Go back where you came from.

Reading: Genesis 15-17 and Acts 5

 

Scripture: Genesis 16:8-9 And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.” The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.”

 

Thoughts: I know that there have been many times when I have prayed to have a trial removed from myself and others. None of us want to go through trials, which is why when reading this portion of Hagar’s experience I was drawn to the fact that God said to go back and submit. As a man, I will never understand the experience of being the other woman, pregnant, and a servant yet I can understand being told to go back to a situation. Being sent back was not about punishment, but about growth and God wanting to bless us. We need to not be discouraged because God didn’t take pain or trial away but learn to worship in the storms of life and trust that He will bless us on the other side.

 

Prayer: Lord God, you know the hairs on my head, you call me by name to your side. I thank you for the strength to overcome the trials and tribulations in my life. I thank you for the refining and molding you do through the trial. I ask that you give me wisdom and strength to overcome all the obstacles. I ask you to take the anger and roughness from me and place in me a heart of love and joy.

Are you training?

Reading: Genesis 12-14 and Acts 4

 

Scripture: Genesis 14:14 When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.

 

Thoughts: Abram led his TRAINED men. Before a conflict happened before there was a need Abram had already trained men to fight. Are we training for the trials and fights that we are not yet in? The Bible says there will be trials in our lives. (John 16:33) When it comes to spiritual war our training will look different in comparison to the wars of the world. Our training is going to be more focused on the fruit of the spirit we are to be leaning into the Word of God and familiarizing ourselves with the Armor of God and how to use it. We need protection, but we also need to learn to use the Word of God. Dive deep into the word, seek Him with all your heart, and pray always and in every situation.

 

Prayer: Father God, you are the beginning and the end, the Alpha and Omega. I place my life at your feet. I thank you for the opportunity to honor you with my stewardship. I thank you for covering my needs and blessing us so that we may bless others. I ask that you help me to put on the Armor of God and take up the Sword of the Spirit so that I can in your power and authority overcome the evil one.

It wasn’t me

Reading: Job 41-42, Genesis 11, and Acts 3

 

Scripture: Acts 3:12 And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?

 

Thoughts: The Apostles were pointing to the one who gave them authority and power to overcome. It is human nature to seek more power and authority. It is more common for men to seek power but most everyone wants to be known for something. There are those whom God gave the abilities and talents to become actors or political leaders but in that notoriety who are we pointing to? Are we puffing ourselves up saying look what I did or are we praising God for the talents and abilities that brought us to where we are today? God places in each of us the longing to grow and strengthen who we are but we need to remember and give glory to the one who gives us that power. 

 

Prayer: Father God, you give and your take, you are the power and authority by which I do all things. Your grace overwhelms me and your love overflows in me. I ask that you continue to work in me, mold me, and refine me into the man you are calling me to be. I place my life in your hands, I lay all my wants and desires at your feet and welcome your corrections.

Breaking bread.

Reading: Job 39-40 and Acts 2

 

Scripture: Acts 2:42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

 

Thoughts: We can easily get distracted and lose focus on the things of God. Yet we are still called to be discipled. At my church, we are encouraged to go through a discipleship series. During the different levels, we are asked to commit to a drastic reduction of media consumption. That includes social and mainstream media sources. We are to devote ourselves to the teachings and reading of the Bible, getting into or back into the discipline of daily Bible reading and prayer. In the Bible days and even in many Jewish homes today breaking bread together (having a meal) was not taken lightly it was seen as an acceptance of that person and what they represent. Are we devoting ourselves to seeking God and his will to the point of surrounding ourselves with those who can speak into our lives and those whom we can speak into theirs? 

 

Prayer: Lord God, you are worthy of all praise, your glory shines brighter than a thousand suns. Your peace amid chaos leads me to joy without understanding. I thank you for all you are doing in my life, I thank you that you are molding and refining who I am. I ask that you help me to devote more time and energy to seeking you and seeking others who point me more to you.   

Like breathing out and breathing in.

Reading: Job 37-38 and Acts 1

Scripture:  Acts 1:14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

Thoughts: Prayer was an integral part of Jesus’s life. Luke 22:39 says “And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him.” As was his custom – Jesus was in prayer so much seeking his father’s will and seeking closeness to his father, that he became known for being in prayer it was his custom. We are to emulate Jesus seeking that closeness and God’s will in our lives. The disciples, not just the remaining 11 but at least 120 people gathered and devoted themselves to prayer. How devoted to prayer and seeking God’s will are we? I know that I have had plenty of times where I was not praying, I was not seeking God. Let us commit to like the old Steven Curtis Chapman song Let Us Pray says “Let us pray without end and when we finish start again Like breathing out and breathing in, let us pray.”

Prayer: Father God, lead us and guide us. Open our hearts to hear you and long to be with you. I place my life before you, take my life, and use it as you will. Open my eyes to see and my ears to hear that I can follow you. Fill me with your love and mercy, continue to pass me through the refiner’s fire that I may be made pure. Mold me and make me into the vessel you need me to be so that I may overflow with your love to those around me. Help me to develop a custom of prayer and seeking you. 

Take this from me!!!!!

Reading: Job 36 and Luke 24

 

Scripture: Job 36:15 He delivers the afflicted by their affliction and opens their ear by adversity.

 

Thoughts: So often I hear people asking for prayer to take away adversity or affliction in their lives. And usually we are looking to just have all hurts and struggles taken from us. Even Jesus prayed that in the garden the night before he was crucified, the big difference between the way we pray and the way He prayed is the “Not my will but yours.” We are asking for the removal of situations from our limited view of them and from the affliction we are in because of those situations. Here in Job, it is saying that God delivers those afflicted by affliction and our eyes are opened by adversity. Adversity and affliction are not fun but we need to be seeking God’s strength and endurance thought the situation if His will is for us to go through it. We need to seek His will be done and not ours. As a selfish person I want it my way and I need to let that go.

 

Prayer: Lord God, your ways are higher than our ways, you know the molding and refining that need to be done in our lives. I ask that you give me the strength to walk through these trial, help me to learn the thing I need to learn and grow in the places you need me to grow in. Open my eyes to see the next step that your light is showing. Help me to take the steps needed and discern those steps that will lead me from you.

Discipline and authourity.

Reading: Job 35, Psalm 6, and Luke 23

 

Scripture: Psalm 6:8-9 Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping. The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord accepts my prayer.

 

Thoughts: After listening to David cry out to God to not discipline him in His anger and ask for grace. Then here at the end of the Psalm David walks in the authority given to him by God and tells the evil one and his minions to leave. Saying God has heard him in his weeping and pleading and has accepted them. We will be disciplined by God when we have unrepented sin in our lives. Yet when we are seeking God with our entire heart He will listen to our pleas and weeping. Let us turn away from those sins in our lives and seek the Father with all we have. 

 

Prayer: Lord God, you are the maker of all things, I thank you for your discipline, the correction, and redirection in my life. You are the author of all things and I long to walk humbly with you. I thank you that you do hear me and that you answer my cries out to you. I ask that you continue to mold me and refine me every day. I ask that you help me walk in your ways and seek you every day.

Whos ear is this?

Reading: Job 34 and Luke 22

 

Scripture: Luke 22:50-51 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him.

 

Thoughts: I feel like when I hear this story after the focus on the sweat becoming like great drops of blood and the betrayal this servant’s ear gets glossed over. In John’s gospel it says it was Peter who cut off the ear. I can see impetuous Peter jumping in thinking its time to take over. Even being with Jesus for three years many of his follower thought he was going to be the concurring, Messiah. With the authority that the servant carried Peter most likely would have been harshly punished. But this was not just one last miracle before going to the cross but Jesus removed all evidence that the crime happened. Just like how after the cross our sins are wiped away, Jesus made it so that Peter could not be convicted of attacking the high priest’s servant.  He is still touching and healing us and those we hurt today, we need to accept it and ask for forgiveness form God and those we hurt. 

 

Prayer: Lord God, you are the healer and you put back together the things broken in our lives. I thank you that you are working in me. I ask that you forgive my iniquities, open my mind to remember those who I have hurt that I may seek forgiveness and help me to offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me. Fill me with your fruit – Love Joy Peace Patience Kindness Goodness Faithfulness Gentleness and Self-Control. 

Swordsmen and Traps

Reading: Job 32-33 and Luke 21

 

Scripture: Luke 21:33-34 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.

 

Thoughts: Are we watching for the traps and snares of the evil one? just as Job asked to be judged on a fair scale if he was deceived because deception is a trap, we too need to seek a fair scale. We do need to remember that The Word of God is the counter to the deception that is coming our way. It is sharper than and can cut deeper than any two-edged sword. As we dive deeper into the Word every day we learn how to wield that sword. Let us learn to be master swordsmen so that we may cut down the enemy and stand firm on the promises of God.

 

Prayer: Father God, you are the Lord of all, the creator of all. Your ways are higher than our ways. I thank you for your Word I ask you to continue to write it on my heart that I may wield it as you call me to. I ask that you refine me and mold me into the warrior that you are creating in me. Help me to show your love and mercy as well as speak your truth.

How are we being judged?

Reading: Job 30-31 and Luke 20

 

Scripture: Job 31:5-6 If I have walked with falsehood and my foot has hastened to deceit; (Let me be weighed in a just balance, and let God know my integrity!)

 

Thoughts: Are we being deceived? They call this the information age, yet with the invention of AI as limited as it is there are still plenty of things that look so close to the truth yet are false. Just in the last couple of weeks, I have come across ads where I noticed there was something off about how the mouth of this well-known actor’s mouth was moving so I knew that he had not said these words in the ad. The evil one has been deceiving people much longer than AI. Job was asking to be judged on a fair scale if he had been deceived. We need to also seek that fair judgment but also seek the wisdom and decrement to see through the lies of the evil one.  

 

Prayer: Lord God, you are the way the truth, and the life. All things are from you. I thank you for the blessings and provision in my life I thank you for the decrement that you impart to us. I ask that you continue to fill us with your love and understanding so that we can walk in your ways and not be deceived.

Use it of loose it!!

Reading: Job 29, Luke 19, and Psalm 121

 

Scripture: Luke 19:26 I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

 

Thoughts: After the parable of the Minas, Jesus tells us that if we are not wise in our stewarding of the things given to us they will be taken away and given to another. All we have is God’s we are here to steward it, to take care of it, and to do his work with it. Not to say we are to live in poverty but when we treat what we have as not ours and that we are to take care of it until the true owner returns and the ability to take care of it will determine how much we will have to take care of later. If we can’t take care of God’s provisions in our lives today what makes us think that our provisions will grow and that we can do more for the kingdom.  

 

Prayer: Lord God, I am in awe of the work of your hands. I thank you for the opportunity to steward the things you place in my hands. I thank you for the blessings and provision you pour out on us every day. I thank you for the supply you provide. I ask for the wisdom and directions to wisely steward those things that are yours and work all things for your good as you work then for mine. Lead me and guide me in all our ways.  

Just Keep Swimming

Reading: Job 27-28 and Luke18

 

Scripture: Luke 18:3-5 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward, he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’

 

Thoughts: I have gotten far too comfortable in this instant gratification world we live in. We have credit cards that allow us to buy things before we have the money to do so. The internet allows instant access to information. When was the last time you needed to wait for something? Even in the process of finding a large truck for being able to tow and haul things for the property, we were able to look at hundreds of dealerships without leaving our couch, instead of driving to a few and settling for what I could find I was able to find a deal. But that also came after time in prayer on how were are dealing with things going on. God’s timing is not our timing, He wants to give us what we need and want but He has his timing. The widow kept coming to the judge to get help even though he said no she kept coming back. We are to be consistent and keep asking. This is not to be a throw one prayer up and walk away we are to be in constant conversation with God and seek His will and his timing. But we do need to remember that sometimes there is a no for a good reason. Listen and be content.

 

Prayer: Father God, your creation shouts your name. With every breath, we say your name and cry out to you. Your grace abounds and your mercy pours out on your children. I thank you for the work you are doing in my life. I ask that you continue to help me to continue to smooth my rough edges, become less aggressive and controlling. Help me to be the strong leader you are calling me to be. To lead with love and mercy especially in my home. I know that the ones closest to me are the ones I hurt the most. Take my hurt and help me to walk in your way. 

Judgy Judgy

Reading: Job 24-26 and Luke 17

 

Scripture: Luke 17:3-4 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.

 

Thought: When someone is being called out on sin in their lives it is common to hear Matthew 7:1 be quoted. “Judge not, that you be not judged. But even in this passage about forgiveness we are called to have discernment and in turn, make a judgment. This is not an eternal judgment that is only for God but we are to judge how to deal with sin in the church. In Luke, it says “If a brother sins.” Sure this can be family but this is more likely to be referring to the church family, our brothers and sisters in Christ. If we are not calling out the sins (judging) ourselves and our brothers we will inevitably start finding ourselves and others finding our way towards the wide and easy path. Yes, we will be judged by the measure we use to judge others like Matthew says but when that judgment is loving kindness calling our brothers and sisters back to God that is the judgment I want used against me.

 

Prayer: Father God I thank you for giving me discernment, helping me to see the difference between where I am and where I should be. I am in awe of the love you pour out on me even when I have fallen into sin. I thank you that you have sent brothers and sisters around to call wake me up to sins in my life. I thank you that you are working in my life, continuing to mold and refine me. You are the potter and the silversmith that are working my life into a reflection of you. I ask that you help me to see the next steps in your plan and give me the boldness to step out in them. 

 

What are you wasting?

Reading: Job 22-23 Luke 16

 

Scripture: Luke 16:1-2 He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’

 

Thoughts: As I was reading this I started thinking about all the different things that I manage. My household and finances are the biggest things I manage. At some point my job may move into a place where I manage people and projects but am I managing what I have well? I know there are times when I can definitely say I have not. Are we managing what God has placed in our lives not just well in the eyes of the world but well in God’s eyes? I know that tithes and offerings in the world’s eyes are not good resource management yet God calls us to give. Let us seek to manage well that one day more will be given to us to manage well.  

 

Prayer: Father God, you own the cattle on a thousand hills, you created all and all things bow before you. I thank you for the opportunity to manage and steward some of what is yours. I thank you for the provisions and blessings you pour out on us. I ask that you give us wisdom and discernment in managing you possessions that we can glorify you in our works. I ask for your peace and understanding as we move forward with the things we have been called to. 

Thats not fair!!!!!

Reading: Job 20-21 and Luke 15

 

Scripture: Luke 15:31-32 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’

 

Thoughts: Most of the time the wayward son and his retuning get the attention in this story. The older son who stayed and worked as the younger played was understandably frustrated. Yet the father reminded the older son that even though he was celebrating the return of his lost son all that the father has belongs to the son. It is easy to relate to the older brother when we have been trying to walk with the Lord for a long time looking at the hard work we have been doing being molded and refined by God. Like the older brother yes, we are putting in the hard work, but we also have access to God’s storehouses. Not that God is giving us everything we want, but he is fulfilling the provisions that we need. Let us not be frustrated and angry when someone is celebrated and celebrate the provisions of the Lord. 

 

Prayer: Father God, you own the cattle on a thousand hills, the gold is yours and the silver is yours. I thank you that you are refining me and molding me. I ask that you continue to remove the dross of my life, remove those impurities that are not your fruit in my life. I thank you for your provision in my life and the blessings you pour out on us. Lead us and guide us in all that we do.