Fear God. Do what he tells you.
Ecclesiastes 12: 13, The Message
"'Fear God.' Reverence might be a better word. Awe. The Bible isn't interested in whether we believe in God or not. Is assumes that everyone more or less does. What it is interested in is the response we have to him: Will we let God be as he is, majestic and holy, vast and wondrous, or will be always be trying to whittle him down to the size of our small minds, insist on confining him within the boundaries we are comfortable with ... ?
The Bible talks of the fear of the Lord -- not to scare us but to bring us to awesome attention before the overwhelming grandeur of God."
A Long Obedience
God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
God's Mercy
I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.
Isaiah 44:2
Isaiah 44:2
True Greatness
"The road Jesus walked was not an easy one. There was no yellow brick road for Him, nor any solutions given Him by the great and mighty Oz. So what Jesus offers us on this journey of transformation is not a free pass. There is no detour from which we can escape the real challenges and even painful realities of life. What Jesus does offer is a way to true greatness. He promises that if you and I follow Him, we will become like Him at journey's end. ... He assures us that our greatest treasure will be the undeniable reality of Christ in us, the hope of glory."
Erwin McManus, Uprising.
Erwin McManus, Uprising.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Grace -- Yes
Elizabeth Elliot Devotional
Title: Immunity--No. Grace--Yes.
Someone asked last week, "When Jim died was your
walk with the Lord close enough that His love and
comfort and presence were sufficient at all
times--or did grief and sorrow at times overtake
and overwhelm you?"
My answer is yes to both questions. It is not an
either-or matter. The psalmist, overwhelmed,
prayed, "Lead me to the Rock that is higher than
I" (Ps 61:2 AV).
Paul, plagued by a thorn, besought the Lord three
times to remove it.
Jesus, "horror-stricken and desperately
depressed," prayed "O My Father--if it be
possible..." (Mk 14:34,36).
Of none of these--the psalmist, the apostle, the
Lord--could it be said that his walk with God was
not close enough. There was human suffering and
divine sufficiency. This is the story of our
life. The promise is "My grace is sufficient" (2
Cor 12:9 AV), not "My grace will abolish your
thorns."
Title: Immunity--No. Grace--Yes.
Someone asked last week, "When Jim died was your
walk with the Lord close enough that His love and
comfort and presence were sufficient at all
times--or did grief and sorrow at times overtake
and overwhelm you?"
My answer is yes to both questions. It is not an
either-or matter. The psalmist, overwhelmed,
prayed, "Lead me to the Rock that is higher than
I" (Ps 61:2 AV).
Paul, plagued by a thorn, besought the Lord three
times to remove it.
Jesus, "horror-stricken and desperately
depressed," prayed "O My Father--if it be
possible..." (Mk 14:34,36).
Of none of these--the psalmist, the apostle, the
Lord--could it be said that his walk with God was
not close enough. There was human suffering and
divine sufficiency. This is the story of our
life. The promise is "My grace is sufficient" (2
Cor 12:9 AV), not "My grace will abolish your
thorns."
Sacrificial Offerings
O Lord, in the morning, thou dost hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for thee, and watch.
Psalm 5:3, RSV
"A sacrifice is the material means of assembling a life before God in order to let God work with it. Sacrifice isn't something we do for God, but simply setting out the stuff of life for him to do something with.
On the altar the sacrificial offering is changed into what is pleasing and acceptable to God. In the act of offering we give up ownership and control, and watch to see what God will do with it. With a deep awareness that the God who speaks life into us also listens when we speak, we put into words the difficulties and delights that we foresee in the hours ahead. We assemble fears and hopes, apprehensions and anticipations, and place them on the altar as an offering: "I prepare a sacrifice, and watch." "
Answering God
God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson.
Psalm 5:3, RSV
"A sacrifice is the material means of assembling a life before God in order to let God work with it. Sacrifice isn't something we do for God, but simply setting out the stuff of life for him to do something with.
On the altar the sacrificial offering is changed into what is pleasing and acceptable to God. In the act of offering we give up ownership and control, and watch to see what God will do with it. With a deep awareness that the God who speaks life into us also listens when we speak, we put into words the difficulties and delights that we foresee in the hours ahead. We assemble fears and hopes, apprehensions and anticipations, and place them on the altar as an offering: "I prepare a sacrifice, and watch." "
Answering God
God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Heart of the Humble
"Without integrity we will never live a truly courageous life. ... A person of integrity is a person of truth. We cannot grow in integrity if we do not grow in truth. Yet truth itself is not what forms integrity, but what informs integrity. For truth to serve as the fuel in our quest for honor, our hearts must be properly positioned.
Only the teachable heart will embrace whatever truth is needed for the moment. If we are not teachable, there will be no transformation. If we are unwillling to listen, we are incapable of learning. This is why Jesus calls us to be disciples and to make disciples. It is the student of life who will learn how to live. And while intelligence, discipline, focus, and determination are all critical to the learning process, there is one characteristic that is essential: humility.
Integrity is formed in the heart of the humble. ..."
Erwin McManus, Uprising.
Only the teachable heart will embrace whatever truth is needed for the moment. If we are not teachable, there will be no transformation. If we are unwillling to listen, we are incapable of learning. This is why Jesus calls us to be disciples and to make disciples. It is the student of life who will learn how to live. And while intelligence, discipline, focus, and determination are all critical to the learning process, there is one characteristic that is essential: humility.
Integrity is formed in the heart of the humble. ..."
Erwin McManus, Uprising.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Reaching Out in Love
I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
1 Corinthians 9:22
When it comes to sharing our faith, we sometimes will spend a lot of time getting answers down pat to questions people may ask. But we should never come across as preprogrammed robots. It would do a lot more good if, instead of just rattling off information, we would show a little compassion, a little love. People can tell when we care about them.
That is what is so beautiful about the way Jesus dealt with people. He took time with them. Of course, there are circumstances in which we cannot sit down with someone and get to know them. But if you have the luxury of time, take it. When you have the opportunity, take the time to talk to people.
When I am traveling and am seated next to someone on a plane for five hours, I don't usually pull out my Bible and say, "Hi. You just got seated next to a preacher!" Instead, we will talk a little bit. I will ask them about themselves and get to know them. They will usually get around to asking, "So, what do you do for a living?" Building a relationship with someone is very important.
Jesus, the Master Communicator, modeled this for us. He spoke directly to the religious man, Nicodemus, who supposedly had all the answers. Rather than rebuke the woman at the well for her sin, Jesus appealed to her spiritual thirst. This was the apostle Paul's strategy when he said, "To the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some" (1 Corinthians 9:22).
It is important to remember that Jesus reached out in love to people. And we should do the same.
Jimmy Turner
1 Corinthians 9:22
When it comes to sharing our faith, we sometimes will spend a lot of time getting answers down pat to questions people may ask. But we should never come across as preprogrammed robots. It would do a lot more good if, instead of just rattling off information, we would show a little compassion, a little love. People can tell when we care about them.
That is what is so beautiful about the way Jesus dealt with people. He took time with them. Of course, there are circumstances in which we cannot sit down with someone and get to know them. But if you have the luxury of time, take it. When you have the opportunity, take the time to talk to people.
When I am traveling and am seated next to someone on a plane for five hours, I don't usually pull out my Bible and say, "Hi. You just got seated next to a preacher!" Instead, we will talk a little bit. I will ask them about themselves and get to know them. They will usually get around to asking, "So, what do you do for a living?" Building a relationship with someone is very important.
Jesus, the Master Communicator, modeled this for us. He spoke directly to the religious man, Nicodemus, who supposedly had all the answers. Rather than rebuke the woman at the well for her sin, Jesus appealed to her spiritual thirst. This was the apostle Paul's strategy when he said, "To the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some" (1 Corinthians 9:22).
It is important to remember that Jesus reached out in love to people. And we should do the same.
Jimmy Turner
God Speaks
Oh yes, he's our God, ... drop everything and listen, listen as he speaks.
Psalm 95: 7-8, The Message
"The Scriptures are a mixed blessing because the moment the words are written they are in danger of losing the living resonance of the spoken word and reduced to something that is looked at, studied, interpreted, but not heard personally. ...
God speaks, declaring his creation and his salvation so that we might believe, that is, trustingly participate in his creation of us, his salvation of us. The intent of revelation is not to inform us about God but to involve us in God."
Reversed Thunder
God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson.
Psalm 95: 7-8, The Message
"The Scriptures are a mixed blessing because the moment the words are written they are in danger of losing the living resonance of the spoken word and reduced to something that is looked at, studied, interpreted, but not heard personally. ...
God speaks, declaring his creation and his salvation so that we might believe, that is, trustingly participate in his creation of us, his salvation of us. The intent of revelation is not to inform us about God but to involve us in God."
Reversed Thunder
God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson.
Trying to Be Someone Else
Christian Working Woman Transcript
Did you ever wish you could change your whole personality and be like someone else? I think most of us have had the notion that if we were a different type of person, we'd be much better off. I want to look at the serious mistake we make when we try to be someone we are not.
The summer after my freshman year in college I thought I had the perfect opportunity to be someone else. I was going to be a counselor at a Christian camp where no one knew me, so I decided that instead of being the outgoing, assertive, take-charge type that I had been all my life, I would become the quiet, reserved, "sweet" type of person, just like a girl in my dorm at college. You see, it seemed to me that her type of personality was nicer and better liked than mine, so I decided to be like her.
I can still remember those first few days at camp, as I concentrated so hard on being someone else. I had to think about it all the time, so that I would remember to be different. Mostly I just forced myself to be quiet, and instead of impressing people with how nice I was, they thought I was unfriendly. I really tried hard to be just like my friend at school, but let me tell you, I failed miserably. I could only keep it up a few short days, and I had to face the fact that I was stuck with who I was.
I would imagine that some of you listening to me now are unhappy with who you are and find yourself wanting to be like someone else. Maybe, like me, you've tried to change your personality and found it doesn't work.
Did you ever stop and think about what it really means when you try to be like someone else? It means you think God made a mistake in the way He made you. It demonstrates a lack of trust in God's wisdom; it says you think God was either wrong or cruel to make you the way you are.
I want to encourage you today to know that you are unique; there's no one else like you in the whole world. God is so infinitely creative, that He's able to give each of us unique traits and personalities, and He has designed you to be yourself. He wants your personality, your type to meet a certain need in the Kingdom of God.
Good news—wonderful news! You don't have to be anyone else in order to be worthwhile, effective, and happy
Friday, August 25, 2006
Faithful Forever
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them-
the Lord, who remains faithful forever.
Psalm 146:5-6
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them-
the Lord, who remains faithful forever.
Psalm 146:5-6
Practiced in Prayer
He only is my rock and my salvation;
... I shall not be moved. Psalm 62:6, NKJV
"The self wants to be excited, entertained, gratified, coddled, reassured, rewarded, challenged, indulged. There are people on hand to manipulate and market these impulses by seduction and persuasion.
The American self characteristically chooses advertisers instead of apostles as guides. Self-assertion is, in fact, a euphemism for a way of life dominated by impulse and pressure. The self is alternately moved from within by whatever occurs in the emotions and glands, from without by whatever is presented by fashion and fad. As we become practiced in prayer we are unmoved by such bagatelles."
Where Your Treasure Is
God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson.
... I shall not be moved. Psalm 62:6, NKJV
"The self wants to be excited, entertained, gratified, coddled, reassured, rewarded, challenged, indulged. There are people on hand to manipulate and market these impulses by seduction and persuasion.
The American self characteristically chooses advertisers instead of apostles as guides. Self-assertion is, in fact, a euphemism for a way of life dominated by impulse and pressure. The self is alternately moved from within by whatever occurs in the emotions and glands, from without by whatever is presented by fashion and fad. As we become practiced in prayer we are unmoved by such bagatelles."
Where Your Treasure Is
God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Prayer for Today
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God;
may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
Psalm 143:10
may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
Psalm 143:10
Courage
"... courage is not the absence of fear; it is the absence of self. Courage is the highest expression of humility. Courage moves us to risk ourselves for the sake of others or a higher cause. Courage allows us to live free from self-preservation and to live generously creative lives. Courage frees us from the fears that would rob us of life itself. It is here that courage and creativity come together. Without courage we become conformists. With courage we once again become the creative beings God designed us to become. The fear of God is not only the beginning of all wisdom, but the place of freedom from all fear. When we are free from fear, we are finally free to live."
Erwin McManus, Uprising.
Erwin McManus, Uprising.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Running to God
God delivers generous love, he makes good on his word.
Psalm 57:5, The Message
"While Saul was the occasion for David's being in the wilderness, Saul neither defined nor dominated the wilderness. The wilderness was full of God, not Saul.
Wilderness, in itself, makes nothing happen. Saul and David were both in the wilderness. Saul was running after David, obsessed with hunting him down, his life narrowed to a murderous squint. Meanwhile, David was running to God and finding himself in his God-refuge praying, wide eyed in wonder, taking in the glory, awake and ready for God's generous love, for the God who "makes good on his word." "
Leap Over A Wall
God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson.
Psalm 57:5, The Message
"While Saul was the occasion for David's being in the wilderness, Saul neither defined nor dominated the wilderness. The wilderness was full of God, not Saul.
Wilderness, in itself, makes nothing happen. Saul and David were both in the wilderness. Saul was running after David, obsessed with hunting him down, his life narrowed to a murderous squint. Meanwhile, David was running to God and finding himself in his God-refuge praying, wide eyed in wonder, taking in the glory, awake and ready for God's generous love, for the God who "makes good on his word." "
Leap Over A Wall
God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson.
Storms
Christian Working Woman Transcript
The very winds that would seem to destroy them become their power supply to take them above the storm, where they break through to the sunshine above the clouds.
Why Testing?
Sometimes storms are testing places in our lives. But have you ever wondered why God tests us? Doesn't He know everything about us anyway? Our school teachers tested us in part to find out how much we had learned. But God already knows all there is to know about us. So why does He test us?
Hebrews 12:10 gives us the answer: "Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness." He tests us for our good, our benefit.
Job said, "I will come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). In the midst of a terrible test, Job was able to look beyond it and see the end result. Can you do that? I know it's hard, but God wants to encourage you with the assurance that you're going to know righteousness and peace in your life if you will allow this test to train you.
The sad thing is, many of us don't pass our tests. We rebel or run away or try to manipulate the situation, instead of accepting it from God's hand and asking Him to use it for His good purposes. If you're going to go through the pain, you might as well know the gain.
Then, like the eagle, we take those winds of adversity and turn them into winds of opportunity.
Above the Storm or Not?
Storms are never easy or fun. But what is our alternative? To let the storm wipe us out? To live in bitterness and anger over the storm and its effects? To spend the rest of our days mourning and weeping over what could have been or what no longer is? Is that easy?
Easy is a word we should not even consider when we talk about storms. But your choice is to soar above the storm and get out of it, or to be trapped in its whirlwinds and battered by its torrents. Let God show you how to fly above your storm.
Trouble
Elizabeth Elliot Devotional
Title: Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen
When we begin to imagine that our own problems
are so deep, so insoluble, or so unusual that no
one really understands us, we delude ourselves.
It is one of the many delusions of pride, for
Scripture tells us not only that our High Priest,
Christ, has been tempted in every way as we are,
but that no temptation has ever come our way that
is not common to man. There are no more new
temptations than there are new sins. Our story,
whatever it is, is an old one, and He who has
walked the human road has entered fully into our
experiences of sorrow and pain and has overcome
them. He has comforted others in our situation,
gone with them into the same furnaces and lions'
dens, has brought them out without smell of fire
or mark of tooth.
It is a bad thing to take refuge in difficulties,
thus excusing ourselves from responsibility to
others because we think our situation is unique.
If we are willing to receive help, our Helper is
standing by--sometimes in the form of another
human being sent by Him, qualified by Him to help
us. It may be a case of our not receiving help
because we were too proud to receive the kind God
sent. Sometimes we really prefer to wallow.
"Ours is not a high priest unable to sympathize
with our weaknesses, but one who, because of his
likeness to us, has been tested every way, only
without sin. Let us therefore boldly approach the
throne of our gracious God, where we may receive
mercy and in his grace find timely help" (Heb
4:15, 16 NEB).
Title: Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen
When we begin to imagine that our own problems
are so deep, so insoluble, or so unusual that no
one really understands us, we delude ourselves.
It is one of the many delusions of pride, for
Scripture tells us not only that our High Priest,
Christ, has been tempted in every way as we are,
but that no temptation has ever come our way that
is not common to man. There are no more new
temptations than there are new sins. Our story,
whatever it is, is an old one, and He who has
walked the human road has entered fully into our
experiences of sorrow and pain and has overcome
them. He has comforted others in our situation,
gone with them into the same furnaces and lions'
dens, has brought them out without smell of fire
or mark of tooth.
It is a bad thing to take refuge in difficulties,
thus excusing ourselves from responsibility to
others because we think our situation is unique.
If we are willing to receive help, our Helper is
standing by--sometimes in the form of another
human being sent by Him, qualified by Him to help
us. It may be a case of our not receiving help
because we were too proud to receive the kind God
sent. Sometimes we really prefer to wallow.
"Ours is not a high priest unable to sympathize
with our weaknesses, but one who, because of his
likeness to us, has been tested every way, only
without sin. Let us therefore boldly approach the
throne of our gracious God, where we may receive
mercy and in his grace find timely help" (Heb
4:15, 16 NEB).
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
God's Emphasis
"One of the greatest mistakes we make in our spiritual journeys is circumventing the process of accomplishing our God-given dreams by trying to achieve those dreams in a manner that violates God's character. Joshua was about to lead God's people into war, yet God's emphasis was on the quality of his character. Be strong. Have the courage to do what is right regardless of circumstance or consequence. Live a life of conviction."
Erwin McManus, Uprising.
--------------------
Joshua 1: 6-9, NIV
6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Erwin McManus, Uprising.
--------------------
Joshua 1: 6-9, NIV
6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Friday, August 18, 2006
Who Am I?
Elizabeth Elliot Devotional
Title: Who am I?
This was Moses' question when God said He would
send him to Pharaoh to bring release for the
enslaved Israelites. The early part of Moses'
life shows him to be a champion--that is, a
defender and protector (of the man being wronged,
of the shepherd girls), but this was not the
strength he was to depend on. The real question
for Moses, as for us, is not "Who am I?" but, Who
is it who summons us? It is the Lord, the I AM,
the same yesterday, and today, and forever. He is
with us. This is what matters. This is our reason
for confidence.
Today we may find ourselves summoned to a task
which we know is quite beyond us. "Me, Lord?" we
quaver, "Who am I?" God answers. "I am with YOU."
The Lord of Hosts is with us
The God of Jacob is our refuge. (Ps 46:11 AV)
Title: Who am I?
This was Moses' question when God said He would
send him to Pharaoh to bring release for the
enslaved Israelites. The early part of Moses'
life shows him to be a champion--that is, a
defender and protector (of the man being wronged,
of the shepherd girls), but this was not the
strength he was to depend on. The real question
for Moses, as for us, is not "Who am I?" but, Who
is it who summons us? It is the Lord, the I AM,
the same yesterday, and today, and forever. He is
with us. This is what matters. This is our reason
for confidence.
Today we may find ourselves summoned to a task
which we know is quite beyond us. "Me, Lord?" we
quaver, "Who am I?" God answers. "I am with YOU."
The Lord of Hosts is with us
The God of Jacob is our refuge. (Ps 46:11 AV)
Lack of Discipline?
Transcript, Christian Working Woman
Did you realize that the Bible tells us we can die for lack of discipline? I think there are people who are physically dying because they refuse needed discipline in their lives and it is having a very detrimental effect on their health and their bodies. But others of us see our effectiveness die, or our testimony, or our productivity, or our giftedness—because of lack of discipline in our lives.
So, what can we do? Earlier I encouraged you to identify a specific area where you need discipline and start working on it. Pray about it daily; find scripture that relates to it and memorize that scripture. Quote it daily and pray it into your life. And then, step by step, put a plan of action in place to help you put that discipline in your life—a little bit at a time.
I would also encourage you to read the Proverbs daily. There are 31 chapters, so it's easy to read the chapter that coincides with the day of the month. The second verse in Proverbs tells us that one of the reasons Solomon wrote these proverbs was to help us acquire a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair. And they do help. I can't tell you how many times God has spoken to me in the discipline department through the Proverbs. So, read one everyday.
Jesus said in John 13:17: "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." Most of us have large amounts of knowledge and tons of good intentions. But we've missed the blessing that comes by doing. We are blessed not by what we know, not by our intentions, but by what we do.
Paul wrote to Timothy that he should discipline himself for the purpose of godliness. Sometimes we think of godly people as people who are angelic, otherworldly beings, not like us. But, my friends, godly people are people who have put consistent disciplines into their lives, and simply stuck to it. God intends that all his children should live godly lives. But without discipline in our lives, godliness will not be our trademark.
Where is your discipline weak? In what areas are you dying for lack of discipline? Remember, he who ignores discipline despises himself. You do yourself great harm every day you refuse to put those needed disciplines in your life. I pray you'll get them going this very day. You will be blessed when you do.People Who Praise
Oh blessed be God! ...
He didn't abandon us defenseless.
Psalm 124:6, The Message
"How God wants us to sing like this! Christians are not fussy moralists who cluck their tongues over a world going to hell; Christians are people who praise the God who is on our side, Christians are not pious pretenders in the midst of a decadent culture; Christians are robust witnesses to the God who is our help. Christians are not fatigued outcasts who carry righteousness as a burden in a world where the wicked flourish; Christians are people who sing, "Oh, blessed be God! ... He didn't abandon us defenseless.""
A Long Obedience
"People Who Praise", God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson.
He didn't abandon us defenseless.
Psalm 124:6, The Message
"How God wants us to sing like this! Christians are not fussy moralists who cluck their tongues over a world going to hell; Christians are people who praise the God who is on our side, Christians are not pious pretenders in the midst of a decadent culture; Christians are robust witnesses to the God who is our help. Christians are not fatigued outcasts who carry righteousness as a burden in a world where the wicked flourish; Christians are people who sing, "Oh, blessed be God! ... He didn't abandon us defenseless.""
A Long Obedience
"People Who Praise", God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson.
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