I have been a little off for the last few weeks and have not posting. I still have been trying to be in the word and writing but it didn't always make it here if get finished here is some stuff I have been writing and reading.
July 19
Reading: Proverbs 9-11 and James 4
Scripture: Proverbs 9:7-9, Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
Thoughts: We are sitting in a time where opinion is king, and feelings are queen. That means that the wicked and scoffers will run rampant in that world. There are good reasons that are talked about for the protests that are going on around the country but very few know the truth behind the organizations and ideals that they are supporting and as they all develop mob mentality the cities get broken.
Prayer:
July 21
Reading: Proverbs 14-15 and 1 Peter 1
Scripture: Proverbs 15:1, A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Thoughts: This is something that I struggle with, from some of my earliest memories I remember throwing things at people screaming and yelling and never really looking at the words I was using. I was spiting venom at the world around me because it was not going my way or I didn’t understand or because of a perceived insult. We need to make ourselves uncomfortable and before we let this verbal vomit come pouring fourth from our mouths we need to stop take a deep breath and think about what are going to be the results of what we just said.
Prayer: Father you are the healer the protector and the one who will work all things for our good. I thank you for the wonderful things you are doing in my life and the growth that you are doing in me. I thank you for the provisions and blessings that you bestow upon us. I thank you for my family and the peace and love you are pouring into our lives. I ask that you continue to work with me on getting control of my words and tone that I may honor you all my days.
July 23
Reading: Proverbs 18-19, Psalm 16, 1 Peter 3, and Luke 13
Scripture: Proverbs 18:1-3, Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment. A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. When wickedness comes, contempt comes also, and with dishonor comes disgrace.
Thoughts: In the midst of a pandemic and riotous demonstrations about inequality and hate towards people who are different. We are being told to stay home and to isolate especially if we end up being sick. As social beings we crave connections that is why solitary confinement is a punishment. Being in isolation will break people and bring out our selfish desires. We have been isolated and now many fools are our not wanting to understand but just express themselves. There is wickedness, pouring into the contempt causing the dishonor and disgrace to pour over this country.
Prayer: Father God I lift us this great nation, I lift up the dissention and anarchy that is growing in this place. You are in control and you are the one who watches over us and protects us. I long to linger in in your presence. I ask that you touch the leaders, have them encounter you and see how to love as you love and lead.
July 24
Reading: Proverbs 20-21, Psalm 11, and 1 Peter 4
Scripture: 1 Peter 4:4-6, With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.
Thoughts: I used to be involved in mid-evil reenactment groups, we were the pirates and gypsies basically everything that was not a merchant or those involved in the tournaments. At night all the things that Peter was writing about came out and engulfed you in that world. When God started getting back ahold of me and calling me back into his arms I experienced this and I think there are many out there trying to peacefully protest and demonstrate that all these this minority groups are being wronged but then there are those calling to everyone there to jump into the violence and destruction of public and private property. and they are surprised that someone could have a differing opinion or set of facts than what they heard.
Prayer: Father God I want to lift up all the protesters and demonstrators. Help them to experience your love and want to share that love with others. The issues with this world will not be solved with violence but love help us to love the world around us.
July 25
Reading: Proverbs 22-23, Psalm 101, 1 Peter 5, and Luke 14
Scripture: Luke 14:8-10, When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you.
Thoughts: Luke here was reminding us of the teachings of Christ in that we should not be thinking too highly of ourselves. Today we spend lots of time jockeying for our positions in life, searching for that place where we get the recognition that we think we deserve. I know I did it and still struggle with it. In my work life I told them that I was going to start looking for other work if I didn’t get more money, they said they would give it to me and then the pandemic hit and a wage freeze came into affect and who knows when that raise will take affect. In the church after finishing my degree I thought I would have more opportunity to move onto staff and I would work in ministry but I have been teaching kids and leading small groups for the entire time after school and not feeling like I have been noticed, but I know at the moment I’m right where I need to be to learn what God is trying to teach me and move me into. I may be sitting in the lowest spot waiting to be brought higher then again, I may be in the place where he knows I will be most effective. Do not be discouraged if things do not look like you imagined.
Prayer: Father God you are so wonderful I thank you that you chose me and know me by name. I thank you for your provision and blessings you pour out on us. I thank you for my family and those who stand by us as family. I ask that you help me to be content and joyful where I am and have a peace that when needed or opened, I will be moved.
July 28
Reading: Proverbs 28-29, Psalm 48, and 2 Peter 3
Scripture: 2 Peter 3:16-17, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.
Thoughts: Growing up in the Church and being exposed to many differing denominations, I have seen churches spilt or be dissolved over differing thought on things going on in them, from order of service to carpet, from pews to chairs. Within the church there is also debates over passages and these lead to many of the differences in denominations across the world. There are those who have twisted and according to Peter this is nothing new. We are needing to make sure that we are going into the word with open hearts and minds that Holy Spirit can speak to us though it but also with the thought process of a scholar. We have so many resources where we can investigate whom this was originally written to and look at the context of what was going on because without understanding those there may be something missed
Prayer: Father God I thank you that your word is living and is sharper than a two-edged sword. I thank you that you choose to seek after me and seek after my relationship with you. Open my eyes to the truth in your work and lead me in your directions. I thank you for my family, I thank you for those who have help support us though our trials and tribulations. I thank you for those reminders you give us of your love.
July 29
Reading: Proverbs 30-31, Psalm 96, and 1 John 1
Scripture: Proverbs 30:21-23, Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up: a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when he is filled with food; an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress.
Thoughts: I was reading with the lens of a pandemic and protests and riots going on around me, I found this passage standing out and interesting. The first thing a slave that becomes king, or another way of looking at it is someone with only experiencing oppression being put in charge, most of the time when that happens they become what they hated they oppress because they were oppressed. The Bible and we us the term fool to describe many types of people but how I saw this was when peoples only real concern is self-preservation, their focus was on doing what was needed to fulfil the needs of food shelter and so forth. In todays environment when because of the pandemic many people are staying at home and being paid to not work. Now those same people who were worried about working to fulfill their needs now have time to spare.
Prayer:
July 30
Reading: Songs of Solomon 1-4 and 1 John 2
Scripture: 1 John 2:18-19, Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
Thoughts: We need to be vigilant, the wolf in sheep’s clothing is a real thing, so many in the church have been taught that antichrist is someone who will rise to power and try to squish the church or the remnant of the church. But antichrist is not a person with 666 on their forehead saying down with God but it could be something that appears good like “Black Lives Matter.” Yes, the strive against racism and inequality is something that should be stood up for but, when you look at the manifest for what the Organization “Black Lives Matter” you will see that they are not about racism they are about anarchy, breaking down the family unit and the established government. They say that they are Marxist and Marxist don’t believe in God. This organization claims to be doing good by having violent and destructive protests and destroying public property in the name of antiracism.
Prayer:
July 31
Reading: Song of Solomon 5-8, Psalm 13, and 1 John 3
Scripture: Psalm 13, How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Thoughts: Reading this Psalm I felt like I had something in common with David, being that he was a warrior king and a soldier before that. I have felt at times that God had forgotten me and was hiding from me. I know that other than the evil one I don’t really have an enemy but lately I have felt so much opposition be it work or struggling with my own insecurities for ministries I’m apart of. Then the great reminder at the end that I have and need to every day put my trust in God steadfast love let my heart rejoice and sing because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Prayer: Father you are in control of all things and lead me to green pastures. I thank you for your blessings and guidance in this trying time. I thank you for my family I thank you that you are with me even when I feel alone. I thank you that you are doing a work in me and guiding me. I ask that you help me to continue to find the Joy and Peace that flow from you so that I and share and show that to others.
Aug 1
Reading: 1 Kings 11, Ecclesiastes 1, 1 John 4, and Luke 16
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:14, I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
Thoughts: What are we striving for? There is such a focus today on doing what feels good or bettering one self. One of the largest sections in bookstores is the self help section. When growing up the top jobs kids talked about were famous then cops firemen and doctors, most of us knew that famous was a dream and focused on one of our other jobs. Today the top jobs I have heard are YouTube star, influencer, and gamer. There had been a move from service or protection job dreams to the look at me. The word tell us that with was in affect 2000 years ago and today technology had made it easier to dive into that vanity rabbit hole and seek your own glorification and not be pointing to the one who truly deserves it and the one who created it all.
Prayer: Father you are so wonderful your love abounds over us and give us all we need. I thank you for my family, I thank you for your provision and blessings that are being poured out every day. Your grace is enough. I ask that you help me to keep my focus on you and my family help me to be that father you have called me to be.
