July 18, 2012

Wednesday: Juy 18, 2012

READ: Proverbs 17

BACKGROUND: One of the best things about Proverbs is that, for the most part, it is very easy to understand even if we occasionally struggle with an unfamiliar word or a confusing metaphor/simile. Yet, while the verses are short and simple, the truth each contains is profound. Not profound in the sense of some new scientific discovery (i.e. “the God particle) so complex it’s impossible for most of us to comprehend…..but profound in the sense that we recognize the truth of the words from personal experience. A couple of years ago, I had a group of very verbal students who would regularly respond out loud to whatever I said (yes, it drove me crazy!) Several times each day they would assent, “Ooooh, Ms. Howard, you know you got that right!” That’s the kind of thing I feel like doing after each of these verses. “Ooooh, you know you got that right!”

If it mentions something dumb that we shouldn’t do, like starting quarrels and wasting money, and talking too much, I just want to say, “Ooooh you know you got that right!” When it mentions how a true friend loves you even when things go wrong, I can picture the good friends who were there in my tough times and say, “ Oooh, you know got that right!” When this book of wisdom describes grandbabies as “a crown to the aged” I just want to shout, “Ooooh, you know you got that really right!” (The amazing grandbaby part – Not the aged part….J)

THINK: As you read, think about your everyday struggles, triumphs, temptations, and joys. Find advice, warning, reproof, and affirmation in these verses.

ASK: Is there something you need to do differently today based on the wisdom of these words? Make the change and reap the benefits of following the only WISE GOD!

By: Deb Howard

Posted by on July 18, 2012 in Poetry.

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July 17, 2012

Tuesday: July 17, 2012

READ: Genesis 33 and 34

BACKGROUND: If you have been following the story of Jacob, you may remember that Jacob and Esau have had a reunion. Esau seems to have forgotten his intent to kill Jacob. Esau even invites Jacob to travel with him. Jacob builds an altar at Shechem to “the GOD of Israel” commemorating his new found identity in GOD! We would have expected Jacob to quickly resume his journey home to Bethel, but instead it appears that Jacob settles in this area for a long time. So long, that his family becomes accustomed to living like pagans around them. Shechem, at this time, was a big city – lots going on, lots to do and perhaps the comforts of the place caused Jacob to once again forget where he was going…
By Verse:
34:1 – Dinah seems to have an active social life!
2 – Serious culture clash: What Canaanites consider lawful (taking unmarried women at will) is considered rape in the Hebrew culture – and in our own!
3 – Shechem (probably named after the city) apparently loves Dinah and hopes to keep her as his wife.
9 – Hamor (Shechem’s father) hopes this union will benefit him…..If his sons marry Israelite women, he can increase his property and wealth.
12 – 15: Let the scheming begin – Jacob’s sons use the wedding custom of a gift for the bride’s family into a trick to leave the Canaanite men defenseless. In doing so, they use God’s sacred ceremony of circumcision for their own vengeful purposes.
25 – A brutal and bloody retaliation for Shechem’s crime against Dinah.

THINK: One of the dangers for Jacob’s family and for all of us today, is becoming content. Jacob experienced incredible spiritual highs! He encountered the living GOD of the Universe! He pledged his life to GOD! He sought GOD during times of incredible stress and even danger. Yet when things got back to normal, and he settled into a daily routine, he grew lazy in his spiritual walk…..and all too quickly, the culture around him and his family began to have a great influence on him. His daughter ends up in the wrong crowd; his sons scheme to commit atrocities, and where is Jacob? He blames them for bringing trouble to the family, but don’t they rightly ask him, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?” Some commentaries claim that the custom of the day prevented Jacob from intervening without consulting his sons. But Jacob had the knowledge of the LIVING GOD! He didn’t need to rely on customs. Jacob’s apathetic leadership of his family and his reluctance to keep his focus on GOD led to disastrous results.

During this summer so many of us will spend time at camps or retreats, attend worship concerts, or even go on short term mission trips. There are times when we have some time to really focus on Jesus. Often, during these times we are surrounded by others with a deep desire to serve Jesus. We can experience great spiritual growth and we can often sense God’s presence moving in us and leading us. We need to savor these experiences – even writing down some thoughts to reflect on in the future. And we also need to heed the story of Jacob – once we are settled again into everyday life, it is so easy to let the customs and the culture of our world begin to be the major influence of on our lives. And the result of taking our eyes off Jesus is always disastrous!

ASK: Am I letting myself become too comfortable in a culture that is often poisonous to my soul? Am I conforming to a culture of death rather than being transformed into a new life in Jesus Christ?

By: Deb Howard

Posted by on July 17, 2012 in Law.

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July 16, 2012

I AM SO SORRY!

Hey everyone,

I apologize for not getting a post up yesterday! It was my sister’s wedding yesterday and I forgot my computer at home – only to realize too late that I don’t remember my password to login to this blog (because it’s saved on my computer) and my other sister who occasionally posts for me was asleep and without her computer. I am finally home and my computer is charged again. But I sincerely apologize for missing a day, and I give you my word that it won’t happen again! See the post right below this one for today’s devotion.

God bless,

Mike

Posted by on July 16, 2012 in Uncategorized.

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July 16, 2012

Monday: July 16, 2012

READ: 1 Corinthians 3

THINK: Reread verses 11-17 out loud, imagining Paul speaking to you as a good father would speak to you (see 1 Corinthians 4:14-17).

Paul uses a metaphor where he compares each of us to a building, and he says that Jesus is the foundation – the strength and the base and the heart of the building. Then he lists off a number of other materials that people might try to use to build their foundation instead. Think about your life. Think about the people around you. What types of things are people building their lives upon? What is the basis and foundation of their lives?

Ultimately, Paul’s metaphor aims to show us that the type of building we are is a temple. A temple is a place of prayer and worship. It’s a place where God’s presence is felt. What are some things that you need to do in order to keep your temple a sacred space?

PRAY: Talk to God about being a temple for him – celebrate it! Then ask what you need to know and do to make him feel at home inside of you.

LIVE: As you move through life today, think about what it means to truly be a temple in which God dwells. Do something to celebrate that.

Adapted from Eugene Peterson in Solo

 

Posted by on July 16, 2012 in Epistles.

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July 14, 2012

Saturday: July 14, 2012

READ: Psalm 24-25

THINK: A friend of mine wrote to me about certain “reservations” in his life—areas of secret sin that he reserved for himself and into which he frequently withdrew.

These “reserves” are like the large tracts of wilderness in my home state of Idaho. It may sound exciting to wander around these untamed regions by oneself, but it’s dangerous.

So too, each journey into sin takes its toll. We sacrifice our closeness with God, forfeiting His blessing (Psalm 24:1-5), and we lose our influence on others that comes from purity of mind and body (1 Timothy 4:12).

The wild areas in us may never be fully tamed, but we can set up perimeters that keep us from wandering into them. One perimeter is to remember that we are dead to sin’s power (Romans 6:1-14). We do not have to give in to it.

The second perimeter is to resist temptation when it first attracts us. Initial temptation may not be strong, but if we entertain it, it will in time gain power and overwhelm us.

The third perimeter is accountability. Find a person who will commit to ask you each week, “Have you ‘taken a hike in the wild’? Have you gone where you should not go?”

Impurity is ruinous, but if we long for holiness and ask God for help, He will give us victory. Press on!

ASK: How can I set up perimeters to keep myself from wandering into areas of sin and temptation? What are the perimeters that I need to set up?

By: David H. Roper in Our Daily Bread on October 31, 2003

Posted by on July 14, 2012 in Psalms.

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July 13, 2012

Friday: July 13, 2012

READ: Psalm 23

BACKGROUND: El-Rohi (God my Shepherd) is one of my favorite Hebrew names for God.
By Verse:
2 – Green pastures and quiet waters weren’t easy to find. I know that’s mind-blowing for people who grew up in the Midwestern United States (especially in Minnesota, the Land of 10,000 Lakes) but in the Middle East grass and water aren’t just found everywhere you look. That’s why the job of shepherd was so important. The sheep depended on the shepherd to find the pastures and the water they needed to live.
3 – The shepherds job is to lead his sheep along paths that bring them to safety and well-being.
6 – What an amazing hope!

THINK: I don’t know how long ago I memorized Psalm 23. Needless to say, it’s been a long time. I also don’t know how many times I’ve recalled it and thought about the words since then – in times of difficulty, frustration, & fear – but the number is too large to count. This small passage of the Bible has had such a profound and meaningful impact on my life that I feel like nothing I write can do it justice. That said, there are two things I want to do with today’s devotion: Encourage and challenge you to memorize Psalm 23 (it won’t take long), & briefly talk about the 3 characteristics of a shepherd that David highlights in this Psalm that I find so comforting. So, what are those 3 things?

1. A shepherd PROVIDES. It is so easy in life to spend time worrying about the future. We don’t know what it holds, and this can be a source of great stress. We worry about school and jobs and finances and security. And these are legitimate concerns given the reality of our world. But it is important for us to remember in these moments that the Lord is our shepherd. And because – as a very part of the nature of being a shepherd – a shepherd provides, we don’t need to worry. It may not always be in the way we want or in the timing we want, but God always provides green pastures and quiet waters to meet our needs.

2. A shepherd PROTECTS. Sometimes life is scary. Sometimes it’s overwhelming. Sometimes our situations and relationships feel as if they are conspiring to completely break us. In these moments we need to remember that our shepherd protects. In some of my most frustrated and fearful moments I have taken great comfort in knowing that God is there protecting me. The image that I always have in my head when I think about God’s rod and staff comforting me in the Valley of the Shadow of Death is Gandalf totally smoking a bunch of orcs with his staff and sword in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. I just picture God totally annihilating anyone and anything that is out to get me…and it’s a really comforting picture.

3. A shepherd PREPARES. This one may be the best of all! No matter what happens in life while we are living in this sinful and broken world we can have the ultimate confidence that God is preparing a perfect eternal place for us where we will get to dwell in his presence forever. This gives us great hope even in life’s fiercest storms.

ASK: How does it change my perspective on the difficulties and frustrations of my life when I think about God being my shepherd and all that this means?

LIVE: Memorize Psalm 23. Recite to yourself whenever you are feeling scared, lost, lonely, broken, or frustrated. Allow the words to penetrate your soul and bring you the comfort that is found in God alone.

Posted by on July 13, 2012 in Psalms.

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July 11, 2012

Wednesday: July 11, 2012

READ: 1 Corinthians 1 & 2

BACKGROUND:  These two chapters begin Paul’s letters to the Corinthians with encouragement against division and a call for seeking wisdom that is not of this world.
By Verse:
1:4-9- Paul starts many of his letters with a word of thanksgiving for the people to whom he is writing.
10-17- Silly arguments can lead to divisions in the body of Christ.
1:18-2:5- The difference between wisdom in the kingdom of God and the wisdom of man is the message of the cross and the power of God.
2:6-8- This hidden wisdom is not the Gnosticism that focused on secrets and hidden keys to the kingdom of God.
2:13- Spiritual truths in spiritual words – an interesting allude to the Spirit giving us understanding of things that the world apart from Christ can’t comprehend.
2:14- Those without the Holy Spirit don’t accept the things of the Spirit because they don’t understand.

THINK:  The last part of Chapter 1 and all of Chapter 2 deal with wisdom.  Paul makes it clear that God is the source of all true wisdom and anything we think we know on our own simply falls short.  “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength” –vs. 25 of Chapter 1.  Basically he’s confirming that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and is worthy to be worshiped.

I am intrigued by this idea of wisdom.  If I were to be honest with myself, I would say I would like to be wise in the eyes of both God and the world.  Of course, I want God to bestow wisdom upon me like that of Solomon, but in my day-to-day life?  What holds sway?  This is a conflict of interests to be sure and is a battle within me because I am a people-pleaser.  I think I can go out on a limb and say that I’m probably not the only one with this issue… I think our culture is made up of people-pleasers.  We have web pages devoted to ourselves where we put up the best pictures of ourselves and make statuses that we think people will think are funny or will grab someone’s, anyone’s attention.  These things are not inherently evil or against God, but can quickly draw attention away from Christ and place it on ourselves.  (Sorry for the facebook tangent…I’m guilty of it as well!)

But how can I gain this wisdom of God and how can God use me if I don’t feel like I am that wise?  I’m glad you asked because that has been a question that I’ve been thinking about.  We’ll tackle the second part of that question first.  Paul directly addresses that question in chapter 1:26 and chapter 2:1.  He has the Corinthians think back to when God first called them to faith.  Not many of them were wise by human standards, not many had any sphere of influence, and not many were born into powerful families where they could share insight and people would just listen.  “It is because of [God] that [they] are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God.”  In the first few verses of chapter 2 he speaks of himself and the first time he brought the gospel to them.  He says, “I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom…I came to you in weakness and fear and with much trembling. My message and preaching were not with wise and persuasive words…so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.”  Have you ever felt like God might not use you because you don’t have the right words or you fumble over your sentences?  Or that He would use someone else instead of you to do it who is “more qualified” or “better with words?”  For those of us who know this thought process, this passage is so freeing!  We don’t have to do it or speak it in our own power, “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by the human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit…” And in verse 16, “…We have the mind of Christ.”  I think that’s incredible.

Now for a little aside, concerning the first question that was raised, How can I gain this wisdom from God?  In Proverbs 9:10 and Psalms 111:10 it says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom…”  If you ever wanted wisdom from God, this seems to be the place to start.

ASK:  Ask God to reveal to you in what ways you trust the world’s definition of wisdom above the wisdom only found through Christ and ask him to change that in you.   Could God be using you in ways that may seem foolish to the world, but could really touch someone’s life with the power of Christ working in and through you?

By: KVH

Posted by on July 11, 2012 in Epistles.

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July 10, 2012

Tuesday: July 10, 2012

READ: Isaiah 33-35

THINK: Read Isaiah 35:4-9 again. Read verse 4 out loud, then read the rest silently. Watch for the emphasis in this passage on restoration and healing.

What pictures of healing speak to you? God putting things right, Blind eyes opening, Deaf ears hearing, Disabled people leaping, Voiceless people singing, Water flowing in the desert, or Hot sands suddenly becoming cool?

Why do you think that those particular pictures speak to you? What situations in your life make those pictures meaningful to you?

What phrase from the passage speaks to you most powerfully? Underline that phrase. What does your choice of that particular phrase tell you about who you are and what you want from God?

PRAY: Tell God about the images and the phrase that you most resonate with. Tell him why. Ask God for the restoration or healing that you or others need.

LIVE: Be thankful for the blessings in your life. Praise God for all the ways in which he has blessed and restored you.

Adapted from Eugene Peterson’s Solo

Posted by on July 10, 2012 in Prophecy.

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July 9, 2012

Monday: July 9, 2012

READ: Proverbs 16. Underline the word or phrase that stands out to you the most. Read verses 21-32 again. Underline a different word or phrase that stands out to you.

THINK: You may have heard the saying that only two things cannot be taken back: time and our words.  Think back over all the words you have said in conversation over the past 24 hours (conversations you’ve had with friends, comments you have made in passing, phone calls, jokes you have told, and so on). What percentage of your conversation would you say was positive, encouraging, and uplifting? What percentage was negative, discouraging, and sarcastic?

Consider the words you are glad you said. Consider the words you regret saying.

PRAY: For the words you regret, ask for forgiveness. For the positive words you spoke, thank God they were words that built up rather than tore down.

Ask God to bring to mind words of truth and healing that you could speak to others. Ask him to bring to mind specific people to whom you could speak these words in the next few days.

LIVE: Have the courage to seek out opportunities to speak words of truth and healing to people who need to hear them. Hold your tongue when you are upset or frustrated – when you are about to speak words you’ll regret. Above all else, ask God to help you guard your mouth by thinking before speaking.

From Eugene Peterson in Solo

Posted by on July 9, 2012 in Poetry.

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July 8, 2012

Sunday July 8, 2012

Read: Matthew 19-20
Background: These two chapters are verse upon verse of Jesus pouring out his wisdom and knowledge on those around him. Jesus earthly ministry is beginning to draw to a close and he even predicts his own death in these chapters. There are tons of different mini sermons, but common threads in Jesus’ words here.
By Verse
19:7- The law of Moses did permit divorce, it was a man who could choose to divorce his wife.
8-9- Jesus takes this law and intensifies it. He sets the bar for marriage much higher and shows that divorce was never the original design. Jesus is perfecting the law.
13- Little children were not highly regarded in this society. Since they couldn’t work and were totally dependent, they were considered somewhat worthless.
23- Money can be a huge barrier to following Christ.
26- The work of salvation is by God’s hand alone. It is impossible for us to be saved on our own.
20:1- The Kingdom of God is like…. This is a clue for us that everything following is a metaphor for what God’s Kingdom is like! We have to use our interpretation skills!
20-21- Mothers have not changed a bit. They still do all they can to get their kids the highest recognition, haha
Notice that verses 19:30, 20:16 and 20:26-27 are all a similar theme. The first shall be last and the last shall be first.

Think: One of my brothers is a HUGE Taylor Swift fan, and since I’ve been driving his car lately, her songs are stuck in my head. As I was reading this passage I couldn’t get the lyrics, “O darling don’t you ever grow up, don’t you ever grow up, just stay this little,” out of my head. Then as I started to think more I realized that this song actually may be beneficial. Perhaps Jesus is asking us to do a similar thing- to stay like a child.
Children in the first century were nobodies. Unlike today, everyone probably didn’t ooo and ahh at the little babies and dream of what the future generations could accomplish. These kids equaled nothing to society, but mattered incredibly to Jesus. Why?
The first thing I notice is that kids aren’t given anything because they earned it. In verse 26 of chapter 19 we are reminded that we do not earn salvation, that’s impossible. Only God can give us salvation and it is a gift. A child would know and understand this concept. They don’t have to work for food, their mom just feeds them. Jesus wants us to understand that, like a child, we only are given his blessings as a gift- not by how hard we work.
Jesus goes on in this chapter about money, something society cares a lot about and kids don’t care at all about. Jesus tells his disciples that it is easier for a camel to go through a tiny hole in a needle than for a rich person to enter his kingdom. So we should be like kids in the way we think about money. Of course we can gain knowledge and be wise with how we spend and save, but in general, we should be like kids who do not make gaining wealth a priority.
I love love love the parable at the beginning of chapter 20, it is all about being grateful and not feeling entitled. These laborers were happy with getting paid a denarius, until they found out someone who worked less got that much too. They began to feel like they deserved to get paid more than the others. They didn’t, but they began to compare with others and felt gyped. Think of a young innocent child on a birthday. Obviously this is not always the case, but for the most part a child is thrilled to get a gift! They don’t know it is their birthday and they ‘deserve’ a gift. We should be like a child who does not feel entitled to anything and grateful for everything.
If this is not enough, the chapter goes on, showing us again why we should be like a child. Kids believe in miracles. Jesus heals two blind men just at his word, and kids would have no problem believing that. Jesus wants us to be like little kids who believe he can do anything, because he can!
Kids may be considered last in knowledge, understanding and prestige but in the Kingdom of God they are considered first! The first shall be last and the last shall be first! Learn how to be a little kid!

Ask: Ask God to reveal areas of your heart where you are not like a little child. Pray that you will trust Jesus as a little child is able to trust.

By: KVH

Posted by on July 8, 2012 in Gospels, Uncategorized.

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