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Joshua 24:23-24

08 Nov

“All right then,” Joshua said, “destroy the idols among you, and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God. We will obey him alone.”
Joshua 24:23-24

Dear God, it’s always good to do a repeated inventory of my idols. They slip in when I’m not looking. I think they fall into two major categories: things that take my time and attention and things that make me feel secure and safe.

The problem with the things that take my time and attention is that they keep me from doing the things you have for me to do. For example, watching too many videos on YouTube is probably an idol to some extent. That habit keeps me from loving you with all of my heart, mind, and strength. How productive could I be in the things you lay on my heart if I were to remove that idol?

Then there are the idols that bring me false senses of security. I’ve talked about these before. They range from my bank accounts, to my job and the money it provides my wife and me, to the economy, to law and order, to our military. Then there are the cultural things that can threaten me and my sense of security. If I wonder what exactly they are, all I have to do is watch any news channel of any political persuasion and identify what they want me to fear at any given moment. It is those things that can become my idols. They include either side of issues like racism, the border, crime, political power (I probably should have led with that one), abortion/right to choose, etc. The news organizations have identified the things that will attract our eyeballs, and those things are usually idols.

Father, I know I have idols in both categories. I’m sorry. Please help me to identify them one by one and purge them from my life. I want to love you with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I also want to love my neighbor as myself. Please be gentle with me as I go through this process.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 8, 2021 in Joshua

 

1 Timothy 1:18-2:4

07 Nov

Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles. Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples. I threw them out and handed them over to Satan so they might learn not to blaspheme God. I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.
1 Timothy 1:18-2:4

Dear God, the passage today for Bible Gateway was verses 1 and 2, where Paul urges Timothy to pray for all people and leaders. But it’s another instance where we’ve been given false barriers between scriptures for the sake of chapter separations and section headings. They meant well, but they can really change the meaning of a piece.

This one is a good example. Paul wrote these words as one. He connected clinging to faith and being careful about people who blaspheme you with praying for others. He is encouraging Timothy to “fight well in the Lord’s battles.” Do this by:

  • Clinging to your faith
  • Keeping you conscience clear
  • Praying for all people
  • Giving thanks for people
  • Praying for “kings” and those in authority
  • Praying for peaceful and quiet lives (although I have to wonder if sometimes you don’t give us this so we will not be lulled into slumber)

I was speaking Friday morning with a friend and he told me that he has trouble praying for our current president and his administration because he vehemently disagrees with his policies. Now, full disclosure, I don’t pray for any of our leaders very well or often, regardless of whether or not I agree with them, but in this case he intimated that he prayed for the previous president and his administration. I asked him why it was harder for this administration. If anything, I would have thought the parts of this administration that bother him would make praying for them easier.

So what about me? What am I to do about praying for our leaders? Whether they be local community leaders, the members of my board of directors at work (for whom I almost never pray), and then state, federal and worldwide leaders. Also leaders within our church. Even this morning our church asked that we pray for our two main priests as they go to a conference this week. After having read this passage before church, I took note of it and thought that I do need to pray for them regarding this trip and conference. I need to honor that request.

Father, the truth is, I’m terrible about intercessory prayer. It is just not a priority for me and it’s something I do not make a priority. I make times like this a priority, but I do not make other times and types of prayer a priority. Guide me in that. Help me to be better and please help me to also cling strongly to my faith and keep my conscience clear.

In Jesus’s name I pray

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 7, 2021 in 1 Timothy

 

Ephesians 1:9-11

06 Nov

God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
Ephesians 1:9-11

Dear God, there are times when I doubt that Paul was right. It’s been 2,000 years, and I have a difficult time seeing how you are bringing “everything together under the authority of Christ.” Frankly, I think Paul would be shocked to know 2,000 years have passed and Jesus hasn’t returned in a way that Paul envisioned he would.

With that said, I do believe that you have your “own good plan.” I do believe that you ultimately want us to all be in relationship with you somehow. I believe you want to love us. I believe you want to grow us and even stretch us. I believe you want to make me better. That’s the interesting thing about your plan. It appears to be macro and micro at the same time. In fact, it actually seems to be more micro than macro—at least from my perspective, which is very limited. What I mean by micro is that you care about me individually and while you are not necessarily about my comfort and luxury, you are about growth. You are about refining me. I prayed the other day that I wanted you to break me, melt me, mold me and fill me. It’s the breaking, melting, and molding that are hard. And to do it you need the hammer, the fire, and the rough power of the potter’s hands. But when my vessel is ready, you can fill me. In fact, you find a way to fill me even when you haven’t completed me yet.

Father, those words are from a praise chorus called “Spirit of the Living God.” I pray that song now: Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Break me. Melt me. Mold me. Fill me. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 6, 2021 in Ephesians

 

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Romans 13:1-7

03 Nov

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Romans 13:1-7

Dear God, our modern Christianity seems to have lost this passage. At least in America. Sometime in the 70s (maybe is was after Roe v. Wade), we decided that we would not submit to our government but ensure we controlled our Christian agenda from the top down. Then the moral majority came in the 80s and we were off and running. Now, it seems that we have made an idol out of ruling from above instead of serving from below.

So what do I need to do to be a better servant? What do I need to do to be better at serving from below? I received an email from an organization that helps sex trafficking victims yesterday. I shared it with my wife. Yes, it is important that we legislate against sex trafficking, but the truth is that we can petition our lawmakers while, as individuals, we seek to make a difference at a grassroots level.

I often have people tell me I should run for a local political office. I always laugh and tell them that there is no prize for doing that, and I can get more done as a private citizen than I can from a governmental level. So I have friends in the government. I talk with them and let them know about some problems I see and how the government might come alongside us to solve some of them. But my calling is not to be part of the government.

Father, it would be easy to say that Paul didn’t understand what it was like to live under a bad, harsh government that was doing corrupt things, but I guarantee living under our government was better than living under his. He apparently understood just fine. So if I am to take his words to heart, I need to submit to you and seek your will for me. Help me to hear your voice and worship you well today.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 3, 2021 in Romans

 

Ephesians 2:8-10

01 Nov

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:8-10

Dear God, “masterpiece?” That’s a little generous of the NLT translators. The NASB calls us your workmanship. The NIV says handiwork. The translation must be difficult to find a direct correlation in English. But let’s at least say that we are a particular pet project for you, you paid close attention to what you were doing when you formed and engaged with us, and you do good work. In this case, your plan for redeeming us and creating us new and in Jesus’s image is good so we should maybe consider it an honor to be let of it and take up the responsibility that comes with being the subject of your affection and redemption.

I’ve been fairly disengaged from you this last week. Not totally. It’s been hit and miss. But you certainly have not been my first love. I have not loved you with all of my soul, heart, and strength.

Father, I embrace the idea that what you have done for me through Jesus is a masterpiece. I take no credit for it or anything good in my life. You are my God. I and yours. I will worship you, follow you, and submit my own gain for yours.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 1, 2021 in Ephesians

 

Hebrews 4:3-13

27 Oct

For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, “In my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest,’” even though this rest has been ready since he made the world. We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day:

“On the seventh day God rested from all his work.”

But in the other passage God said,

“They will never enter my place of rest.” So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted:

“Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.”

Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall. For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.
Hebrews 4:3-13

Dear God, I was listening to a podcast today that covered some interesting topics. I think what is coming to mind now after reading this passage from Hebrews is my motivations. Why do I do what I do in life? Why am I the husband, father, employee, supervisor, church member, community member, etc. that I am? What is my “why?”

The podcast used an example of being at a Christian conference and the speaker was talking about Nehemiah and how the people followed him because he was a servant leader. He had the moral high ground, so they followed him. The person on the podcast, however, said that the speaker had it wrong. The speaker was saying that the Nehemiah’s motivation to get the people to respect him and follow him. The man on the podcast pointed out that the passage stated specifically that he was a servant leader because he feared you. Others following him was a byproduct of his obedience to you.

So what’s my motivation now? Fear of you. Knowing I need you for peace (and maybe rest). I’ve drifted from you the last few days. I’ve felt it. I’ve missed you. I’ve missed the connection. I’ve missed the peace. I’ve missed the rest. Thank you for being patient with me. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for guiding me. Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here’s my heart, Lord, take a seal it. Seal it for thy courts above.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 27, 2021 in Hebrews

 

2 Timothy 3:14-17

26 Oct

But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
2 Timothy 3:14-17

Dear God, on a scale of 1-10, I wonder how surprised Paul would be to know this letter to Timothy is now scripture to me. That there is a New Testament that stands next to the Old Testament.

There’s an important aspect to this passage that I think can get easily overlooked. Verse 14 starts out by saying the people who taught Timothy are an important part of what he has learned. There are a lot of different types of teachers, and even those who are wrong or bad can be well-meaning. I’m sure a lot of the Pharisees were well-meaning, but they were influenced by their teachers. As for me, I am influenced by my teachers. Those who I submit myself when it comes to church, teaching, and even commentary through podcasts and articles are an influence on my life. I have to be careful to whom I expose myself.

I think that is one reason that these personal times with you are important. It’s me, scripture, and the Holy Spirit. Not that I am trustworthy on my own. I can be as flawed as any teacher. But I think these are the moments when the Holy Spirit can speak to me in a still small voice and guide me into your truth at any given time.

Father, thank you for the scripture and the way you laid it out. Thank you for the stories of flawed and failed individuals. Thank you for the rules, but also for the grace. Thank you for preserving these letters from Paul; the stories Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John compiled; the psalms and proverbs captured in the Old Testament; the stories of Israel’s failures and subsequent repentance; etc. Thank you for loving me through all of this. Now, help me to take it into the world. Help me to be a good teacher simply in my role as your ambassador. Keep me from heresy and from hurting your kingdom with my own foolishness. Do it all for your glory, Father.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 26, 2021 in 2 Timothy

 

Romans 7:21-25

22 Oct

I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
Romans 7:21-25

Dear God, this is like the one time I feel like Paul admits he is flawed. I’m grateful for it. It makes me like him more.

A couple of days ago, my wife and I were having dinner with two other couples, one of whom we met that night. As we shared and got to know each other it occurred to me that they were only getting the good parts version of our lives so I dropped a couple of references to the idea that there were some aspects to us as individuals and as a couple that weren’t perfect. We, in turn, we’re getting the good parts of their lives, but they also subtly dropped hints that their lives and pasts weren’t picture perfect either.

Isn’t it funny how our insecurity can drive us to hide the things Paul vaguely references in this passage, yet it’s those very things that make us most likable to others? We are all slaves to sin. we all make mistakes. I made many mistakes yesterday. Some of those mistakes I’m aware of and some I’m not. Thank you that you free me from not only the regret and shame of my sin, but you inspire me to grow and purge a little more of it out of my life each day.

Father, as Paul says here, you are the answer. I can’t be moral. I can’t be good. I can’t be selfless. In my shame, I can’t be truly selfless because everything I do will be driven by the idea of hiding that shame. So thank you. Thank you that you are the answer. I love you and I love everything you offer us. Make me your humble, vulnerable instrument today.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 22, 2021 in Romans

 

Luke 12:49-52

21 Oct

“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three.”

Luke 12:49-52

Dear God, it’s funny how one can read this passage 2,000 years later and be like the disciples at the last supper when he predicts Judas’s betrayal: “Surely it isn’t I, Lord.” But I’m not exempt from this either. Division from children, parents, siblings, in-laws, etc.

I’ll admit that I don’t understand this passage and that Jesus’s words are confusing here. I saw a mock trial at a church one time where they were sentencing Jesus as a capital punishment candidate because he was dangerous to society. Before the mock trial he had already been found guilty. The question for the audience as the jury is whether or not he deserved to die because he was that dangerous. The mock prosecutor used passages like this to show that Jesus did deserve to die. I have to hand it to the writers like Luke here. They didn’t whitewash the more challenging things Jesus said.

Of course, Jesus had experienced this within his own earthly family. His brothers and even Mary had gotten crossways with him. And he also knew that Satan would attack us through disunity and our weaknesses. He would use the sin and insecurities and addictions in our lives to drive us apart. Then there is the thorn in his flesh to which Paul refers in 2 Corinthians 12. I suppose that if my life were exactly idyllic then I would have the gift of pain I talked about last week to mold me. Like a leper, the lack of pain would cause my life and soul to wither.

Father, I don’t know where all of this is going or how it all works out. Lead me to a peace that passes understanding. And keep me humble and willing to examine my heart with the help of the Holy Spirit and repent when necessary.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 21, 2021 in Luke

 

Like 12:42

20 Oct

And the Lord replied, “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them.”
Luke 12:42

Dear God, I guess my simple prayer would be that you find me faithful. Find me faithful as I husband my wife. Find me faithful as I strive to love my adult children and offer them whatever it is you need them to have from me. Find me faithful in my relationships with family and friends. Find me faithful in serving you in my community and world. And I regret not listing this first because it should have been first: Find me faithful in worshipping you and growing in you. It is only through my relationship with you that I stand a chance at being faithful in these other areas of life.

So why didn’t I go to you first in that list above? What is it about me that first sees my earthly duties instead of looking at the source from which all of my life comes? As I sit here and think about it, I am reminded of a table from Ruby Payne describing different economic classes and how they view acceptance. In poverty, it’s about being liked and being fun. In wealth it’s about maintaining your connections and relationships. But in middle class, it’s about performance and achievement. I think I tend to live out of that performance and achievement model. I want to perform for you. When I think about you coming back and finding me faithful, I think about it in terms of my achievements and my work. I think what I should really be thinking about is whether or not you will find me in right relationship with you.

Father, I appreciate the responsibilities with which you have entrusted me, but I know I cannot do it without the Holy Spirit guiding me through every step. And if I am going to hear the Holy Spirit’s still, small voice then I must submit to you completely. Help me to be all yours. Help me to worship you well. Do it all for your glory through my life.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 20, 2021 in Luke

 
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