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Psalm 100

23 Nov

Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Psalm 100

Dear God, I was thinking about Thanksgiving this morning, and I’ve always had this thought about Lincoln, but I hadn’t necessarily had it about the first Pilgrims and their Thanksgiving. Of course, Lincoln’s proclamation of the first national day of thanksgiving was done in the middle of the Civil War, when hundreds of thousands of Americans were dying. But the first thanksgiving by Pilgrims was in the midst of pretty difficult times as well. Many of them ha died. Everyone had lost someone. Life was hard and uncomfortable, and yet they took time to celebrate you and your love. They decided to look beyond what their selfish hearts desired and embrace the path you had for them to walk.

As I type these words now, we are in the midst of a pandemic, political and social unrest, and economic challenges. Do we have the courage to still raise our voices to you and say thank you? We have unrest in our families–I have unrest in my family. Do I have the depth of faith to look at you and express my gratitude for all that you have done and are doing regardless of how it impacts my life personally? Can I see beyond the struggles and count the significant blessings you’ve given to me? How much do I take my wife, children, and parents for granted? How much do I take you for granted?

Father, I come this morning to enter your gates with thanksgiving in my heart and your courts with praise. As I pray about the place where I work and for your provision and protection, my overarching prayer is that you will give us exactly what we need–as individuals and as an organization. Help us to feel your love and then share that love. Help us to help those who need us. Help us to somehow communicate who you are through our work. Please show us the way, but before we get going I want to tell you that I really am grateful for everything you’ve done this year. You are an awesome, awesome God, and I trust you completely.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 23, 2020 in Psalms

 

Colossians 3:1-17

22 Nov

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Colossians 3:1-17

Dear God, as I read this passage this morning, I couldn’t figure out where to break it off and make it into a more bite-sized chunk. It starts with all of the stuff I am supposed to give up. And it’s a good list:

  • Sexual immorality
  • Impurity
  • Lust
  • Evil desires
  • Greed (and the idolatry that comes with it)
  • Anger
  • Rage
  • Malicious behavior
  • Slander
  • Dirty language
  • Lying

I am always fascinated that Paul almost always leads off lists like this with sexual immorality. I supposed nothing is new under that sun. In this case, sexual issues get at least two out of the first three (unless you consider impurity to be sexual as well, in which case you get all three). But I find it interesting…no, interesting isn’t the right word. Not interesting. I guess it’s just a fundamental truth that these are the things to which we are drawn apart from you. The instinct is to satisfy self. I want to satisfy my desires and needs. If I have a sexual desire, it should be satisfied immediately. If I see something I want then I should have it. If someone offends me or violates my self-perceived rights then I should express anger and rage over that. If someone is getting ahead of me or achieving more than me, then I can take them down through malicious behavior and slander. If I want people of like spirit to like me, then bawdy language is something I can use to ingratiate myself to them. And then there’s lying–the simplest form of protecting myself from people knowing the truth about me.

But here’s what Paul gives us as our new standard after we’ve given up our lives and embraced you:

  • Tenderhearted mercy
  • Kindness
  • Humility
  • Gentleness
  • Patience
  • Allowing for others’ faults
  • Forgiveness
  • Love

And what happens when we die to our own rights? The peace that comes from Christ rules in our hearts–in my heart. Paul explicitly calls these things the “fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5, but he finds a way to spread them throughout the letters he writes to the early church. Beyond getting to go to heaven and getting my fire insurance, a relationship with you brings about some amazing things while on earth, the most important of which, in my mind anyway, is peace.

Father, please continuously point out to me where I have allowed lust, greed/idolatry, anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, dirty language, and lying to still reside in my heart. Please forgive me for these things. I am sorry, and I truly want to be better. But I don’t want to simply be better so I can experience peace, or even heaven, but so that I might be of use to you in this world. I want others to be drawn to you through my life. Help me to
“[die] to this life” and fully live in the “real life hidden with Christ in God.”

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 22, 2020 in Colossians

 

Luke 19:41-48

20 Nov

But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.”

Luke 19:41-44

Dear God, I think I need to go through and see how many times Jesus “wept.” In fact, I just stopped typing this to go check. According to the NIV, NASB, and the NLT translators, the only two times it is recorded that he “wept” is this instance and when Lazarus died. I think that gets overlooked here. He knows what’s coming. He knows what’s in his future. He knows the state of Jerusalem’s heart. All of this drives him to “weep.”

I pray that his prophecy for Jerusalem is not a prophecy for us as well, but it may very well be. I am disturbed by our country and it’s situation. The division is growing like a cancer. I’ve been trying to ignore it lately by staying away from social media, and while I think that’s been the right thing to do for my own soul, that certainly doesn’t mean that the divisive spirit has stopped. In fact, if I take my unifying voice out of the conversation–a voice that tries to speak of trust in you, peace, and love–am I becoming part of the problem.

Father, I don’t really care about this stuff as much as I should because I haven’t even come close to tearing up about it, much less weeping. I’ve been meaning to do prayer walks around our local hospitals and schools this week due to the COVID-19 outbreaks, but I’ve been too tired or too selfish. But I am concerned about all of this. I’m concerned about the spirit of division in our country, which is being fueled by media of all types (social, traditional, etc.) and on all sides. I’m concerned about sicknesses and deaths. I’m concerned about my friends who are sick, some of whom are in serious shape. Please help them. Please make this pain count. In fact, please make everything I’m praying about here that is happening to count. Help it to count for your glory and for your kingdom to come and your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 20, 2020 in Luke

 

Psalm 119:105-106

17 Nov

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations.

Psalm 119:105-106

Dear God, modern Christians have modified the meaning of “word” to mean “scripture,” but that’s obviously not what the psalmist referred to here. Apparently, he (assuming it was a “he” back then) was referring to your law laid out under Moses. Your word is your regulations.

Then there is the prayer Jesus prayed for his disciples before his arrest and crucifixion.

Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.

John 17:17-19

This idea of your word here, once again, is probably not intended to mean the disciples sitting around and reading the scrolls of scripture, but your regulations. Yes, Jesus gave himself as a sacrifice to fill the gap between what we are able to do and your pure expectations, but that surely doesn’t mean we can ignore your regulations.

Father, help me to know how to follow your expectations of me today. I am sorry for when I fail. I’m sorry for when I covet, lust, hate, etc. I’m sorry for when I spend more time in my own interests and pursuing the cares of the world than pursuing you. Thank you for your forgiveness, but I hope that maybe I can live in a way today that will need a little less forgiveness than I needed yesterday. May it all be for your glory and not mine.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 17, 2020 in John, Psalms

 

Colossians 1:9

12 Nov

So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Colossians 1:9

Dear God, our couples group from church met last night and the topic in the book we are reading was praying for our spouse. As my wife and I prepared for the meeting by reading the chapter together, you convicted me that I don’t pray for her as much as I should/could. She has always been better at intercessory prayer that I am, so I am sure she does a better job praying for and over me than I do her. This passage is a reinforcement of that idea. I must not stop praying for her.

Following that point, as we talked yesterday she shared that she feels out of her element dealing with her father’s estate. She wants to do a good job and give as much to his heirs as possible, but she is not sure what to do about certain things. So I’m going to pray for her what Paul prayed for the Colossians.

Father, I pray for my wife that you will give her complete knowledge of your will. Help her to know what to do as a representative of her father’s estate. Help her to know how to interact with her relatives. I know she is longing to be with some extended family she has not seen in a long time, but the pandemic makes it hard to know if that is the right thing to do because it would involve air travel during a time when infections are blowing up. So please be with her. Give her complete knowledge of your will. Holy Spirit, give her your wisdom and understanding. Speak to her in a still, small voice as well as through obvious directions. And please comfort her. Use me, but use others as well. First and foremost, Holy Spirit, please comfort her. Help her to feel your presence. Help her to rest in you. Give her you love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, goodness, and self control. Fill her with you so that every decision, regardless of how hard or stressful, might be made through peace, wisdom, discernment and understanding. And use her to impact the world around her. Fill her with your joy.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 12, 2020 in Colossians

 

1 John 2:15-16

11 Nov

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.

1 John 2:15-16

Dear God, so if the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything I see, and pride in my achievements and possessions, 1.) what is the downside to that and 2.) what is it that you offer?

Of course, the answer to #1 is the emptiness that comes from those pursuits. What they lead to is the fruit of the flesh from Galatians 5:

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21

It doesn’t look like there is much joy at the end of that rainbow.

So what do you offer? Well, thankfully, Paul gives us a pretty good list right after this:

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Galatians 5:22-23

Father, life is fleeting. We are all a vapor. Help me to make my time here be about pursuing you and not my own selfish cravings. Purify my heart, oh God, and create a new spirit within me.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 11, 2020 in 1 John

 

Isaiah 1:10-18

09 Nov

Listen to the Lord, you leaders of “Sodom.” Listen to the law of our God, people of “Gomorrah.” “What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?” says the Lord. “I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony? Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me! As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting— they are all sinful and false. I want no more of your pious meetings. I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals. They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them! When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims. Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.

Isaiah 1:10-18

Dear God, this is all so devastating to hear, and yet, I know this is as much for us (me) today as it was for the Israelites thousands of years ago.

I can’t help but think of some of the churches I know of who, from my perspective (and I could very well be wrong) have made a idol out of worshipping on Sunday morning. During the pandemic they continue their meetings as normal (some of which still don’t take basis safety precautions such as no masks). I know I can take a passage and interpret it any way that I want, but this whole part about worshipping vainly in your name makes me think about that:

When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony? Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me! As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting— they are all sinful and false. I want no more of your pious meetings.

We are such stubborn people, and I am included in this. So how am I being stubborn? How am I depending on your grace to save me instead of just turning loose of my sin and having a legitimate relationship with you?

Father, I am sorry I waste as much time as I waste. I use too much of my time each evening doing unproductive things like watching YouTube videos instead of being productive on other projects you might have for me. Help me to continue to move towards the man you need me to be. Love others through me. Use my life for your kingdom. Move me out of lethargy and into the actions you have for me.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 9, 2020 in Isaiah

 

1 Timothy 2:1-2

07 Nov

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.

1 Timothy 2:1-2

Dear God, yes, maybe this morning I should just spend some time praying for our leaders and our country. So for what should I pray?

  • Your glory to reign in the hearts of our leaders
  • The pain that is happening right now will be redeemed and fulfill your purposes. That it won’t be wasted. You will. Make it count.
  • Integrity in the process.
  • For the safety of election workers and all political officials involved in the count.
  • Wisdom for the decision makers.
  • That those who are charged with watching out for our safety 24/7 (FBI, CIA, military, law enforcement, etc.) will be given insight, wisdom, and discernment to continue to do their jobs well.
  • That you will give those making decisions about pandemic response the strength and wisdom to lead us as a nation, and that you will spare as many lives and as much pain as possible.
  • That you will give the winners of the elections the wisdom to lead our nation under your guidance, and those who did not win the grace to step aside and be a constructive influence on the future.
  • That our bottom as a nation will not have to go any lower in terms of division and hatred before we start to rebound.
  • That your church will know its role in the country. Where we should and should not be involved in politics. How we should respond to COVID-19. What new roots we should be developing sine our old paradigms have been shattered.
  • That those in need will have their needs met. From housing, to hunger, to medical care, to safety from violence, please raise up your church to meet these needs.

Father, these are just some of the things I can pray. I could sit here all day. Holy Spirit, move in our land. Take the Father’s presence into every office, every home, every business, every government agency. Bring repentance first to the church and then to the nation. And that starts with me. I’m sorry for the hate in my heart. I’m sorry for how I’ve judged people. I’m sorry for my hubris. I’m sorry I not been as grateful to you as I should be. I’m sorry I haven’t given you the glory you deserve. I love you, and I am sorry.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 7, 2020 in 1 Timothy

 

Ephesians 1:9-10

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.

Ephesians 1:9-10

Dear God, I wonder what Paul would have to say about these verses now. Would he be surprised to know that it’s been nearly 2,000 years since he wrote these words and we are still waiting for your plan to be fulfilled? Better said, we are waiting on Paul’s perception of your plan to be fulfilled.

Part of me wants to sit and talk about whether or not Paul was right or wrong. Another part wants to sit and contemplate what your plan is. What exactly are you doing? But that’s a fool’s errand, and I am certainly in no position to form such opinions. No, I think it’s a mistake for me to try to figure out your plan. After all, what will it gain me? What will it gain the world to know your plan for the next 2,000 years? I said a long time ago that you keep me on a need-to-know basis and I very rarely need to know. Those words are as true now as ever.

What I need to focus on is worshipping you today, and being so in tune with the Holy Spirit that I can hear his voice giving me guidance at any given moment. So here is my worship to you. It’s from Daniel 2:19-23:

That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven. He said, “Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power. He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars. He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light. I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors, for you have given me wisdom and strength. You have told me what we asked of you and revealed to us what the king demanded.”
Daniel 2:19-23

Father, you gave Daniel the information you needed him to have without burdening him with information he didn’t need. Please do the same for me. Give me wise counsel for others. Give me insight into the activities that should get my attention and energy. Move through me and bring others to yourself through my life. Be glorified in me so the world might know how amazing you are. And as you choose to raise up leaders here and there, I trust that you are doing exactly what you need, not necessarily for my person good in this moment, but for our good in the long run. It’s all about you and not about me. I am yours.

In Jesus’a name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 6, 2020 in Daniel, Ephesians

 

Romans 13:6-7

05 Nov

Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.

Romans 13:6-7

Dear God, it’s just so much easier in life if you just pay people what they are owed–and even err in their favor when there’s a questions. As a manager, I could quickly build a culture of distrust if I operated in a way that tried to keep every penny away from staff that I could. I’ve worked for people like that before, and they completely lost my trust and loyalty. I think they even lost a little of my work ethic. There was one job that I would actually go to the bathroom before I left for lunch because I was going to go on the company’s time as opposed to my time. That’ll teach them! (I know that’s pitiful, but it’s true.)

The same goes with taxes. If the IRS contacted me tomorrow and told me an audit is coming my way, I would be at total peace because I know my wife and I have not shorted them in any way. If anything, they might find that we didn’t take advantage of enough breaks and we could have paid less in taxes. There is a joy in generosity, and I think it starts with tithing. If I can learn to give away part of my money and resources to the needy then I find I’m much less likely to hold onto it when it comes to my business dealings with others.

Case in point, I had a family who was looking for a wheelchair for their father. Our nonprofit has wheelchairs that people donate and then we, in turn, give away indiscriminately. The man came by to pick up the wheelchair I set aside for them and he was so grateful that he left a donation. The donation was not necessary, but our generosity of spirit inspired his generosity.

Father, I’m still not where you want me to be on the spectrum between selfishness and selflessness, but I feel like I’m at least making progress. Help me to continue down this path until I am truly willing to look beyond my own wants and needs and see what you’re calling me to share in any given situation.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 5, 2020 in Romans

 
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