Read: Nehemiah
“Also that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women also and the children rejoiced. The joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.” Nehemiah 12:43
Examine:
For the Israelites their hard work and long suffering paid off in a joyous celebration. They endured to the end and God Himself made them rejoice.
Apply:
Following after God is always worth it in the end. The pains and struggles that accompany a task from God will always result in my best joy and highest celebration if I endure to the end and do not grow weary in doing what is right.
Pray:
I keep coming back to all these people had to endure. The work was far more than overwhelming just by itself, but then their burden was increased as circumstances worsened. The picture I have is of them working with a shovel in one hand and a spear in the other. It reminds me of a couple of things. There is a time to rest, but there is also a time to suck it up and get it done. There is a time to sit still and pray, but there is a time to charge the flippin hill. Those contrasts are difficult to discern sometimes. It also reminds me that following after You does not mean that everything will go easy. Some things do. As these folks were returning to Jerusalem the Persians gave to them freely to provide for their way, but once they got to work their enemies came from all around to make their job troublesome. In the midst of a great task it is easy to lose sight of the good that happened as the troubles mount.
I can so relate to this story. I call out to You asking that You fill me with the discernment I need to know when to press and when to sit. I pray that I have the strength I need to maintain the work, defend against attacks, lead my family and not give in to discouragement. I trust You. I know that You have called me to be where I am and I know that You will lead me through. Keep me holy before You, fill my heart with worship, and empower me to be faithful with all that You ask.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Wasted Promise
Read: Nehemiah 8
“Behold, we are slaves this day, and as for the land that You gave to our fathers to eat the fruit and the good of it, behold, we are slaves in it.” Nehemiah 8:36
Examine:
For several generations the Israelites tried living their lives according to their own terms. In the end their stubbornness towards God landed them in the most pitiful of places; they were slaves in their own land of wasted promise.
Apply:
Periodically I will watch a show on a life of promise wasted. I have seen athletes waste their potential, business executives squander resources, politicians lose their office, and religious leaders lose their influence because they chose a way that seemed right to them but its end was death. As I watch these shows it is easy to point fingers and cast judgment. It is tempting to look at their choices and determine I would have done better. I let myself off the hook because I look at their wealth and opportunity and decide that they were trusted with much more than me. In doing this I covet what was once theirs and lose sight of what has been given to me.
Pray:
In John 14, You tell me that I will not only do the works You did but that I have the potential to do even greater things. Jesus, this challenges me greatly. When I look at my life I have a tendency to base my success on what I see around me but I realize that is a false test. The true test of success is only determined by looking at the potential You have placed inside of me. As I close my eyes and picture Your life on earth I am intimidated by what I see. My life still does not reflect the core of power that graced You on this earth, my love still does not contain the selflessness with which You loved others, and my passion does not pursue the Father’s heart any where near the level that Yours did.
This season of life continues to feel like I am in transition and circumstances are forcing me to make choices at a quick pace. I do not want to be a slave in my own land of promise. At the moment I sense that I have lost connection with your power, love and passion and I pray today that You lead my heart back to Yours. There is a lot of fight left before me and I do not want to arrive at the end of this battle only to have become a slave to my own bad choices. I pray that You would invade the distance that I sense lies between us. Draw near to me as I seek to draw near to You. Let Your presence radiate in me, Your power fuel me, Your love transform me, and Your passion consume me. All that is me I set aside today and exchange it for all that is of You. I truly desire the greater things You desire me to have in You and there is honestly nothing in my heart that wants to turn back until I see Your face. I do not want to waste a single promise that is mine through You.
“Behold, we are slaves this day, and as for the land that You gave to our fathers to eat the fruit and the good of it, behold, we are slaves in it.” Nehemiah 8:36
Examine:
For several generations the Israelites tried living their lives according to their own terms. In the end their stubbornness towards God landed them in the most pitiful of places; they were slaves in their own land of wasted promise.
Apply:
Periodically I will watch a show on a life of promise wasted. I have seen athletes waste their potential, business executives squander resources, politicians lose their office, and religious leaders lose their influence because they chose a way that seemed right to them but its end was death. As I watch these shows it is easy to point fingers and cast judgment. It is tempting to look at their choices and determine I would have done better. I let myself off the hook because I look at their wealth and opportunity and decide that they were trusted with much more than me. In doing this I covet what was once theirs and lose sight of what has been given to me.
Pray:
In John 14, You tell me that I will not only do the works You did but that I have the potential to do even greater things. Jesus, this challenges me greatly. When I look at my life I have a tendency to base my success on what I see around me but I realize that is a false test. The true test of success is only determined by looking at the potential You have placed inside of me. As I close my eyes and picture Your life on earth I am intimidated by what I see. My life still does not reflect the core of power that graced You on this earth, my love still does not contain the selflessness with which You loved others, and my passion does not pursue the Father’s heart any where near the level that Yours did.
This season of life continues to feel like I am in transition and circumstances are forcing me to make choices at a quick pace. I do not want to be a slave in my own land of promise. At the moment I sense that I have lost connection with your power, love and passion and I pray today that You lead my heart back to Yours. There is a lot of fight left before me and I do not want to arrive at the end of this battle only to have become a slave to my own bad choices. I pray that You would invade the distance that I sense lies between us. Draw near to me as I seek to draw near to You. Let Your presence radiate in me, Your power fuel me, Your love transform me, and Your passion consume me. All that is me I set aside today and exchange it for all that is of You. I truly desire the greater things You desire me to have in You and there is honestly nothing in my heart that wants to turn back until I see Your face. I do not want to waste a single promise that is mine through You.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Owning Consequences
Read: Nehemiah 8
“However, You are just in all that has come upon us; for You have dealt faithfully, but we have done wickedly;” Nehemiah 8:33
Examine:
In this chapter the people recount the graciousness of God and their overall attitude of unfaithfulness to Him. In the end, they acknowledged that they deserved the consequences that had been handed to them.
Apply:
Taking ownership of the consequences of my actions is hard. There is a voice inside of me that feels entitled to something better. There is an attitude buried in my heart that feels like God is falling down on His job and He has let me down. That side of me makes it hard to look up at God and say, “You are faithful but I have done wicked.”
Pray:
There are some tensions in my life right now that just will not relent. Relationships can be without a doubt some of the most challenging things in life to manage. There are some very strained relationships in my life right now and they are quite literally sucking the life out of me. Looking back I see my contributions to the strain. I see the times that I ignored Your instructions and did things my own way and as I look in my heart I recognize the attitudes that are wrong but I stubbornly refuse to release them. I do not want to serve, I do not want to forgive, and I do not want to forget. I want vengeance for my pain. As ugly as that may be it is the truth about what is in my heart. These tensions have hugely affected my relationship with You. I am frustrated that You will not set things right. I am holding anger in my heart towards You because of this. I feel like You want me to repent and let go but my pride keeps screaming out wondering why the other side gets away with it.
So, here we go. I am not sure that I can do this and mean it but I commit to You that I will keep trying until I do. The pain I feel today has nothing to do with how I am treated by others. The pain I feel is the discipline that comes with refusing You. I have to release others and love freely. That is how You treat me and it is what You demand in return. In these relationships I did not live clean. I let things build up. I swept things under the rug for far to long and covered hurts that should have been expressed. That is my fault. That is my sin. I failed to be faithful to the convictions I had and I can only blame myself. I am sorry that I blame You when I clearly turned my back on what You have told me to do. I also have held on to hurts and there is nothing in Your Word that allows for that. Therefore, I am in sin.
I do not want to be so easily offended anymore and I certainly do not want to carry forward hurts. I submit to You today. Teach me to live clean in my relationships and please repair the damage my own bitterness has done to my heart.
“However, You are just in all that has come upon us; for You have dealt faithfully, but we have done wickedly;” Nehemiah 8:33
Examine:
In this chapter the people recount the graciousness of God and their overall attitude of unfaithfulness to Him. In the end, they acknowledged that they deserved the consequences that had been handed to them.
Apply:
Taking ownership of the consequences of my actions is hard. There is a voice inside of me that feels entitled to something better. There is an attitude buried in my heart that feels like God is falling down on His job and He has let me down. That side of me makes it hard to look up at God and say, “You are faithful but I have done wicked.”
Pray:
There are some tensions in my life right now that just will not relent. Relationships can be without a doubt some of the most challenging things in life to manage. There are some very strained relationships in my life right now and they are quite literally sucking the life out of me. Looking back I see my contributions to the strain. I see the times that I ignored Your instructions and did things my own way and as I look in my heart I recognize the attitudes that are wrong but I stubbornly refuse to release them. I do not want to serve, I do not want to forgive, and I do not want to forget. I want vengeance for my pain. As ugly as that may be it is the truth about what is in my heart. These tensions have hugely affected my relationship with You. I am frustrated that You will not set things right. I am holding anger in my heart towards You because of this. I feel like You want me to repent and let go but my pride keeps screaming out wondering why the other side gets away with it.
So, here we go. I am not sure that I can do this and mean it but I commit to You that I will keep trying until I do. The pain I feel today has nothing to do with how I am treated by others. The pain I feel is the discipline that comes with refusing You. I have to release others and love freely. That is how You treat me and it is what You demand in return. In these relationships I did not live clean. I let things build up. I swept things under the rug for far to long and covered hurts that should have been expressed. That is my fault. That is my sin. I failed to be faithful to the convictions I had and I can only blame myself. I am sorry that I blame You when I clearly turned my back on what You have told me to do. I also have held on to hurts and there is nothing in Your Word that allows for that. Therefore, I am in sin.
I do not want to be so easily offended anymore and I certainly do not want to carry forward hurts. I submit to You today. Teach me to live clean in my relationships and please repair the damage my own bitterness has done to my heart.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
His Best
Read: Nehemiah 8
“This day is holy to the Lord your God; mourn not nor weep.” Nehemiah 8:9
Examine:
This verse brings to a close an amazing scene. Upon rebuilding the wall and settling into their new homes the people (not the priests) requested that the law be read and for 4 hours they stood out of respect for God’s word. As the Word was read they also took time to worship on their face before God. In the end, they wept and mourned as they saw their sin against God. Then Nehemiah, the consummate leader, got their attention and reminded them of an important fact about God. His conviction is designed to strengthen His people, not weaken them.
Apply:
For me today is a day to sit and acknowledge the work of God in my life. I can remember how I once starred at my Bible and feared opening it. I did not want to hear what it had to say about how I was living my life so I just did not read it. Then I remember another season of life when the promises of God became my focus. I could not wait to read the Bible because it offered the hope of a better life and I was all about advancing my agenda. That season of selfishness got me into the Word but it was only the bait. God began to gently apply scripture to my life and eventually began breaking down walls in my heart with it. I now find myself in a season of deep refinement. When I wake up in the mornings the first thought that comes to mind is getting into the Word and discovering what God has for me. It is a holy time. The deeper He digs into my heart the more freedom I find in my life. The more conviction He brings, the more peace I experience. The Word confronts my flesh, defeats my sin, and clears my heart.
Pray:
It is fun to sit back and reflect over life. I can remember sitting in mine and Brandy’s first home almost ten years ago. The day I am thinking about was the one when I sat down in my garage with my Bible. I sat in the floor that day and acknowledged that the life I was living was void of Your promises. I knew in my heart that there was more and I asked You for it. I agreed to submit to whatever You asked and follow Your movement. In the ten years that have passed since that day I would have never imagined all I have experienced. It is crazy to think about really. My life has followed a course I would have NEVER chosen. Yet, ten years into this new journey I stand hungry still for more. Looking back I realize that instead of giving me what I wanted You have handed me Your best. I simply want to come to You today and say thanks.
“This day is holy to the Lord your God; mourn not nor weep.” Nehemiah 8:9
Examine:
This verse brings to a close an amazing scene. Upon rebuilding the wall and settling into their new homes the people (not the priests) requested that the law be read and for 4 hours they stood out of respect for God’s word. As the Word was read they also took time to worship on their face before God. In the end, they wept and mourned as they saw their sin against God. Then Nehemiah, the consummate leader, got their attention and reminded them of an important fact about God. His conviction is designed to strengthen His people, not weaken them.
Apply:
For me today is a day to sit and acknowledge the work of God in my life. I can remember how I once starred at my Bible and feared opening it. I did not want to hear what it had to say about how I was living my life so I just did not read it. Then I remember another season of life when the promises of God became my focus. I could not wait to read the Bible because it offered the hope of a better life and I was all about advancing my agenda. That season of selfishness got me into the Word but it was only the bait. God began to gently apply scripture to my life and eventually began breaking down walls in my heart with it. I now find myself in a season of deep refinement. When I wake up in the mornings the first thought that comes to mind is getting into the Word and discovering what God has for me. It is a holy time. The deeper He digs into my heart the more freedom I find in my life. The more conviction He brings, the more peace I experience. The Word confronts my flesh, defeats my sin, and clears my heart.
Pray:
It is fun to sit back and reflect over life. I can remember sitting in mine and Brandy’s first home almost ten years ago. The day I am thinking about was the one when I sat down in my garage with my Bible. I sat in the floor that day and acknowledged that the life I was living was void of Your promises. I knew in my heart that there was more and I asked You for it. I agreed to submit to whatever You asked and follow Your movement. In the ten years that have passed since that day I would have never imagined all I have experienced. It is crazy to think about really. My life has followed a course I would have NEVER chosen. Yet, ten years into this new journey I stand hungry still for more. Looking back I realize that instead of giving me what I wanted You have handed me Your best. I simply want to come to You today and say thanks.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
I Want This Mountain
Read: Nehemiah 7
“Now the city was wide and large, but the people in it were few, and their houses were not yet built.” Nehemiah 7:4
Examine:
Nehemiah built the city according to the size of the vision given to him by God, not based on its current capacity or his limitations.
Apply:
I never need to allow the vision of God’s plans for me to be shaped by the limits of my current capacity. Just because I have a lot today does not mean that I will experience more in the future. Likewise, small beginnings do not indicate a limited future. The detail that is most important is what has God asked me to build.
Pray:
I do not think I will ever forget 35. Today as the days of my life roll over into another year, I look back and stand amazed. As we have said yes, with each step You have provided. As I assess the choices we have made and compare them to this scripture this morning, I feel great about where we are. By Your grace we have not backed up a single time. No matter how dark it has gotten or impossible the odds have felt, I have kept moving toward the vision You placed in my heart. I sit at peace today knowing that I held nothing back from You.
Today we stand at another crossroad. I feel a lot like Nehemiah this morning. The walls have been built and I stare across at a very large city, but there are a lot of empty lots. You know the battle that we face daily and the fears that threaten our hearts. Your word says that we will face enough pressures to mold our character and strengthen our faith but never so much that we can’t stand. By Your grace we have stood the test, held fast to our commitments, and honored Your Name in our conversations. Likewise, we have found Your promises to be steadfast and always true.
I do not want relief. I do not want rest. I do not want my old life back nor do I desire another task. I WANT THIS MOUNTAIN. I ask today that You open the heavens and continue to fulfill the vision You have given. I pray that we be able to see fully the completion of the desire You have planted in our hearts for South Africa and Your Church in the U.S. Let my hands be strong today, my sword be sharp and my aim be true.
“Now the city was wide and large, but the people in it were few, and their houses were not yet built.” Nehemiah 7:4
Examine:
Nehemiah built the city according to the size of the vision given to him by God, not based on its current capacity or his limitations.
Apply:
I never need to allow the vision of God’s plans for me to be shaped by the limits of my current capacity. Just because I have a lot today does not mean that I will experience more in the future. Likewise, small beginnings do not indicate a limited future. The detail that is most important is what has God asked me to build.
Pray:
I do not think I will ever forget 35. Today as the days of my life roll over into another year, I look back and stand amazed. As we have said yes, with each step You have provided. As I assess the choices we have made and compare them to this scripture this morning, I feel great about where we are. By Your grace we have not backed up a single time. No matter how dark it has gotten or impossible the odds have felt, I have kept moving toward the vision You placed in my heart. I sit at peace today knowing that I held nothing back from You.
Today we stand at another crossroad. I feel a lot like Nehemiah this morning. The walls have been built and I stare across at a very large city, but there are a lot of empty lots. You know the battle that we face daily and the fears that threaten our hearts. Your word says that we will face enough pressures to mold our character and strengthen our faith but never so much that we can’t stand. By Your grace we have stood the test, held fast to our commitments, and honored Your Name in our conversations. Likewise, we have found Your promises to be steadfast and always true.
I do not want relief. I do not want rest. I do not want my old life back nor do I desire another task. I WANT THIS MOUNTAIN. I ask today that You open the heavens and continue to fulfill the vision You have given. I pray that we be able to see fully the completion of the desire You have planted in our hearts for South Africa and Your Church in the U.S. Let my hands be strong today, my sword be sharp and my aim be true.
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