SCRIPTURE
Isaiah 35:3-4
3 Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees that give way;
4 say to those with fearful hearts,
"Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you."
OBSERVATION
There will come a day when justice will arrive. On this day, the weak will be made strong, the poor made rich, the blind made to see. The day of the Lord will settle all accounts, and for all those who have been unjustly oppressed, their oppressors will be crushed and freedom will be granted.
In many ways, this day is already here, but in many other ways, it is not. Jesus has come and ushered in a new era, and all around us are signs of His present Kingdom. But His Kingdom is also coming. It is here, but it is not yet here in all its fullness. What has been promised in that great day in the future, echoes now in the present, but its expression is imperfect. Today, the fullness has not yet come, but at the same time, it is available to those who have faith and believe.
APPLICATION
The Lord is on His way and so I say to my heart today, "continue to trust and be faithful." Though I am surrounded by injustice — trust and be faithful. Though I do not understand all that happens — trust and be faithful. I will say to myself, "self, do not be moved, do not put your eyes on that which would cause fear and distress, but put your eyes on Jesus." Today I will be strong in the Lord, because He strengthens those who are weak.
PRAYER
Lord, every fear I give to You today. Every concern and anxiety, I turn over to You. You are big enough to deal with all and Your justice will prevail. Everywhere I feel I have been wronged, I release my right for justice and I place it in Your hands. Every area where I feel lack, I will trust you for your fullness. Lord, I wait on You today because You are the God who IS and who IS COMING! Amen.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Relying on God's Strength First
SCRIPTURE
Isaiah 31:1 NIV
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,
who rely on horses,
who trust in the multitude of their chariots
and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel,
or seek help from the LORD.
OBSERVATION
Israel was warned not to rely on the military or political power of Egypt because even though they were strong, it is only God who could be their true help. Relying on human strength or on political alliances is a slap in God's face — He was the only One who was to be Israel's security.
APPLICATION
What things in my life do I look to for support and help before God? Anywhere I look to for strength and support that does not come from God's hand, is outside of God's desire for my life. Whether it would be personal wisdom, relying on others (trust in man), looking to book knowledge — all of this may be good, but if it is not from God, then it is no good for me.
PRAYER
Lord, show me every place where I have decided to lean on human strength and wisdom instead of relying on You. Help me to choose You, and to not look anywhere else. Every time I am faced with challenge, Lord help me to look to you. Amen.
Isaiah 31:1 NIV
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,
who rely on horses,
who trust in the multitude of their chariots
and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel,
or seek help from the LORD.
OBSERVATION
Israel was warned not to rely on the military or political power of Egypt because even though they were strong, it is only God who could be their true help. Relying on human strength or on political alliances is a slap in God's face — He was the only One who was to be Israel's security.
APPLICATION
What things in my life do I look to for support and help before God? Anywhere I look to for strength and support that does not come from God's hand, is outside of God's desire for my life. Whether it would be personal wisdom, relying on others (trust in man), looking to book knowledge — all of this may be good, but if it is not from God, then it is no good for me.
PRAYER
Lord, show me every place where I have decided to lean on human strength and wisdom instead of relying on You. Help me to choose You, and to not look anywhere else. Every time I am faced with challenge, Lord help me to look to you. Amen.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
SCRIPTURE
Isaiah 26:3
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
OBSERVATION
So often I find that my mental world is at turmoil. I start to think about finances, the needs of my family, the future, work that needs to be done, and I find myself full of anxiety and worry. Instead of experiencing God's peace, I instead experience unrest. If I try to go to sleep in this state, then my mind races and I toss and turn. But this verse says that there is a way to obtain peace — it is by placing our mind on Christ!
Paul, echoes this verse in Philippians 4:7 — And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
APPLICATION
Today, I will focus on you, Lord. I will decide to TRUST you. I will believe that You big enough and that you care enough to take care of me, my family, my work and my future. I will "stay my mind on You" because you are trustworthy and You never fail. Today, I will decide not to rehearse the worries and concerns. I will be aware of them, certainly, but I will not dwell on them as if by doing so I can do anything about them. Instead, I will turn my worries into prayers that I will lift to You and allow You to carry.
PRAYER
Lord, today I lay aside every worry and concern, every burden that I cannot carry by myself, and I focus on You — Your goodness, Your mercy, Your love, Your kindness and Your hope. Amen.
Isaiah 26:3
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
OBSERVATION
So often I find that my mental world is at turmoil. I start to think about finances, the needs of my family, the future, work that needs to be done, and I find myself full of anxiety and worry. Instead of experiencing God's peace, I instead experience unrest. If I try to go to sleep in this state, then my mind races and I toss and turn. But this verse says that there is a way to obtain peace — it is by placing our mind on Christ!
Paul, echoes this verse in Philippians 4:7 — And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
APPLICATION
Today, I will focus on you, Lord. I will decide to TRUST you. I will believe that You big enough and that you care enough to take care of me, my family, my work and my future. I will "stay my mind on You" because you are trustworthy and You never fail. Today, I will decide not to rehearse the worries and concerns. I will be aware of them, certainly, but I will not dwell on them as if by doing so I can do anything about them. Instead, I will turn my worries into prayers that I will lift to You and allow You to carry.
PRAYER
Lord, today I lay aside every worry and concern, every burden that I cannot carry by myself, and I focus on You — Your goodness, Your mercy, Your love, Your kindness and Your hope. Amen.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
SCRIPTURE
Hebrews 12:14
Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
OBSERVATION
In the previous chapter of Hebrews, the author encouraged us to do everything by faith. Here, we are reminded that we must also be diligent in our walk with Christ. We are exhorted to "make every effort to live in peace" and "to be holy." I am always struck by the last phrase here, "without holiness no one will see the Lord." It is clear that holiness must be combined with faith and one must be combined with the other for the disciple of Christ. Often we end up emphasizing one and de-emphasizing the other. But both must be held up.
APPLICATION
For me, this means that I must constantly and consistently look at every area of my life and make a decision to stay holy. I cannot simply "live by faith" and ignore my responsibility to keep myself clean and pure. At the same time, I know that faith is required for me in order to live a holy life, because it is impossible for me to do so simply by an act of will. I must combine my faith with a strong and willful decision to keep myself clean. That means relentlessly removing from my life those things which are unclean, whether it is keeping myself from reading and watching things that are unclean, keeping my thoughts from straying into the gutters of life, guarding my financial decisions from any areas that might be questionable in terms of the ethical uprightness, keeping my mouth from speaking ANY forms of lies and deceit, making sure that every transaction with others is above board, and on and on.
PRAYER
Lord, make me aware of those areas of my life where I have compromised my holiness. Put a guard on my eyes and on my lips. Sensitize me to those things areas where I have lost my sensitivity because of the muck of the world. Preserve me in holiness, Lord!
Hebrews 12:14
Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
OBSERVATION
In the previous chapter of Hebrews, the author encouraged us to do everything by faith. Here, we are reminded that we must also be diligent in our walk with Christ. We are exhorted to "make every effort to live in peace" and "to be holy." I am always struck by the last phrase here, "without holiness no one will see the Lord." It is clear that holiness must be combined with faith and one must be combined with the other for the disciple of Christ. Often we end up emphasizing one and de-emphasizing the other. But both must be held up.
APPLICATION
For me, this means that I must constantly and consistently look at every area of my life and make a decision to stay holy. I cannot simply "live by faith" and ignore my responsibility to keep myself clean and pure. At the same time, I know that faith is required for me in order to live a holy life, because it is impossible for me to do so simply by an act of will. I must combine my faith with a strong and willful decision to keep myself clean. That means relentlessly removing from my life those things which are unclean, whether it is keeping myself from reading and watching things that are unclean, keeping my thoughts from straying into the gutters of life, guarding my financial decisions from any areas that might be questionable in terms of the ethical uprightness, keeping my mouth from speaking ANY forms of lies and deceit, making sure that every transaction with others is above board, and on and on.
PRAYER
Lord, make me aware of those areas of my life where I have compromised my holiness. Put a guard on my eyes and on my lips. Sensitize me to those things areas where I have lost my sensitivity because of the muck of the world. Preserve me in holiness, Lord!
Monday, July 14, 2008
By Faith
SCRIPTURE
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
OBSERVATION
I love that todays reading is Hebrews chapter 11. What an incredible chapter! How can you even pick just one verse out of this chapter? As I read this chapter today I am overcome with a sense of how faith must characterize EVERYTHING we do. If we consider ourselves as belonging to another country — that far and beautiful country — then we must choose to every day walk by faith. This is what the great men and women of faith did — they lived by faith — and this is what we must do.
APPLICATION
So often we are not sure of what God wants us to do, and frequently He simply wants us to step out in faith. We are paralyzed waiting for an answer when more often then not, He has already given us an indication in our heart but we are unwilling to step out IN FAITH and just do it.
Today, I am committing once again to be a man of faith. I chose not to be filled with doubt, and second guess what I believe God has told me, but rather to continue to step forward and to continue to trust.
PRAYER
Lord, you've given me a measure of faith — just as you have given to everyone a measure of faith — help me to actually USE mine!
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
OBSERVATION
I love that todays reading is Hebrews chapter 11. What an incredible chapter! How can you even pick just one verse out of this chapter? As I read this chapter today I am overcome with a sense of how faith must characterize EVERYTHING we do. If we consider ourselves as belonging to another country — that far and beautiful country — then we must choose to every day walk by faith. This is what the great men and women of faith did — they lived by faith — and this is what we must do.
APPLICATION
So often we are not sure of what God wants us to do, and frequently He simply wants us to step out in faith. We are paralyzed waiting for an answer when more often then not, He has already given us an indication in our heart but we are unwilling to step out IN FAITH and just do it.
Today, I am committing once again to be a man of faith. I chose not to be filled with doubt, and second guess what I believe God has told me, but rather to continue to step forward and to continue to trust.
PRAYER
Lord, you've given me a measure of faith — just as you have given to everyone a measure of faith — help me to actually USE mine!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
First Spark: Faith
SCRIPTURE
Hebrews 10:32
Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering.
OBSERVATION
I must remember that first spark of my first love and Father. He will never leave me nor forsake me.
APPLICATION
This scripture reminds me not only to keep my faith but that I am never alone.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, help me to remember that first spark of my first love no matter the situation or the circumstance. You are the arms that hold me; the peace that comforts me.
Sharon Burns
Choir Member, Section Leader (Soprano)
Hebrews 10:32
Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering.
OBSERVATION
I must remember that first spark of my first love and Father. He will never leave me nor forsake me.
APPLICATION
This scripture reminds me not only to keep my faith but that I am never alone.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, help me to remember that first spark of my first love no matter the situation or the circumstance. You are the arms that hold me; the peace that comforts me.
Sharon Burns
Choir Member, Section Leader (Soprano)
Saturday, July 12, 2008
SCRIPTURE
Hebrews 9:15
For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance - now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
OBSERVATION
Thank you Jesus! We were "CALLED" by our sovereign Lord to receive his eternal inheritance, but in order to receive this "Inheritance", not only did there have to be a Covenant, or "Will", written up, but the one the will was written for had to die in order for it to take effect.
Jesus died so we could experience this blessing. But there are conditions to receiving it. The most important thing we must do to our inheritance is to have a HEART connection with Jesus, not just lip service and occasional good deeds. Like any will that is written for a worldly family, there are conditions that have to be met before the heirs to that will can receive anything. The same is true for receiving God's Inheritance. God is the one who sets the rules, but we have to make the decision whether will receive it or not. If we accept it, then we will obey God's commands and adopt his ways as our ways, deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him daily. We reject it by being disobedient and unfaithful to God.
APPLICATION
Jesus didn't die so we could go on living lives as we did before we knew him. Our hearts have changed and they changed because of his glory. He wants to have a relationship with us. If we would just surrender our hearts to his calling, then we would begin to experience freedom from our sins, and the hope of his calling. Daily come to him and experience his salvation from the bondages of life and get to know your Daddy.
PRAYER
Father God, We know what your word says about how we know those who are in Christ Jesus, and that is by their fruit. Help us to see, oh God, every waking moment of every day living in your spirit. Are we full of Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self control? If not, Lord please quicken us to submit to your calling so we too can rest in your eternal inheritance.
Laura Stewart
Choir Member (Soprano)
Hebrews 9:15
For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance - now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
OBSERVATION
Thank you Jesus! We were "CALLED" by our sovereign Lord to receive his eternal inheritance, but in order to receive this "Inheritance", not only did there have to be a Covenant, or "Will", written up, but the one the will was written for had to die in order for it to take effect.
Jesus died so we could experience this blessing. But there are conditions to receiving it. The most important thing we must do to our inheritance is to have a HEART connection with Jesus, not just lip service and occasional good deeds. Like any will that is written for a worldly family, there are conditions that have to be met before the heirs to that will can receive anything. The same is true for receiving God's Inheritance. God is the one who sets the rules, but we have to make the decision whether will receive it or not. If we accept it, then we will obey God's commands and adopt his ways as our ways, deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him daily. We reject it by being disobedient and unfaithful to God.
APPLICATION
Jesus didn't die so we could go on living lives as we did before we knew him. Our hearts have changed and they changed because of his glory. He wants to have a relationship with us. If we would just surrender our hearts to his calling, then we would begin to experience freedom from our sins, and the hope of his calling. Daily come to him and experience his salvation from the bondages of life and get to know your Daddy.
PRAYER
Father God, We know what your word says about how we know those who are in Christ Jesus, and that is by their fruit. Help us to see, oh God, every waking moment of every day living in your spirit. Are we full of Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self control? If not, Lord please quicken us to submit to your calling so we too can rest in your eternal inheritance.
Laura Stewart
Choir Member (Soprano)
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