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Psalm 94:17-19

23 Aug

Unless the LORD had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave. I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O LORD, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

Psalm 94:17-19

Dear God, when doubts fill my mind, your comfort gives me renewed hope and cheer. Thank you.

I suppose each of us haas a different threshold for what we perceive as suffering. For someone who has had not experienced very little suffering at the hands of others or through life circumstances, I think I still have a pretty high threshold. For example, I have a friend whose son is a movie director and he just made a documentary about a worship leader who flew in the face of the government during the first few months of Covid and insisted that the church could not be “persecuted” by being told we temporarily could not meet corporately for worship. The friend directly asked me to attend a special screening of the movie and I was trying to passively get out of it, but after he pressed on I had to be more frank and tell him that I don’t like the viewpoint that the government was persecuting the church in that moment. They were applying a standard across the board to everyone. It was awkward, but I just don’t see it that way.

That being said, there have certainly been times when I called on you because I felt I was falling. Employment struggles. Struggles in my marriage. Struggles with my children. Concerns for my community or for friends.

Father, Holy Spirit, thank you for being my God, my comforter, my counselor, my provider, and my hope beyond the seen world. Help me to continue to walk with you and worship you. Help me to bring your hope and comfort to others.

I pray this through the power of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 23, 2022 in Psalms

 

2 Corinthians 10:17-18

17 Aug

As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the .” When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them.

2 Corinthians 10:17-18

Dear God, this is a great trap for me. First, I tend to get way too much credit for the work others do. I lead an organization that does “good” work in the community. It’s a nonprofit that helps others. But the truth is that it’s the staff that really makes a difference on the front lines. Second, there’s a part of me that really loves it when people praise me and are impressed with me. I have to be very conscious of this.

Then there are the things that go well that are my responsibility. I really want to thump my chest and take credit for those things, but I always try to quickly remember that I haven’t really done anything that special and it just seems to be your blessing that propels us forward. Whether it’s fundraising where I am, or even the projects I do outside of work, there are times when good things just happen and I have to remember to not only give you the glory internally, but also give you the glory to others as well.

Of course, there are also the areas of my life that appear to be abject failures. I don’t understand what is going on in those areas, but I am praying to you about them and counting on you to either redeem them or use them to mold me and the others involved into the people you need us to be.

Father, to you be the glory. I give you my utmost for your highest. Holy Spirit, please give me the strength I need to give my utmost today.

Jesus, thank you for enabling me to bring all of this to the Father,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 17, 2022 in 2 Corinthians

 

Romans 14:5-9

15 Aug

In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.

Romans 14:5-9

Dear God, I’ve been spending so much time going through the prophets of the Old Testament with the Bible in a Year podcast that I can get lost between how you related to us pre-Jesus and how you relate to us through the new covenant established after Jesus. How much leeway do I have now? How much does my individual sin still grieve you?

Paul’s description here gives me a lot of agency on how I choose to honor and worship you, seemingly as long as my heart is in the right place. This concept can be very confusing and overwhelming. I’m sure my heart is in the right place. How much will bad theology on my part frustrate you?

Father, Holy Spirit, walk with me today. Guide my steps. Show your will for me to me. As I return to my daily life from vacation—as I leave the mountain and return to the valley—please help me to not miss where you are leading me to go. Do it all for your glory, your will to be done on earth through my life, and to make me the man you need me to be.

In Jesus’s name and through his life, death, and resurrection I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 15, 2022 in Romans

 

14 Aug

Message to Laodicea“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

Revelation 3:14-19

Dear God, I’m about to give a three-minute talk to three church services this morning, and I had one set of things ready to say, but I cannot help but wonder if there isn’t something more you’d like me to accomplish in the three minutes What do they need to hear? Let me start with this passage and see if anything bubbles to the surface by the Holy Spirit.

I’ve been listening to the Bible in a year podcast and when I get into the prophets there is just so much failure on the parts of the Israelites. So much repeated failure. And usually they have no idea they are failing. They are just failing. That’s what I see in this prophecy for Laodicea and the warning you are giving them. They don’t understand they are failing. They think they are doing enough. They have the resources they need. They feel satisfied. Is that enough?

I’ve struggled with a though along those lines the last couple of weeks. I have been in a pretty opulent setting on the vacation from which I just returned. First-class hotels and meals. Being served by the staff running the trip. Spending money we had set aside, but treating it like it was no object. But do I consider that wealth? Do I consider that rich? Do I consider that to be the goal of life?

Father, Holy Spirit, speak to me and speak through me this morning. Help me to see where you are calling me to repent and then help me see what you would have me say to others. Help me to take your discipline and grow closer to you through it. I was just listening to the song “Inside Out” by David Meece. Here’s the chorus: “Search me Holy Spirit. Help me look inside. Show me what you’re seeing. What I’m trying to hide. Search me Holy Spirit. Send you healing power. Search me Holy Spirit. Help me change from the inside out.” That is my prayer this morning.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 14, 2022 in Revelation

 

Ezekiel 24:15-19

11 Aug

15 Then this message came to me from the Lord: 16 “Son of man, with one blow I will take away your dearest treasure. Yet you must not show any sorrow at her death. Do not weep; let there be no tears. 17 Groan silently, but let there be no wailing at her grave. Do not uncover your head or take off your sandals. Do not perform the usual rituals of mourning or accept any food brought to you by consoling friends.”

18 So I proclaimed this to the people the next morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did everything I had been told to do. 19 Then the people asked, “What does all this mean? What are you trying to tell us?”

Ezekiel 24:15-19

Dear God, if ever there was a passage the demonstrated how our lives are not about us, it is this one. Perhaps Ezekiel’s wife was going to die anyway and you were just letting him know, but to dictate that he not publicly mourn her passing so that you could demonstrate to the Israelites your feelings about their indifference for you is palpable.

Ninety percent of my life is pretty soft, but there is a portion that has been hard and difficult. And I’ve tended to dwell on and complain about the 10% more than I’ve worshipped you and been grateful for the 90%. At the same time, over the last few years, I’ve tried to consider that you might be doing something in the 10% that I cannot see. Therefore, my prayer to you has been to make it count.

Father, Holy Spirit, my Comforter, my Counselor, my Convictor, my Lord, my God, I ask that you make the pain count. For my friends who are sick or suffering, I ask that you heal them, of course. Touch their bodies. Touch their souls. Touch their minds. Touch their hearts. Please, heal them and bring them close to you. And do not waste this experience. Do not waste this pain. Please, make this pain count. Make it count for my life and their lives. Use it to draw us closer to you. Use it to lead us into deeper worship of you. Use it to bring your kingdom and will into the earth. Use it for our good. Show me today what you would have me do or say.

In and through Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 11, 2022 in Ezekiel

 

2 Corinthians 9:6-10

10 Aug

6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say,

“They share freely and give generously to the poor.
    Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”

10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

2 Corinthians 9:6-10

Dear God, I was talking with a retired man last night who is putting some of his energy into nonprofit work in his retirement. He is on the board of a nonprofit and has been giving both his money and his background/experience to the organization. I spoke to another man who is still working but is doing the same thing. He is an attorney who has given a lot of free legal counsel to a nonprofit for which he is on the board.

I’m thinking about these two men because of the idea of sowing and giving back. We did not discuss their faith, but I don’t think either of them are really people of faith, but as good humans they still know the intrinsic fulfillment and joy that come from giving of themselves–giving from their surplus.

Frankly, I feel like I get too much credit from others for the work I do. I feel like I leave a lot of seeds that you’ve given me unsown. The New Testament reading today from the Catholic Church is from John’s Gospel where Jesus is talking about a grain of wheat is nothing until it dies and becomes more wheat (John 12). You have given me a lot of grain and I don’t guess I will ever perfectly sow it all in this world. I just hope I can get better and better about sowing more and more.

Father, Holy Spirit, make this another day of representing you, loving you, and worshipping you. Live through me. Love through me. And as I’m on vacation, restore me. Do the same for my wife as well.

I pray this through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 10, 2022 in 2 Corinthians

 

Luke 12:4-7

09 Aug

4 “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. 5 But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear.

6 “What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. 7 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

Luke 12:4-7

Dear God, the verse of the day from Bible Gateway is verse 6, but I lose a lot if I don’t go back and pick up what Jesus said in verse 4: “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body..” Hold it! What? I want to think of that verse just pertaining to my daily needs: bread, shelter, etc. But Jesus is talking about something on a whole other level that I as a 21st century American don’t consider.

Yesterday at lunch, I was with a group of people and there was a Chinese national at the table who is now a U.S. citizen. Someone at the table asked her what the best thing is about American and she said, “Freedom.” Then she went on to tell of the draconian restrictions on some of her family members in China over the last few Covid years. First, it made me think that those who claim China released Covid-19 on the world intentionally discount how much the virus has cost China itself. But then I thought about how we, as Americans, just have not idea what it means to suffer. We consider a mask requirement or a negative Covid test requirement is a persecution too difficult to bear. We think our churches should be exempt from restrictions for crowd gathering that any other part of society (movie theaters, restaurants, etc.) is subject to.

But Jesus takes all of that stuff off of the table in this story. He takes it all of the way to death and says, “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body…”

Father, Holy Spirit, as I say these words from Act 20:24, I really, really hope I mean them. Quoting Paul, “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me. The task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” Help me to live those words, even in my conversations today.

In Jesus’s name and through his life, death, and resurrection I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 9, 2022 in Luke

 

Matthew 17:24-27

08 Aug

24 On their arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and asked him, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the Temple tax?”

25 “Yes, he does,” Peter replied. Then he went into the house.

But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, “What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered?”

26 “They tax the people they have conquered,” Peter replied.

“Well, then,” Jesus said, “the citizens are free! 27 However, we don’t want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.”

Matthew 17:24-27

Dear God. I just realized something I’ve never seen before. I think Peter straight out lied to the temple tax collectors. Instead of calling him out on it, Jesus had a nice interaction with Peter about it. I think there are two interesting things about this:

  • Jesus obviously knew Peter felt like he was in a no-win situation if he told the truth.
  • Jesus decided this battle with the temple tax collectors was not worth fighting.

I’ve puzzled over this for a few minutes trying to find an application of this story to my life. I think what I’ve finally come to is that there is a line between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. There were two laws being broken in this story (at least in my interpretation, which could be wrong): Peter lying and Jesus and his disciples not paying the temple tax. Jesus seems to have given Peter a pass on the first one (at least directly, although he did passive-aggressively indicate to Peter that he saw what Peter did). On the second one, he explained why he didn’t feel the need to pay the temple tax.

For me, there are all kinds of things that are the letter of the law vs. the spirit of the law. I see it all of the time at the nonprofit where I work. One of the things we have to do is determine if patients are eligible for our services. There is the letter of the law that sets limits. But then there is the spirit of the law that goes back and asks why the limit was set where it is and if that person or family doesn’t qualify regardless of the actual rules.

My wife and I have some friends who are gay and in same-sex marriages. We were having dinner with one of the couples the other night. I have to admit, Father, that I do not know how you feel about this. I can justify it either way. But as we sat there at dinner, I looked at the two people, two humans, sitting across from me who seemed to be meeting needs–filling gaps–in each other’s lives. Does their love for each other grieve you? It was committed. It was monogamous. Honestly, as I sat there, I thought you were more concerned about their rejection of you as their God than you were about their relationship. So I just tried to represent you in that time and make you as appealing to them as I could without ever addressing sexual orientation. If they can get to a point where they will embrace you then I will let the Holy Spirit take it from there. After all, I have probably grieved you as much sexually throughout my life as they have, if they, indeed, are grieving you through their relationship.

Father, Holy Spirit, I pray for my friends–all of them–who are not your disciples. Show me how to love them. Show me how to draw them closer to yourself. Give them your peace. Give them your love. Use me in whatever way you see fit so that your kingdom might come and your will might be done in this world. Use me today as I get to know the strangers on this trip as well.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 8, 2022 in 2 Samuel, Matthew

 

Hebrews 11:1-2,11-16

07 Aug

Great Examples of FaithFaith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation…

All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth.Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own.If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back.But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Hebrews 11:1-2,11-16

Dear God, reading this passage this morning made me think about the Rich Mullins song, “Land of my Sojourn.” The bridge of it says, “Nobody tells you, when you get born here, how much you’ll come to love it, and how you’ll never belong here. So I’ll call you my country, but I’ll be lonely for my home.”

I guess, when it comes down to it, everything I do, right down to taking the time most days to sit down and do these prayer journals to you, is an act of faith. Well, not everything, but many things. Praying for my wife and children. Preaching. Talking about my faith with others. Leading prayer at work. Thinking of you as my provision and worshipping you. Turning loose of my own selfishness and “pursuit of happiness” (I’ll insert the word “worldly” before happiness to make my point clear) and embracing sacrifice instead. And I don’t want to sound like I do all of this perfectly, or even well. I don’t. There are plenty of moments, days, weeks, and even months and years when I am selfish and I don’t completely surrender myself to you. But the moments when I do get it right are complete acts of faith.

Father, Holy Spirit, as I pray for my wife and children, I pray in faith that you are doing exactly what you need to do to get them where you want them to be. Love them. Reveal yourself to them. Help them to each be at peace in you, surrender to you, and pursue you. Of course, I pray the same thing for myself as well. Help me to be at peace in you, surrender to you and pursue you. Help my siblings and my wife’s siblings. There is pain out there in some of those relationships. Please help them to find their peace in you. Speak to each one, including their children. Be their counselor and comforter. Inspire them. Convict them. Fill them with your love.

I pray all of this through the power and grace of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 7, 2022 in Hebrews

 

Vacations and Sabbaths

06 Aug

Dear God, I was listening to the Bible in a Year podcast from Ascension Press, and they were talking about how in Isaiah 58 he is emphasizing the Sabbath and its importance. Admittedly, I half-heartedly observe the Sabbath. There have been times in the past when I’ve said that I would be more intentional about it by not only taking the day to rest, but to also really spend some additional intentional time with you. Do I do it? No. But I intend to.

Now I’m on this luxurious vacation that will last over two weeks. As I type this, I’m overlooking a bay on the Olympic peninsula in Washington state where I can see Victoria Canada across the water. The bay is still. A private sailboat is anchored about 300 yards from me. There are tankers, cargo ships and cruise ships within view. It is sunny and the temperature is in the 60s. I say all of that to just describe what an idyllic environment I’m currently in. This is very restful, and I do feel my soul being restored. I’m not worrying about a lot of things I normally worry about.

Much like two weeks of camp helps a youth to detox from social media and electronics, and enjoy the outdoors instead, this vacation for me is possibly helping me detox from my worries at home and the, when I return a week from today, I will have a choice regarding which things I want to resume addressing and which ones I’ll decide to not pick up again. It was on a vacation nearly two years ago that I decided to stop looking at social media and my life has been better for it. Are there barnacles on my current hull that need scraped off now?

Father, Holy Spirit, please guide me in this next week. Guide me as I sit in silence. Guide me as I visit with others. Guide me as I consume media. Guide me as I hear your call.

I pray all of this through Jesus’s life, death and resurrection,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 6, 2022 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 
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