Monday, November 30, 2009

A Yes Man

Today's Reading: Romans 3 & 4


Scripture:

"Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb." Romans 4:19


Observation:

Stinking unbelievable. Knowing the end of the story sometimes makes it easy to blow past the relationship that Abraham had with God and the amount of faith he displayed in saying yes.


Application:

Faith. That is the word that keeps coming to my mind this morning. My faith should be more than something I cling to for peace and comfort. It should be the call in my life beckoning me to stretch myself beyond what is known and comfortable. It should be the fuel that empowers me to leave behind all that is known in pursuit of the vision God has for me. It should not be the thing that comforts me from the sidelines; it should be the very thing that creates such a great discontentment inside of me that it renders me unable to sit out of the game.


Prayer:

Abraham's choices with his life proved his belief in You. Generations of people have studied this man's life and there is no conclusion to be drawn other than he is a man upon whom You proved Yourself to be faithful. Your presence, Your existence, Your power, Your glory, and Your favor all radiate from the life of this man because he simply believed in You enough to say yes.


I want to be a yes man. I want to walk with You in a manner that I hear Your voice and know what You want. I want to be in constant awareness of where You are and what You are doing. My heart's desire is to find myself in the center of Your will building Your kingdom. Nothing else matters to me. Help me to make wise choices today with the life You have entrusted to me.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Keeping Prayer on Track

Today's Reading: Matthew 20 & Matthew 21:1-22


Scripture:

"The the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him." Matthew 20:20


Observation:

The mother of these men was not intentionally acting with evil intent. She was doing what she felt was the best thing to do for her family by asking that the faithfulness of her sons be rewarded. The issue with her and her sons was that they totally missed the heart of what Christ had been teaching.


It is easy to sit in the comfort of my chair and throw rocks at the people in this story, but in reality I am no better. I walk up to Christ, kneel in false humility, and ask Him to make much of me. I can sugar coat it and dumb it down but if I remove all the pretense that is what a lot of my prayers are essentially about. Something in my life is hindering my joy or advancement and I want it taken away.


Application:

I see three things that can help me keep my prayers on track from today's text. The first is in 20:1-16; fairness is not a Biblical value. Fairness is in fact quite a selfish and egotistical feeling. If I am approaching Christ with even a hint "this is not fair" in my mind then I can know that I am not praying according to His intent.


The second is in 20:20-28; Christ does not exist for my comfort and convenience. The Son of Man did not have a place to rest His head, why should I expect anything better. If I am approaching Christ with a heart that is bent towards wanting a better life then I have opened myself up for all types of deception.


The third is in 20:18-22; Christ expects me to bear fruit. Appearances do not matter. I can do all the religious acts I want and still miss the mark. Christ's plans for me are life transformation. Everything He has invested in me was intended to produce fruit for Him to enjoy. Whenever I reach a place where I feel as if I am just going through the motions I should remember how this worked out for the fig tree.


Prayer:

There is much on my heart today that is not right. There are things I seek which clearly work against what You have spoken to me this morning. My desire for things to be fair clearly indicates how disconnected I am from what I truly deserve. My desire for comfort and convenience reveals how locked into this world I am and how busy I am working at making it feel like home. My lack of fruit is a grim reminder of just how caught up I am in going through the motions.


I give to You today these things. These three matters of the heart are as wicked and nasty as any act I could ever commit. Even as I sit here this morning fully awake to the gravity of this teaching I still sense pride that is resisting this conviction. Father I am grateful for Your forgiveness and my only hope is that You remove these mountains in my life and produce through me the fruit You desire for me to bear.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Three Stops

Today's Reading: Matthew 15 & 16


Scripture:

"But He turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's.'" Matthew 16:23


Observation:

These words sound harsh and they are. Peter was missing the point of the mission. He walked with Christ daily and yet he still was missing where it was that Christ was taking him.


The same is very true of my life. I have the potential to be right in the center of God's will for my life or I can choose to be a stumbling block to my Savior. From today's reading I see three things that I must stop doing in order to guard against this.


Application:

First, I have to stop seeking signs. It is in my nature to want proof before I will commit to anything. Faith requires taking God at His word and moving forward. Looking for signs is a farce. Even if I get the sign I seek it will not be any easier to believe. Belief is birthed in the heart; not the head.


Second, I have to stop waiting to be resourced. I look at the needs around me and compare them to the resources I possess. In doing this I am always woefully short. I do not have the patience, time, energy, wisdom, purity, peace, understanding, money, or opportunity to address all that I see on a daily basis. In doing this I miss the point. God does not care what I have; He just wants me to be mobilized.


Finally I have to stop seeking life. This one is all about my will for my life. I have dreams. I have ambitions. I have a picture in my head of what I want to be, what I want to do, and what I want my legacy to be. If I am running to God only to pursue these things then I will constantly be disappointed. God did not indwell me to make much of my life. He redeemed and empowered me to make much of His will for redeeming this world.


Prayer:

The redemption of the world. I stare at that sentence and the words reflect back to me an image that is not nearly as beautiful to me as it should be. There is still too much of me in me. My desires are not for the redemption of the world in as much as they are centered on the preservation of my ideas, beliefs, values, and desires.


Father, I am completely powerless to let go ambitions. I would say I can try but I know without a doubt I will return to them. Bottom line is that I have limits to what I am willing to do for You. There are places I will not go, things I will not do, and sacrifices that I will not make. I confess this to You this morning and in all humility ask for Your help in stopping the things You have asked me to leave behind.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

My Who

Today's Reading: Matthew 8:1-17; Matthew 9:35-38; & Matthew 10


Scripture:

"...and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him." Matthew 10:4


Observation:

Judas really blew it. The man is forever inked as a shining example of greed and betrayal. All men live and all men die. That is a common fate assigned to every person who walks the earth. It is common ground upon which we all stand.


One day I will leave this earth and pass on to the life that follows this one. There is a statement waiting for me that says, "Jason Hester, the one who ________."


Application:

Thankfully my "who" is still blank and I have some time. That is good but it also presents itself with an issue around what do I want my "blank" to say? Over the years I have filled the blank in with many things. There are seasons of my time that would have left that blank filled with words that would have shamed my legacy. While I am grateful for the chance to continue working on my "who"; I am also sobered by the reality that the choices I make today are determining the words to be penned that will forever ink my legacy in the hearts of those who come after me.


Prayer:

"In word, spirit, and deed he reflected the life of Jesus Christ." That is the true answer to what I should desire to have people say when they fill in the blank describing my life. Reality, however, is that I still struggle with this one. Given the fact that You know everything about everything I know that does not surprise You; but it frustrates me the mess out of me.


My choices regarding my desires and my passions will ultimately write the history of my life and determine the legacy I leave behind. That is a little frightening to me. I know my desires. I know my passions. You have brought me a long ways from the places I used to frequent with them, but I also look in the mirror everyday and know full well that my flesh is still dying and is fighting tooth and nail on its way out.


The only thing that I fear in this world is the enemy that lies within me. There is an internal traitor who has no plan other than self-destruction. I sit with You this morning and simply confess that I am completely unable to live a life worthy of any better legacy than Judas'. If left to my own I would consume anyone and anything in pursuit of the things that satisfied any itch I had.


I pray that You lead me to follow well today. Consume my heart with desires and passions that point towards a strong spiritual legacy and guide me with the wisdom I need to make those choices. Pure and holy passions often require me to delay my gratification; so I also ask that You sustain me today as I deny myself, take up my cross, and follow after You.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Defining "IT"

Today's Reading: Matthew 5:1-16; Matthew 6:5-15; & Matthew 7


Scripture:

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened unto You." Matthew 7:7


Observation:

Ask and "IT" will be given. Knock and you will find "IT". The key to this passage is found in chapters that come before. This is not a blanket statement covering anything that I desire to have. It is buffered by Christ's teaching in the previous chapters. The key becomes defining the "IT" I ask for and seek after.


Application:

The problem with me is that the thing I am asking for is rarely the thing that I need. I am reminded this morning that there are normally three "IT's" that God will always give to me when I pray: ambitions that are Kingdom focused, a heart for the corporate good and a clear view of my unhealthy thoughts.


Prayer:

Jesus You taught me in Matthew 6:16-24 that seeking earthly treasure is of no good to me. You make that abundantly clear and yet that is where a majority of my prayers stop and start.


I set my sights on something of earthly value (things, relationships, possessions or success) and then allow the lack of having it to drive me nuts. So I pray asking for it and lose sight of anything else in life until I get it.


It is insanely stupid for me to think that You are going to freely give me something that You have so clearly taught is no good for me. I ask that You forgive my pig-headedness.


I confess to You this morning that regardless of what I feel the thing that I need is to have all my ambitions be focused on Your Kingdom agenda, my driving desires to all be pointed towards the corporate good of others, and my stinking thinking to be replaced by pure thoughts about You and the life You have given me. Everything else is just chaff that will be burned or swept away.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Choices to Make

Today's Reading: Psalm 125; 2 Corinthians 12; & 2 Corinthians 13


Scripture:

"Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like minded, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you." 2 Corinthians 13:11


Observation:

Living life with Christ can become very difficult and confusing. This passage shrinks the Bible down to 5 simple choices to seek each day: (1) Rejoice. (2) Be made complete. (3) Be comforted. (4) Be like minded. (5) Live in peace.


Application:

All five of these things seem like worthy goals to target, but there are not goals. They are choices. The goal is to be in the presence of the God of peace. These choices lead me there.


Prayer:

Choosing to rejoice means that I choose to be separate from my circumstances. I pray that Your word and truth become alive to me in a manner that I will rejoice in You because of who You are not because of what You have done for me.


Choosing to be made complete means that I acknowledge I am lacking and submit to Your plans for remodeling my heart. I ask that Your voice and direction be clear in my life as I seek to conform to Your will for me.


Choosing to be comforted means that I let go of how I want things to be and allow You to make me rest in the midst of what things are. I pray that I not seek to be removed from the storm as much as I seek to find Your presence in the storm.


Choosing to be like minded means that I lay down my pride and seek to understand on much larger scale than I seek to be understood. I pray that You guide me to only take divisive stands on issues that are truly essential to Your will.


Choosing to live in peace means that I sacrifice my rights to have things as I wish them to be. I pray that I be enabled to tap into the strength You have provided so that I may walk this troubled life in peace.


Father You know my inability to any of these things. My only hope is You working in me to complete the truth You have set before. My goal is not to have life my way. My only ambition is to be surrounded by Your perfect love and peace.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Stop Selling Short

Today's Reading: 2 Corinthians 8 & 9


Scripture:

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed." 2 Corinthians 9:8


Observation:

In the beginning God created the heavens and earth. He stood above the vast nothingness that was before heaven and earth and spoke into existence everything that is. Millions up millions of pages of text have been written trying to explain the simplest of things in nature that God spoke into being and they still come up short of understanding His design. He has no beginning. He has no end. All that is belongs to Him. At the sound of His voice mountains fall and seas split.


This is my God. Man do I sell short the potential that lies inside of me with God. This God of the creation redeemed me from the life I lived, forgave my every wrong, and planted inside of me His Holy Spirit. I live everyday with access to the same source of strength that gave Christ power over the grave and enabled every other miracle in the Bible to take place.


Application:

If that is my potential, then why is it not being fully released? As I read through the text in 2 Corinthians 8 & 9 I see three things that can block God releasing His power in my life.


First, I have to be surrendered to God's plan. Many times I come to God looking for Him to unleash His power so that I can pursue the things that I want to do. God's desire is for me to get on board with what He wants to accomplish.


Second, I have to be generous to others. I need to start with what I have and allow God to have complete use of all my time, talents, and resources. God supplies extra to me to give to those who have greater need than me.


Third, I have to let God be my supply. I limit myself to what I have. I stand on my own and try to take care of myself. In doing this I miss out on the unending supply of my God.


Prayer:

Father I need Your help to stop selling short the potential You have entrusted to me. From where I am as best I can I submit to Your plans for my life. The things I want are powerless to do anything unless they are truly the things You desire for me. I also give to You the resources that I have. I have a tendency to think so little of what I have that I do not give of it others. That is pride on my part. I pray that You open my eyes to see the resources that You are able to bring and stop limiting myself to what I can measure in my own life.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Get Your Head in the Game

Today's Reading: 2 Corinthians 4 & 5


Scripture:

"Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart." 2 Corinthians 4:1


Observation:

When I played sports the coach would often yell at me to get my head in the game. When I heard that phrase from the sidelines I immediately understood that I was missing out on something that I knew to do but was not paying close enough attention to what was taking place around me to act on it.


Application:

I hear the same phrase this morning coming from God. Losing heart is among the most destructive choices I can make. I say choice because I need to be reminded that while I can not chose my circumstances; I can chose my reaction to them. It is my reaction to circumstances that determines the condition of my heart. As I read this morning I am reminded of three choices that can protect my heart.


First, I can choose to walk free from guilt. My life is draped in mercy. I get to live everyday of the rest of my life with a clean slate. God has forgiven and renewed every mistake and my life has been freed from the things I deserve. Regardless of what happens during the course of a day I have the love of a Father that is not tied to my behavior.


Second, I can choose to look past this life. Pain in this life is real. It hurts. It is uncomfortable. It can be tormenting. Misery can pile on misery and things can get out of hand in a hurry. But, at it worse, this life is only temporary. Every storm that brews in my life will deliver its punch and then it will leave without having any impact on my eternal destiny. It is just a storm. The sun will return. Calm skies will prevail. I just can't give them my heart.


Third, I can choose to be renewed daily. God sits poised every morning waiting on me to connect with Him and walk after Him in humility, surrender, and obedience. His word says that as I do this the peace inside of me will grow each day even in the midst of the trials of this life.


Prayer:

Father I pray that my greatest ambition today be pleasing You. This world and all it has to offer is empty compared to what I find everyday when I choose to walk after Your heart. I pray that You help me keep my head in the game today. Guard my choices and empower me to stay focused. I hand my life to You and ask that You fill it only with the goodness You desire for me. Remind me that this world is not my home and protect me to harboring sin in my heart.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

The Spice of Life

Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 12


Scripture:

"If they were all one member, where would the body be?" 1 Corinthians 12:19


Observation:

Variety is more than the spice of life; it is the necessity of life. God scrambled His gifts among His people so that we would always be lacking if we were not working together.


Application:

Who is disagreeing with me? Who is balancing my thinking? Whose voice is in my ear expanding my vision? Who is challenging me with something I have not thought of before?


If I ever reach a point where I can not fill in those blanks then I need to become concerned. God did not send me to make things resemble what I want them to be. He has gifted me for the common good and so everything I do must be for the common good.


Prayer:

My dad always told me that if the only tool in your toolbox was a hammer then everything looks like a nail. I feel that it is the same way with spiritual gifts. It is so hard to remember that I am a one tool show if I am not surrounded by people with different gifts and ideas.


I pray today for the humility needed to allow my ideas and plans to be altered by the input of others. I pray that I be a faithful servant to all the people You have given to me. Provide me with the wisdom and discernment I need to recognize their gifting, help them fully discover it, and lead them in fulfilling their promise.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

More than Duty

Today's Reading: Psalm 122; 1 Corinthians 9; & 1 Corinthians 10.


Scripture:

"I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the LORD.'" Psalm 122:1


Observation:

There is more to being with God than just duty. There was something in David's relationship with God that moved past the basics of something he had to do or needed to do. God was alive and at work in David's life to such a degree that it brought him great pleasure.


Application:

There are three things that rob me of truly experiencing the type of joy I see in the life of David: guilt, self-preservation, and doubt.


If I am not careful it is really easy to get bogged down in guilt. Christianity in the wrong hands can become a set of unreachable expectations enforced by a bully of a god with a big stick. That is so far from the truth. Jesus Christ set me free from the burden of guilt and condemnation. I am a free man and I should live as a free man.


Self-preservation is a big issue for me. So much of my life has been wasted in futile efforts to care for me. I have looked up and found myself in some really dark and lonely places because of this problem. Jesus was right when He instructed me that I will lose my life when I try to save it.


Doubt is the mother of all distractions. A basic definition of doubt is a feeling of uncertainty about the truth. This crack in my armor is fatal. When I am uncertain I am susceptible to many things. Christ said it best when he compared a man with doubt to a ship without a rudder.


Prayer:

Father I ask that I might prosper in the tasks that You have given to me today. Set my heart on the prize You have for me and make it come to life inside of me in a manner that is more tangible, more real, and more beautiful than any hope I can find in the world.


I give to You today my guilt, my self-care, and my doubts. I pray that their power to control my life be broken and ask that You fill me to full measure with the freedom, provision, and truth You have stored up for me. My desire today is that my life be in submission to Your will.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Coming Up Blank

Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 8


Scripture:

"yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him." 1 Corinthians 8:6


Prayer:

I find that my normal routine and method for journaling is blocked this morning. This verse really stood out to me, but I am struggling to process it. As I have sought You in prayer I feel as if I continually keep coming up blank.


I ask that You open the eyes of my to heart to fully grasp what it means for me to exist for You and pour into me a complete awareness of what it means to live through Jesus. I accept both of these truths but I just do not feel like I understand how to live with them in greater depth.


You alone are God and the Father of all creation. There is none like You. I sit this morning and realize that my greatest thoughts and wildest imagination can't comprehend even the most basic truths of You. Your love is beyond anything I am capable of and Your plans are unstoppable. I ask that You forgive me for the times I reduce You to something that exists to make my life easier. I exist for You and I need to live with a better submission to that truth.


Jesus You alone are my Savior and Lord. All that I am I am because of You. All the potential that exists for my life exists from You. My life most always feels limited by my resources and consequently I often feel like I come up short. I ask that You help me know what it means to be released to the power You have made available inside of me.


In all these things I say thanks to You for being alive and vibrant in my life. It is completely amazing that I am able to spend time with You daily and have a genuine interaction with You. I pray that You guide me today in finding a path that better enables me to live for You, live through You and lead others to You.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Transfer of Title

Today's Reading: Job 34:21; 1 Corinthians 5; & 1 Corinthians 6:12-20


Scripture:

"For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:20


Observation:

My life is no longer my own. So much of what has been published in the Christian community over the past ten years has outlined all the benefits of being a Christian. The gospel somehow has become twisted into a "me centric" collage of empty promises and invitations for self indulgence and big dreams of prosperity.


In this verse Paul reminds me that my life no longer belongs to me. I transferred the title back to God the day I accepted Christ. In verses 12-20 I see three things that I can to bring God glory with my life.


Application:

First I have to get rid of the "have to's" God freed me from the burden of the law yet I continually revert back to my list of should's and should not's. Part of the blessing of salvation in Christ Jesus is that I have been made whole. There is no longer any law to keep. Paul says, "all things are lawful for me." Nothing can separate me from God or improve my standing with Him.


Second, I have to set my sights on things that are profitable. The freedom gained in Christ is countered by the reminder that not everything is good. Paul says that while all things are lawful not everything is profitable. If I allow my freedom to feed my flesh and pursue my own desires then I am nothing short of a fool.


Finally, I have to understand that I am a temple for something Holy. It is amazing to me to think about the reverence I was taught to have for the church building. There are things that I absolutely would never do in a church. But here is the deal, the church building is not the temple of the Holy Spirit; my body is. I should have an enormous amount of reverence for my decisions regarding where I go and what I do.


Prayer:

Father God, there is nothing in me capable of being what You desire me to be. There is no way I can withstand the weight of my temptations. I have historically proven myself to be completely inept at honoring even the smallest of convictions I have or promises I have made.


If left to my own I will consume anything and everything in pursuit of what I want or desire. Knowing this about myself it is utterly amazing to me that I continually try to take back the title of my life and pursue You on my own terms; yet, that is what I do on a daily basis.


This morning, as best I can from where I am I lay myself before You. I ask that You help me discern the things that are profitable for my soul and allow my desire for those things to grow. I pray that I live out my life today in a manner that honors the extraordinary investment You made in me.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Who I am

Today's Reading: Psalm 120 & Galatians 3


Scripture:

"And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants." Galatians 3:29


Observation:

All who place their faith in Christ as Savior and Lord are included in God's covenant blessing to Abraham.


So what? That is the question that I find myself asking this morning. I am grafted into the family of God and made part of His promised blessing to all Abraham's descendents. What impact should this have on my life?


Application:

I need to know who I am. In the midst of the confines created by my circumstances, resources, and abilities it is really easy to allow who I am to be defined by what I experience. This passage is a great reminder that my life has promise.


Not potential. Promise. Potential is defined as "capable of being or becoming". Promise is defined as "a declaration that something will happen". My life is grounded in the same promised blessing that was handed to Abraham. So who am I?


I am an adopted son of the Living God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The "I Am God" of Israel who possess the power to accomplish every single word of His promise.


I am a vessel of the Living God. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives inside of me. All the power, majesty and strength needed to accomplish God's plans for my life has been given to me in full measure.


I am a spotless lamb. Nothing in my past, nothing in my present, and nothing in my future has the potential to blemish my record. God removed every transgression to be remembered no more. Condemnation has forever been removed of its power over my life.


I am a saint by calling. This is not a term of privilege but rather indicates ownership of my life. I am God's. My life is not to be about me or mine. It is solely to be based on the pursuit of God's heart.


Prayer:

My life should be different. I am struggling right now with questioning certain things about my life and it is so very difficult to rest only in You. I read the words I wrote this morning and I know them to be truth. They are out of the text of Your Word and I know that they are absolute. But there is a disconnect between my head and my heart.


I need Your help in applying Your promise to my heart in a manner that is real and tangible enough to alter my beliefs, feelings, emotions and actions. I no longer am content to "believe" these things; I want to know them. I want to treasure them. I want to rest in them. During my darkest day, in the moment of my greatest need, when the walls of my life feel shaky; I pray that Your word of Promise bring complete contentment to my soul.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Hard of Hearing

Today's Reading: Mark 15 & 16


Scripture:

"They went away and reported it to the others, but they did not believe them either." Mark 16:13


Observation:

The disciples were hurting. They had to be. All their hopes and dreams were nailed to and died on the cross with Jesus. I would imagine that as best they could they were turning towards God looking for direction and looking for answers. Three times God tried to answer them. Three times unbelief made it hard to hear.


Application:

Sometimes it is just flat-out though to hear from God. Problems, boredom, fear, and confusion are just a few of the things that can drown out the sound of God's voice. When I fold into that mix my desires, dreams, aspirations, and recreation it becomes incredibly easy to be extremely isolated from God.


Prayer:

It feels as though there is power missing from my life. As I read the passages in the Bible I can't help but notice the gap that exists between their experiences of You and mine. The encounters they had with You were so real. So tangible. Their lives were flip turned upside down by who they knew You to be and what they saw You doing in and through them.


I am not sure where to go with this prayer other than to ask that You continue to grow me in my faith. I ask that Your power meet my words and works in manner that ignites Your movement in my world. Every desire in my heart I lay before You in acknowledgment that they are all useless and powerless to do anything accept make it hard for me to hear from You.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Holding Fast

Today's Reading: Job 23:10-12 & Mark 12


Scripture:

"But He knows the way I take; when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold." Job 23:10


Observation:

There is a lot about the book of Job that I do not get or understand. As I turn the pages it seems like each verse creates more questions than answers. As much room as there is for confusion I also find an equal amount of respect for the man named Job. Here is a man who experienced the absolute heaviest blow the world can deliver. He lost everything imaginable yet was able to be without sin.


In verses 10-12 of Job 23 I find four things I need to apply to my life that have the power to position me to hold fast to God during hard times.


Application:

First, I snappy better have a great relationship with God and place my total confidence in Him long before hard times hit. There is never ceasing tendency in my life to drift during easy times and run to God when I need a bail out. This is a risky and stupid choice.


Second, I need to memorize the truth of God and hold fast to it during dark days. I can not afford to risk walking this earth without knowing the words of God and standing firm in them. Life can brew a rotten storm in a moments notice and things intensify to the point that all seems lost. It is in these darkest days that I need to man up and hold on to what I know to be true of God.


Third, I need to guard my purity. Temptation is never sweeter than in seasons of life when my soul is pressed, my spirit is being drained, and my flesh is needy. In the midst of seasons of deprivation, pressure, and loneliness I need make sure that I keep my heart, mind, and actions pure.


Finally, I need to let nothing of this earth take away my desire for God's word. Job says it like this, "I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food." These words flowed from the mouth of a man who literally lost everything in his life.


Prayer:

Conviction feels inadequate to describe what I feel this morning. My faith needs a tune up. I pray today that I connect with you in a way that is real and tangible enough to produce confidence within me. I ask that Your path be made abundantly clear before me and that I find the strength needed to pursue it as a man would pursue great treasure. Father I beg that Your Words be stored up in my mind and come to life in my heart.