RSS

3 John 5-8

18 Oct

Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church here of your loving friendship. Please continue providing for such teachers in a manner that pleases God. For they are traveling for the Lord, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers. So we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth.3 John 1:5-8 

Dear God, it can be difficult to know when it is time to stop supporting a ministry or missionary. It’s easy to make the decision to start supporting something, but how do you know when that calling might be over? 

I am in an interesting position b cause I raise money for a nonprofit where we rely on repeat donors. In fact, our whole fundraising plan is built more around repeat donors than finding new ones. But I start to worry about donor fatigue. Are we still communicating our work to the donor? On our end, are we living up to what the donors think they are supporting?

Then there are the missionaries and nonprofits my wife and I support. Are we doing a good job of evaluating that support? Do we continue some of them solely because we are afraid of hurting someone’s feelings or are we legitimately giving because it lives up to the spirit of this passage?

Father, help me to see my fundraising and my giving with fresh eyes. Help me to feel what you have for me in the joy of both giving of my resources and serving you. Be glorified through my charity and change the world through every facet of my life. 

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen 

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 18, 2017 in 3 John

 

Psalm 24:14-15

17 Oct

The Lord is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant. My eyes are always on the Lord, for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies.Psalm 25:14-15 

Dear God, I tend to king of blow off verses–especially Psalms–that mention enemies because I just don’t have many people who are actively out to get me, but I think my thinking is too concrete. The truth is, I have demons out to get me. I have powers and principalities of this world who want me to fail and be ripped away from you. I am vulnerable to the without you, your love, your grace, and your protection. 

I haven’t normally included Satan and his minions as part of my enemy list, but the truth is that they are probably the leaders of it. I am always so limited in my thinking and my prayer life. I forget to look beyond what I can see and recognize the evil around me that comes only to steal, kill and destroy. 

Father, I will keep my eyes only on you. Please keep me from the traps of my enemies. 

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen 

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 17, 2017 in Psalms

 

2 Samuel 7:18-29

15 Oct

2 Samuel 7:18-29 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed, “Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And now, Sovereign Lord, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! Do you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign Lord ? “What more can I say to you? You know what your servant is really like, Sovereign Lord. Because of your promise and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known to your servant. “How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you! What other nation on earth is like your people Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your own people? You made a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations and gods that stood in their way. You made Israel your very own people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God. “And now, O Lord God, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. Confirm it as a promise that will last forever. And may your name be honored forever so that everyone will say, ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is God over Israel!’ And may the house of your servant David continue before you forever. “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, I have been bold enough to pray this prayer to you because you have revealed all this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you—a dynasty of kings!’ For you are God, O Sovereign Lord. Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to your servant. And now, may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you have spoken, and when you grant a blessing to your servant, O Sovereign Lord, it is an eternal blessing!”

Dear God, I think it’s important to know the context of this prayer. David is established as king, living in the palace and at peace with the world around him. Then he gets an idea about building a temple for you, he tells Nathan about it, and Nathan’s response out of his humanly wisdom is, “Great idea. Go for it.” Of course, as a prophet, Nathan might personally benefit from having a temple, but I think all of their motives are good. They want to worship you through the building of the temple. But that’s not what you want. You tell David, through Nathan (not directly), that his offspring will build the temple. You have other plans for him. The result of this news is a humble prayer of worship. 

So here is a little word from me to tell you how grateful I am. Even doing this prayer to you this morning, I have felt like I hear your still small voice speaking to me. “Do you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign Lord?” (I love that line from David’s prayer). This makes me think that before I go back to work I need to sit down and read through 1 & 2 Samuel again. There is so much wisdom and so much of you there. 

Father, as I go through this day and the next few, traveling with a good friend, help us to be iron for each other. Sharpen him through me and sharpen me through him. Be glorified in us so that others around us and our family and friends might be touched by you trough our lives. 

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen 

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 15, 2017 in 2 Samuel

 

Jeremiah 2910-14

13 Oct

This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”Jeremiah 29:10-14
Dear God, 70 years, huh? Well, I guess that’s a start. 😉

Of course, I am kidding. The world is yours. I am yours. Everyone is yours. Everything is yours. I think the passage that is probably better applied to our individual lives, as opposed to this one that is addressed to a nation, is Romans 8:28 when Paul talks about you working for the good of all of those who love you. But even there “good” is vague. There were decisions my wife and I made for our children that they didn’t like that we did for their good. And the. There is the other thing you have to consider–what is for my good vs the good of others? You have a plan for my life and it might be different than someone else’s life. 

Father, help me to joyfully submit to the plan you have for me, worship you thoroughly, and be sensitive to the needs you put around me so that I might have as much impact in the world as you need me to have. And I pray that the plans you have for our nation are the same as what you had for Israel except I hope it doesn’t take 70 years for your favor to return. 

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 13, 2017 in Jeremiah

 

Psalm 62:1-2

11 Oct

Psalm 62:1-2 I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.

Dear God, it is hard for me to wait quietly. It’s hard for me to be patient. I’m more comfortable with the idea of being ok motion and purposeful. Strategic patience? That’s what I have to do. I journal these meditations on scripture because I don’t trust my mind to process my thoughts without the discipline of writing my thoughts down. 

So I guess this is how I wait quietly before you. I sit. I think about scripture. I try to hear if you have anything to say that me through it. And then I talk to you about it. Doing this has changed my life more than anything else I’ve ever done. 

Father, I wait before you. Give me what I need today. Give me this day, my daily bread. Feed me what you need me to have and love others richly through me. Make me wise and make me humble. But when it t comes to the things in my life that concern me, I lift them to you and ask that your kingdom will come and your will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen 

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 11, 2017 in Psalms

 

Proverbs 19:21

10 Oct

Proverbs 19:21 You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.

Dear God, ain’t this truth? It’s foolish not to make plans, but holding them loosely is a very good idea because I have no idea what you are planning. 

I think one of the big things that we forget to factor in is that we never plan for negative things to happen, but you sometimes need to allow negative things for either our good or the good of someone else. For example, I would never have wanted the miscarriage that we experienced (and I still don’t know what all was involved in why you allowed that), but the pain of that event changed my wife and me forever. It made us more humble and grateful parents when our children were born. It made us more sensitive and loving when we hear of others who experience the same thing. You redeemed the pain and made us better people. 

Father, help me to hold my plans loosely. I certainly have all kinds of things that I hope and wish for, but I also know enough to know that I do not know the plans you have for me, my family, my community, and my world. I guess my real prayer is that you simply use me and help me to not let my own plans get in the way of your plans. 

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen 

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 10, 2017 in Proverbs

 

Isaiah 43:10-13

08 Oct

Isaiah 43:10-13 “But you are my witnesses, O Israel!” says the Lord. “You are my servant. You have been chosen to know me, believe in me, and understand that I alone am God. There is no other God— there never has been, and there never will be. I, yes I, am the Lord, and there is no other Savior. First I predicted your rescue, then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world. No foreign god has ever done this. You are witnesses that I am the only God,” says the Lord. “From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done.”

Dear God, a lot of things compete for your title. Money. Power. Sex. Alcohol. Drugs. Food. Maybe that’s why AA starts with the idea of a higher power replacing the power of the addicted substance. Until that substance is taken off of its pedestal then it will remain there. 

I’ve certainly had things that I’ve put in your place over the years. But what about recently? I think one of the things I put in your place is me. I put my mind, intellect, ideas, etc. in place of your provision and glory when it comes to solving problems at work, at home, or in other areas. That’s probably one of my biggest problems. 

Father, remind me to worship you in all circumstances. When I am facing a situation about which I feel anxiety, help remind me to deny the false god of myself and to worship the one true God. You are my King. In you will I trust, even if it looks like things are going wrong. 

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen 

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 8, 2017 in Isaiah

 

Isaiah 26:3

06 Oct

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Dear God, I wonder what perfect peace looks like. When it comes to the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 (love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness, and self control) I’ve always felt that peace was the most important barometer as to how I’m doing with you because it’s the one I can’t fake. Outwardly, I can fake love, joy, patience, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness, and self control, but I can’t fake peace. And I can often get a feeling for when someone else is either at peace or not at peace. 

So how am I doing? Well, I’m on this amazing vacation right now, and I am feeling pretty good. I’ve been careful to continue to spend time with you every day of this trip, and I want to continue to do so. I just hope I’m getting out of this trip and this time away from the office what you have for me. This sabbatical that the board of directors has given to me isn’t just about time to clear my head from work. I want it to be for my whole person. 

Father, I want to come out of the other side of this time as a better servant of you, husband, father, friend, son, sibling, and community member. I want to also be completely at peace so that when others see me they will see a difference and understand that a life lived in submission to you is the path to a peaceful life that is also naturally filled with the other fruits of the Spirit. 

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 6, 2017 in Isaiah

 

Proverbs 27:1

04 Oct

Proverbs 27:1 Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring.

Dear God, I think this is a word of wisdom that comes with age. It comes with the experience of thinking, Oh, nothing can possibly go wrong, and then having it all go terribly wrong. It is the businessman who feels bulletproof with enough cash in the bank one day and his is fighting off bankruptcy the next because of a crash in the market. It is the parent who is bragging on their children one day and then terrified for their lives the next. It is the person planning their retirement one day and then fighting terminal cancer the next. 

So I guess the real lesson is that we need to be better about appreciating the moment we are in while always preparing our lamps to have enough oil while we await the bridegroom. We need to be vigilant. Even now, I am on an extravagant vacation, but there is a part of it that is unsettling to me because 1.) I don’t normally live this way and 2.) I know there is a lot of suffering going on in the world and it feels weird to completely detach myself from it and indulge myself. 

Father, I have moved beyond judging good fortune or bad fortune in relation to your favor with me. I know that they work quite independently from each other. So help me to just be the person today that you need me to be. Love others through me. Teach me through others. Use my life to make the world a better place.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 4, 2017 in Proverbs

 

1 Peter 1:3-7

03 Oct

1 Peter 1:3-7 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

Dear God, I think it is always important for us to remember the lesson from Job–out life circumstances have little to do with youth favor or disfavor. In fact, since going through Job, I have stopped using the phrase “blessed” when talking about if I am doing well or if something good happens for me. The truth is, if something good happens I don’t know if it is part of your design or not. You are the giver of all good gifts, true, but your definition of a good gift and my definition of a good gift are probably different, so I should be careful about ascribing things to you. I think it gives others a bad example as they try to work out their own faith and separate your favor from their life circumstances. 

I had someone that I’ve only known for a couple of days tell me something kind about me and my disposition. She even remarked on my voice. I was flattered, but it made me wonder if, in the two days I have known her and her husband, have I used enough opportunities to let them know that anything good flowing OUT of me comes from you? If I am going to be experiencing something like the trip my wife and I are on, am I doing enough to reveal your power and glory to those around me?

Father, Peter talks about our final reward. Help me to embrace more and more the idea that you are there for us, you are good, and I can believe that regardless of what is happening around me. Help me to also be there for my wife. Help me to be the husband and friend she needs me to be. Use me on this trip not in isolation, but as part of the couple that you have made us to be. We are not your ambassadors as individuals, but also as two people who are one. Help us to live that out.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 3, 2017 in 1 Peter

 
← Older posts
Newer posts →