to you of who you are. You are created by God – made in his image – and called to be a blessing to the world around you. And if you have put your faith in Jesus then you are standing on the shoulders of giants. You owe a deep debt of gratitude to those who came before you and who modeled God in your life and taught you about him. You have been preceded in life and in faith by “a great cloud of witnesses” (Heb 12:1). Be thankful for that!

PRAY: Thank God for who he is and for the incredible gift of a new identity that he has given you in Christ. And thank him for those who have gone before you who have shaped your faith.

Posted by on June 25, 2013 in History.

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June 24, 2013

Monday: June 24, 2013

READ: 1 Thessalonians 2

THINK: Reread verses 3-8 from The Message translation, noting the word approval:

“God tested us thoroughly to make sure we were qualified to be trusted with this Message. Be assured that when we speak to you we’re not after crowd approval—only God approval. Since we’ve been put through that battery of tests, you’re guaranteed that both we and the Message are free of error, mixed motives, or hidden agendas. We never used words to butter you up. No one knows that better than you. And God knows we never used words as a smoke screen to take advantage of you.

Even though we had some standing as Christ’s apostles, we never threw our weight around or tried to come across as important, with you or anyone else. We weren’t aloof with you. We took you just as you were. We were never patronizing, never condescending, but we cared for you the way a mother cares for her children. We loved you dearly. Not content to just pass on the Message, we wanted to give you our hearts. And we did.”

It’s tempting to promote ourselves, to see ourselves more highly than we ought. If we examine ourselves honestly, we will have to admit that we are often trying to win the approval of the crowd.

Think back over the past week. What decisions did you make solely to look good in the eyes of others? What would it take for you to go through today without making decisions based on trying to make yourself look good? What would it take for you to live today for “only God approval”?

PRAY: Confess those recent circumstances when you were tempted to seek approval from other people. Ask God to help you be “free of error, mixed motives, [and] hidden agendas.” Ask him to help you focus your desire for acceptance and approval entirely on him.

LIVE: Before every decision, before every comment, ask yourself, What is my motive? Is it to get approval from the crowd or to get approval from God? Let these questions make you aware today of how – and why – you make decisions.

By: Eugene Peterson in Solo

Posted by on June 24, 2013 in Epistles.

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June 23, 2013

Sunday: June 23, 2013

READ: Luke 15

THINK: I am a huge fan of James MacDonald, pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago. I usually hear him on his daily broadcasts, but occasionally I have the opportunity to hear him live! Last weekend we traveled to Chicago for a wedding, which was great fun, but to tell the truth, I was most excited about attending Harvest on Sunday morning to see Pastor James! He’s a great story teller and he always seems to have just the right story to help make his point. I always learn something new about following Jesus or understanding scripture in a deeper way.

Imagine having the opportunity to hear Jesus live! What would it have been like to follow him around the countryside and see scripture come to life as he spoke? The stories Jesus told presented God’s love in a whole new way! While the three parables in today’s chapter no doubt have deep and complex theological meaning, in one sense they are just simple stories with a simple message: God cares about each of us! We have high value and worth to him. Before we ever believed or trusted him, God came searching for us. Even if we wander far from him or reject him, he is always waiting and watching for our return. In fact, he will welcome us into fellowship, forgiving us and showering us with blessings far greater than we can ask or imagine!

PRAY: Thank God for his tenderness and mercy. Thank him for his forgiveness and love. Ask him to give us his same heart for our lost world!

Posted by on June 23, 2013 in Uncategorized.

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