Isaiah 54-58, True Rest

 ““If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.””

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭58‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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What a joy to delight in the Lord.  To follow Him in obedience and enjoy walking in His way.  It does require that we deny our own desires and walk in humility… Lord, help me to love Your commands and rest in Your promises, presence and protection!

2 Kings 14, 2 Chronicles 25- Anything but Halfhearted

 “And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭25‬:‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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It is shocking to see when some of these kings do what was right…but don’t turn their whole hearts to the Lord.  God is still not pleased.  He doesn’t just want us to do the right things He wants our whole hearts, mind and bodies!

Lord, I see where I do all the right things, but my whole heart is not Yours…destroy the areas of my heart that refuse to turn to You.  I want to be all in on You only!

1 Kings 5-6, 2 Chronicles 2-3, Incredible Temple

 “Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, “Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.””

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭6‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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What a grand temple!  It would have been amazing to see in person…yet it is only a shadow of Heaven, no matter how perfectly made!

Even more incredible is that God now dwells in me…and I am far from perfect.  So many flaws and failures…Lord, help me to live in obedience so that Your glory would be on display!!!

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!

1 Chronicles 23-25, Gods Election

 “All these men were under their own fathers’ authority for the music in the Lord’s temple, with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of God’s temple. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the king’s authority. They numbered 288 together with their relatives who were all trained and skillful in music for the Lord. They cast lots for their duties, young and old alike, teacher as well as pupil. ”

‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭25‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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I wonder what happened if you were assigned to the worship team but you were born tone-deaf?  Maybe God ensured that didn’t happen, or maybe you got assigned to the rhythm section?  A silly question, but it stood out to me that these families were elected (by God) to specific areas of service based on family, not necessarily skill…

2 Samuel 24, 1 Chronicles 21-22, Psalm 30- Worthy Sacrifices

 “The king answered Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it from you for a price, for I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for twenty ounces  of silver. He built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord was receptive to prayer for the land,  and the plague on Israel ended.”

‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭24‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Lord, help me to avoid the laziness of only offering You my leftovers.  Let my sacrifices for You be the most valuable things that I have…I want them to be costly to demonstrate Your majesty and splendor.

Judges 16-18, Seemed Right

 “In those days there was no king in Israel;  everyone did whatever seemed right to him.”

‭‭Judges‬ ‭17‬:‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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This is literally the theme of the book of Judges, either people are doing what was wrong in Gods eyes, or they are doing what what’s right in their own eyes.  They both mean the same thing.  And because of that everything is a wreck!!! Literally everything is cringeworthy…Lord help me to live by Your Spirit and follow Your commands.  I want to honor You with every thought, word and action!

Judges 6-7, Not Strategy

 “The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many troops for me to hand the Midianites over to them, or else Israel might elevate themselves over me and say,  ‘I saved myself.’”

‭‭Judges‬ ‭7‬:‭2‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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I can relate with scared Gideon here, feels too small and weak and incapable of the task that God puts before him.  He plans, strategizes and very successfully recruited an entire army…but God know those things will get in the way of people seeing the truth of God being the one to save them…not Gideon.  Lord, help me to trust You and not my own plans.  You alone are worthy and can be trusted in every situation.

Number 14-15, Psalm 90, Rest & Worship

 “While the Israelites were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering wood on the Sabbath day.  Then the Lord told Moses, “The man is to be put to death. The entire community is to stone him outside the camp.” ”

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭15‬:‭32‬, ‭35‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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God was serious about the Sabbath…I find it interesting that the Israelites were told over and over that they were need to deny themselves to follow the Sabbath.  Why is it so hard to rest and worship?

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!

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 16:25-33, Joy & Peace

“Until now you have asked for nothing in my name.   Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.   

I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”

‭‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭24‬, ‭33‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Jesus talking to His disciples right before He is to leave them for the cross.  His focus was to care for their emotional wellbeing even though suffering was coming.  Not only because of His own execution, but because they would face their own trials and suffering.

God desires that we understand the same things today:

1) we should go to Him with everything.

2) He wants us to experience joy in Him.

3) we will experience suffering, but we are not alone.

4) He wants us to experience peace in every circumstance.

This sounds like a realistic God, not one of fairy tales, but One who cares about each of us individually.  A God who desires good things for us and will be with us in any and every situation.  That is a God I want to worship, a God deserving my praise and my full surrender!

John 12:1-7, Worship Arrested

 “Then Mary took a pound of perfume, pure and expensive nard, anointed Jesus’s feet, and wiped his feet with her hair. So the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. Then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot (who was about to betray him), said, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?””

‭‭John‬ ‭12‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Mary worships Jesus by washing His feet and anointing them with perfume…it was kind of an odd thing to do.  But it was her act of worship!  Judas however, sees only the practical and is irritated.  He uses some excuse to make his irritation sound more socially acceptable by sounding like he actually cared for the poor.  But the reality is that he wasn’t getting what he wanted, and he had to let everyone know his perspective…because his ideas were so correct.

Lord, I have that same pride in me…confident of why my ideas are so right that it is obvious everyone should agree with me…yet I’m oblivious to what other people are doing or saying.  Help me to see my prideful heart motivations and control my words to enable others to worship You!

John 8:21-29, God in Us

“Who are you?” they questioned. “Exactly what I’ve been telling you from the very beginning,” Jesus told them. 

So Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own. But just as the Father taught me, I say these things. The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases him.”

‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭25‬, ‭28‬-‭29‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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While Jesus was on earth doing His ministry, everyone wanted to know who He was.  He rarely said outright that He was the messiah, but He alluded to it in many ways and constantly talked about God as His Father.  I love how Jesus reminds the that God is always with Him…just like He is with us today!

Lord, help me to live like God was living inside me, because He is!!!!

John 7:10-24, Inside-Out Concurrance

“Jesus answered them, “My teaching isn’t mine but is from the one who sent me. 

Stop judging according to outward appearances; rather judge according to righteous judgment.””

‭‭John‬ ‭7‬:‭16‬, ‭24‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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People were really unsure about who Jesus really was.  They were confused because he wasn’t saying all the same things as the religious priests but they seemed so true and powerful.  Then He was also doing miracles which were hard to ignore.

This passage Jesus tells them what happens on the outside is not a good way to judge people because it is what is happening internally that matters.  The internal should tell the bigger story.

Lord, You know that my internal life shapes what is happening on the outside.  Help me to trust You to form me internally so that inside and outside would bring You glory!

John 2:13-17, Confused Praises

“After making a whip out of cords, he drove everyone out of the temple with their sheep and oxen. He also poured out the money changers’ coins and overturned the tables. He told those who were selling doves, “Get these things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!””

‭‭John‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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With the present day temple of God being my heart, this verse takes on new meaning.  In what ways do I miss the point and begin to allow work, money or even fun take up residence in my heart?  How has my heart begun to worship anything other than Jesus?

Lord, highlight those things for me so that I don’t end up missing You in worship.  It is such a sweet experience to praise You and to sit in awe of what You have done in my life.  I pray that my heart and mind would be constantly aware of all that You are doing around me and turn that to glorification of Your name!

Psalm 148- Praise & Worship

 “Hallelujah! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted. His majesty covers heaven and earth.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭148‬:‭1‬, ‭13‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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If praise is thanksgiving and a recognition and highlighting of what God has done or who He is, then I wish that I was better at keeping this on the front of my mind!  Spending time in creation helps all the distractions of life fad to the background…His fingerprints become obvious and praise is continually on my mind.

Lord, help me to live this same way even when I am at work, getting groceries or doing chores.  The work that you have done and the way in which You accomplish it, all because of who You are, is astounding!  Open my eyes to see it so that I would praise and worship You as deserved!

Psalm 133- Eternal Life

 “the Lord has appointed the blessing — life forevermore.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭133‬:‭3‬b ‭CSB‬‬

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Just half a verse today…but it jumped off the page to me.  We all want blessing, we desire to have good things, things that make us joyful, happy even.  What can be more of a blessing than eternal life with God Himself?

But what really stood out to me was the reminder that this blessing does not come from working hard, obeying perfectly or really, anything I do.  It is something that only God can give!  It is appointed, or destined, or gifted to us…

Lord, You have blessed me with eternal life with You, help me to value that as the gift it is!  And strengthen me to follow You into obedience as a reflection of my thankfulness!  You are so good to me and I see Your goodness evermore clearly as I walk in your ways!

Psalm 122- Church Blessings

 “I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let’s go to the house of the Lord.” Because of my brothers and friends, I will say, “May peace be in you.””

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭122‬:‭1‬, ‭8‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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What a blessing a church community is.  This is literally how I feel each time I am headed to church…it’s time to celebrate because of the friends and community that so faithfully love me, even when things are tough.

God knew what He was doing when He created the local church!  Doing life without others encouraging, supporting, reminding and challenging me, would bring about significant doubt, worry, fear and loneliness.  But even when I don’t feel like seeing other people I always leave encouraged.  What a blessing, rejoice indeed!!!