1 Kings 20-21, Humility Rewarded

 ““Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster upon his house.””

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭21‬:‭29‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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Interestingly Ahab does not seek the Lord when he is against the wall, but God comes to his aid and does the impossible.  God demonstrates His power multiple times to make it uncoincidental…even after all that Ahab continues to do what he thought was best.  Which was wrong…even though God decides to punish Ahab, he turns in humility and God spares him!

God really is looking for us to be humble and seek Him rather than figure things out on our own.

2 Chronicles 10-12, Giving God Glory

 “When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he abandoned the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.” (The Lords destruction followed…)

 “And when he humbled himself the wrath of the Lord turned from him, so as not to make a complete destruction. Moreover, conditions were good in Judah.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭12‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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How easy it is to get comfortable and feel like things are all going your way…and become self dependent rather than leaning on God.  After He has cared for and protected us, we gladly accept the credit for all of Gods work.  We actually think all of His provision was because of our own great wisdom and awesomeness…and therefore turn from Him.

God is patient with us, but is unwilling to give up glory and will eventually pull away his blessing and may even allow suffering…this always brings destruction!  But is is also meant to remind us that all good things are from God, not ourselves.

Lord, I need your patience, but open my eyes quickly when I am taking credit for Your blessing so that I can. Give You glory.

Psalms 43-45, 49, 84-85, 87- Trust Worthy

 “Through you we drive back our foes; through your name we trample our enemies. For I do not trust in my bow, and my sword does not bring me victory. But you give us victory over our foes and let those who hate us be disgraced. We boast in God all day long; we will praise your name forever. Selah”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭44‬:‭5‬-‭8‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Lord, sometimes it is so easy to trust in the skill You have given or the blessings You provide…remind me that those are not mine and that You are the only one worthy of trust.  Help me to trust in You alone!

Psalms 6, 8-10, 14, 16, 19, 21- Guiding Presence

 “I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have nothing good besides you.” I always let the Lord guide me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices; my body also rests securely. You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭16‬:‭2‬, ‭8‬-‭9‬, ‭11‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Lord, how refreshing that You are with me through all of life’s circumstances! All the good that I have in life is directly from Your hand and I can rest knowing that You are right beside me…

Ruth 1-4, Gods Providence

 “Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. He slept with her, and the Lord granted conception to her, and she gave birth to a son. The neighbor women said, “A son has been born to Naomi,” and they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.”

‭‭Ruth‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬, ‭17‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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What an amazing story of God turning suffering and tragedy into redemption and heritage.  These women strategic thinking worked in concert with Gods will to produce an incredible story.  Lord, please help me trust that You are at work even in the tragic and that Your plans are brought about through trust and planning.

Judges 8-9, God vs Self

 “In this way, God brought back Abimelech’s evil #— #the evil that Abimelech had done to his father when he killed his seventy brothers.”

‭‭Judges‬ ‭9‬:‭56‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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When God is leading His people and they are obedient, incredible things unfold…yet when people are leading toward their own goals, destruction and devastation quickly follow.  Lord, I want to follow You rather than lead.  Help me to hear Your voice and pursue You only!

Deuteronomy 30-31, Blessed Obedience

 “See, today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and adversity.  For I am commanding you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live  and multiply, and the Lord your God may bless you in the land you are entering to possess.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭30‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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There is still blessing in obedience, but thankfully we are indwelled by the Spirit of God.  We have the added strength and direction of God living in us!  How impossible would obedience have been in their time?

Deuteronomy 28-29, Blessing vs Curse

“Then all the peoples of the earth will see that you bear the Lord’s name, and they will stand in awe of you. ”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭28‬:‭10‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Both following the Lord or rejection the Lord bring about the same result: People will recognize that God is doing something and His name will be exalted!  But the experience of His people will be vastly different…incredible blessing versus unimaginable suffering!

That is a no-brained for me…follow God and experience blessing!  Lord, help me to lay down every decision as a living sacrifice asking the question: “what does God want me to do in this scenario, right now?”  Then do that and only that!

Deuteronomy 1-2, Confident Surrender

 “The Lord your God who goes before you will fight for you,  just as you saw him do for you in Egypt. And you saw in the wilderness how the Lord your God carried you as a man carries his son all along the way you traveled until you reached this place. But in spite of this you did not trust the Lord your God,”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭1‬:‭30‬-‭32‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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God, You show Yourself to be faithful over and over in scripture and in a thousand ways in my life experience!  You always demonstrate Your faithful love and patience…yet stupidly, so many times I am fearful that the situation I face this time will be the will be the outlier!?!  This will be the time You leave me alone to figure it out…how foolish!

Lord, strengthen my faith in You.  Help my confidence be solely in You regardless of the circumstances, especially if it looks like I can handle it.  Let me surrender everything to Your will!!!

Numbers 7, Knowing God

 “When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him  from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim.  He spoke to him that way.”

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭7‬:‭89‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Although these offerings are extravagant, I think the most impressive is that God shows up to talk to Moses.

Lord, help me to be in awe that I can know You…that I can read Your Word and that You want to hear my prayers!  Help me to know You more intimately!!!

Leviticus 5-7, Catching Holiness

 “Any male among Aaron’s descendants  may eat it. It is a permanent portion , throughout your generations from the food offerings to the Lord. Anything that touches the offerings will become holy.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭6‬:‭18‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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It’s very interesting that most of the laws about touching things will bring the touches down to the level of the “unclean” thing…this seems logical.  Contamination of germs and illnesses work like this. But the sacrifices are the opposite, anything that touches them, becomes holy like they are!  This is a pointer to Jesus who had the same impact on people who were sick, they could touch Him and be healed…He would ultimately become the sacrifice for my  sin.

Exodus 39-40, Organized & Orderly

 “So all the work for the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was finished. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses.  Moses inspected all the work they had accomplished. They had done just as the Lord commanded. Then Moses blessed them. ”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭39‬:‭32‬, ‭43‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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The order and organization to accomplish all these things just the right way is pretty impressive.  God was clearly energizing this work and the people were blessed to have done it well!

Lord, help me to be as motivated and organized as the Israelites when You call me to a task!

Exodus 33-35, Supernatural Equipping

 “Moses  then said to the Israelites, “Look, the Lord has appointed by name Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. He has filled him with God’s Spirit, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every kind of craft”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭35‬:‭30‬-‭31‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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God giving His people all the skill required to accomplish His plan is such a blessing.  This is one place where special gifts are given to unique individuals, but I know that if He asks me to do something He will equip me to accomplish that work…He doesn’t throw us into an impossible task and let us flounder.  This is something I need to remember more constantly.

Genesis 27-29, Self-Centered

“Then Jacob made a vow:  “If God will be with me and watch over me during this journey I’m making, if he provides me with food to eat and clothing to wear, and if I return safely to my father’s family,  then the Lord will be my God.  This stone that I have set up as a marker will be God’s house, and I will give to you a tenth of all that you give me.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭28‬:‭20‬-‭22‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Jacob is a hard character to read about.  He is such a scoundrel and absolutely has the wrong perspective of God.  He basically meets God, then tells Him, if You bless me, then You can be my God!  As if it is some sort of privilege…

It struck me how self centered this thinking is.  How much of my own prayer life is self focused?  

Lord, allow my mind to be filled with the needs of others during prayer.  Help me to see what You are doing around me and let thanksgiving be constantly pouring out.  You have blessed me in a million ways, allow me to be a blessing to others!

John 20:19-23, Peace & Confidence

“When it was evening on that first day of the week,  the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”   Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side.  So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.”

‭‭John‬ ‭20‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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In the midst of fear, chaos and confusion, Jesus often steps in and His first words are “don’t be afraid, be filled with peace”.  What a comfort it is knowing that the God of the universe is here with me at every moment. If I behaved as if that were true, I would never have fear or anxiety.

Lord, help me to live my life in a way that reflects this truth!  Forgive me for ignoring You at times and being filled with selfish thoughts and chasing after my own ideas.  Allow me to trust You fiercely!

John 19:38-42, Details Orchestrated

 “After  this, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus #— #but secretly because of his fear of the Jews #— #asked Pilate that he might remove Jesus’s body.  Pilate gave him permission; so he came and took his body away. Nicodemus  (who had previously come to him at night) also came, bringing a mixture of about seventy-five pounds  of myrrh and aloes. They took Jesus’s body and wrapped it in linen cloths with the fragrant spices, according to the burial custom of the Jews.”

‭‭John‬ ‭19‬:‭38‬-‭40‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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The planning of God here is amazing, he strategically placed two men to be able to take care of Jesus body after he dies on the cross.  These were men with authority, power and standing,,,the only type of people who could have helped in this way…and God orchestrated previous circumstances to have them follow Jesus.

How many time do we feel like God has ignored us, or forgotten us…the feeling of being deserted and alone?  Yet, we can look back at those times and see that God had already been preparing someone to show up, or a situation to play out just when we needed it.  We often chalk this up to coincidence, but don’t fool yourself, this is GOD perfectly caring for us.

Lord God, thank you for caring for the most important need, my eternal salvation.  Something I could never even start to help with.  Thank you for sending Jesus at just the right time to save all humanity from the consequences of our sin.  Thank you for orchestrating every aspect of life so that I could know You and that through faith in Jesus finished work on the cross, have a personal relationship with You, the King of the universe!  There are not enough or even appropriate words to fully thank You!  Help me to always remember that I am so blessed!!!  Merry Christmas!

John 16:1-15, God in Me

“Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you.”

‭‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭7‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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From my perspective today, this is a hard passage to believe.  These men had God in person, Jesus…they could talk to Him, ask Him questions. First hand observe miracles and reach out and touch Him.  This statement seems impossible, that the Spirit inside of us is better…just sounds crazy.

But, my only experience is that the Spirit is permanently residing in me.  There is never a moment where God is not at hand…yet I don’t always listen to Him, ask Him questions or even talk to him.  That is the sad reality.

Lord, help me to live as if You were inside of me every moment of every day.  Help me to converse with you and observe your works in my life.  Allow me to recognize You in me.

John 14:27-31, Disappointment vs Peace

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭27‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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What is the peace that the world gives?  In fact it is no peace at all…but rather something closer to forgetfulness of the stressful moments, or even the hope of peace promised but never delivered for long…often the calm before the next storm.

Jesus peace, though, is internal calm in light of external chaos.  It is confident rest in the promises of an all powerful God.  It is comfort through the most tragic suffering possible, because God is literally right next to us in the valley of the shadow of death.  Peace because we are not deserted or thrown back to the wolves of our condemning mind.  No, we are His ETERNALLY!! 

The peace that Jesus gives is a gift to us because He has completed the work of our salvation, and there is nothing I can do to screw it up!  My biggest failing would be to reject the gift of true peace and embrace the false, fleeting and phony “peace” the world offers.  Effectively embracing a life of lies and tragically tantalizing disappointments.

John 14:18-26, Indwelling Peace

Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him… the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭23‬, ‭26‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Placing our faith in Jesus gives us the literal presence of God in our life.  The Holy Spirit is with us continually, which is awesome, but He also does the work of a counselor…reminding us of truth and showing us how scripture can apply to our lives.

Lord, help us to remember what a true blessing it is that You are literally with us at every moment of every day.  That should motivate us to obedience and thankfulness!  When I am feeling weak, low or frustrated, help me to turn to you and find joy and peace in Your presence!!!

John 13:12-20, Know or Do?!?

“For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. 

Truly I tell you, whoever receives anyone I send receives me, and the one who receives me receives him who sent me.””

‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭15‬, ‭17‬, ‭20‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Lord help me to live my life as an example that others can follow.  I will never do all the things perfectly, but allow me to grow daily in living like Jesus.

It is amazing that You call out so clearly that knowing all the right things is good, but the blessing only comes from following through with obeying what we know.  Help me obey with joy and confidence.