Life Journal 05-06-2009

A Constant Prayer

(S) Scripture
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Psalm 51:10-12 (NIV)

(O) Observation
David's secret sin has been revealed by Nathan. When confronted David outraged at the story Nathan tells and offers a severe judgment. Nathan then declares that David is the man in the story. David then repents and offers up the prayer found in this Psalm 51. It is a prayer of confession and repentance.

(A) Application
I find myself too often acting like David when he hears the story and passes judgment. Too often I am much tougher on other's sin that on my own. I want to be more compassionate in dealing with others but I most want to respond first with genuine repentance and honest confession. Rather than the last thing I want that to be the first. I want this prayer in Psalm 51:10-12 to be a constant prayer of my heart. "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." Today I will seek to live out that prayer.

(P) Prayer
Lord you know me and my heart's desire. Let me live constantly by faith. Today, Lord, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." Amen

Life Journal 05-05-2009

Cool Under Fire

(S) Scripture
No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Matthew 22:46 (NIV)

(O) Observation
The Pharisees and Sadducees tried their best to trip up Jesus. They peppered him with questions. Jesus knew their intent and yet never lost his cool or temper. But with stories and questions he quieted them. They were so frustrated that they knew not to ask any more questions because it only made them look more foolish.

(A) Application
I have always been impressed with how Jesus would answer a question with a question, how he would never fall into their verbal traps. So often I find myself speaking before I really think things through. I sometimes speak to defend God and His Word when nothing really needs to be said. I get sucked into no win arguments. I leave thinking how foolish I had been to engage in the argument. Today I want to learn this lesson and practice being cool under fire. I will continue to work on responding like Jesus did. He promises to give us words to speak when we need them and when He does not give the words I need to learn to shut up. Arguments tend to accomplish very little and so today I will not argue but will look to respond with the grace and power of Jesus.

(P) Prayer
Lord teach me when to speak and when to remain silent. Let me treat people the way you would. Help me to remain cool under fire. Amen

Life Journal 05-04-2009

Through the Eyes of Children

(S) Scripture
But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant.
"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, "'From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise'?"
Matthew 21:15-16 (NIV)

(O) Observation
During the week after the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem Jesus does many wonderful and some miraculous things. The religious leaders see them and respond with contempt and outrage. The children see them and respond with praise and adoration. The children saw what God was doing and responded in praise. The religious leaders were blinded by their religious traditions and prejudice.

(A) Application
I must not end up like the religious leaders in this passage. I cannot let my religious prejudices and traditions keep me from seeing what God is doing and rejoicing in it. There are time when other ministries are doing things I do not understand but I must not jump to judgment. I must discern if God is at work or not and then decide what to do. I want to trust Jesus and praise him like the children in this passage. It is a simple faith that recognized Who Jesus was and declared it openly. I want to have that kind of transparent and simple faith.

(P) Prayer
Lord you know how easy it is for me to let my prejudices get in the way of what you are doing. Forgive me and let me see you clearly and rejoice in all you do. Keep me from the pride that prejudice and tradition brings. Let me rejoice in you today. Amen

Life Journal 05-03-2009

Persistence

(S) Scripture
As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him.
Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.
"Lord," they answered, "we want our sight."
Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.
Matthew 20:29-34 (NIV)

(O) Observation
These men knew that Jesus could restore their sight and so as he came by they yelled to him. The crowd tried to silence them but they yelled even louder. They were not going to let this opportunity pass. As blind men they were most likely outcasts in that society and therefore could have been intimidated by the crowd. Not these two, they wanted to get Jesus' attention and be healed and so they yelled over the objections of the crowd. The result of their persistence was that Jesus heard them and healed them.

(A) Application
I wonder if I let the crowd dictate to me how I should act. Do I get quiet when I need to yell because my crying out to the Lord upsets the crowd? Do I let the pressure from them keep me from crying out to the Lord? Am I more concerned with being proper than being persistent? Sometimes I am those things. Today I will be persistent in my prayer. It is not a sign of a lack of faith but rather a sign that I trust you to hear me and act. Some have wrongly said that to pray about something more than once is a sign of not really trusting God but this passage teaches us to be persistent in our prayers. Today I will be persistent in trusting in God's power to act.

(P) Prayer
Lord I trust you. Teach me to pray persistently and to trust in your ability and power and desire to act. Today I pray for Tom's healing. Act on his behalf today, let him and his family sense your presence. Give them comfort and strength for each day. Teach me to trust you completely. Amen

Life Journal 04-30-2009

Good Intentions

(S) Scripture
When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled.
The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.
1 Chronicles 13:9-10 (NIV)

(O) Observation
David is returning the ark of the covenant back to their land. The ark was on a new cart and was guided by Ahio and Uzzah. At one point the oxen stumbled and Uzzah reached out and touched the ark to steady it. Touching the ark was forbidden and Uzzah was struck down by the Lord. Although his intentions were good, to steady the ark, his faith was weak because he did not believe that God could keep the ark from falling. It was his lack of faith that resulted in him touching the ark (overt disobedience) that brought about his death. The consequence of his disobedience was his death. Good intentions do not excuse disobedience.

(A) Application
I wonder how often I excuse disobedience because my intentions were "good". Here the lesson is to trust God fully and to be obedient to Him. My actions have consequences, some good and some bad. When I am obedient to the Lord the ultimate consequence is good. Being obedient may bring some persecution and trouble those who do not know the Lord but that is nothing compared to the consequence of not obeying. I am not talking about losing my salvation. The consequence of being out of fellowship with the Lord and feeling distant from Him is scary. I cannot imagine living apart from the assurance of His protection and care and strength and love. Today I will listen to the Lord and will obey Him. I want to do His will. I do not want to excuse disobedience with :good intentions".

(P) Prayer
Lord you know how easy it is for me to excuse my disobedience with good intentions. Let my intentions be Yours and empower me to do your will. Let me trust you today. Amen

Life Journal 04-29-2009

My Way – God's Way

(S) Scripture
But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's."
Matthew 16:23 (NASB77)

(O) Observation
Peter is reacting to Jesus' description of how he must die. Peter tries to correct Jesus by saying it would not happen to Jesus, Peter just would not let that take place. Jesus rebukes Peter by reminding him that he is not looking at God's Way but rather at his own way.

(A) Application
How often we mean well and have good intentions but are following our own way rather than God's. We try to accomplish God's purposes with our slick methods. We inject so much of our own way that often His way gets ignored. We wonder why things fail and it is generally because we are not paying attention to God's Way. Today I want to be a conduit of God's way rather than a stumbling block.

(P) Prayer
Lord, You know my heart. Sometimes I get ahead of you and go my own way. Draw me back, forgive my stubbornness and set me on your path. Amen

Life Journal 04-28-2009

Empty Words

(S) Scripture
"'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Matthew 15:8 (NIV)

(O) Observation
Jesus is answering the Pharisee's question about what makes a person clean or unclean. He challenges their legalism and their own hypocrisy in this area. He says that it is not what goes into a person but what comes out of their mouth that makes them unclean. He then makes this indictment against them. "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." Empty words of praise that are not accompanied by a faithful heart.

(A) Application
I want my words to praise and honor God but I also want my heart to be completely His. Words are easy to repeat and many do just that in their spiritual lives. People know all the right things to say and yet their hearts are far from God. How empty is that life? The hypocrisy of that life fools no one but the one living it. Others see right through the façade of spirituality to the reality of a life far from God. Today I want my mouth to reflect my heart and for my heart to be completely God's. Many years ago I was challenged to choose one verse from the Bible that would be my "life verse" and I chose 2 Chronicles 16:9. "For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars."
That is what I want today.

(P) Prayer
Lord let me live out my life verse today. Give me grace to do what needs to be done today and let my words and heart honor you. Amen