Holy Desperation

Today's Reading: Isaiah 64 & John 2

Scripture:

"For from the days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides You. Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him." Isaiah 64:4

Observation:

The God I experience is the God I seek. As I read this passage of scripture I see a man in Isaiah who had a holy desperation for God to do the unexplainable and I am convicted of three things I need adjust.

Application:

The first is I need to stop seeking a God who does not know all my sins. I treat God like He buys my excuses and does not know that I am hiding things that He wants me to give up. Consequently, I experience a God who breaks the back of a liar. God is not mean; I am an idiot. I am finding the God my behavior seeks.

The second is I need to stop seeking a common, ordinary God. The world is full of good, ordinary ideas about God. These ideas are realistic, explainable, doable, and believable. They comfortably fit within the realm of my common sense. Consequently, I experience a fake God. He is fake because He really did not do anything in my life. I did it in my own strength, my own power, and my own wisdom. The "Christian" in me just gives God the credit.

The third is I need to stop praying with bridled expectations. The problem with my prayer life is that it cannot be faked. It accurately reflects what I see in the mirror. If I am covering sins and seeking an ordinary God; my prayers will be bridled. Many days I feel like God is absent from my prayers because He is. I seek a God who is absent because that allows me to stay unchanged. Consequently, I experience a silent God.

Prayer:

I lay my life bare before You and God confess that there are areas of disobedience that I ignore. I ignore them by making excuses, attributing them to my personality, or by saying they are not sin. I ask today that You forgive my foolish ways and heal these parts of my life.

I admit to You today that I pray ordinary prayers, look for ordinary solutions and experience a very ordinary God. I am often satisfied with this because it enables me to stay comfortable.

I ask today that You do the unexplainable in and through my life. Whatever days I have left on this earth I ask that they be filled with an extraordinary pursuit of Your purpose. As fire kindles brushwood and as heat causes water to boil, so is my desire for You to overwhelm my life. Father I prayer that You burn inside of me a holy desperation to experience a extraordinary expression of Your presence.

Three Simple Things

Today's Reading: Psalm 103; Isaiah 58; & 2 Peter 3

Scripture:

"Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of the Lord as salvation." 2 Peter 3:14.

Observation:

Life can become quite complicated. This verse reminds me to center my heart on looking for the things of the scripture to come to pass and to live with the reality that they all will be fulfilled. I will either see Jesus return or I will die and return to Him in my death. Either way I will see Him. When that day comes this verse takes the complication of living the Christian life and nets it down to three simple things I need to be doing.

Application:

First, I need to be resting in peace. I allow too much to steal my peace. I never rest. I am always wondering. Always searching. Always striving. In this process of being diligent to know and understand the things of God I must pay close attention to the peace in my soul. Nothing should shake me from knowing the goodness of God, the absolute nature of His word, and the un-deniability of His existence.

Second, I need to be living the truth. I believe but that is not enough. Even the demons believe. I have to live the truth in my daily existence. My character, behavior, and language all have to reflect the nature of Jesus Christ. When my day comes God's desire is to find me not perfect, but to be in perfect pursuit of obedience.

Third, I need to be sharing truth. There is no way any believer can get the truth of God and not share it. Everyone will stand before God one day and I have to have a consuming desire to see as many as possible come to know the peace and truth of salvation in Jesus Christ. The radiance of Jesus' character must be shared with others both by my actions and by my words. God's desire is that not one person perish. I have to establish that same desire.

Prayer:

To rest in truth, to walk in truth, and to share the truth are all gifts from You. I pray today that You open the storehouse of heaven and pour down on me the power, wisdom, knowledge and passion I need to do these three things.

Protect my peace by assuring my soul of Your truth and renewing my mind with Your Word. Empower me to overcome the things that hinder my obedience and allow me to walk in alignment with Your Word. Remind me that Your Spirit will constantly be at work around me and open my eyes to see opportunities to share Your heart with others.

He is No Longer Weak

Today's Reading: Isaiah 53 and 2 Peter 2

Scripture:

"He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him…He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that was led slaughter." Isaiah 53:3&7

Observation:

This passage from Isaiah prophesies about Jesus. These descriptions of Jesus were revealed to the prophet and penned long before Jesus would come down from heaven and tread upon the surface of the earth as our Messiah. This is the image of Jesus that the church teaches on the most. Meek. Submissive. Unattractive. Broken. Crushed. Turn the other cheek. Led to destruction.

While these words all accurately describe Jesus before the cross they leave out a very important fact; Jesus rose again. The man he was before the cross does not represent the Majestic Being that He is today.

Application:

I need to reprogram my image of Jesus. He is not some weak, feeble, soft man. He humbled Himself to become that and die, but once His obedience completed its course He returned to His place in heaven and that is the image of Jesus I need to see.

Revelation 1:12-20 is an amazing passage reflecting the Jesus I serve. In these verses John sees the resurrected Jesus and his description of Him is quite different than Isaiah's accurate portrait of what He would be like on earth.

Upon seeing the resurrected Jesus in His heavenly form, John does not describe Him as having no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him. John describes what he saw and then says that he fell at the feet of Jesus as a dead man. Brother was so overwhelmed that he passed smooth out from fear.

Jesus IS so powerful. He IS so majestic. He IS so intimidating that a man who walked with Him before the cross was not able to stand in His presence. That is the image of Jesus I need to get.

Prayer:

Father the image I cling to of Your Son is the weak image of Him as a man. The result of that is I am often a weak Christian. I ask this morning that You break down my thoughts of Christ and help me to comprehend the power and majesty of the God and Savior that I serve as He IS today.

Jesus was once dead, but He is now alive. Jesus once had no majesty, but is now full of majesty. Jesus once had no stately form, but now has a presence that is beyond description. I pray Father that the truth of who Your Son IS today will lead me to a knew place of comprehending the strength and power of my faith.

God's Power List

Today's Reading: Psalms 92; Isaiah 52:7; & 2 Peter 1

Scripture:

"Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord." 2 Peter 2:2

Observation:

Knowledge here is more than just having information. It includes being in a very close relationship with someone or experiencing that person's power in our lives.

Application:

Knowledge of God is more than head learning. It is experiencing God unleashing His power in my life. The selfish side of me would like to define the areas for God to exercise His power, but God's Word contains Its own power list of areas God wants to work.

This passage goes on to say that God wants to reveal His power to me by increasing my faith, moral excellence, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.

Prayer:

Father, there is a very selfish side of me that only interprets success through the lenses of success and prosperity. I put all my hope for peace in You supplying me with abundance in tangible, earthly possessions. I want them above the traits of Your character that You desire to instill in me. My home, my money, my job, and my family have all become idols in my life and I confess that to You this morning.

Father, applying this passage of scripture to my life lies beyond my internal capacity. I ask today that You do a mighty work. Open the eyes of my heart to experience the full wealth of joy, peace, contentment, happiness, and energy that results from following after Your desires for my life.

Traits of a Man of Prayer

Today's Reading: Isaiah 40; Isaiah 41:10-13; & 1 Peter 3

Scripture:

"For the eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer…" 1 Peter 3:12

Observation:

Prayer can be one of the more confusing things about the Christian life. More times than not most of my frustrations toward God are born out of my prayer life. I ask for something and do not get it. I lift up a worry and it still presses down on me with no relief. I seek His movement to save me from trouble and the trouble still gets the best of me.

In the midst of all that frustration and disappointment this verse just sticks out to me this morning and grabs my heart. It is so beautiful. God eyes are towards the righteous and his ears are bent towards their prayer. I must continually pursue the traits of a righteous man of prayer. I must know that my frustrations and disappointments create opportunities for God to move me closer to him and not allow them to carry me away.

Application:

I feel like God is asking me to consider three traits I need give some attention. First, a God's ears attend to the prayers of a man who hates sin. I tend to want to live in the gray area. I want to walk as close to sin as I can get without stepping over the line. I want as much of the world as I can get away with. But that is not what God wants. God wants me to be zealous for Him. He wants me to hate sin as he hates it.

Second, God's ears attend to the prayers of a man who waits on Him. I try to inform God about what is taking place in my life and direct Him in my prayers. This is a bad habit that I have yet to break. A part of waiting on God is understanding who He is, but it is also tied to me knowing that I am His. My life is not mine. My time on earth is no longer about me. I am to wait upon the LORD, resting in the knowledge that I am His and that I exist to accomplish His purposes for my life.

Third, God's ears attend to the prayers of a man who treats His wife well. There are a lot of life issues that can be difficult to understand in context of the scriptures; marriage is not one of them. God speaks quite clearly on what it means for me to treat my wife well. It is a definition that is in stark contrast to the world's. If the honor, love, patience, appreciation, sacrifice, and encouragement I give to my wife does not compare to what Christ offered the Church then I am not treating my wife well and my prayers will be hindered.

Prayer:

Father,

Wow. This morning really went a way I did not plan. I wanted You to speak. I asked for You to speak. I just did not anticipate the weight of the word You had for me. As my eyes look over my journal from this morning I clearly hear what You desire to teach me.

Hating sin is not the same as being legalistic. I ask that You reveal to me a pure hatred of sin and open my eyes to the irresistible beauty of Your righteousness.

Praying to You is not about giving You information and direction. It is about me receiving those things from You. Father I beg that You teach me to pray in a manner that honors prayer as a precious gift.

Being a good husband and being a Biblical husband are vastly different things. I can be a good husband on my own but becoming a Biblical husband can only be done through Your empowerment. I pray that You give Brandy all that You desire for her to have in me.

Father I ask that every moment of this entire day build inside of me a deep appreciation of Your beauty, Your power, and Your acceptance. I ask that You and I be drawn near together. I can live without much today but my heart breaks at the thought of not experiencing You or being used by You.

Active Service

Today's Reading: Psalm 76; Isaiah 37:14-20; & 1 Peter 1

Scripture:

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:13

Observation:

The context of the verse is incredible. The early church suffered much. The choice to follow after the teachings of Jesus meant immediate ridicule, rejection and reproach. There was nothing of earthly value gained. When Peter wrote this letter, Nero was just beginning his reign. The times ahead of the church were about to get worse than they could imagine. In a short period of time many of the ones reading this letter would experience torment beyond anything seen before.

The Holy Spirit was using Peter to prepare the people for what was to come and did so by giving them three core commands to cling to: 1) Prepare for action. 2) Keep sober in spirit. 3) Hope only in the blessings to come.

Application:

The first call is to prepare for action. No believer is called into the reserves. We are all front-liners in a spiritual battle. I forget that sometimes. As my awareness of this call fades it becomes easy to slip into complacency. As complacency descends upon me I become nonchalant in seeking after God. I have to mentally prepare myself to stay on edge and be ready to respond to God's movement.

The second call is to be sober in spirit. The call here is for steadiness of mind and self-control under stress. It is the whole under stress part that gets me. My world is not one that readily accepts prolonged periods of stress. As inconveniences are stretched over periods of time I can lose my composure and in the blink of an eye I come unglued. I have to stay steady and rational in the face of adversity.

The final call is to hope only in the blessings that are to come. This is the part of the verse that I do not like to hear. If the word said to put my hope in the successful outcome of me receiving everything I wanted then I would be all over this verse. What Paul is reminding me of though is that there is nothing of this Earth that belongs to me. My life and all that I have is in the true Kingdom that follows this one. What ever I do without in this life is petty compared to the riches that are to come.

Prayer:
Father,

My desire today is to walk in obedience to Your Word. My struggle today is that my flesh wants none of it. It is like there is a battle raging in my mind, heart, and spirit today. I ask that you move as only You can.

Settle my mind. I have so many questions. So many insecurities. Hurts, habits, and hang-ups all reside in the memories of my mind and make it hard for me to move forward.

Sober my spirit. Nothing is more sobering than the truth. I ask that every deceptive thought be brought to light. Help me to know that there is no way around discomfort in this life. Help me to hold steady as I face the call you have on my life.

Fix my hope on You. There is much the world has to offer in terms of hope. There are real, tangible things that jump around every corner and attempt to steal away my hope. I pray to You this morning, begging that You bring to full life the hope I have in the blessings You have poured out on me through Jesus.

Fighting Fears

Today's Reading: 2 Chronicles 32:7-8 & James 5

Scripture:

"You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near." James 5:8

Observation:

Fear is the great destroyer of patience, the ultimate killer of heart, and the best messenger of abandonment. This morning's readings have revealed to me four fears that must be managed.

Application:

The first fear on my mind is fear of adversity. In 2 Chronicles 32:7-8, God reminds me that regardless of what I face on earth He is greater. That is a truth I know in my head, but I still have to fight my against feeling overwhelmed by adversarial people when they come my way. Far too often I allow them to steal away my joy, my peace and my happiness.

The second fear on my mind is fear of sin. This one is a little tricky. If sin was just some random evil that did nothing but immediately harm me then I would have no issue avoiding it. But it does not. Sin shows up and offers to fill a real, tangible need that I fear will not be met in any other way.

The third fear on my mind is fear of sickness. Bird flu. Swine flu. Cancer. Heart disease. And on and on and on the list goes. Living in today's world means living in a time when almost every disease has a name and generally its cause has been identified. It is so easy to get worried; especially with my kids. This is a fear that can consume me.

The final fear on my mind is the fear of not being good enough. This is my ultimate fear. My image of myself is not good. Satan knows this. He does not let a day slip by that he does not remind me of every weakness I have. This fear causes me to hesitate in following after God. I fear what I will say, how I will sound, and where obedience will take me. I fear failing God. I fear making a situation worse. I fear…

Prayer:

Admitting fear is not an easy task. I prefer to puff up my chest and pretend that I am not afraid. But I admit to You this morning that I am driven by fear. I confess this to You this morning as my sin.

Father I thank You for reminding me this morning to be patient with myself. Patience with me is a lot like asking the waves of the ocean to hold back. I need Your help. Give me rest from my drive to be perfect, allow be to be at ease even as I fail, and above all help me not to hold back until I get everything right.

I desire more than anything to walk in Your presence today. I want to be Your servant and know that You are my God. I want to sit in Your untouchable comfort and to rest in Your peace. Encourage me today to be all of the man I have the potential to be and to also continually pursue the better man I can be tomorrow.

Digging Out of Sin

Today's Reading: 2 Chronicles 31:20-21

Scripture:

"Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded." James 4:8

Observation:

A simple reminder of the steps required to dig my way out of habitual sin.

Application:

The first thing called for is submission. Everything in my life rises and falls upon lordship. There have been many times in my past where I run to God after I have either gotten in bad trouble or seen something that I really want. I run to God as a spoiled child runs to their father. God will have none of it. I have to put myself under His authority. That means I no longer allow my pleasures, wants and desires to call the shots. I am then able to see the devil submit to my desires for him to leave me alone and God is then able to move me to the second step.

The second thing I am called to do is draw near to God. This is my favorite part of God. He doesn't hold back His presence and wait for me to get straightened out. He knows that I can't do it on my own. He knows that I cannot do it with an empty heart. He asks that I pursue a relationship with Him and desire intimacy with Him. As I do, I will find Him. In this part of the process God makes sure that I realize His love for me is not based on my performance. My ability to experience His love is only tied to my submission.

The final thing I am called to do is get things right. There is no such thing as an idle Christian. I will always be prone to failure. As long as I am living on this side of heaven I will sin. But that is not a license to cruise. It is not an excuse to hang loose and just live life. To love God is to hate sin. If I am in submission to God and walking close to His heart in fellowship, I will continually pursue clean hands and a pure heart.

Prayer:

Father,

As best I can, from where I am; I lay my life under You in submission to Your Lordship over me. I confess to You that I know in my heart that is what I am called to do, but I also confess that I am clueless as to what that practically looks like. I pray for the knowledge and wisdom I need to fully walk in submission to You.

Over the past 12 months, I have felt like I have experienced Your drawing near to me in a manner unlike I have ever known it before. My heart is desperate to know You more. With every encounter I become more and more hungry to find deeper levels of intimacy with You. As Your presence becomes more tangible to me my desires and pleasures change. I ask that You strengthen me to continue to grow in jealousy for my time with You.

Clean hands and a pure heart are tough because they require war. Not just a battle, but a full-on war. Every moment of every day I live must be spent watching out for sin in my life. It sneaks upon me like a bandit. In the blink of an eye I fall victim to pride, anger, discontent, lust, or any other level of sin. There are parts of me that I just excuse or swallow the bait of believing they are normal. I ask that my hatred of my own sin grow into a consuming passion.

More Than a Theoretical Christian

Today's Reading: James 1

Scripture:

"This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God." James 1:19

Observation:

Frustrations bring out the true identity of a person. A frustration can be defined as a feeling of dissatisfaction, often accompanied by anxiety or depression. Feelings of dissatisfaction really destroy a person's ability to hear, ability to control their tongue and ability to control their anger.

Application:

I am a driven man. I would rather die than I had lay down and quit at anything. I am hard wired to break through walls and make things happen. This is one of my greatest strengths. At the same time it is one of my greatest weaknesses. In this passage this morning I am reminded of three of the many ways this gift can get me in trouble.

The first is trials. A trial is defined as subjection to suffering or grievous experiences; a distressed or painful state. The Word says to consider it joy. Joy!? I am much more likely to consider it my enemy. I attack a trial like a wild beast fighting for its life. If the trial does not go away I become really frustrated and angry. As I do that I lose my ability to listen to God, the trial becomes the center piece of all my conversations, and I become a angry man.

The second is temptation. Temptations seem to come out of nowhere and often feel like they are beyond my control. I can't remember the number of times I have cried out to God in desperation saying, "I do not want to do this! Please just take it away." I can become quite confused, frustrated and angry when they will not go away. As I do that I lose my ability to listen to God, the temptation becomes the center piece of all my conversations, and I become a angry man.

The third is not knowing what to do. There are many times that I face something beyond my power, strength, ability and wisdom. In these moments I turn to God in prayer, begging Him to instruct me. If the answer does not come quickly and clearly I start to feel abandoned, forgotten and betrayed by God. As I do that I lose my ability to listen to God, my lack becomes the center piece of all my conversations, and I become a angry man.

Prayer:

Father I live my life at full-throttle. That is the only way I know to exist. I can not do anything sitting still or at a moderate pace. I have seen You use this gift to accomplish some great things in my life. I have also seen this gift cause me a great deal of hardship in my walk with You.

As I face the trials in my life I pray that You remind me to keep my faith in You and not attach it to successful outcome of the trial. As I face unrelenting temptations I pray that You allow me to not play victim to them and instead to allow You to heal my desires. As I face uncertainty I pray for the wisdom of a certain God to rain down on me and patience as I accept Your instruction.

Father I want to more than a theoretical Christian. I want to be more than just a hearer or talker of Your Word. My great desire today is to be a doer of the Word You have implanted deep in my heart. I want to stand at the edge of my faith and just jump. I want to exist in the freedom that You have provided. I want to seize every moment of my day and experience an Almighty God who is still as active today as He was in the beginning

Fighting Weariness

Today's Reading: Hebrews 12

Scripture:

"For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:3

Observation:

The temptation to grow weary and lose heart is nothing new. Living a life after God demands much from a person. In this passage the writer points his readers back to Jesus. For renewal during times of tiring.

Application:

Resisting temptations, moving past self-destructive issues, and allowing God to shape me into His image are all really tiring things. Throw into that mix raising my kids, loving my wife, providing for my family and leading in my work; it does not take long for the weight of it all to cause my steps to become quite heavy.

As load of it all bears down on me and begins to drain the life from my soul and my heart begins to falter I am often tempted to seek an escape. Anything and everything can become tempting in these moments of weary weakness. This chapter from Hebrews encourages me to look to Jesus when things feel like they are going to consume me.

As I have done that this morning, I see three things to remember: 1.) Face the truth that it is not going to get easier. Hoping for an easier path is a false hope. Facing this reality forces me to find relief in doing the right things. 2.) Find the joy in what God has done through Jesus. Life does not have to be laborious, slave-like labor. There is joy in following after God. 3.) Hitch up my britches and get to work. Giving up, quitting, turning away, indulging in past behaviors, or laying down will only result in further pain. I must run the race with endurance.

Prayer:

Father I ask that You empower the words handed to me this morning and allow them to work a transformation in my heart. You know me better than anyone on earth ever could. You know my past, see my tendencies, and clearly understand my failures. There are seasons of the year when I flat get tired and weary. I pray that You help me find hope in the truth, be filled with the joy of pursuing you, and have the courage to lean into my responsibilities as a noble son of Yours. I totally lay myself at Your feet and trust You to be my rest when I need it.

A Strong Faith

Today's Reading: Hebrews 11

Scripture:

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

Observation:

In generic terms this verse can be translated to mean: 1) A person or thing in which expectations are centered. 2) A positive declaration designed to give confidence. 3) A fixed or firm belief in things not seen.

Application:

As a Christian the person who is the object of my faith is God. The things in which my faith centers around are the promises of God's word. This means that I have to constantly stay aware of my thoughts about God and His words. The weaker my understanding of God and my knowledge of His word, the weaker my faith will be. It is impossible to have junky thoughts of God or misinterpretations of His word and find strength in my faith.

It is not enough to just have a head knowledge of God. Head knowledge does not lead to faith. I have to make confident declarations based on my faith. That can be tough because there are days that I am not that sure. I doubt myself and as I allow that to happen I often take a "wait and see" approach to faith. I'll choose to just sit tight and celebrate on the back-end if things go well. This is a poor use of faith. Faith is intended to produce confidence to get through something. This can't happen if I wait to have confidence once something is set.

The unseen. That is not a good word for me. I like to see it. I want it proven. I want it tested, weighed, and presented before me. That is a problem. There are things of God that I can never know. His methods vary. His ways are different. His purpose is beyond my comprehension. All that said, He did not leave me totally in the dark. His promises for me are absolute. His character is unquestionable. His nature never changes. There is not one single attribute of God that will ever fail. These are the truths to which I must cling when the unseen tries to chase away my faith.

Prayer:

Faith is more than just an action; it's a process. Faith is not just a flippant answer to be given when there is nothing else to say; it is a way of life to which I am called. Faith is not just a command to live a life of uncertainty; it is the call to a peaceful assurance.

Father I pray that You open wide my eyes, mind, and soul to Your word. I ask that You lead me to fill every part of my being with Your truth. Center my faith on You and Your word alone.

Father I pray that You assure me of the truth and teach me how to make positive declarations that result in me finding confidence on the front-end of difficult circumstances. So often I wait until a deed is done before I rest. That is an exhausting and disobedient way to live.

Finally Father I ask that You help my unbelief. The thing I can't see really put a hurting on my faith. They creep into my thoughts and cloud my vision. Walking with You often requires that I take blind steps. Help me learn to do this with joy and confidence. I pray that the excitement of following after You becomes the adventure of my life.

Stealing What is Eternal

Today's Reading: Hebrews 10

Scripture:

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23

Observation:

Life can get rough. Temptations, trials, failures, mistakes, lack of resources, frustrations, and on and on and on the list goes. All these things rise up and fight against believers experiencing peace. The writer of Hebrews calls his readers to hold fast to the confession of their hope, without wavering.

Application:

There are have been many times in my life that I have felt like God's word came back void to me. Unanswered prayers, trials that would not end, results that were unfavorable, and many other painful events over the course of my life have often made holding fast to my faith difficult. My perception of certain situations has left me confused and battered and as a result when I read a verse like this there is a part of me that is tempted to disconnect from it.

My problem is this, I pray over things but I pray my own agenda. I ask for guidance but only listen to answers that fit my logic. I ask for protection or deliverance, but I still flirt with the same risks and sins. I often try to hold fast to things that are not guaranteed. I grab hold of empty promises of peace and prosperity for my life on earth. God stops being a God and instead becomes a resource to help me succeed in life.

Prayer:

There is a lot that I will face today. I already know what is on my agenda. I can see the meetings already set on my calendar. I know the struggles that I will have, the risks I will have to take and the tiredness I will feel. Those things are very real to me and often times they become the center piece of all my prayers. They consume all my energy and my life can quickly become about their successful completion. I ask that You forgive me for placing my work ahead of you. I ask that you forgive me for allowing bad results in life to cause my faith to waver and turn my heart away from You.

Father You are so amazing. I know I should never lose sight of that but I do. Help me return today to simple, beautiful reminder that life on this earth does not matter outside of me pursuing Your purpose for me here. Help me fully understand the weight of all the sin that has been remove from me. Drive me deep into to joy that is my adoption by You as a son and the real, tangible, and intimate relationship I get to have with You. Everything in my life of any earthy consequence will pass away. Anything in my life that is about You expressing Your love to this earth will last for eternity. Guide me in how to live my life so that the temporary does not steal away the eternal.

Letting Go of the Old

Today's Reading: Isaiah 9:6-7 & Hebrews 8

Scripture:

"But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear..." Hebrews 8:13

Observation:

In this passage, the writer of Hebrews is helping the Jewish people transition from the law of the old covenant to the new covenant established in Jesus. Everything that they held to be true and normal had to be unlearned and things that were unfamiliar and uncomfortable were having to be learned.

Application:

While my tenants of my faith will never be changed, my understanding of them must continually be adjusted. That is what it means to grow. As I look back over my life I notice that much of what I thought I knew about God has changed. In each step of this process called growing, I had to unlearn something I was certain to be true and grab hold of something that was uncertain to me.

This process will never stop. My understanding of what it means to follow after God is only a shadow of what all there is to know about God. I have to constantly evaluate my interpretation of God's Word and allow Him to teach me new things.

Prayer:

My greatest fear in life is being held back by something I thought I knew. I am hard-headed and more than a little stubborn. I will grab hold of an ideal, thought, or belief and it takes an amazing amount of strength to break my grip.

I pray that You protect me as I continue to allow You to create change in my life. Surround me with men of truth who will speak into my life a better understanding of what it means to walk in obedience. Establish in my heart the unchanging truth of the gospel of Christ so that I may never waver its completeness. Protect my walk with You from being damaged by my pig-headed stubbornness. Help me to sense and see Your tangible presence guiding me daily.

The man I am today is not the man I want to be tomorrow. All that I have is at Your feet. Teach me to recognize the changing of seasons in my life and empower to me to let go of the things that are old and worn out and to accept with joy the new things You send my way.

Cravings

Today's Reading: Micah 5:4-5 & Hebrews 7

Scripture:

"Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him since He always lives to make intercession for them." Hebrews 7:25

Observation:

The work of Jesus on the cross was complete enough to cover all sin. For those who have surrendered their life to Christ as savior and Lord; all their sins have been forgiven. Sins of the past - forgotten. Sins of the present - removed. Sins of the future - covered. Jesus continually sits at the right hand of God making intercession on behalf of those who are of Him.

Satan knows the work of the cross and he tempts beleivers in one of two ways regarding it. It tempts them doubt it by accusing them of still being dirty or he tempts them to take advantage of it by assuring them that they have nothing to worry about.

Application:

I am suseptable to both temptations. During certain seasons of life I can easily become condemed by my sin and avoid the presence of God. During other seasons of life I can use the liberty of grace to take part in things that break the heart of God. Both of these mistakes lead me to be outside of the presence of God. In the first case I doubt God's provision. In the second I abuse it. Either way I slip into rebellion.

These temptations are why Hebrews 6 presses on the importance of moving past the elementary teachings of forgiveness of sin. Satan's goal is to never let me move past this and he will try to hold me here as long as he can. The call of God is to understand that my identity in Christ is complete, to know that my salvation is sealed, and to accept my call to move fast into service.

Prayer:

Father there is more to being a follower of Christ than sin and repent. The call on my life is to understand my standing in Christ and then to go out and be active in serving my role in Your redemption of this lost world. The faster I run towards my mission the less I have to worry about sin in my life.

I pray today that You open my eyes to see clearly the plans You have before me and to not allow anything in my heart or mind to slow me down from pursuing You. I want more than anything to live this day at the edge of my faith. I want to run towards You with a reckless abandonment. I want to sit in Your presence as one who sits with a close friend. Nothing short of experiencing the work of an almighty God will satisfy the cravings of my heart today.

Flippant Praise

Today's Reading: Psalm 100, Hosea 13:4-6; & Hebrews 5

Scripture:

"Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness; come before Him with singing." Psalm 100:1-2

Observation:

There is more to praising God than just going through the motions. The attitude of the Psalmist in Psalm 100 does not reflect someone who is just going through the motions. It reflects the attitude of a man who's heart is overflowing from his relationship with God. It reflects the life of a man who guarded against losing his praise.

Application:

Guarding against losing my praise. That is the conviction I feel this morning and I see this morning three things that can help me with that. First, I have to guard against complacency. Hosea 13:4-6 paints a picture of this. My praise will never be fully alive to God unless I am living on the edge of my faith. If I allow myself to become satisfied with where I am; my praise will become fake.

Second, I must not lose focus during trials. Ok, suffering really bites. I am not particularly found of it at all. Relationship struggles, untimely deaths, financial pressures, struggles with kids, job uncertainty, and general failures of all kinds can be tormenting. Hebrews 5:8 is a great reminder that my best learning, growing, and changing occurs on the backside of a trial. I must hang on and not allow my heart to be stolen.

Third, I must not dull my hearing. There have been many times in my life that I felt like God was not speaking to me. Truth is my heart can get so far removed from His heart that my ability to hear God becomes dull. Hebrews 5:11-14 serves up a great challenge for me to keep my heart alive and connect with God through growth in discipleship. God places the right people in my life at the right time to speak to me, but my ability to hear them is determined by my willingness to be discipled.

Prayer:

Forgive me for being so flippant in my praise to You. I do not always guard it and it can be taken away from me so very quickly. I become complacent and lose my praise to laziness. I lose heart in trials and give my praise away to bitterness. I dull my ears from hearing truth and sacrifice my praise to my stubbornness.

You alone are Father. You alone are good. You alone are the God who lives, breathes and moves. You designed me with a purpose and walking in that purpose is the only place where I find joy. There is none like You. My heart is complete in You. The only times in my life I regret are the times that I lived outside of Your desires for me. All that I am is Yours today.