Isaiah 19-22, Wrong Strength

 “He has taken away the covering of Judah. In that day you looked to the weapons of the House of the Forest, and you saw that the breaches of the city of David were many. You collected the waters of the lower pool, and you counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall. You made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you did not look to him who did it, or see him who planned it long ago.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭22‬:‭8‬-‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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The people of Jerusalem in this prophecy were excellent planners and strategists!  They made sacrifices and rightly prioritized their defenses and future survival…in other words they did all the right things!!! But they failed to seek Gods help…and for that one simple reason, they were destroyed.

Lord, how many times is that me?  Please help me to turn to You first!  In small decisions and trivial things so that I never miss out on Your help and guidance.  I know that You should always be the first line of action, rather than what I am tempted to do…accomplish everything I can think of, then ask God to bless my plan.  How foolish!?!

Isaiah 13-17, Humble Perspective

 “In that day man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will look on the Holy One of Israel. He will not look to the altars, the work of his hands, and he will not look on what his own fingers have made, either the Asherim or the altars of incense. For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge; therefore, though you plant pleasant plants and sow the vine-branch of a stranger,”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭17‬:‭7‬-‭8‬, ‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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No matter what we live for, there will be a day when we have clear minded understanding of who God is and we will bow before Him. All of our accomplishments will fade away and we will be left with the truth, nothing good I have done will have been of my strength, and anything impressive will be recognized as Gods work. Since that day will come for us all, help me to live like it is true today!

Isaiah 1-4, Habitually Humbled

 “And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭2‬:‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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The Lord will be exalted in the end…in every situation, Gods power will ultimately shine through.  Any human pride will be humbled and we will see it for what it really is- grasping after the wind.

Lord, please help me to be reflecting humility and recognize your work in my life.  Help me to see clearly all good gifts are from You, not my own accomplishments.

Ecclesiastes 7-12, Work Diligently

 “Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.”

‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭9‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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Wisdom for the ages: whatever you are working on, do it with all your heart…and in the process, enjoy the blessings God has given you!

Proverbs 1-3, Seek Wisdom

 “if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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When I consider what it looks like for me to seek Silver and Gold, I compare that to my effort to get better at my work.  I have literally read hundreds of books and invested thousands of hours listening to podcasts to gain an edge in business and leadership.

So do I seek Gods wisdom with that same vigor and intensity?  Lord, help me to continue to prioritize knowing You and seeking Your wisdom!

Psalm 89, 96, 100, 101, 105, 132- Historic Faithfulness

 “Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; proclaim his deeds among the peoples. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell about all his wondrous works! Boast in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wondrous works he has done, his wonders, and the judgments he has pronounced,”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭105‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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How powerful it is to build our faith and trust in God to remember all the things He has done for us in the past.  The Bible is full of His faithful works and my past shows His incredibly consistent help for me through hard times.  Lord, let me meditate on Your unending love and protection today.

Deuteronomy 24-27, Obedience vs Accention

 “‘Anyone who does not put the words of this law into practice is cursed.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen! ’”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭27‬:‭26‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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I like how all these laws were to be practiced.  It was not enough to mentally agree to them or even to verbally confirm the goodness of them.  The minimum standard was to practice them…in other words actually do these things.

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.

Exodus 25-27, Details Matter

 “You are to command the Israelites to bring you pure oil from crushed olives for the light, in order to keep the lamp burning regularly. In the tent of meeting outside the curtain that is in front of the testimony,  Aaron and his sons are to tend the lamp  from evening until morning before the Lord. This is to be a permanent statute  for the Israelites throughout their generations.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭27‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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It’s crazy how detailed God is about how to build this tabernacle.  I think this points to His care about how we do everything.  He wouldn’t be particular if it didn’t matter.

Lord, help me to care about the details as much as You do!

Exodus 1-3, Mundane Contentment

 “Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush.  As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed. So Moses thought, “I must go over and look at this remarkable sight. Why isn’t the bush burning up? ” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses, Moses! ” “Here I am,” he answered.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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I love that God makes Himself known to Moses.  He is going about his normal work, God shows up and gives him an assignment.  I often feel like I need to be intently looking for what God wants me to do so that I don’t miss it.  I am often worried that I have missed what God was telling me to do, because I “just” have my family to love well, my work to do well and my ministry to serve well…all while being surrendered to Jesus!  Doing these things well is contentment.

Lord, help me to stay content with serving You in the normal parts of life.  Help me not to strive for my unhealthy desire to achieve or succeed to feed my identity or pride!

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!

Genesis 12-15, “Helping” God

 “When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me but let you live.  Please say you’re my sister so it will go well for me because of you, and my life will be spared on your account.””

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭12‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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I wish that Abram’s actions to “help” God were less familiar.  I feel like I default to attempting to accomplish “Gods will” in my life…looking for ways to force things to work out in a way that gets me what I want.  It’s sad to look back and see how common this has been for me.

Lord, thank You for helping me to see this pattern of faithlessness.  Thank You for gently correcting me and removing my blinders.  Help me to trust You to accomplish Your will…give me patience to wait for Your perfect timing and Your plan. Build my faith in You, and You alone!

Job 29-31, Layers & Layers

“For I rescued the poor who cried out for help, and the fatherless child who had no one to support him.  The dying blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart rejoice. I clothed myself in righteousness, and it enveloped me; my just decisions were like a robe and a turban. I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame.  I was a father to the needy, and I examined the case of the stranger.”

‭‭Job‬ ‭29‬:‭12‬-‭16‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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I have felt like Job before …fully and thoughtfully reviewing my performance and seeing nothing but good… that was shortly before God revealed what my motivations were. I had no idea that pride was driving much of my good works!  I actually think, that was not the case with Job, I think he was a good guy.  But this reminded me of how blind I can be to my own reality.  

More importantly, it reminded me that God carefully and lovingly walks with us on the road to sanctification.  He doesn’t point us in a direction and tell us to go…but He is with us every step of the way, revealing reality slowly so that we can be made new, one layer at a time.  

God is so patient with us, lovingly opening our eyes to the next failing He wants us to surrender to Him.  He then reshapes us to resemble Jesus just a little bit more, then on to the next, and the next, and the next…

John 19:17-27, Selfless Awareness

“When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved  standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” 

And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.”

‭‭John‬ ‭19‬:‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Jesus, while being crucified, makes sure His widowed mother is cared for…Lord help me to be less self focused and see the people around me more clearly.  Strength me to help everyone around me regardless of what is happening to me.

John 18:12-27, Accidental Deniability

“Then the servant girl who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you? ” “I am not,” he said. 

Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. [The servants and officials] said to him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you? ” He denied it and said, “I am not.” 

One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden? ” Peter denied it again. 

Immediately a rooster crowed. ”

‭‭John‬ ‭18‬:‭17‬, ‭25‬-‭27‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Peters denial of Jesus is so hard to watch…Jesus tells him it would happen, to everyone’s disbelief.  Peter swears it is not possible because he is all in!  Then Peter denies even knowing Jesus 3 separate times…

It is so relatable to me, because Peter does what he “needs” to do to accomplish his plan to never leave Jesus.  He never once thinks about it because it is “ just” little lies to insignificant people…they are all servants…but they could possibly get in the way of Peter’s goal.

It is not until the rooster crows that Peter even realizes what he has done is the very thing he was adamant could not possibly happen.  So absorbed in his own goals, he does the very thing that he passionately swore was impossible.

Lord, You know I have been in Peter’s shoes and have been so distracted by my plans that I miss the significance of my own actions and choices.  Help me to follow Your plan, and be focused on what You call me to!

John 18:1-11, Destination Known

“Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s  servant, and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) At that, Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword away! Am I not to drink the cup  the Father has given me? ””

‭‭John‬ ‭18‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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I am sure Peter wasn’t aiming for the guys ear…Peter was ready to kill to protect Jesus.  But this was Peter’s plan, not what God was asking him to do.  Poor Peter is often ready to act on his own ideas…I’m thankful God included Peter in scripture, because it gives me someone to relate to.

Lord, help me to trust Your plans and be willing to wait for Your timing.  Lord, I confess that my plans seem so logical, and Yours are often confusing!  My plans get me closer to the goals I have, Your plans seem to lead in a different direction…yet they always lead to peace and contentment when I get to the end of the path.

Lord, build my trust in You, in Your plan and in Your love for me.  If I know the destination is good…help me to trust you at the start and in the middle of the journey!

John 17:1-5, Eternal Life Today

 “This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only   true God, and the one you have sent, Jesus Christ.   I have glorified you on the earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”

‭‭John‬ ‭17‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Lord, what an amazing truth that we can actually know You!  That You want me to know You. That You allow us to know You.  And through knowing You we can, today, begin to experience eternal life.  

Eternal life does not start when we die, but rather when we come near to You, to really know You!  Lord, help me to seek You, help me to see You, help me to experience Your presence.

Finally Lord, strengthen me to do the work You created me to accomplish so that You would receive Glory!  It may not be significant or impressive, but it is Your work specially set aside for me to do, by the power of Your Spirit!  Allow me to follow You well and shine the light on Your glory!

John 15:9-17, Real Fruit

“You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭16‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Lord, what a privilege that You choose those who follow You.  I am not worth being selected on my own.  I need Your Spirit inside me to do anything good.  If I didn’t have the power of Your Spirit motivating me, I would only be producing fake fruit that does not last…it would take incredible effort and still be rotten.  Lord, help me to rest in You, as You produce the fruit in my life!

John 15:1-8, Super Fruit

“Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. 

My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭4‬, ‭8‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Lord, I pray that I would be surrendered to you so that fruit would be produced in me…by Your power…For Your glory!

John 14:12-17, Obedience: Greater works

 “Truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.”

“If you love me, you will keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭12‬, ‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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The Spirit is the one who enables us to be obedient…I think obedience is the “greater works”.