30 Thursday May 2013
Posted in Reflection
I felt like being challenged today so I figured I would find a Francis Chan video. This video did not disappoint me. The underlying message here is God is always in control. We may think we are in control or need to be in control, but ultimately God has a perfect plan.
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27 Monday May 2013
Posted in Daily Reading
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I know I’ve written about Proverbs 30:8-9 before because I really like the way it challenges me and convicts me, Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord ?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. As Americans we strive for more and more. I love how these verses challenge us to strive more and more for God instead of our own sustainability.
25 Saturday May 2013
Posted in Daily Reading
Today we learn more lessons from David. In 1 Samuel 30:6 it says, David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God. Even when the world seemed to be against David, he still found strength in The Lord. One of my biggest weaknesses is I look for strength through others. While there is nothing wrong in drawing strength and encouragement from others, the only strength I really need is that of The Lord’s.
23 Thursday May 2013
Posted in Daily Reading
In today’s reading we see how merciful David could be. David had the loyalty of his men, and they wanted to see their leader blessed, but David knew he needed to be faithful to God and allow God to take care of his needs. When David encountered Saul in the cave he could have killed him and all his problems would have been solved. Instead he decided to take a piece of Saul’s robe to prove the point that he could have killed Saul. But even this caused David to repent because he knew it was disrespectful of his king. Even when we don’t like our leader we must still respect them. God places them in our path for a reason and we must trust in Him and for the purpose.
19 Sunday May 2013
Posted in Daily Reading
We must always be careful with decisions we make without first consulting God for direction. Saul made the decision to hold back food from the troops. He should never have made that decision with God’s approval first. 1 Samuel 14:30 shows what should have happened if he hadn’t made such a rash decision, How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?” Fortunately for God’s grace, Saul and Israel were still blessed despite his short sided decision. We must humble ourselves when we make mistakes, but we should probably wait on God before making a decision in the first place.
11 Saturday May 2013
Posted in Daily Reading
I love the story of Ruth. If for no other reason, I love it because it tells part of the story of the line of David, which ultimately is the line of Christ. The story itself is a story of mercy and redemption, much like the story of Christ. Boaz showed mercy on these widows and took care of them when they needed it most. While these women needed to do their part, by being faithful and doing what was required of them, Boaz redeemed them and blessed their lives. This is very much what our lives in Christ is like. We must do our part to be faithful in all we do, but in the end, Christ is faithful and takes care of us in all we do.
08 Wednesday May 2013
Posted in Daily Reading
Sorry it too so long to post today, it’s been a nutty day. In today’s reading, the big verse that stood out to me was Romans 9:21, Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? The important thing to always remind ourselves is God does not answer to us. He is the creator of the universe and it is His plan that matters, not ours. When things go badly for us, it is easy to question God and trust His will. While it may not make sense for us in the microcosm of our lives, it is the macrocosm of God’s will that matters. We need to understand and accept our existence is for God’s purpose not our own.
27 Saturday Apr 2013
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Today is a continuation of the story of Gideon. God literally whittles down the Israelites to almost nothing and still allows them victory. God makes it so there is no question as to whether it is by His power or that of men. Even today, we tend to want to help God along. We feel as though we need to be stronger or more prepared or better equipped. The reality is God doesn’t need our help. He chooses to allow us to participate and take part in the victory, but God only requires us to have faith and to trust in Him that His perfect plan will happen.
26 Friday Apr 2013
Posted in Daily Reading
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I love the story of Gideon because it reminds me of a couple of things about our relationship with God. First, it is a relationship and it is ok to sometimes question God. We should always do it with respect and reverence, but it is ok. Second, because it is a relationship, God is patient with us and our human nature to doubt. God is not offended by us when we ask question as long as we are obedient to Him in the end. God has made each of us with unique personalities and character traits. Some of us plow ahead when told to do so, while others are more methodical about our approach. But ultimately, God has made us to work together to accomplish His perfect plan with each of us bringing our individual strengths to the table.
16 Tuesday Apr 2013
Posted in Daily Reading
Today’s reading in Matthew covers Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Every time I read this sermon, it astonishes me at the authority Jesus has over the definition of righteousness. When you really think about it, these are the words of God Himself speaking to each of us. There is nothing hidden behind the rules of the “law”. It is God telling us exactly what He expects from each of us. I think we would be well served if we read through the Sermon on the Mount more often and payed greater attention to Jesus’ word on how to live a purposeful life.
Daily Devotion 