Redeemer

I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the Lord, that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord.

This comes at the end of a very long story about Israel's relationship with the Lord. I think I talked about this passage last year, so I'm not going to get into all the nitty gritty. It's an...interesting read.

What's great is God's redemption. I will never get tired of talking about it. I have a lot of chances to be reminded of it throughout my day. But really without God's redemption, what is the point of Christianity? Other religions offer pretty much the same package. One big difference, our God is able to wash away or sins. Our God is able to save us. We can't save ourselves. We want to think we can, but at the end of the day we are still just as evil as we were when we woke up. Who cares if we are still "mostly good". That's like being mostly dead or mostly pregnant or mostly whatever. You can't be halfway. It is black and white. I feel like without God, I am mostly evil. Yes, I know what is right and what is wrong, but the tendency to do wrong is strong. I know it's difficult to understand if you don't believe in the Bible, but if you pretend like you do, you may just see it.

Lord, praise You for redeeming me. Praise You for coming back for me. I have been an adulturous wife, but You have been a faithful husband. You have not forgotten the covenant You made with me, even if I have. You have welcomed me back, at a price, and we are right again. Praise You that it did not require a sacrifice on my part. Praise You that You sent Your Son to redeem me. I do not deserve such love, but You have freely given much more than I ever could deserve. I will not try to earn You favor, I will only try to bring You fame. You, my Father and my Husband, are my First Love, my shield, my Redeemer. I trust fully in You. Do what You will; Your will be done!

Amen. Amen. Amen.

Jerusalem, a Useless Vine

1 And the word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any wood, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest? 3 Is wood taken from it to make anything? Do people take a peg from it to hang any vessel on it? 4 Behold, it is given to the fire for fuel. When the fire has consumed both ends of it, and the middle of it is charred, is it useful for anything? 5 Behold, when it was whole, it was used for nothing. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it ever be used for anything! 6 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 7 And I will set my face against them. Though they escape from the fire, the fire shall yet consume them, and you will know that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them. 8 And I will make the land desolate, because they have acted faithlessly, declares the Lord GOD."

God likes to compare us to branches. Which is fine, so long as we are still connected to the tree. There comes a point where the branch is no longer producing fruit, so it is cut off and thrown into the flames. That's what God was doing to Israel during the captivity. They were no longer anywhere close to what He wanted them to be so it was time to cut them off. He said even the righteousness of Job or Noah would only save themselves. 

But He is the vine and we are the branches. All we must do is abide in Him, take refuge in Him, allow Him to be our source and supply, and have that relationship; then He will keep us always. We will bare His fruit. He promises it. 

Lord, please provide the things I need to bare fruit. Let Your works be seen in my life. Let me cast away the past and past thoughts and patterns, and focus solely on what is ahead. I count it all as loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing You. Be ever present in my thoughts today. I commit myself to You.

Amen. Amen. Amen.

Who would be left?

I can't even imagine a day of judgement from the Lord. I can't imagine living through a time where He has decided to punish the people. The anxiety and depression all around. I don't even know what that would be like.

Yet this is what happened to Israel. God poured out His wrath on His people. Only a remnant remained that hadn't participated in all the sin. I imagine that was a very small percent. Think about our society. How many people are righteous enough to not be cast out? Very few. How many are righteous enough to actually deserve no punishment? Somewhere around none.

Praise the Lord for the cross. If you ever wonder why we need a cross, look at the punishment of Israel in the Old Testament (I think I just had an epiphany). No wonder all these old prophesies are still in the Bible; they point to how unrighteous we are and how much we need Jesus. Praise God.

Lord, be my meditation today. Let me seek You with each thought. Let my actions be guided by Your will. Let me focus on Your heart and Your Spirit. Let me discern what You are doing. Guide me. Have mercy on this sinner today and lead me in Your ways. Guide me in righteousness and joy!

Amen. Amen. Amen.

Italics

Lord, as today begins I praise You that I am still here. I praise You for each breath after another. At anytime, You could take my life. At any time, I could be no more. You have given me this moment for a reason, as You have given me all the moments that will amount to my days. Father, thank You. I pray that You would remove anxiety today. That You would remove that longing for things I've trusted You to give me. I pray You would fill me with trust and with Your Spirit. I pray You would make Your will more clear to me today. I pray I would respond to You actions. My Husband, I pray You would sustain me today. You are so beautiful and worthy of all my affections. I need no one else but You, My First Love. I long to be with You every moment of today. Fill my heart with Your presence. It is Your Tabernacle. Come Lord, and fill my heart. Have mercy on this sinner. Wash away my iniquities, for they are many. You know them. You've seen them. And praise You, You have forgotten them.  I thank You for Your forgiveness. I thank You for Your grace. I thank You that You are acting on my behalf and Your will is perfect. I trust in You alone. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' power and righteousness. 

Amen. Amen. Amen.

Ezekiel

I won't pretend that Ezekiel is not a really trippy book. God has him do some pretty weird stuff. It starts off with this elaborate description of who knows what, but it is what Ezekiel is seeing. I'm not sure if he's looking at heaven or what, but wherever he is, he is seeing some weird stuff. I can't imagine being given a vision like that and trying to make sense of it all. Trying to put it into words. That's probably why it sounds so crazy. That's probably why Ezekiel sat around dumbfounded for several days after it was all over. I would too.

What is interesting is that Ezekiel is being sent to speak to Israel about their sins. God has him eat a scroll and promises to give him the words to speak. It's a cool image. God it literally putting words in his mouth. Pretty interesting.

Anyway, God is pretty awesome. Just saying.

Father, praise You for the forgiveness and mercy You give. Praise You for Your good words. Lord speak to my heart today and refresh my Spirit. I have so much praise to give You! I thank You for all Your goodness. I thank You for mornings like this filled with You. Father, You are so good!! This is truly Your day!

Amen. Amen. Amen.

Waaaaayiiiiiiitttttt????

It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

What's cool about this verse and the verses around it is that they are all in guess where? Lamentations. In the middle of complaints about the punishment Israel is suffering comes this wonderful passage about God's faithfulness. I think the take-away here is that we can never forget who God is in the midst of whatever it going on. God isn't really in the business of long-term punishment like this anymore, but it is still vital to wait on him and his salvation. He will come and He will rescue His chosen. He does not leave us to ourselves forever. He does not let His chosen suffer forever. That's the promise of the Gospel. That God has come to rescue us from the punishment of our sins.

Father, send your mercies to us. They know no end! Praise You that You will never cast us off or leave us. Praise You for Your unending mercies. Father, You are so good!! Let my thoughts be on You today. Let me bring You glory.

Amen. Amen. Amen.

Good morning

I'm one of those morning people. If my morning is off, it can really throw me off. This is why I have no trouble getting up at 5:30 in order to leave time for my morning routine.

Where this is going is, I love songs and scriptures that have to do with how God is fresh every morning. I don't know how people do quiet time at night. I don't know how you can't start the day with God. If He's not first, He might as well be last.

The sun comes up
It's a new day dawning
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes.

I went to bed dreaming, You woke me up singing.

Just a few lines that I find so wonderful lately. I just have to talk about how God is fresh each day. He wants to share with us anew each day. We have a wonderful God who has wonderful plans.

Lord, thank You for the mercies for today. Please give me what I need to face whatever is before me. I know today will be a wonderful day. I know You have big plans. I'm so excited to see what el 22 de agosto 2012 will be. I give this day to You and Your will. May Your will be done.

Amen. Amen. Amen.

Mixed message

I'm hesitant to go where my mind took today's reading, but I guess I can. It's something that I don't want to look back on later and feel I've said some un-Spirit-filled things. So Spirit, fill these words.

In Jeremiah, the remnant approach Jeremiah asking him to inquire to the Lord on their behalf. They say they will do anything the Lord tells them, good or bad. They are sufficiently desperate.

So 10 days later (I think there's a lesson there), Jeremiah is able to come back with an answer. His answer is that they should not leave, even though there is no food or anything. If they go to Egypt because it would be an easier life, then the Lord will still punish them.

So what do the people do? Accuse Jeremiah of conspiring with the enemy and go to Egypt anyway. Silly Israelites...

The lesson here I feel is simple. Often, we come before God saying, I'll do anything. If you call me to a difficult life I'll do it! When really in our minds, we have a plan of what we think or want God to say. If He doesn't answer the way we planned, we get offended and tend to do our own thing anyway. I've been there.

I've been on both sides. Last Spring when I was deciding where to go for my future, I had all but convinced myself to leave my job because it was the leap of faith God was calling me to. Thankfully, I sought the Lord enough times that I didn't leave. I do believe He is still doing things where I am. However, it could have been easy to go the other route. It's difficult not to let our own fears and emotions guide our decisions. It's difficult to trust a God who doesn't always speak loudly. It's difficult to hear God among all the chaos in our hearts. At the end of the day, if we don't listen, we end up in Egypt sacrificing to the queen of heaven. Just saying...

Lord, please guide me in Your will. Let Your voice be a sweet sound to me. Let me focus on that sound. Let my heart long for Your presence. Fill me with Your mercy, joy and strength today. Have mercy on this sinner. Give me grace to do Your will.

Amen. Amen. Amen.

Yet

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places.

What truth! Even when things are bad, God is still God. (Did I talk about this yesterday??) Anyway, it's so true. Even when the enemy is closing in, we still have no reason to complain or distrust because at the end of the day, God is still God. He is still our strength, and He will yet lead us where we want to go. So we ought to rejoice in every circumstance (in case you thought Paul was crazy when He said that). In every circumstance we can be content because we can do anything with Christ's strength. (Phil 4) We can continue because God is with us. Seriously, I don't think Paul had any original thoughts. I am more convinced of that everytime I read the Old Testament. If you look at Phil 4 and Habakkuk 3 (above), they are pretty much saying the same thing.

Paul, the great plagiarizer. :)

Lord, be my strength today. Fill me with power to do what I need to do and to face anything that comes my way. Fill me with love and peace. I rejoice in Your goodness and favor. I rejoice in Your power and strength. I rejoice in Your mercy and grace. Pour out upon me, Lord! Praise You Father for Your justice. Guide me in justice, not in anger. To You Father belongs all the praise, glory, and honor, forevermore.

Amen. Amen. Amen.

A little reminder

Even when all seems hopeless, God protects the humble. Bad things may come and disaster may fall, but God will always make provisions for those who are earnestly His. He does not leave us out to dry, despite what we feel. God cannot forsake us. It is against His nature. I may be getting people confused, but I think God had made some sort of promise to the king before Zedekiah that if he humbled himself, he would be spared. Low and behold, not to long after he was taken into captivity and thrown into prison, he was released, graciously it says, and allowed to eat at the king's table. Not a bad turn of events, huh? This is God. He may not work on our timetable but He is always working. He is keeping promises. He cannot forget.

Just a little reminder in case you're in the pits...

Lord, lift the spirits of Your beloved. Give the hope for the work You are doing. Let us not forget Your mercies each day as we go about life. Give us fresh mercies today, though we don't deserve it. Lord, how gracious You are to hear us. How gracious You are to love us. We want to love You in return. Hallelujah! The Lord is good.

Amen. Amen. Amen.

Leaders

People forget how much our leaders need our prayers. It is a Christian's duty to prayer for our leaders. Yes that includes the president. I'm not going to get started on my opinions of overly politically-active Christianity, but I will say that disagreeing with someone, even your enemies, is no reason not to pray for them, if you believe in Jesus.

In Jeremiah, Zedekiah, king of Israel, asks Jeremiah to tell him what's going to happen. Jeremiah says, "If you surrender to the Chaldeans, you and the city shall be spared. Sounds like a pretty good deal, right? But no. Zedekiah choose to ignore the proven prophet of the Lord for the advice of his friends. I mean their advice probably sounded pretty good. "God will not abandon His chosen people or His anointed king." "God has always delivered us from impossible situations in the past, He will do so again." etc. But God's plan was clearly told to the Israelites. He promised destruction and they didn't humble themselves until it was too late. Zedekiah chose national pride over the will of the Lord. This is the downfall of any leader.

Lord, I pray for our president that as he wakes this morning his first reflections would be upon You. I pray he would ignore all the suggestions and pressures of those around him and only focus on Your will. I pray Your Word would be his delight and his guide. I pray for advisors around him. I pray You send him advisors after Your own heart who are seeking Your will. I pray that You would guide all the candidates in the coming election to behave in a Christ-like manner. I pray that whoever wins, it would be because they are earnestly seeking You. I pray for a top-down revival of our country. Not a Christianized-state, but a nation where our leaders are seeking You. Your will be done. Send our hearts in Your will today.

Amen. Amen. Amen.

The Izhar ul-Haqq

So learned something new today. There's this book called the Izhar ul-Haqq which is an Arabic text that attacks the Christian Bible from the Muslim perspective. It's been around for 100 or 200 years as a way of convincing Muslims they shouldn't bother to read the Bible or pay any attention to it because it isn't credible, like to Qur'an. Its message is preached in many channels and is very widely available to these people.

The reason this made it into my prayer guide was the need for a Christian text that can answer all these questions. What is needed is a book that can lovingly show how the Bible can be trusted. Not our common back-lashing attacks when people start attacking our faith, but a book that is truly of the Spirit. People are needed for this mission. Pray they would come to help. Pray for pathways of distribution when its done.

On a sidebar, can we please remember a few things about God? We are never ever ever supposed to respond to someone in anger or sarcasm or any kind of haha told you so sort of attitude. I know we're all human and this is our default setting, but much like you can with a computer, you have to change the defaults and never ever click the button that says "Restore Default Settings". If we respond the way the world responds, we are no better.

Think of Jeremiah (see it does relate - that's the book I'm reading currently). He said to the king that he hoped the false prophet were correct because it would mean disaster wouldn't come to them. Unfortunately, disaster came. And Jeremiah was locked in prison for continuing to prophesize doom and gloom. Jeremiah asks where the ones who said the Babylonians wouldn't come are, but no answer. However, this statement sort of awakens the king to reason a bit, and they put Jeremiah in a different place, still a prisoner, but not in prison.

The point of all that is, Jeremiah doesn't get an attitude of pride or a case of the neener neeners. He stays focused on His mission of speaking God's word. That's all.

Father, let the words on my lips be from You. Let me reflect on Your will before I speak. Let my thoughts be like Your thoughts that I may be filled with pure speech. I pray You would raise up people with pure hearts to respond to attacks on Your Word. I pray You would open the channels needed to reach people with the Truth and with answers to their questions. I pray You would appeal to logic and love that hearts would be won to You. I pray for hearts that are ready to receive Your Truth. 

Amen. Amen. Amen.

The Greatness of our God

Have you ever noticed that when God is about to make a promise or when He's about to talk about something He's going to do, He always mentions things He has already done. Because we need a reminder of how powerful He really is before we take Him seriously. It puts a smile on my face to see how faithless people of old were and how it's not that different from today. God, unfortunately, has to remind us of how small we are compared to how BIG He is. This is why He says things like, "The Lord, the maker of the heavens and the earth" or "If you can reach the heavens, then maybe I won't come through on this promise" God is showing us that we can do nothing and He has already done it all. He mentions big things He's done, and beautifully perfect delicate things He has done. God is really good a showing off :P But hey, if you were that awesome, so would you.

Lord, thank You for being so great! Thank You for Your mercy toward me. I pray You increase it. I am so unworthy of You. I love You so much. Help me be more devoted to You each day. Praise You for the glorious things You have done this day; bless tomorrow to be equally amazing. Give me wisdom and discernment to see You movements in each moment and to respond in Your will. 

Amen. Amen. AMEN!

The New Covenant...in Jeremiah?

Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts (this sounds like Paul in Galatians). And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying 'Know the Lord.' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

What good news!!! Here God is making a promise that He for us has already kept. Promise made, Promise kept. What good news!! Three verses down the Lord says that if the heavens or seas can ever be measured, that is when He will punish Israel as they deserve. Basically God is saying that His mercy is greater than all of creation and until we can measure that greatness, we haven't even come close to its limits. Now that is real good news!! Today, I'm just gonna let God's Word stand on its own.

Father, have mercy on me today! In my heart, make Your presence known! Fill me with Your love and guidance as I face a new and glorious day!! Give me joy in every minute of it and fill me with excitement. Let my heart not be anxious for the things to come, but let me focus on each second that I get to spend with You. Do not boast in tomorrow, because who knows what will happen today. Do not worry about tomorrow, because sufficient are the cares of today. Fill me with focus on my mission. The joy of the Lord is my Strength!

AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!

On mission

I've always been frustrated by people who put too much emphasis on overseas missions at the expense of local needs. People sometimes forget the lost people in our backyards who we actually can approach in much the same way we would approach someone in the Middle East or Africa. The still need the Gospel and it's still our job to bring it.

So I am committing myself to full-time missions right here. It's still in the beginning stages, but if I'm going to stay local like I've always felt called to do, then I need to start making an impact and stop pretending that I have an excuse.

So as I start a new year of teaching, I feel like it's as good a time as any to myself in a different mindset...why not?

Lord, give me guidance and direction on where to go. Give me courage when opportunities present themselves. Keep me focused on prayer and humility. Be my constant thought and vision. Never let me loose sight of my goal. I give my life to You trusting that You will change it and make it the way You want it. You have a plan and a purpose for my life that I know You will make happen. I do not doubt You power; help me trust in it only. You are so good! Thank You for Your provision. Let tomorrow be a great day!!

AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!

I am a tree:]

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.

What wonderful words! I think as Christians it is all too common for us to forget our Source. Have you ever wondered where huge forests get all their water? Yes, it comes from a rainy climate, but sometimes, it comes from being close to water. If the soil deep in the ground is wet, then the tree can have deep roots to sustain it through any drought. This is not the case for some trees around here. Poor things! We've had so many droughts lately that I see victims of the dryness all around. That was an actual observation, not a metaphor.

Spiritually speaking, I know I've been through seasons where I was easily discouraged by tough times. But now that I trust fully in the Lord and my trust is in Him, I know that no matter what kind of storms come my way, I will remain green and never cease to bear fruit. It's such a wonderful promise. Even when things are at their worst, we can still bear fruit. We can still be beautiful. We can outlast everyone because our source is not ourselves, but the Almighty God, Maker of the heavens and the earth. The Lord is His name!

My Source, be the wellspring in my heart today and fill me with Your Spirit. Even as heat or drought come, let me be secure that You will always provide exactly as much as I need to continue to bear fruit and to continue green. Gracious God, have mercy on me! Look on this sinner with compassion! Do not withhold Your correction, but do withhold Your anger. Give me humility and wisdom in my speech today! You are the One True God! Your Kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Amen. Amen. Amen.

Jeremiah's Complaint

(I've been using a French keyboard at my job, so if you see any typing errors, we'll pretend it's that instead of me not being able to spell:P)

Righteous are you, O Lord, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. why do the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive? You plant them, and they take root; they grow and produce fruit; you are near in their mouth and far from their heart. But you, O Lord, know me; you see me, and test my heart toward you. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and set them apart for the day of slaughter. How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field wither? For the evil of those who dwell in it the beast and the birds are swept away, because they said, "He will not see our latter end."

I'll be honest. I had to chew on this a bit. That's why it stuck with me though. In case you ever wondered how I select scripture, it's anything that I still remember what God wanted me to see by the time I finish reading all the passages for the day.

I got a little stuck on  that part about where Jeremiah's heart was in all this. (I just realized it was another verse that gave me more trouble and I will mention it later...don't let me forget) Anyway, I had to use my trusted commentary to help me through this. Basically, Jeremiah, kind of like Job or David, is bringing forth the true inquiries of his heart to the Lord. Not in a doubting way but rather just to try and understand what is going on. He knows that evil men are not supposed to have success, but he is watching evil hypocrits gain lots of worldly happiness. We've all seen that as Christian. It's why the Psalmist said don't mind the success of evil men because they won't prosper for long (this of course being the Jenny Loose Paraphrase Version). What an interesting thought though to long for the justice to come? Imagine the world if the evil were truly driven out and devoted to destruction? I do not believe there would be 7 billion of us. It makes you wonder.

And so long as we don't respond like Jonah and blame God for His grace or forgiveness of evil-doers, as long as we bring forth our complaints acknowledging that we can never understand God's ways, as long as we remember that He is God and we are not, then I think what we say is from a good place.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Correct me, O Lord, but in justice; not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing.

The words on this one tripped me up, but again with the help of my trusted commentary (which used a different version) I see clearly what is meant. At first I was confused by how God's anger could not also be just. I was confused how God could be anything but just. But what Jeremiah is asking is that God corrects His path justly but in love. He doesn't want God to turn away from Him because of what He has done, but he reckognizes that God will correct us. No way around that. I think this is a good prayer for all of us. We none of us want to be at the receiving end of God's anger. But we all of us want to be a the receiving end of His love. Amen?

Lord, correct me in justice but not in anger. Have mercy on this sinner. Let me not grow jealous over the prosperity of others but only focus on what I have in You. Keep me in a spirit of prayer today. Let me not loose sight of You. Give me just enough strength to make it through today and let the worries of tomorrow (and more importantly next week) be far from me.

Amen. Amen. Amen.

Mmm...boasty

Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord."

I think pride is easy enough to have. I know I've mentioned it a few times. Maybe it's something I have a problem with...:/ (it definitely is:]) But I praise God He has shown me that. God gives us abilities and strengths not to bring glory to ourselves but to be used for Him. The only thing we should be proud of is that we know the Lord who practices justice, steadfast love, and righteousness. Praise God!

So I'm really into the Olympics. Not so much in following who wins what, etc. but more so into watching as much of it as I can. I love seeing people who probably have never been to Marietta, GA let alone speak English. It's a wonderful reminder of all that God has made. Anyway, I watch a lot of athletes boast in themselves (Mr. Bolt) and I watch a lot of athletes turn it back around to God (Miss Douglas). God gave them these gives not so they could boast in them but so that He could be seen. People get annoyed when athletes talk about God to much, but I personally find it so much more refreshing then hearing them go on and on about how great they are. I think one athlete actually said with his own mouth that he is the greatest ever. What kind of person says that about themselves? I personally have little respect for people who are that prideful. Maybe it's because I hate it when I have those thoughts about myself. Either way you slice it, whether you believe in God or not, no body is so awesome that they deserve to boast in themselves. No body. You can suggest names, but you will not convince me. Ain't no body who should be boasting because it just ain't classy.

Lord, control my prideful thoughts. Though I fear praying that You would humble me (because I think You've answered that pray well in the past - much to my shigrin) I ask that You would check my thoughts and convict my heart when I begin to boast in myself. Let me always remember who it is who has given me these gifts and talents. Let me never suggest they come from any other source. Let me not boast in my righteousness either because I have none apart from You. Let the only prideful words in my mouth be words of praise to You.

Amen. Amen. Amen.

Youth

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." Then I said, "Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth." But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a youth'; for to all who I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord."

God will give us exactly what we need to do everything He made us to do. No most of what we need or some of what we need or sort of what He wanted us to do or the next best thing. No. All out. 100%. We are without excuse because God made us and is making us into the very thing He wants us to be. No youth or disadvantage can stop us. This means so much to me.

Lord, let me never forget the power You've put in me. Let me never forget the strength You've given me. Let me always remember that everything I have is exactly what I need for today. Let me not worry or boast in tomorrow but focus on the moment and the good things You are doing. Just enough strength to live for today. Give this youth the courage to face the life You've given me. Show me who You want me to be.


Amen. Amen. Amen.

Fear of the Lord

They do not say in their hearts, 'Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain, and keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.'

It's a strange concept to fear the Lord. Many have stumbled over it I'm sure. I know I sometimes struggle with it. God is loving and merciful and full of grace. Why should we fear Him? Should we be afraid that any second He could spew disaster on us? That at any time, fire and brimstone could fall from heaven and destroy us? Probably not the right kind of fear. We can't live our lives trying to appease God (which I believe to be the natural progression of this thought pattern - if God can and will destroy us when He is angry with us, I have to do whatever I can to make sure He is never angry - because that make sense...). It's not unreasonable, it just ignores every verse where God says He is slow to anger and abounding in love. So what then should we fear?

I think we shouldn't be fearful so much as reverent. Mindful. Most of all humble. Fear of a ruler or leader stems from being inferior. You can't fear something that doesn't have some kind of power over you. (I'm not sure what power cockroaches have over me, but they have one because they freak me out.) That's why Satan uses fear to attack us. It gives him some power over us. This is why they say don't let fear control you. When we fear the Lord, we recognize His superiority and power over us to 1) provide everything we need out of love and grace and 2) execute justice on us if we get prideful or adulterous. God can give and take away. We don't have to fear the taking, but we do need to always choose to bless the Lord. He gives us what we need so we should approach Him with reverence.

Lord, grant us our daily bread today - what we need to make it through. Keep our hearts humble as we go throughout the day, and help us to fear You. Fill us with Your spirit. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Grant us wisdom today. I pray for strength to make it through challenges and love to reach out to those around us. Let us never forget our true purpose.

Amen. Amen. Amen.

Syria

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.

This verse isn't really related to where I'm going. I just read it and liked it. My prayer guide talked about Syria this morning. Now I don't watch the news often because I hate cable news channels and the good stuff on PBS is difficult to time. However, I do know a little about what's going on over there - enough to wonder how we can spend so much attention on other things when so much is happening around the world. That's a topic for another day.

It was interesting to read this perspective. About 10% of the population is Christian, and they are not in favor of a more democratic Syria because they are afraid of it because to Islamic. Not to say that they are supporting the violence or anything like that, but they are definitely taking a more complacent route to approaching Muslims in their country. They are the minority, but unlike places like China, the fire for the Gospel just doesn't seem to be there. It's like they're Americans or something. I'm not trying to make any sort of political speculations, but I do know that we are citizens of the Kingdom if we have put our trust in Christ. No matter where we live we have certain duties as citizens. I speak as much about myself as anyone.

Lord, help us have courage to act. Let us not fear persecution. Let us be bold like Paul to share our faith where ever we go and in all moments. Let us never fear what You have told us to do because we know nothing can hurt us. They can beat us, abuse us, or kill us, but they can't take away our relationship with You which means they really can't do us no harm. So I pray for the Christians in Syria that they would follow Your will in this situation. That they would be the driving force towards justice in this land where justice seems to have been forgotten. I pray that Your servants would be peacemakers and joy-bringers. I pray the Gospel would be spoken and heard by all who live there. I pray the harvest would be ripe and the laborers many. I pray for conviction in the hearts of the leaders to do what is right and for the rest of the world as we watch and respond. I pray for wisdom and justice in the minds and hearts of all leaders involved. Most of all, I pray Your will to be done!!


Amen. Amen. Amen.

Jealousy

The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in the whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet...The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it.

And how could you not? When God exercises His power, I think everyone feels fear. No, I know everyone quakes. How could you not? This is the God who is able to move mountains, open up holes in the ground to swallow people, or part the seas. His power is far beyond what we can explain, so when it shows, it could do nothing but inspire fear.

I choose this verse today because I believe it is always important to remember that in spite of how much God loves us, without Jesus, we are evil in His sight. We do so much to make Him jealous, and since He is just, He has to do justice. The evil have to pay for what they have done. It says the Lord is slow to anger, and you can see that all over the Bible as well as the lives of people in the world. If God got angry like we get angry, I don't think even Noah would have survived the flood. He'd of done us all in right then. No, He probably would have scrapped it with Adam and Eve and said, "What's the point? These creatures will never do." But He is slow to anger. This doesn't mean He will clear the guilty, but He did make away for us to be right with Him.

It is not because we earned it. It is not because we are worth it. It is not because of anything but God's love for us. Take I, me, us, and we out of all the conversations because at the end of the story there is only God. God's love saves. God wants His people. God is slow to anger. God is just. God is fair. God can do no evil.

We are evil. We are corrupt. We are easily angered. We are unjust and unfair. We do not love often.

Huge gap. But our God is great in power and is able to close any divide. If we think less of us and more of Him, if we accept His love and His forgiveness as a replacement for our righteousness, then we can be saved. It's not Jesus's death + my righteousness. No. It's I believe Jesus died on the Cross for my sins and rose from the dead so that I might have eternal life.

Promise made. Promise kept.

Lord, help me never forget Your judgement. Let me never forget Your love. Have mercy on this sinner! Give me strength for today, and take all my worries for tomorrow. Fill me with hope and joy. Let the woman You want me to be shine through no matter what the cost. Show me who You want me to be. I love You!! More of You Jesus, less of me.


Amen. Amen. Amen.

Be strong

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and al the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.

It doesn't say to help us with our battles or to give us courage to fight our battles, but God will fight our battles. He doesn't need us in order to triumph over evil, so when evil comes our way, He will defeat it. If you look at all the stories in the battle where God was victorious in battle, it's always a story of the few against the many. Of something impossible or strange happening that lets God's people be victorious. And after all of these moments, the passage usually reads something like, "God did this so they would know it was His doing and not something they could've done alone." Because really, what can we do alone?

That's God's MO. He likes to do things that are difficult to explain so that His people won't doubt. We doubt anyway because we are ridiculous, but He never gives us reason to question Him, not even for one minute.

Lord, let me see Your hand working today. Let me see Your miracles. Let me continue in humility and grace. I need Your grace today. Have mercy on this sinner!! Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me, let me be singing when the evening comes. Give me just enough strength to live for today and take away all my worries about tomorrow. I love teaching! 


Amen. Amen. Amen.

The Word

I don't really know what to say based on what I read today, but I think I have realized something. I think I need to be more focused in what I read from the Bible. Yeah it's great that I can say I read the who Bible every year, but what's the point? Wouldn't it be better for me to focus in on passages that I could memorize and use to fend off the evil that comes my way?

So this is my plan. Once I finish reading this year's worth, I'm going to focus in on the passages that are most meaningful. I still need the structure of a reading plan, but beyond that, total freedom. I think I'll start in Psalms or one of Paul's letters. We'll just have to see.

Lord, help me to focus on You and not all the junk that fills my life. Let not the distractions of the world distract me from You. Be my only focus and my one delight. You are all I need and all I long for. I praise You for my country, my freedom, and my new life in You. You are so gracious; help me to be more like You!


Amen. Amen. Amen.