Bad things happen.

Reading: Isaiah 42-43, Psalm 82, and Acts 1

Scripture: Isaiah 42:24, Who gave up Jacob to the looter, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned, in whose ways they would not walk, and whose law they would not obey?

Thoughts: I hear it regularly, “If God is love why do bad things happen?” and sometimes it is expanded to, why do bad things happen to good people?” As I read this passage this morning those questions came to mind. The only way to be in the presence of God is to be perfect and in this fallen world no matter how good someone thinks they are there is sin and that sin separated us from God. Jesus is the only one who was perfect, and His blood covers our sin so we can have a relationship with God. The passage brings up Jacob and Israel and the looting and plundering that happened to them. The chosen people of God still had sin and still had consciences for those sins. They were plundered, taken into exile, and ruled over by leaders from other nations. When we are not listening to the Word of God and seeking him in all we do there will be consequences. Unfortunately, when we are seeking him with all our heart there are consequences to that too. Yes, there will be blessings, but there will also be attacks from the evil one. So, in truth, bad things happen sometimes because we aren't fully walking with God, and sometimes because the evil one wants to tear us down. Finally, sometimes God allows bad things to happen to teach us and draw us closer to Him. No matter the storm we need to lean harder on God, and our relationship with Him. Draw close to Him and He will give peace beyond understanding.

Prayer: Lord God, you are so wonderful, I am amazed by the beauty you put into a flower that is here today and gone tomorrow, and the wonders of the changing of the seasons. I thank you that you know all of me, you know my failures and the victories I have in you. You know the hairs on my head and the number of my days. I praise your name for you are Holy and Worthy of all praise.

Promotion comes from the Lord

Reading: Isaiah 40-41 and John 21

Scripture: Isaiah 40:29, He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Thoughts: This last year has been full of ups and downs, getting into our house after two years living in an RV, bills becoming larger than expected, and my wife needing surgery. There have been times when I did not know which way was up. With everything going on I know I have been feeling depleted. This passage being spoken over Israel reminded me that my strength and my provisions do not come from my hard work and toils. All I have comes from the Lord. “For one’s rising up does not come from the east, nor from the west, And not from the desert; But God is the Judge; He puts down one and raises up another.” Psalm 75:6-7 God is the one who placed me in this job, God is the one who provides and strengthens me as I walk through this valley. As much as I love the view from the mountain tops there is not much growth happening there, growth happens in the valley where we struggle and are stretched beyond what we think we can handle, so that we can give glory to God.

Prayer: Lord God, I stand in awe of you. You are the provider of all things. You know our needs even before we do. I thank you that you hear us and know us by name. I thank you for calling me and working in my life. I thank you for those men whom you have placed in my life, so that we get to be the iron for one another sharpening and honing our lives to live for you. Thank you for those who help refine me like silver that I may reflect You.

Peace in my time.

Reading: 2 Kings 20, Isaiah 38-39, Psalm 134, and John 20

Scripture: Isaiah 39:8, Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my days.”

Thoughts: Living in the United States there are two primary political groups the Liberals and the Conservatives. And when your party is in power, we talk about how good it is, and when the other party is in power, we complain about how the country is falling apart. Hezekiah was on his deathbed crying out to God after being told he would die. Because of his fervent prayers, God granted him more time. When the Babylonian envoys came because they heard he was sick and had recovered, Hezekiah showed them all he had instead of giving glory to God. I see this as him being a prideful man. And after Isaiah tells him that the nation will go into exile and be taken to Babylon, his response was, " Good, I will have peace.” Are we being the force for change and for good to push back the things the Bible calls evil or are we like Hezekiah saying, “At least I will have peace?”

Prayer: Father God, I thank you that you are in control no matter what party is leading this country. I thank you that you are leading and guiding your people and that you have a plan. I thank you for the revival in the church and the outreach and calling you are doing. I thank you for all those who have received your gift of salvation and are striving to know you more. I thank you that you are providing for wants and needs. You are Worthy of it all and I praise you in the storm.

The Battle belongs to the Lord!!

Reading: 2 Kings 19, 2 Chronicles 32, and John 19

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 32:7-8, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

Thoughts: Every day we are in a battle. Sometimes it is with our own desires and other times we are being attacked. Judah was being invaded, and then someone invades they will count the costs so they can determine if they feel like they have enough of an advantage to overcome the defense. So, it would seem to me that Judah had every right to be afraid looking at a large force coming in to wipe them out. They are being encouraged because God is with them. Physically, they would have seen farmers and families trying to defend their land, but Hezekiah calling out that God is on their side strengthened them; in 2 Kings 19:35, it says the angel of the Lord struck down 185,000. The battle belongs to the Lord; we are soldiers in His army, and when we get on our knees in prayer and devote time to God’s Word every day, we can seek that there are more with us than with the enemy.

Prayer: Lord God, I thank you that I get to be a part of your army, that I get to walk out your plans and orders. I thank you for the provisions and blessings you pour out on us. I thank you for my family and the blessings they bring. I thank you for the insight into my life and the battles that I am in the midst of. I thank you for your light and for leading and guiding us.

Worshiping at the alter of Self and Convenience.

Reading: 2 Kings 16, 2 Chronicles 28, Psalm 113, and John 14

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 28:22-23, In the time of his distress he became yet more faithless to the LORD—this same King Ahaz. For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus that had defeated him and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.

Thoughts: As I read over this again, I see Ahaz started seeking help from other nations' gods just because those nations defeated them. I find it interesting that over the last few decades there have been some “Christian” groups/ churches who in my opinion have like Ahaz decided to bow down to a false god, disregarding Scripture and placing self before the sovereignty of God. We are all the imago Dei (image of God) and as such the murder of any is deplorable, from one still in the womb to one in a nursing home. All life is valuable and should be treated as such. In my opinion, abortion is like the child sacrifices to Moloch of the Old Testament. Many states have made this murder as easy as a mail-order pill. Have we been convinced that the gods of self and convenience are more worthy of our worship than the one who created it all? As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Prayer: Father God I thank you for every life that is created. I thank you for the opportunity to seek and hear your voice. I stand in awe of how you can continue to speak through words penned thousands of years ago. You are worthy of all praise and honor. You are the creator of all things and the beginning and end. I thank you for your provisions and blessings that you pour out on us and for giving us what we need.

Is God listening?

Reading: Isaiah 33-34, Psalm 4, and John 13

Scripture: Psalm 4:1, Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

Thoughts: As I went over the reading multiple times, I tried to find something that spoke to me or what God was saying, struggling to hear anything beyond the words on the page. I started feeling like the beginning of Psalm 4. Felt like I was crying out to God and my prayers and words just struck the ceiling and bounced back at me. I have been struggling with letting God take care of my family’s finances, wanting to control things. I know I went through this several years ago, but I let myself start taking things back from God. Over the last several years things got comfortable in our finances, we were not seeing all the bills for building our home and we got frivolous with our spending. The house was built; we moved in and now there are bigger bills than we thought. Now it's back to relying on God for everything. My wife had come across a post somewhere about a woman who was taking 40 days to praise God. Every time she wanted to ask God for something; direction, finances, stretch the food, or whatever instead she would worship and praise God for what He has done what He is doing, and what she has.

Prayer: Father God you are worthy of all praise, I thank you for the air in my lungs the ability to go to work. I thank you for the job I have. Your glory shines all around and I thank you that I get to experience even a small piece of it. I thank you that you provide all we need. I thank you for my family and the joy of being here. You are my Lord and Savior, you own the cattle on a thousand hills. I praise you and honor you.

Science

Reading: Exodus 14-15 and Romans 3

Scripture: Romans 3:21, But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it.

Thoughts: As I read the phrase, “the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law” I was reminded of a thought I had about if you look at the history of the world laid out in the Bible through the lens of the scientific method. I am not saying God is experimenting on the world but using that can point to how to have a relationship with God. In an experiment, you test variables to prove or disprove theories. After free will brought sin into the world could the world be cleansed by destruction? No sin continued. Next, there was a control group everyone except the descendants of Abraham. After growing Abraham’s family, they get The Law, can they be righteous when The Law points out their Sin? No, sin stayed. Then finally after showing the ways where we are not becoming righteous, He sends His Son, who was able to live righteously and sinlessly, to take on the sin of the world so that we can be made clean in his sight because all He sees when he looks at us is His perfect Son. In this thought, it's not about God seeing what will work, but God is showing us what does not work so that we can look to the Son as that Lord and Savior and understand there is no other way to be good enough to get to Heaven and spend eternity in His presence and escape the torment of separation.

Prayer: Lord God, I thank you that there is evidence of your love and your hand in everything I see. I thank you for eyes to see and ears to hear. I thank you for your wisdom and your knowledge. I ask that you bless all you hear your word and are encouraged. I ask that your word be spread to the four corners of the world and I thank you that I may be a small part of that.

Inside and out

Reading: Exodus 12-13 and Romans 2

Scripture: Romans 2:29, But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

Thoughts: As I read this, I was reminded of the groups that claim the name Christian but do not have the fruit that comes with the relationship with Christ, like the group that years ago got lots of publicity for protesting at veteran funerals, concerts, and dance clubs. Paul was pointing out that it is not the physical act of circumcision that creates the faith. Rather our faith and the position of our spirit will be recognized by God. When our hearts and spirit are not aligned with God then like in 1 Corinthians 13:1 these things become just noise. God is after a relationship, not just deeds done to appease. Who we are inwardly will reflect on the outside but just because we look the part outwardly does not mean that is what is on the inside. Who are you inside and out?

Prayer: Father God, I thank you that you are working in my life so that I better reflect your love and grace to the world around me. I ask for your wisdom, help me to recognize the signs of the times help me to know what is best for my family and those around me. Help me let go of the anger and resentment that I have. Fill me so that I can fill others lead me and guide me through this time.

AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!

Reading: Exodus 2-3 and Acts 25

Scripture: Exodus 2:24, And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

Thoughts: As I was reading and came to the line “and God heard their groaning,” my mind went to the fact that no formal religious practices for worshiping God had yet been established. Yet God heard and listened to those groanings that were not based on tradition. In Matthew 11:29 we are told to take Christ’s yoke when we are heavy laden. What is our groaning looking like today? Are we just complaining to our coworkers and friends about the problems we have or are we laying them at the feet of Jesus and taking up his yoke? How often do we try to trudge through the situation and complain to whoever will listen? Take it to God He wants to take our burdens.

Prayer: Father God, I thank you that you hear our groaning that you long to comfort us, and take our yoke from us. I thank you for your Covenant that grants us the exchange of all things that we can walk in your power and authority. I ask that you help me to see when I’m taking up my yoke again and not leaving it at your feet. Help me to see the path to take to be the man you need me to be.

Preservation

Reading: Genesis 50, Exodus 1, Psalm 140, and Acts 24

Scripture: Genesis 50:2, And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel.

Thoughts: As I was reading this the embalming stood out, and I thought about the embalming that the Egyptians did, many of those Pharos are so well preserved that thousands of years later there is still skin, bone hair, and teeth left. But the preservation of Israel before it was a nation was a man and God; through Joseph, the man and the nation were preserved. Even after nearly 2000 years from the destruction of the temple in 70AD and the establishment of it as a Sovereign nation in 1943, Israel was preserved. God’s chosen people retained their identity despite lacking a nation of their own. God preserved those of the old covenant how much more will He do with those who are a part of the new?  

Prayer: Father God, I thank you for preserving me, I thank you that you have found me, and that you are calling me into a deeper relationship with you. I thank you for the corrections and disciplines that you bring to me. I ask that you help me to heed the correction that I may be molded into the man you call me to be. I thank you for your love and for your peace and I ask that it fill me to overflowing that I may love those around me. Help me be the salt that helps preserve the world around me.

God can use them!!!

Reading: Genesis 48-49 and Acts 23

Scripture: Acts 23:35, he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.” And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod’s praetorium.

Thoughts: No matter where you are and what side of the fence you plant your flag, there will always be someone on the other side. We tend to think that if someone is on the other side of the fence, they are so wrong that God could not use them. Or because they don’t believe the way you do that they are against God’s plan. But Cyrus who was a foreign king and not a believer in God allowed Isaiah to return to Israel and rebuild the Temple and even paid for it. Then Here Paul was being protected from the religious leaders by the unbelieving Roman leader. When doing God’s work and furthering His kingdom we will be attacked. Both those who oppose us and those who God brings beside us may not come from where we expect. Be in the Word, seek God’s revelation about the situation. Who knows where your allies may come from.

Prayer: Father God, I thank you that you bring us allies when we are being attacked, I thank you that you have given us your armor through the covenant and the promises. I thank you that you are working in my life and helping me to release my anger and walk in your peace. I thank you for your provisions, and I ask that you help me steward the blessings you have placed in my hands so that we can live in the abundant life you have for us.

How to get Citizenship!!

Reading: Genesis 46-47 and Acts 22

Scripture: Acts 22:28, The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.”

Thoughts: I know there is a large controversy in the United States about some people's citizenship. There are those whose family goes back to the founding of the nation there are those who went through the process of getting that citizenship. Some came to the nation to have a baby so that the baby would be a citizen. And then some falsely claim citizenship. Paul was the tribune both had the same rights, yet one did nothing to get them and the other paid for them. When it comes to having citizenship in heaven there is only one way to get it, it must be paid for. But there is no way that we can pay what is required. Jesus paid for the adoption fees by his death and resurrection. I claim my citizenship of heaven though accepting that I was adopted into God’s family, grafted into the tree of life that I may bear fruit.

Prayer: Father God, you are worthy of every breath I breathe, or every praise I can sing. You are worthy of it all. I thank you for calling me, sending your Son that I may be adopted into the Family of God. That I may have citizenship in heaven and have the authority granted as children of God. I ask that you help me to continue to walk in your ways. I ask for forgiveness for not forgiving myself and releasing the hurt and pain that I have been holding onto. I ask that you help me release these things that are not of you. I release them to you.

Tell me your story.

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

Scripture: Acts 3:8, And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

Thoughts: What is your story? This lame bagger has his story; he told it by jumping and walking around in the temple he had been sitting in front of for years. We all have a story to tell, where were you when God called you out of your past? We were given the Great Commission, the thing that I feel is the most important part is how I look at the word commission; I see it as a co-mission we are in a partnership with God to share the good news and the best way to do that is to share, this is where I was and this is where I am now. Tell your story.

Prayer: Father God, I can’t thank you enough for bringing me out of my own mess. I thank you for sending those people to speak into my life and help me to see how far I slid when I chose to walk away from the church. I thank you that you are with me and you speak through me and my muddled words.

How much passion

Reading: Job 39-40 and Acts 2

Scripture: Acts 2:12-13, And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

Thoughts: How do you look when you are doing God’s work? The apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and could not stop themselves from spreading the Gospel. These men were so animated and passionate about what they were saying that there were spectators who thought they were drunk. Are we passionate about the work of God and those things He has called us to, or have we become complacent in God’s love that we have lost the passion of the Gospel? Let us seek the passion and the love we first had.

Prayer: Lord God, I thank you for all you do, I thank you for your provisions and blessings. May your will be done and not mine. I ask for help finding the love and passion I have lost over the years. Open my eyes to your plans and my part in them.

Only He knows

Reading: Job 38-38 and Acts 1

Scripture: Acts 1:6-7, So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

Thoughts: We can be so short sighted, the disciples lived in a time where they were seeing their kingdom of Israel being oppressed and ruled over by Rome, they wanted Rome to be overthrown and Israel to be its own kingdom again. Not understanding that the Kingdom of God is not one of earth but the Kingdom of Heaven. Not only were they asking from the wrong kingdom no one but the Father knows the day and time. Are there things that we are asking for even though we really do not know what we are asking? Let us seek His will and His blessings on those things before us. 

Prayer: Lord God your ways are higher than our ways, your thoughts are higher than our thoughts. I thank you that you love me and call me your own. I ask that you help me to be aware of the signs but not to read too much into them. Your timing is not our timing we strive to reach all who are lost in what time we have left.