Security
As I look out over the weekend, Father, there is much yet to be done and I welcome Your company. Many routine things will take place but there is nothing from which I would exclude You. Fill my heart and mind with You. May Your glory shine through even amongst the mundane! Amen!
Hebrews 12:25-29 (<<click here)
Pursuing security is not limited to any cultural socio-economic or particular time in history, present, past or future. How we define security may vary but our pursuit of it does not.
The scary thing is that nothing we invest in on any earthly front is a sure thing. Calamity and circumstances beyond our control in the blink of an eye can take it all away!!
But Lord, there’s one thing that is worthy of all our trust. Only one thing is unshakable – and that is You. Finding our security in You will sustain us throughout eternity. This old world is doomed to destruction…and recreation. So everything we cling to here will cease to exist. Our souls are the only things we possess that are eternal, all else will perish.
Lord, may we listen to You. May we abide in what You have to say. Matthew 24:35 reads, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
June 18th, Sat, 6:44 am
WAKE UP!
Before we finished up yesterday morning, Father, my mind was surging forward. I continued mulling over these thoughts throughout the day and even last night I was still thinking along the same lines.
What we need, Lord, is a Great Awakening to who You are! Those who call themselves Christians need to wake from their slumber. We need to quit playing games. We need to quit jockeying position for power. We need to quit thinking that an hour once a week in church cuts it – it doesn’t! It’s not a game, or a contest or something to pass the time that eases our consciences a smidge.
What we do with You truly has eternal ramifications! The world around us is literally going to Hell and many of us are not moved to do one thing about it! We sit on our rear-ends, complaining and taking sides – sides that really don’t matter – while the lemmings plummet to their eternal deaths. And it doesn’t even bother us! In fact, many actually are glad it’s happening, exclaiming, “They are getting what they deserve!” Disgusting! It’s reprehensible!
Only because of Your grace do we not get what we truly deserve. We all deserve eternal death but You gave up Your life to save us. You paid the penalty for our sin. And we have the audacity to plop ourselves in the judgment seat and pass on condemnation! Ridiculous!
Whatever it takes, Lord, bring us to our knees! What we all need is a face-to-face confrontation with You. That would do it!
Isaiah’s example is for us all…
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw [in a vision] the Lord sitting on a throne, high and exalted, with the train of His royal robe filling the [most holy part of the] temple. 2Above Him seraphim (heavenly beings) stood; each one had six wings: with two wings he covered his face, with two wings he covered his feet, and with two wings he flew. 3And one called out to another, saying,
“Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is filled with His glory.”
4And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, and the temple was filling with smoke. 5Then I said,
“Woe is me! For I am ruined,
Because I am a man of [ceremonially] unclean lips,
And I live among a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”
6Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. 7He touched my mouth with it and said, “Listen carefully, this has touched your lips; your wickedness [your sin, your injustice, your wrongdoing] is taken away and your sin atoned for and forgiven.”
8Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:1-8
Lord, help me! May I see myself for who I really am – wake me up! Wake me up to see You for who You are. May I be about Your work – time is short!
July 10th, Sun, 6:39 am
All SOULS Matter
I am sure that there are parts of the world where sin and evil are not as fleshed out, Father, but I have no idea where they would be. There are many pockets of righteousness but they seem to be vastly outnumbered. And even many of the righteous have lost their focus.
From my vantage point it seems that most people’s focus is in the wrong place. There are so many things wrong in our world many believe that their answer is the right one be it a political figure, a particular movement or a mindset. Now there may be good parts in a lot of things but, all in all, that’s where the good ends. Even if a majority of people got behind one “thing” (which is pretty much impossible in and of itself) all the “good” parts would not amount to much, for they would still be parts.
What is needed is a unifying agent. As human beings we might gel with some but our natural tendency is division. We might gel with some on day one but come day two we’re divided. We need a unifying agent that is beyond ourselves. The only agent capable of bringing us together despite our differences is God, fleshed out in the person of Jesus Christ.
I regularly see proclamations of this group of lives matters and that group of lives matter and all groups of lives matter. Lord, I truly believe that all souls matter. Not one single soul is ever excluded. As souls we all stand on level ground at the foot of the cross. What our souls are wrapped in is of absolutely no importance. Nationality, skin color, the amount of resources, mindsets, philosophies, religious variables – they are nothing at the foot of the cross.
The world is an absolute mess. Only when we place ourselves in a relationship with You, Lord, will things change. The answer to our problems is found no where else.
Lord, we need You – individually and corporately. 2 Chronicles 7:14 is just as true today as it was when You proclaimed it to the Israelites thousands of years ago.
Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.
That alone is the answer! May our souls unite! May we not just read it – may we LIVE it!
Lord, I humbly give myself over to You. May I be the catalyst for people coming to You and for giving themselves entirely over to You. Amen!
July 9th, Sat, 7:58 am
Majesty
Thank You for days of celebration to remember! Anniversaries and birthdays are milestones to cherish. Bless my loved ones and friends who have the opportunity to rejoice once more!
Hebrews 12:18-24 (<<click here)
From Mt. Sinai to Mt. Zion, from beginning to completion You are a mighty God – mighty in power and mighty to save! You are not a God that we can just put in a box and pull out when we think we need You. You are absolutely uncontainable! You are an awesome God – One whom we should reverence and fear. And fear here is not a negative thing but reflects the utmost of respect. We bow in awe before You. We cannot totally understand You. Our finite minds can only comprehend a minuscule portion of Your infinite being. On a very small scale it would be like standing before a roaring waterfall – massive in scale and majesty, overwhelming in its power and beauty. We cannot control You. We cannot tie You down. No matter how “powerful” we think we have become You are “mindful that we are but dust.” Psalm 103:14
Thank You for creating our world. Thank You for stepping into our world to reconnect what we had disconnected. Thank You for doing what we could not do. None deserves praise but You! Amen!!
June 17th, Fri, 6:50 am
Consequences
Thank You, Father, for a wonderfully fulfilling day with Karen yesterday! Thank You for Your watch care over us and thank You for the blessing of bringing us together, oh, so many years ago!
Hebrews 12:16-17 (<<click here)
Lord, in reading these verses my Study Bible* makes me think about the long term impact of sin. Examining our lives we can see how even decisions from a life time ago, can continue to impact us. Esau’s careless disregard for his birthright – trading it for a bowl of soup! – came back to bite him when his father issued blessings sometime later. And this wasn’t just a simple “bless you” but in this culture was a driving force in where your life would go. And no matter how much he wept, it could not be changed. (Genesis 25:29-34; Genesis 27)
Our sins can surely be forgiven and our loving Savior remembers them no more – he has removed them “as far from us as the east is from the west.” Psalm 103:12 but regardless we cannot forget and many times the repercussions of our sin haunt us for the rest of our lives.
Lord, first of all help me to learn from the errors of my ways. Help me to not repeat them. But may they be a reminder of where You have brought me from and that I do not want to go back.
Secondly, help me to move on. Help my past not hinder my moving forward into what You would have me do today.
And lastly, may I remember when tempted today that decisions I make today will have lifelong consequences. May my decisions be guided by You. Amen!
June 15th, Wed, 6:43 am
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation