What are your priorities?

Playing a little catch-up, this was a rough few days with the wife getting a much needed getaway and my kids keeping me busy. I was keeping up with my reading but didn’t away get something writen down for a verse and didn’t get to putting down my thought on the verse until today’s reading. Here is the reading and verses as well as today’s thoughts. 

October 9

 

Reading: Isaiah 65-66, Psalm 124, and Acts 11

 

Scripture: Isaiah 66:12-13, For thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip, and bounced upon her knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. 

 

October 10

 

Reading: 2 Kings 21, 2 Chronicles 33, Psalm 75, and Acts 12

 

Scripture: Acts 12:22-23, And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.

 

October 11

 

Reading: Nahum 1-3 and Acts 13

 

Scripture: Acts 13:17-18, The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness.

 

October 12

 

Reading: 2 Kings 22, 2 Chronicles 34, and Acts 14

 

Scripture: Acts 14:2-3, But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

 

October 13

 

Reading: 2 Kings 23, 2 Chronicles 35, and Acts 15

 

October 14

 

Reading: Habakkuk 1-3 and Acts 16

 

Scripture: Acts 16:28, But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”

 

October 15

 

Reading: Zephaniah 1-3 and Acts 17

 

Scripture: Zephaniah 1:18, Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the Lord. In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

 

Thoughts: As I sit here working to get a loan to be able to build a home for my family, money has been weighing heavy on my mind. How much do I bring in? How much is God’s? How much do we need for all the other things like food and gas? All things running through my mind and this passage stuck out to me and making me think of our current situation in the United States. So many of the people in this nation are more worried about the big green god, their “gold and silver.” Zephaniah reminds us that when we don’t have the right focus and allow God to be supplanted by the things of this world, we could easily be wiped away with the non believers.

 

Prayer: Father God your are our provider, you are the one who created all things and own the cattle on a thousand mountains. I think you that you are leading and guiding me. I thank you for my family and the provisions that you give us every day. I ask that you help me to steward well those things you have given to me, help me to be kind and loving to my family and those around me. All I have is your and I place it all in your hands that it will prosper and grow. I thank you that you have a plan for us and that we have the ability to see your works.

What fires are burning?

Reading: Isaiah 62-64 and Acts 10

 

Scripture: Isaiah 64:2-3, as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil— to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence! When you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.

 

Thoughts: There are so many uses for fire, but as useful as it is the destructive power of fire can be found almost everywhere. Just as fire’s power is known by everyone, we are called to make known the Power of God. This passage was using Fire to describe God. Are we pointing to God when these wondrous things happen and sharing the awesome power of God when we experience it. This passage brought the image of Moses and Mount Sinai, the mountain everything going on around it. God came down to the mountain and gave Moses the tables, I imagine there would have been some sort of shining and rumbling from that mountain. These events have been documented and shared for generations. What are the little things that we are seeing God do that we are not sharing even with our family?

 

Prayer: Lord God, you are creator of all things, I thank you that you are the provider and orchestrator of all things. You may not be shaking the geological mountains today but you are moving mountains in the lives around us. I thank you for the provision that you have given me to steward, I thank you for my family and friends that I get to walk with. I ask that you help me see the mountains that you have moved in my life and those that you are working in me to move. Help me to grow in your love and share you love with those around me.

What to fear?

Reading: Isaiah 60-61, Psalm 111, and Acts 9

 

Scripture: Psalm 111:10, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

 

Thoughts: As we are entering October and the much of the world around us is presenting more things that could bring fear, what should we truly fear? It appears that much of the Halloween decorations center around death, whether tombstones, skeletons, or the undead, zombies, vampires, and mummies. It looks like much fear centers around death. Part of the fear that we should have when it come to God is the fear of who we are without Him and where we will be/go if we do not have Him in our life. When we fear the things of this world all we do is get anxiety, we can not change this world but when we seek the one who can and seek Him, we do not just get knowledge, but we grow in wisdom from the Father. Seek God and get in His Word and find a way to praise Him even in the midst of fear trying to drown out the voice of God.

 

Prayer: Lord God, you are who I faer, I know that I have allowed distractions into my life, and I ask that you help me to remove them. Help me to prioritize my time with you. You are worthy of all my time and effort. I place my life, my family, and my finances in your hands. Help me to steward all that I have for you and seek you all my days and in all my ways.

Coming back to the refuge

Reading: Isaiah 58-59, Psalm 5, and Acts 8

 

Scripture: Psalm 5:11; But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.

 

Thoughts: Over that last several months, I have been drifting and not fully trusting in God but leaning on my understanding and walking in what I thought were God’s ways but not seeking God. I was taking refuge in my time to myself and in my own selfish desires. Lately I have been hearing the call to come back to the feet of God, to sit and listen, to cry out to Him about those things that are going on. Let us come back to that first love we had when we first met Christ let us rejoice that we have refuge in you and place that banner that we can look to and return to when life gets us down.

 

Prayer: Father God, you are worthy of all praise, you are greater than any other god. I humbly come before you returning and asking you to wash me again. Fill me again with your love. I long to sit in your presence. I long to hear your voice. Open my ears again to hear you to discern your voice from the things that call me away.