Tuesday, August 31, 2010

August 31 - Every Wrong Path

We'll begin the 2010-11 reading schedule on Sunday, September 5. The new schedule will soon be available as a downloadable pdf.

Today's Reading:
Psalm 119:113-128
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Psalm 119:127-128
127 Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold, 128 and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path.

Insight:
The psalmist considered God's word to be right and more precious than gold. It follows, then, that everything that anything that led him astray from God's commands, he considered to be worthless. Anything that contradicted God's precepts, he considered to be wrong.

Response and Action:
If I accept God's word as true, I will have to reject things that are contrary to it. This does not mean that I fail to consider the history of how the Scriptures have been handed down, fail to evaluate the reliability of the Bible, or fail to scrutinize the translations and interpretations of Scripture. But, if with honest consideration, I conclude that the Bible is indeed God's word—reliable, true, inspired—it follows that I will accept it as useful and valuable. If it is useful and valuable, anything that runs counter it to must then be useless and worthless. To truly follow God's word, I must choose it over everything else that contradicts it.

O God, help me to know and understand your Holy Word. Give me a love for truth and the testimony of Scripture. Help me to value the Bible and to demonstrate my love for your Word as I study and apply it every day. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 2 Peter 1:20-21
20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Recommended Reading:
How to Read the Bible Book by Book: A Guided Tour
by Gordon Fee

Monday, August 30, 2010

August 30 - Sweeter than Honey

We'll begin the 2010-11 reading schedule on Sunday, September 5. The new schedule will soon be available as a downloadable pdf.

Today's Reading:
Psalm 119:97-112
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Psalm 119:97, 103-104
97 Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. - - - 103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.

Insight:
Bible reading should not be approached as a mere duty or study assignment. The psalmist loved the Scriptures and savored them like honey. When something is sweet and desirable it is approached as a joy and privilege. Those who delight in the richness of the Word gain understanding for life and find every right path.

Response and Action:
I am thankful for the Bible and I read it because I want to! I want to enjoy and delight in the precious gift of God's Word. So often Bible reading is talked about in terms of duty and discipline, but I think about it in terms of love and longing for truth. I cannot think of anything sweeter than finding my way in life and growing in wisdom.

O God, thank you for the sweetness and goodness of your Word. Help me to delight in it each day. Lead me and bless me as I do. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Jeremiah 15:16
16 When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty.

Recommended Reading:
Zondervan NIV Study Bible
Over 20,000 study notes. / Introductions and outlines provide valuable background information for each book of the Bible. / In-text maps, charts, diagrams, and illustrations right where you want them / 16 pages of full-color maps plus timelines and presentation page. / NIV concordance plus subject and study notes indexes.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Reading Schedule for August 30 - September 4

James 1:19-22
19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Schedule and Tips:
2009-10 Reading Schedule
Tips for Daily Bible Readers

We'll begin the 2010-11 reading schedule on Sunday, September 5. The new schedule will soon be available as a downloadable pdf.

August 30 -
Psalm 119:97-112

August 31 -
Psalm 119:113-128

September 1 -
Psalm 119:129-144

September 2 -
Psalm 119:145-160

September 3 -
Psalm 119:161-176

September 4 -
Hebrews 4

Saturday, August 28, 2010

August 28 - The Boundless Word

We'll begin the 2010-11 reading schedule on Sunday, September 5. The new schedule will soon be available as a downloadable pdf.

Today's Reading:
Psalm 119:81-96
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Psalm 119:59, 73
89 Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. 90 Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures. 91 Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you. - - - 96 To all perfection I see a limit; but your commands are boundless.

Insight:
The Psalmist marveled at the infinite wisdom and beauty of the Word--before the earth was established, through all generations, and into eternity. The Psalmist saw God's Word as boundless, without limit, and beyond the perfection of any other thing.

Response and Action:
How I view God's Word is important. The way I think about God's Word has a direct bearing upon my desire to know it, my willingness to trust it, my readiness to obey it, and my confidence to live by it.

If I consider the Scriptures as eternal, constant, boundless in truth, and limitless in value, I will most certainly read, memorize, meditate, study, heed, and delight in them. My love for God's Word and my faith in God's Word reinforce each other.

O God, you are before all things and after all things. You hold all things together. By your Word, the world was made. By your Word, all things are sustained. By your Word, those who seek wisdom become wise, those who hunger for righteousness are fed, and those who seek direction find the way that leads to truth and life. By your grace and power to renew, make me a person of your perfect, boundless, and eternal Word. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: John 5:24
24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

Recommended Reading:
Life with God: Reading the Bible for Spiritual Transformation
by Richard Foster

Friday, August 27, 2010

August 27 - My Ways, Your Words

We'll begin the 2010-11 reading schedule on Sunday, September 5. The new schedule will soon be available as a downloadable pdf.

Today's Reading:
Psalm 119:65-80
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Psalm 119:59, 73
59 I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes. - - - 73 Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.

Insight:
Living according to God's Word is sensible! In verses 59 and 73, the psalmist gives two very practical reasons for doing so. First (v. 59), he considered the ways he was out of step with the instruction of Scripture and decided that living by God's statutes had better results. Secondly (v.73), he concludes that since God was his maker, God's commands would be the best guidance he could get.

Response and Action:
First, I need to give consideration to my ways. How would my life be better if I turned my steps to follow the instruction of the Bible? What difficulties and burdens in life are the result of failing to follow God? Secondly, since God is my maker, I need to trust him to know what is best for me. Doesn't it make sense to listen to my creator?

O God, show me your ways. Guide me in your truth and lead me. Teach, rebuke, correct, and train me through the wisdom of your inspired and useful Word. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Matthew 7:24-27
24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

Recommended Reading:
How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth
by Gordon D. Fee

Thursday, August 26, 2010

August 26 - Your Promise, My Comfort

We'll begin the 2010-11 reading schedule on Sunday, September 5. The new schedule will soon be available as a downloadable pdf.

Today's Reading:
Psalm 119:49-64
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Psalm 119:50-55
50 My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. 51 The arrogant mock me without restraint, but I do not turn from your law. 52 I remember your ancient laws, O LORD, and I find comfort in them. 53 Indignation grips me because of the wicked, who have forsaken your law. 54 Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge. 55 In the night I remember your name, O LORD, and I will keep your law.

Insight:
The psalmist found God's Word to be a source of encouragement and hope in every circumstance, place, or time. In suffering, God's promises preserved and sustained him. In the face of mocking and wickedness, God's ancient laws gave comfort and direction. Whether at home or traveling, God's decrees were like a song in his heart. Night or day, the Word filled his thoughts and brought the Lord's name to mind.

Response and Action:
Reading and meditating on God's Word makes me ready to face every situation. It makes me able to remember who God is, what he has commanded, and what he has promised. No matter what my circumstances, no matter where I am, no matter what time of day it is, God's Word will sustain me, direct me, put a song in my heart, and bring to mind thoughts of God and his goodness.

O God, I long for your Word. Help me to hide it in my heart that it might sustain and direct me everyday, everywhere, and in every circumstance. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Ephesians 5:19-20
19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Recommended Reading:
Transforming Bible Study: Understanding Scripture Like You've Never Read It Before
by Bob Grahmann

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

August 25 - Choosing God's Word

We'll begin the 2010-11 reading schedule on Sunday, September 5. The new schedule will soon be available as a downloadable pdf.

Today's Reading:
Psalm 119:33-48
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Psalm 119:36-37
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. 37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.

Insight:
There is always something vying for my attention and my energy. To what will I give myself? What will I focus upon? What will I seek after? What is worthy of my time and my heart?

The Psalmist understood that God's word needed to be a priority. He chose knowing God's word over selfish gain. He chose the Scriptures over empty things. He believed that God's word had a saving and enriching influence upon his life.

Response and Action:
I will be intentional about choosing to spend time reading, studying, and applying God's word in my life. I will set aside time each day to read and think about the truth and instruction I receive from the Scriptures. I will not let my daily Bible time get squeezed out of my schedule by work, appointments, television, sports, podcasts, facebook, movies, or anything else.

O God, help me to be faithful to spend time with my Bible each day. Give me the heart and the will to be consistent. Make me a person who loves your word. Help me to value your word over the lesser things that threaten to distract me. Give me such a hunger and love for your word and use it to guide and preserve my life. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Philippians 4:8
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Recommended Reading:
Transforming Bible Study: Understanding Scripture Like You've Never Read It Before
by Bob Grahmann

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

August 24 - Wayfaring Stranger

We'll begin the 2010-11 reading schedule on Sunday, September 5. The new schedule will soon be available as a downloadable pdf.

Today's Reading:
Psalm 119:17-32
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Psalm 119:19-20
19 I'm a stranger on earth. Don't hide your commands from me. 20 My heart is filled with longing for your laws at all times.

Insight:
There are times when one feels quite alone in a great big world that seems to be oblivious to what is true, important, and meaningful. This world's overwhelming needs, misplaced loyalties, political strife, selfish wars, and empty religion make it easy to identify with the words of the old gospel song that says, "I can't feel at home in this world anymore." Once you get a glimpse of God's truth and hope in Christ, you can begin to feel like a wayfaring stranger on the earth.

Seeing through the farcical self-important misguidedness of the world is a good thing. It stirs up a longing for what is true. It prods one to seek something better, real, and true. It provokes a hunger deep within the soul for God's word. It fills the heart with longing for God's guidance. It makes me reach for my Bible.

Response and Action:
When I am filled with the sense that I am following the beat of a different drum than the world, I will remember that it's a good thing. That sense is what drives me to seek out God's way, it moves me to pray, it move's me to read Scripture and to meditate upon what it means. I'd rather feel like a stranger and have the desire to seek truth, than to feel comfortable in a dark and clueless world.

O God, I long for your Word. I long to see what is real, what is pure, what is noble, what is uplifting, and what is beautiful. Make me comfortable about being uncomfortable in this world. Lead me on and brighten the path that leads to redemption, life, hope, and truth. Thank you for your presence, your Spirit, your promises, your people, and your Word. Through Christ, Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Recommended Listening:
That's What the Lonely is For
by David Wilcox
Click the link to listen.

When I get lonely ah, that's only a sign
Some room is empty, and that room is there by design

If I feel hollow - that's just my proof that there's more

For me to follow - that's what the lonely is for.

Monday, August 23, 2010

August 23 - Hiding His Word in My Heart

We'll begin the 2010-11 reading schedule on Sunday, September 5. The new schedule will soon be available as a downloadable pdf.

Today's Reading:
Psalm 119:1-16
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Psalm 119:9-11
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Insight:
God's Word is useful for knowing God's will and for learning how to live in purity and truth. It is important to have a desire to know God and his will. This whole-hearted desire motivates the believer to read, apply, study, know, and memorize Scripture.

Response and Action:
If I want to know God and his will for my life, I need to spend time in the Bible. I will seek him with my whole heart and commit myself to walking in the light of his truth. I will make time every day to read the Scripture, to prayerfully consider how it applies to my life, and to be as responsive to it as I can be.

O God, thank you for the Bible. Open my mind to understand what it says. Make my heart soft and ready to receive it. Give me the wisdom and the will to obey and respond to it. Show me your ways, O Lord, guide me in your truth and lead me for you are God, my savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Hebrews 4:12-13
12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Recommended Reading:
Transforming Bible Study: Understanding Scripture Like You've Never Read It Before
by Bob Grahmann

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Reading Schedule for August 23-28

Proverbs 4:18-23
18 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. 19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. 20 My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. 21 Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body. 23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

Schedule and Tips:
2009-10 Reading Schedule
Tips for Daily Bible Readers

We'll begin the 2010-11 reading schedule on Sunday, September 5. The new schedule will soon be available as a downloadable pdf.

August 23 -
Psalm 119:1-16

August 24 -
Psalm 119:17-32

August 25 -
Psalm 119:33-48

August 26 -
Psalm 119:49-64

August 27 -
Psalm 119:65-80

August 28 -
Psalm 119:81-96

Saturday, August 21, 2010

August 21 - Too Wonderful for Me to Know

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Mark 16
Revelation 22

Old Testament -
Job 42
Malachi 1-4
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Job 42:3-6
3 You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. 4 "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.' 5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. 6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."

Insight:
It's easy to see a suffering person's need for comfort and help, but not so easy to see that person's need to be confronted or corrected. Suffering presents unique and intense challenges and temptations. We are tempted to reject God or blame him. We are tempted to think everything is meaningless. Subsequently, we are tempted to live in self-centered, bitter, or careless ways. Suffering can produce its own peculiar kind of arrogance that finds its root in a sense of unjust victimization.

When confronted by God, Job wisely recognized the subtle arrogance at work in his suffering heart. He stopped shaking his fist at God, and came to the startling epiphany: "I am suffering for reasons too awesome and mysterious for me to know." Job humbled himself in repentance and entrusted his suffering to God. This kind of trust and humility is perhaps the deepest and most profound expression of faith any human can offer to God.

Response and Action:
I will entrust my suffering and hardship to God. I choose to believe that my life—including my suffering--has meaning, even if that meaning is too wonderful for me to comprehend. I will examine my heart in times of trial and guard against the unique sins suffering can provoke in me. I will humble myself before God.

O God, forgive me when trials and problems get the best of me. Help me to draw near to you, and to trust you with my sorrows and difficulties. Help me to have a thankful heart, and as I lift up my requests to you, guard my heart and mind with the peace of Christ Jesus. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: James 1:12-13
12 Blessed is the man who keeps on going when times are hard. After he has come through them, he will receive a crown. The crown is life itself. God has promised it to those who love him. 13 When you are tempted, you shouldn't say, "God is tempting me." God can't be tempted by evil. And he doesn't tempt anyone.

Resources:
Disappointment with God & Where is God When it Hurts? (2 books in 1 volume)
by Philip Yancey

Friday, August 20, 2010

August 20 - God Dwelling with Us

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Mark 15:42-47
Revelation 21

Old Testament -
Job 41:12-34
Zechariah 10-14
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Revelation 21:2-5a

2
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." 5a He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"

Insight:
The thought of living in God's presence in a world God has saved and perfected is the hope every Christian expresses when praying, "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." This hope is more than a promise for someday in the distant future, it is the present reality for Christians who will recognize the indwelling of God's Spirit in their lives today. "Surely I am with you, always, to the very end of the age" was Jesus' assurance to his disciples before his ascension into heaven.

Response and Action:
I must take hold of Jesus' promise to be with me today. I want to cultivate a tangible and continual awareness of his Spirit in my life. I want to acknowledge present reality that Christ Jesus is living with me today. I want to persevere with a hope rooted in the future reality God has promised -- the day when the world will be made right, all evil swept away, and every tear wiped away.

O God, help me to trust in you with all my heart and to acknowledge you in all my ways. Help me to cultivate my awareness of your presence with me today. Fill me with hope and encouragement as I cling to your promise of a day when I will live in the very light of your glorious presence. Thank you for your Holy Spirit who indwells my mortal body right now. Help me to be sensitive to your Spirit as you lead and shape me today. Amen.

When Christ shall come will shout of acclamation,
To heal this world, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I will bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, "My God, how great you are!"


Spiritual Formation Verses: Psalm 24:9-10
9 Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty—he is the King of glory.

Resources:
Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church
by N. T. Wright

Thursday, August 19, 2010

August 19 - Is It Really for God?

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Mark 15:33-41
Revelation 20

Old Testament -
Job 41:1-11
Zechariah 6-9
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Zechariah 7:4-8
4 Then the word of the LORD Almighty came to me: 5 "Ask all the people of the land and the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? 6 And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves? 7 Are these not the words the LORD proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills were settled?' " 8 And the word of the LORD came again to Zechariah: 9 "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. 10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.' "

Insight:
We humans have an incredible capacity for self-contradiction. We can praise God with our mouths one minute and in the next breath deride our neighbor. We can look to God for grace and forgiveness, and yet withhold them from someone who needs us to be merciful. We can fast and think ourselves to be very spiritual, and fail to see the spiritual failure of ignoring those who are hungry and poor.

True religion and spirituality are more than ritual; they are to be lived out by administering justice, showing compassion, sharing with those in need, and thinking of others with good will.

Response and Action:
God is honored in my life through actions more than in my words and ritual. Spiritual exercises like fasting are not an end in themselves, but are rather a means toward becoming a person who extends mercy, meets needs, and treats others with righteousness. I need to be sure that the acts of worship and religion I offer to God are proven to be real through tangible acts of compassion and justice.

O God, may my praise and worship be more than empty religion. Help me to truly love you with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. By the power and grace of your Holy Spirit, make me a person who honors you in loving action and righteous deeds. Give me a heart of compassion toward others, and make me ready to do good works that bless them. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 John 3:16-18
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Resources:
Living the Story: Biblical Spirituality for Everyday Christians
by R., Paul Stevens and Michael, Green

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

August 18 - The Day of Small Things

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Mark 15:16-32
Revelation 19

Old Testament -
Job 40
Zechariah 1-5
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Zechariah 4:6-10a
6 So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. 7 "What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of 'God bless it! God bless it!' " 8 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 9 "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. 10 "Who despises the day of small things? Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.

Insight:
Zerubbabel was rebuilding the Temple. It was a monumental undertaking and he must have looked quite small as he stood on the temple site with his plumb line in hand.

The destruction of the first temple was so much more than the loss of a building; it represented the loss of God's favor and blessing. Israel had fallen, Jerusalem had been destroyed, its people had been killed, scattered and taken as prisoners and slaves. And now, nearly a century later, a man was standing on a hill with plans to rebuild the Temple. How could Zerubbabel possibly succeed? Not by might or power, but by the Spirit of God.

Little becomes much when God is in it. Small things in the hands of small people are cause for wonder and great respect when they are devoted to the will of God and empowered by his Spirit.

Response and Action:
God can do great things through small people. Though my strengths and abilities are small, God can use them to accomplish wonderful things. When I am weak, God is strong. I must be careful to not limit, by failing to remember God's Spirit, what I or others can do. I should not despise the day of small things; instead I should live by faith in a big God.

O God, give me eyes to see beyond human limitations. Give me the faith to recognize the great things weak people can do when they are empowered by your Spirit. Give me the courage to trust in you and depend on you, that I might pursue great things and great causes. I want to do something bigger than me. By your Spirit, give me the will, give me the strength, give me the faith, and give me a vision. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Mark 4:30-32
30 Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade."

Resources:
Living the Story: Biblical Spirituality for Everyday Christians
by R., Paul Stevens and Michael, Green

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

August 17 - Time for First Things

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Mark 15:1-15
Revelation 18

Old Testament -
Job 39
Haggai 1-2
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Haggai 1:2-6
2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "These people say, 'The time has not yet come for the LORD's house to be built.' " 3 Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 4 "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?" 5 Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."

Insight:
When Israel returned from exile and captivity, their first priority seems to have been to rebuild their own homes and lives. Evidently, they got very use to thinking about rebuilding the Temple as something they would get around to someday. Haggai confronted them with their self-centered procrastination. He warned them that it was time to put God first. They could no longer put their own comfort and gain before worship and reverence for God, and expect God to bless them.

Response and Action:
I need to put first things first. I need to be sure worship and service for God are a higher priority to me than personal gain and comfort. What am I not giving to God because I am spending it on myself? What am I not able to do for God because I am too busy doing things for me? How can I expect to be blessed by God if I put worship and service for him behind what I do for myself?

O God, help me to seek you and serve you with true reverence and devotion. Forgive me for the times I am guided by my own selfish ambition rather than selfless worship for you. Help me to seek your kingdom and your righteousness above all else. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Matthew 6:31-34
31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Resources:
Freedom from Tyranny of the Urgent
by Charles E. Hummel

Monday, August 16, 2010

August 16 - Seeing Myself

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Mark 14:66-72
Revelation 17

Old Testament -
Job 38:22-41
Zephaniah 3
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Mark 14:69-72
69 When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, "This fellow is one of them." 70 Again he denied it. After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, "Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean." 71 He began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, "I don't know this man you're talking about." 72 Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times." And he broke down and wept.

Insight:
Peter must have been shocked at his denials of friendship with Jesus. His readiness to deny his association with Jesus came with a strength and swiftness he never could have imagined. He had told Jesus, "Even if all fall away, I will not" (14:29). But now, even when asked by a servant girl, he found himself completely unwilling to be identified as a disciple of Jesus.

Peter was coming face to face with his own limitations and weaknesses, and he wept at the sad realization. He was not the strong friend and unfailing comrade he imagined himself to be. Now he could now see that he was merely Simon the fisherman, not Peter "The Rock." This was a terrible and unexpected recognition for him, but not for Jesus. Jesus had known exactly who and what Peter was from the first day he called him. He knew the fragile stuff Simon was made of, but he also knew how strong Peter would be when he reached the end of himself and began to really find his strength in God (John 21).

Response and Action:
I need to recognize my weaknesses and limitations. I need to remember that though my gifts and abilities are given by God and can be used to God's glory, they are not the reason God has called me. My strength and faith must be in Jesus, not myself. I need to live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

Realizing I am weak and limited is an important insight for life. Realizing that by God's grace and power I can rise above those weaknesses and limits is the next important insight. God delights in using weak things and weak people to accomplish his will. It's a testimony to his goodness and power. I am weak and limited, but God can strengthen and use me.

Thank you, O God, for your grace and salvation. Lead, teach, transform, shape and strengthen me that I might delight in your will and walk in your ways to the glory of your name. Help me to remember that I am you workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, to do good works you have prepared in advance for me to do. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Resources:
Self-Esteem: The Cross and Christian Confidence
by Joanna McGrath and Alister McGrath