Valuing Me

Read: Romans 12

"For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith." Romans 12:3

Examine:

This verse is often taken out of context. It does not say "do not think highly of yourself." It says, "do not think MORE highly of yourself that you OUGHT to think." Surrendering to Christ is not about developing a poor image of yourself. In reality, pursuing God means developing a strong and healthy sense of self.

Apply:

The command from the first verse of this chapter is to present myself as a living sacrifice to God. In the old testament, people were chastised for giving bad sacrifices. If they gave something that really did not mean anything to them their sacrifice was rejected. I have to know and value the man God has gifted me to be. Anything less than that is an insult to the God who desires my life to be a living sacrifice. I sense from God this morning three areas of value in my life I need to celebrate.

First, I need to value his ability to transform me. The challenge in verse two is to allow Him to transform me by renewing my mind. I have to celebrate the work of God in my life and pursue it with all diligence and with every once of intensity I have.

Second, I have to discover my gifts, place a high value on them, and use them in serving the Kingdom. I am valuable to the kingdom of heaven. When I choose to allow God to put me into service I am contributing to someone's eternity. I am a gifted servant. The word says that He has equipped me to do whatever He has called me to do. I have to value and honor the gifts that He has given me.

Finally, I have to value peace. Whether a person pursues peace with me or attacks me I have to value peace and steer clear of division and strife. Trying to defend myself or take my own revenge is counter to God's teaching. Vengeance is His. I need to give grace to others because I certainly need it myself.

Pray:

Father,

I desire to offer You something that is of worth. My prayer is that my sacrifice to You will be pleasing and acceptable in Your sight. If my body is to be a living sacrifice to You then I need to do a better job of knowing and appreciating who I am and what You have gifted me to be.

My image of myself is not that good. I struggle with being self-depreciating. In all honesty, I often feel inferior to others and this forces me to spend high levels of energy fighting to keep even a small sense of self-worth and confidence. This poor choice on my part opens me up to jealousy and creates inside of me a desperation to belong. I confess to You today that I have not thought of myself as I ought. It is hard for me accept complements from others and it is nearly impossible for me to allow my self-talk to be positive. I no longer want to offer You my life without thinking properly about the worth of it.

Open my eyes to the transformation that has taken place in me and create in me a insatiable desire to pursue the man You desire for me to be. Help me discover and value the gifts that You have blessed me with. I need to have a strong sense of self and a deep respect for my gifting. Guide me as I serve the body so that I do not go down a path that leads to division. Empower me to freely celebrate Your work in the lives of others and help me be secure enough in Your provision to trust You to be my defender.

The Ultimate Purpose

Read: Romans 9

"I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh" Romans 9:1-3

Examine:

This is a very telling quote from Paul. It reveals the depth of anguish he carried for those around him who did not know Christ. He came out of their lifestyle. He lived their lives. The life, freedom, and hope that he found in Christ was so much better than the life he had without Christ; he was willing to become a curse for others to experience the same transformation.

Apply:

The love of God in me should always produce a burden to see others come to know God through faith in Jesus Christ. The closer I become to God this desire to share should begin to consume the other desires in my life. The ultimate purpose in discipleship and growth is not personal peace and sanctification. God works and stirs inside of me to press me into serving others has they seek to find their relationship with God. He builds me up so that I may have something to pour into the life of another.

Pray:

Father,

I can only share what I know. I pray that You open the eyes of my heart to fully bask in the riches of my salvation. Let me see the depth of it. Help me to walk in the unfathomable promise regarding my eternity. I ask that my salvation become the overriding source of my desires, energy, and motivation.

I can only share what I can articulate. I pray that You give me words to describe the work that you are doing inside of me. Help me to clearly articulate the things that You reveal to me and to fully understand the power that is growing inside of me. I pray that I be able to find the words necessary to birth the message You have planted in my heart.

I can only share when my heart is burdened. I pray that You awaken in me a holy anguish for those outside the faith. As I move through this day You have given I pray that I do it looking for opportunities to connect others to You.

To Know Struggles

Read; Romans 7

"I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members." Romans 7:21-23

Examine:

Paul is talking about his current state. This the man who met the resurrected Jesus face-to-face in a incredible fashion. This the man who surrendered everything in his life to pursue the spreading of the gospel. This is the man who penned more of the New Testament than any other man. In terms of the early Church there is no more impactful man than Paul.

In the face of all the great accomplishments and the mighty movements of God in his life Paul stayed aware of the sinful nature to which he was still vulnerable. Paul stayed aware of the battle that was being waged inside of his mind and emotions. This allowed Paul to live fully aware of the fact that he could never rest or allow himself to think that he was beyond sin.

Apply:

To live life on this earth is to know struggles. There will be triumphs and failures. There will be growth and there will be set backs. The conflict I sense between good and evil will never cease on this earth. The battle that rages on inside of me between the truth of God and the lusts of my flesh will never stop. This is a truth and it is absolute. From where I sit I see three choices before me regarding this fact of life: I can ignore it, I can get consumed by it, or I can charge hard in pursuit of God through it.

Pray:

How long will this struggle last? That is a question that I think often runs through my mind and threatens my peace. I want things to be settled in me. I feel that if I acknowledge my sin, temptations should go away and living a life of purity should become easy. This passage from Paul makes it clear that no man will ever be free from the temptations in his flesh. As long as I live in this body and on this fallen earth I will experience the struggle between good and evil. This is my current state, but it is not my permanent state.

Until You return to me or I come to You I will struggle with my issues of sin. I am really grateful that I don't have to experience any guilt with this. The work of the cross took care of the price for my sins. There is no punishment for me because the punishment has been paid in full. Help me to rest in the freedom of Your grace today but fuel my passion to charge hard in my pursuit of Your best for this life You have given me.

Live Different

Read: Romans 5

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God." Romans 5:1-2

Examine:

There is only one qualifier to this verse and that is that I have to have placed my faith in Christ. The moment I did that I became justified by faith. This verse lists out three main benefits of justification through Christ: 1) Peace with God has been given. 2) Privileged access to God has been granted. 3) The glory of God has been promised as an inheritance.

Apply:

Religion places a great deal of pressure on me to make peace with God. Religion creates a list of do's and don'ts and then I beat myself up with them as I continually feel pressed to live better. This is foolishness. I do not have to make peace with God.

My peace with God has been made. There is no condemnation. There is nothing to earn. For me to live with even the slightest sense of being on the outside is the equivalent of a man starving to death while his cabinets are full of food. My peace is complete in Christ.

I have privileged access to the God of the universe. This should be a game changer. Nothing in my life should be normal or ordinary. I stand in the sphere of God's grace. His empowering presence fuels me. His cleansing of sin covers me. His heart of love fills me. The fruit of my life should reflect this. The God who spoke into existence the heavens and earth. The God who created everything man longs to hold. The God who holds the heavens and earth in His hands. That is the power to which I have been granted access. There is no way I can take hold of that truth and not be transformed by it.

My future inheritance will be the glory of God. Humans hope in the glory of things, not the things themselves. I am never tempted to hope in money, it is the glory of the things money can buy that is enticing. I am never tempted to hope in a position, it is the glory of having power that is enticing. If money, power, or possessions have the power to offer glory; how much more so should the God of the universe? That is my inheritance. Regardless of what I experience in my short time on this earth my eternity will be spent experiencing the fullness of God's glory. My heart should be continually filled with hope. Joyful anticipation should lead me through each day. My soul should overflow with the celebration of the things that are to come for me.

Prayer:

Father,

The truths You have reminded me of this morning cannot be accepted by human reasoning. The only way these things can sink into my heart and produce fruit in my life is by the work of the Holy Spirit You so graciously granted to me. I ask that the eyes of my heart be opened so that I may live fully in the benefits You have given to me through Christ. Let me know the peace that I have with You. Help me to be transformed by the privileged access to You made possible for me. Release me to celebrate daily the future glory of which I can be certain is mine.

No More Excuses

Read: Romans 3

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;" Romans 3:23-24

Examine:

There are four common ways people attempt to avoid admitting their sin or try justifying their behavior: Denying the existence of God, comparing their deeds to someone the deem to be worse, partaking in religious activities, or giving of themselves to humanitarian deeds. These four things were going on in Paul's time and these four things continue to persist in my time. In the first three chapters of Romans, Paul dismantles these excuses. Chapter three starts the transition away from what does not work and begins to build a case for the work of Christ.

Apply:

I am not as bad as...

I pray, read my Bible, and go to Church...

I left my life and went into ministry...

I am a generous person and give of myself to others...

I am a good husband, father, friend, and worker...

I think that interpretation of the scripture is a little legalistic...

Prayer:

Father,

I still try to justice my actions. The excuses for my sin match my acts of sin tit-for-tat. I am not sure why this habit is so hard to break. I know better. It has never worked. Eventually I always find myself painted into a corner and forced to face my problem with my sin.

Freedom is not fully appreciated unless a person has first experienced captivity.

As I journey through Romans, I pray that You reawaken my sensitivity to my sin. Help me remember the places from which You redeemed me. Help me understand how hopeless I am without You. The more deeply I own the captivity of my sin the more richly I am able to experience Your grace.

I stand before You today in full confession of the sin in my life. No excuses. No justifications. I am a sinner fallen short of Your glory whose only justification in life is the gift of redemption and salvation through Christ.

Stirring Salvation

Read: Romans 2

"to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation." Romans 2:7

Examine:

A person's habitual conduct reveals the true condition of their heart. In the end there are only two results of God's judgment; eternal life or wrath and indignation.

Salvation is more than just wanting to be a good person. Salvation is more than hearing things about God. Salvation is more than knowing the truth about God. True salvation in Christ is about the surrendering of the heart to God and allowing Him to radically alter a person's passions, pursuits, behaviors, and desires.

Apply:

I am good with God. My heart is His and my eternity is set. I know this with absolute confidence. He has actively led my life to where it is. I look back at the man I was ten years ago and I bear no resemblance to him. I know that God has continually transformed me and I have persevered in doing good. I have pursued His glory and honor. I am thankful for the security I feel regarding my salvation and the assurance I have for my eternity.

I can't sit back. I can't rest. I can't allow the stirring of my soul to settle. My eternity is set but there are many whose are not. As long as there is breath in me my main ambition in life has to be to see people come into a saving relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Pray:

Father,

My passion for sharing the good news of the gospel is not as strong as it should be. I want to do it. I know I should do it. My mind is filled with information on how to do it and there is a passionate desire inside of me that wants to see it happen. That said, my habitual conduct does not result in me sharing it very often.

I ask that You kindle inside of me the prayers I need to pray for the lost in my church, my state, my country and my world. Create inside of me a passion to persevere in seeking Your glory in the lives of others. Place in my heart a holy anguish for those who do not live in a saving relationship with You.

I ask that You radiate in me the truth and beauty of Your gospel. There is nothing more compelling or freeing than basking in the majesty of Your unconditional love. There is nothing that can compare to experiencing You on a daily basis. I sometimes struggle with how to share this. I ask that Your presence in me be so strong that the truth of Your presence will be revealed in every word I share, every hand I shake, every neck I hug, and every smile I give.

This Sunday was hard on me. For three services I sat and watched the baptism waters at the church go unstirred. I pray that never happens again. Move and stir in our midst in a manner that produces salvation. I ask that You embolden us all to invest in those around us and invite them to hear of Your desires for their life. Guide us in creating environments that are conducive to Your Holy Spirit stirring and calling the souls of those outside the faith to You.

A Battle to Win

Read: Romans 1

"For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened... And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper..." Romans 1:21 & 28

Examine:

God reveals Himself to all of mankind. When we choose to not glorify that revelation then He chooses to no longer reveal Himself and He also chooses to turn us over to our foolish mind and choices. Behavioral problems and issues with sin all trace their roots back to a refusal to honor God or glorify Him.

Apply:

Conviction is an important thing. I look back over my life and there are several seasons of misery that I can remember. Prior to each of those seasons I can remember a time when God revealed to me something to me about Himself. That revelation required a change that I was not willing to give so I ignored it. The result in my life was a backslide down a sinful path.

I make a lot of choices each day but none are more important that what I do with the knowledge that has been revealed to me regarding God. If I acknowledge the revelation by giving God His glory and my submission then I will draw close to the heart of my Father. If I do not see it fitting to acknowledge the revelation by glorying God with my submission, then I can fully expect to be turned over my own desires.

Pray:

I am hard-headed and strong willed. I fully understand that what You reveal to me about Yourself requires change on my part. I can not follow after You and stay the way that I am. I know this, I understand this, but I struggle hard with it. The moment You convict me of something the battle begins.

I know my desires and the dark places to which they lead. I confess to You that they are no good. I pray that You help me win this battle. When I hear Your voice and sense the change that You require I pray that You empower me to charge after that change with all that is within me.

My life has taught me that there is nothing good or sustaining outside of Your presence. Your grace and mercy are incredible. Your character is trustworthy and Your strength are never failing. I rest today because You are Lord of my life. Open the eyes of my heart to clearly see the things You desire to teach me today. This day of life will be wasted if it does not lead me to understand something new about You.

Handling Adversity

Read: Psalm 69 and Psalm 118

"But I am afflicted and in pain; may Your salvation, O God, set me securely on high." Psalm 69:29

Examine:

David was in a place of torment. In earlier verses he used the analogy of feeling like he was drowning to describe his condition. He was surrounded by adversity and there was no relief in sight. In the midst of this tormenting season of his life David chose to pursue God and in doing so left a great example in how to handle adversity.

Apply:

Being honest about my perception of my situation and the feelings I am fighting is not a sign of weakness nor is it a lack of faith. Throughout this passage David is gut-level honest about his pain. So should I. I have to learn to make honest confessions about my weaknesses and hurts.

I also have to learn to be dependent on God and avoid being angry at Him. Depending on the severity of the trial, becoming frustrated at God is a very real temptation. My desperation to be at peace will cause me to lash out at God. David did not allow this to happen. He cried out to God but he never allowed his voice to strike a blow at God. I have to learn to maintain my submission to God even when my emotions are screaming this is not fair.

Finally, I have to maintain a sense of confidence in God and praise His Name. My praise for God has a tendency to become very conditional. If I get what I want I offer praise. If I am forced to wait, endure silence, or accept a "no" then my praise will often die down. David maintained a confident boasting in and praise of God. Regardless of what comes my way I must refuse to allow a trial to rob God of the praise that He deserves from me.

Pray:

My enemy has me under siege right now. He is attacking me from three directions at once right now and there is very little I can do to control or escape the attacks. I lay down at night and it has become hard to even find rest. My mind, my thoughts, and my emotions are continually in search of relief. The waters are rising and my soul has become faint.

I am totally at Your mercy. You are my only hope for deliverance. I accept Your timing and Your sovereign control over my life. I know that at the appropriate time You will set me in a large place and replenish my heart and soul with strength. I pray that while I struggle I do so in a manner that proves my dependency on You and Your faithfulness to deliver.

Your loving kindness is everlasting. Your strength is above all the earth. Nothing can stand in Your presence. Nothing can overtake Your goodness. Nothing can out shine the greatness of Your glory. Trials come and trials go but those who depend on You and call upon Your great name will never see their hope forsaken.

Foolish Choices

Read: Psalm 49 and Psalm 100

"This is the way of those who are foolish, and of those after them who approve their words." Psalm 49:13

Examine:

This Psalm is a wisdom poem, dealing with the age-old problem of the prosperity of the wicked. The Psalmist observed that the wicked are prosperous and rich, and filled with pride and a sense of security. But the wise Psalmist stated that they are no better than the beasts of the field. In the end, the hope of the righteous is better than the false security of the wicked.

Apply:

In light of this Psalm I see two foolish choices that are guaranteed to rob my soul of joy and God of my praise. The first is I can choose to fear death and decline. Aging is a fact of life. Both my mind and body will degenerate until I ultimately die. This is a fact of life that no person can escape. If I allow myself to worry with this I have chosen to engage in a losing battle. As a believer the aging process should be celebrated. Though my body and mental strength may slip with age; my soul and spirit will grow stronger. Though my time on earth is running out; my eternity in heaven is drawing near.

I can also make a foolish choice and allow earthly possessions and accomplishments to become my scorecard for success. The things of earth will pass away. Money, land, praise from others, awards, rewards, and everything else this life has to offer dies when I die. I can't take it with me. Comparing my standing with others and being consumed with what I have or do not possess is a guaranteed ticket to disaster. God's scorecard for success differs wildly from that of the world. When death calls and the final scores are settled the righteous life of God will prevail.

Pray:

Father,

Your Word calls me to enter Your gate with thanksgiving in my heart and to enter Your courts with praise. I must confess that I often allow my dissatisfaction with the circumstances of my life to prevent that from happening. My emotions get the best of me and I can quickly find myself separated from a heart of praise. My adoration of You is tied to Your performance in my life. I confess these foolish and sinful choices to You this morning.

The brevity of worldly glory is nothing when compared to the everlasting glory that You have established for my eternity. It is illogical to make choices that lead the first and forsake the latter.

Lead me to Your heart today. Help my praise for You to be solely based on Your loving kindness and faithfulness. Reveal Yourself to me today in a way that is so real and tangible that my only natural response will be heart of praise. Prove Your glory to be better than anything the world has to offer.

Taste and See

Read: Psalm 34

"O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" Psalm 34:8

Examine:

During the time of this Psalm David was on the run from Saul. In an attempt to save his life, David had pretended to be mad. David's assumption was that Saul would lose interest in him if he thought David had gone crazy. David's error in judgment lost him his safe haven with Abimelech and so he ended up hiding in a cave.

Tasting the Lord to see that He is good or taking refuge in Him is more than a experiment or trial. This Psalm reveals at least three ways to taste of God's refuge and supply.

Apply:

I have to allow my lips to be filled with continual praise and blessing towards God. David says that He blesses Him continually. I have to train my soul to constantly boast in God. Regardless of what I face in life there is always a visible quality of God that is worthy of my praise.

I also have to flee evil and pursue peace. True fear of God results in me making different choices. My awe of God, my dependency on him, and my love for Him should compel me to run away from things that are evil and draw me towards a righteous pursuit of peace.

Finally, I have cry out to him. Verses fifteen through twenty-two paint an incredible picture of a man crying out to God for deliverance. I often pray at God and then try to bail myself out. If I am to taste of the Lord then I must move past feeling like I can do it on my own and place all of my hope solely in God.

Pray:

Father,

I am struggling with this word today. The balance between contributing my part and letting You work is a hard one to find. There are many things that contribute to this struggle.

Sometimes the problem is that Your silence is deafening. I call out to You and it feels like I hear nothing in response. There are other times when I get a sense of direction that seems to make so much sense that I think it must have been from You. I jump on that idea and things go from bad to worse. Then there are the times that I do not even bother with seeking You. I go my own way and do my own thing. In all three of these scenarios I usually find myself sitting alone fighting my confusion and tending to my wounds.

I to often allow the weight of the world to distort the worthiness of Your praise. I ask that You feel my heart with a well spring of hope that is based solely on Your worth and this protected from circumstances. You are so worthy. During moments of silence I pray that You strengthen me to not press the panic button. I am incredibly impatient. The digital world has only served to heighten my sense of being entitled to an immediate answer or solution. Silence is a healthy discipline; teach me to walk in it well. Train me to better discern Your voice and help me to accept Your outcomes even though they may not result in my comfort.

Yet You are Holy

Read: Psalm 22

"Yet You are holy..." Psalm 22:3

Examine:

I am unsure of what was going on in David's life at the time this Psalm was penned, but it is abundantly clear it was not good. There is never a sin or rebellion mentioned so it is fairly safe to assume David was being unjustly persecuted as a righteous man. He opens this Psalm by speaking to the fact that he felt abandoned and left alone. He felt like he was forsaken by God. He felt like God was silent. He felt like the enemies and circumstances he faced were very real and tangible while God was distant and silent.

As I read through this Psalm I am taken aback by the raw honesty of the Psalmist. He did not put on a false front. He did not pretend like it did not hurt. He spoke honestly about his pain and feelings, but he never allowed his circumstances to dethrone God as Lord of his life.

Apply:

During difficult seasons of life it is important to monitor the emotions that I feel. Anger is rarely healthy when it is used as defense mechanism during a trial. Anger can be healthy in protecting God's mission, defending my family, or taking up for the defenseless, but anger used in self defense often only leads to trouble. Steering clear of this form of anger is critical.

If a trial is intense enough or lasts long enough my flesh also often struggles with panic. There are no good uses of panic. Panic is defined as a sudden overwhelming fear, with or without cause, that produces hysterical or irrational behavior. Losing control of my senses during a difficult season can only lead to horrible decisions.

The challenging application of this passage for my life today is that though I may feel abandoned and left alone, though I may feel like my enemies triumph over me and though I may feel like my life has fallen apart; I must choose to say, "Yet You are holy." In the midst of great a great struggle those four words communicate an amazing level of faith and submission.

Pray:

Father,

Responding to trials and tribulations with anger or panic has cost me a lot in my life. In trying to defend myself or protect my image, property, relationships, or position I have made a many choices that I have lived to regret. There is so much in my life that would have turned out differently if I had only better responded to situations with holy anguish instead of unrighteous anger or panic.

Yet You are holy. Those four words just keep reverberating in my spirit. Nothing will ever change Your holiness. Nothing will ever overtake it. Nothing can ever surpass it. I ask that You teach me to own my feelings and emotions but to maintain a proper perspective of You during the times of my life when all of hell seems to stand against me. I pray that "Yet You are holy" would be a declaration that would rally my spirit and strengthen my resolve to stay in the fight another day.

Not Fully First

Read: Psalm 16

"The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;

You support my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;

Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me." Psalm 16:5-6

Examine:

David compared the LORD to a portion allotted to him by inheritance. The Lord was all he needed to satisfy his heart in life. The boundary lines in pleasant places speak of portions of land measured by line and distributed by lot. In other words he compared God's blessings to the best inheritance a person could receive. The Lord had given him a wonderfully full life.

Apply:

The other day I was discussing the fall of a famous person. This person is the wealthiest in his business. There is literally nothing on earth that is beyond his reach. He has an amount of wealth that is beyond comprehension and has mostly spent it on gratifying the dark desires of his flesh.

In the midst of my conversation regarding this guy, I felt more than a small twinge of jealousy and envy. "It is not fair", I thought to myself. Why would God allow a man that wicked to have so much and me to have so little. Could God not just throw a little of that wealth my way?

"But You have me. He is does not." Those were the words I heard God speak to me in response to the question rolling around in my mind. The full weight of God's response did not hit me until I read this passage.

For David, his relationship to God was his everything. It was tangibly better than anything he could experience. What about me? Where does my relationship with God fall on the value chain in my life?

Prayer:

Father,

You are not fully first in my life. I could dance around what You are putting on my heart today but I am fully aware of what You are saying to me today. I can not honestly say that my relationship with You is the full portion of my inheritance. I confess that to You this morning as honestly and sincerely as I can. I do not desire to live one more day of my life struggling against Your desire to be fully first in my life.

I have to be honest with You and myself. I am fully incapable of doing this in my own strength. I ask that You reveal Your glory to me in a way that leads me to experience the depths of Your worth. I ask that You bring to life the value of my relationship with You so that it overtakes everything else in my life. I surrender my desires to You today and pray that You replace them with an unquenchable thirst to know You as the supreme prize in life.

I am grateful to You today for being a safe place for me to workout the sin in my life. There is no greater feeling that receiving clarity and forgiveness from You. Protect the things that You have asked of me today and encourage me as I continue my journey back home to You.

The Object of My Praise

Read: Psalm 8

"O LORD, our Lord,

How majestic is Your name in all the earth.

Psalm 8:1

Examine:

This Psalm is bookended by a powerful declaration of the majesty of God. It is a powerful Psalm of praise. David applied three things that made praising God natural to Him. In this passage David starts out by referring to God as LORD (all caps). This word is Yahweh and it is the personal name of God which he revealed to Moses. It means that he is the I AM, The One True God. David then personalizes God by referring to Him as Lord. This word means sovereign master. David looked at the world around him for the revealed evidence of God's greatness.

Apply:

Understanding God as Yahweh is so important. He is all powerful and all knowing. He was in the beginning and He will be in the end. He is everything I will ever need. His purpose for my life can always be trusted. The stress and strain of the world competes with God's claim as Yahweh in my life. It is so easy to become distracted and lose sight of the greatness of my God.

Knowing God as master and sovereign Lord is also vital to praising Him. God did not create all of creation and then retreat to Heaven to see how it went. He is active. He is alive and stirring about. He is my master. He is my provider. He is my Lord. I must choose daily to surrender the lordship of my life back to my God.

Truly understanding God as Yahweh and as Lord of my life frees me to look at the world around me and marvel. God's tangible presence is on display everywhere I look. The stars shout His name. The moon and the sun declare His glory. All of creation comes together and makes obvious the greatness of God. My life can get so busy that it can be quite easy to forget to slow down, look around, and marvel at all that God has done.

Pray:

Father,

I praise You today because You are Yahweh. You never change. You are everything I will ever need. No situation, no circumstance, and no power of man will ever overcome the greatness of Your name.

I praise You today because You are my Lord. My life is Yours. All that is in it belongs to You. You are my sovereign Master and You make my paths straight.

Distractions are not hard to find. Things happen and it seems like I can go from the top of the mountain to the bottom of a pit in a matter of seconds. I think this often happens because I take my eyes off of Your greatness and become consumed by my comfort and preferences. I ask that You help me keep my day in perspective. Allow nothing in my life to steal Your rightful place as the sole object of my praise.

Getting Unstuck

Read: John 21

"Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will also come with you." They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing."

John 21:3

Examine:

Based on the text, it appears the disciples were stuck. They had experienced a tumultuous series of events and understandably they were confused and unsure of the future. So Peter and some disciples decided to go fishing. Jesus would meet them in what they were doing and help give them direction for their new lives. He also left for us a few reminders on how to get unstuck.

Apply:

There are a couple of things from this chapter I need to remember when I get stuck. First, fairness is not a Biblical value. Hard times or confusing seasons often tempt me to look to my left and my right and compare my life to the lives of others. I do this to judge whether life is treating me fair or not. This is a dangerous philosophy. What God does or does not do in the life of another is no business of mine. Jesus makes this clear in verse twenty-two. Comparing myself to others will only serve to dig me deeper into the trouble I face.

Second, sometimes it is helpful to go back to the beginning. Fishing is what these men were up to the first time they met Jesus. Perhaps they thought it wise to go back to the beginning. When I am stuck and do not know where to go next sometimes it is good to take what I have learned, go back to the beginning, and start over. Clarity often comes as I separate myself from striving so hard to move past an obstacle.

Finally, I have to remember that I serve a redeeming God. No matter how bad I have messed up or how deep I have gotten myself stuck; the grace of God through Jesus Christ is great enough to pull me out.

Pray:

Father,

I am incredibly grateful that You are not into being fair. I have messed up enough in my life that I fully appreciate that You have not given me what would be considered fair. You have dealt with me in a manner that is gracious beyond anything I deserve. Forgive me for the times I allow my frustrations to turn into jealousy over Your work in the lives of others.

A life spent in pursuit of Christ will be a crazy adventure. There will be ups and there most certainly will be downs. Just as the disciples, I can reasonably expect to experience a whirlwind of circumstances that will test my faith in every way possible.

I pray that when I find myself stuck in a place and searching for a answer that I will seek after You in a manner leads me to a deeper understanding of Your glory.

Two Traps

Read: John 20

"When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus." John 20:14-15

Examine:

There is some debate as to why Mary did not recognize Jesus. All anyone can really do is speculate. Regardless of why she did not recognize Him, this much I do know. Mary thought Jesus was still dead. She did not expect to find Him alive.

Application:

My expectations have a huge impact on my experience of Christ working in my life. There are two traps I see from this passage that I need to avoid in my life. The first is the trap of wrong expectations. Mary thought Jesus was dead. That was the box she created for Jesus and it made seeing Him difficult. In the same way, the boxes I create for Jesus can limit my ability to experience the fullness of His work going on around me. It can also cause me to miss out on the work He desires to do inside of me. I must constantly take my view of Christ back to the scripture and know for certain that I have pure expectations of Him.

The second trap is the lack of expectations. Mary did not have any expectations of Jesus. He had become to her a good man who was now dead. Allowing myself to develop expectations regarding Christ means that I open up part of my heart and give Him my hope. That sets me up for disappointment if the thing does not work out like I planned. In all honesty, my fear of being let down sometimes tempts me to dumb down my expectations. I pray without even really being sure if my prayers matter. I must strive to ground myself in the word of God and allow my prayers to reflect a man who is sold out and absolute in his faith.

Prayer:

I sense a strong reminder of how little movement I expect of You on a daily basis. I believe in You. I pray to You. I serve You and I give offerings to You. But what do I expect of You? If I were to examine the choices I make on a daily basis they really do not reflect the life of a man who really believes that all things are possible for those who believe. I ask that You forgive my lack of faith in You.

Holy Spirit, You are here to lead me and instruct me. I ask that You open the eyes of my heart and allow the magnitude of Jesus' Name to stretch my expectations. Create inside of me an intense desire to be centered in the will of the Father and cultivate in me a growing expectation of what is possible with Christ. Lead me to the wisdom I need to take bold steps of faith that will lead to a releasing of God's glory in my life.

No Need to Press

Read: John 16

"I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now." John 16:12

Examination:

Jesus was in His final moments with His disciples. He had given them as much instruction and warning as He felt they could handle. In this verse, Jesus was reminding them that their knowledge was not complete and they must continue to seek Him through the Holy Spirit that was to come.

Application:

There are days when I open the Word and things just come screaming off the page at me. I hear the voice of God speaking loudly and see a verse or a passage in a totally new way. When this happens it is as if the windows to my soul open up and I understand the work that God is doing on my heart.

Then there are mornings like this one. I look at the words in my Bible and they seem to just silently stare back at me. I hear nothing. I sense nothing. Just silence. Uncomfortable silence. It is tempting to press and force application or to panic myself into believing that something is wrong.

This verse is a great reminder that God will only give to me as much as I can handle at one time. No need to press. No need to panic. Everything is precisely as it should be. More will come when the time is right.

Prayer:

I am grateful that You know me. I am so appreciative of the fact that I can trust You to not give me more than I can process or handle. The past couple weeks have been remarkably rich with You. Your teaching and movements have been incredible. My faith has been pressed forward to new levels strength and peace. Thank You for giving me time to rest and process what You have already spoken to me.

Joy Made Full

Reading: John 15

"These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full." John 15:11

Examination:

Joy can be defined as the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying. There are three "something's" I see in verses 1 - 11 that can contribute to making my joy full.

Application:

I need to stop living with the mindset that I am sinful man trying to become clean. Verse 3 reminds me that my sins have been done away with because of what Christ did for me. I need to live my life with a mindset that all that needs to be done to cover my failures is complete. I am already clean. There is no need to continually try and pay penance for my past, present, or future failures.

This freedom afforded to me by the grace of God should compel me to draw near to Him. I do this by pursuing His heart. God's provision of mercy and grace is not intended to license me to live as I wish. The purpose of the provision is to free me to pursue Him without being encumbered by any burden of guilt. God accepts me without condition. All He asks in return is that I love Him and love people.

I think the final thing that contributes to making my joy full is the concept of big expectations. I fear failure and I fear being let down. I think this fear sometimes tempts me to pray with caution. I fear what will happen if God does not do what I ask so I tend to ask for things that I know could happen. Jesus says in verse 8 that God is glorified by me bearing MUCH fruit. I need to ask for bigger movements of Him in my life.

Prayer:

There is nothing that can be held against me before You. I know my past and so I fully understand the magnitude of this truth. I am so grateful today for the peace I get to experience everyday regarding the things I have managed to screw up in my life. Thank You for Your grace and mercy and the joy that it brings me.

My connection to You through Your Son is my only source of life. I have pursued a lot of things in my life searching for joy, but all have proven themselves empty. I ask that You lead me today in abiding in You. Above all the noise in my life I pray that Your voice and face hold me captive. I ask that every step I make be in alignment with Your steps before me.

This prayer scares me, but I ask that You help me raise the level of risk I am willing to take for You. I do not know how this plays out but I desire for the fruit of my life to reflect Your glory and far exceed my abilities. Teach me to pray for things that prove Your greatness and help me to rest in Your ability to fulfill Your word in my life.

Avoiding a Troubled Heart

Reading: John 14

"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me." John 14:1

Examination:

Troubled here means to be stirred or agitated. In the context of this verse, Jesus is not merely making a suggestion. He is giving a command. In doing this He is reminding His disciples that though the circumstances they face are not always theirs to choose the condition of their heart is.

Application:

Jesus did not simply give a command and leave it at that. The verses that follow this one contain many principles that will help me keep my heart of our trouble. First, I can not give my heart to this world. This world is amazing and it has a great deal to offer me. As marvelous as this world can be, it is not my home. My heart does not belong here. Jesus went before me to make a place for me. That place is untouchable by the circumstances of the world.

Nothing can trouble my heart more quickly than complacency. My faith has to be alive. It has to be active. Salvation is more than insurance. It is a call to the passionate pursuit of discovering my role in the movement of God in the lives of others. Anything less than this will not be strong enough to sustain my heart.

Finally, I have to connect with the Helper. The gift of the Holy Spirit is a precious gift to every believer. Unfortunately, He is a helper that I often fail to connect with. The strength of my faith will always be limited to the strength of my connection with the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit in my life.

Prayer:

Father, the words of Your Son in John 14:12 are jumping out at me this morning:

"if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father"

There are days in which I find myself struggling to just stay above water. I read this verse, examine my life, and quite honestly sit here puzzled. My life should reflect You much more greatly than it does right now.

The desire of my heart is to live a life that is focused on the heavenly home that is mine, that is joyfully submitted to Your commands, and that is fully empowered by Your Holy Spirit. I pray that Your work in and through my life prove the power of Your strength and reflect the greatness of Your glory.

Fear of Losing

Reading: John 11

"'If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.'" John 11:48-49

Examination:

The Jewish leaders knew that if they didn't stop Jesus the Romans would lash out against all of them. Rome gave partial freedom to the Jews as long as they were quiet and obedient. Jesus' miracles often caused a disturbance. The leaders feared that Rome's displeasure would bring additional hardship to their nation. Their fear of losing what was theirs compelled them to kill the movement of God through His Son.

Application:

My fear of losing what is comfortable or valuable to me will cause me to kill the movement of God in my life. That is the bottom line truth. Here are a few things I can learn from this chapter in John that will protect me.

First, know the Son and His words. Throughout this passage Jesus walks His disciples through the process and mentors them with His words. He introduces new teaching specific to the situation they face but He also refers back to things He had already given them as preparation. I need to sit daily and reflect on what God has already revealed to me and seek new revelations for the challenges that I face today.

Second, I have to understand the concept of appointed times. Jesus did not fear anything because He knew that His life was being directed by God. His life was aligned with the will of the Father and that enabled Him to rest in the truth that nothing in His life would happen before God's appointed time. I have to resist the urge to press the panic button when things do not happen according to my appointed times. God's time table is all that matters.

Finally, I have to lose my life daily. That is the call of my faith. I come to Christ and surrender my life to Him. Anytime I catch myself holding back parts of my life or developing a sense of fear around losing some part of my life I have to recognize that as the beginnings of idolatry. Idolatry will murder the movement of God in my life.

Prayer:

Father, You are not always first place in my life. Staying in relationship with You and being surrendered before You is a daily battle. There are days when I simply allow the things in my world to overcome the Spirit You placed inside of me. The noise of the daily grind of living drowns out the sound of Your words in my heart.

Your timing is rarely convenient for me. I want things to happen now. I do not understand the concept of waiting. I often panic and press things before they are ready or I pass on things because I do not feel like I am ready. My sense of urgency and my assessment of personal readiness often cause me to jump ahead or fall behind Your plans for me.

My life is not dead to me. I struggle to hold on to it. Fear of losing what is mine often causes me to hold back. Fully surrendering to You my mind, will, emotions, possessions, relationships, and future has proven to be a challenge beyond my reach.

In my weakness You are my strength. I release these weaknesses to You today trusting that You are able to cover them with Your grace and empower me through Your Spirit to walk out the call You have on my life.