Life is Fleeting- Psalm 39

Scripture: Psalm 39

"Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You; certainly every man at his best state is but a vapor. Selah" -Psalm 39:5

David was called a man after God's own heart, and- despite the fact that David sinned greatly in regard to Bathsheba and Uriah the Hittite- God loved him. It just goes to show that God loves us in spite of our dumb mistakes. David spent a lot of time with God as a young shepherd in the hills, as a young man fleeing the wrath of a maniacal and angry king, and finally as king over the united kingdoms of Israel and Judah. After all of the things he'd done in his life, it might have been easy to become prideful and arrogant. David could have strutted about like some puffed up peacock, writing psalms and hymns to his own glory. Instead, he spent time with God, asking for Him to put his life in it's proper perspective. David concluded that our time on Earth is fleeting- a vapor, a shadow, mere inches of space in the infinite reality of the universe. He saw people who toiled diligently day after day to accumulate their wealth, only to die and leave that inheritance to one who would squander it all away. He understood that God was his hope and the One Who would protect him and deliver him.

In our lives, we get so caught up in the busyness of the day-to-day meaningless things. A stoplight can put us in a bad mood for the day. We toil on and on, but what is it all for? King Solomon- David's successor- examined life and concluded time and again in his book of Ecclesiastes that everything is vanity and pointless in life, save for what impact we have on the lives of others. Stop wasting time on meaningless and temporal things that are here today and gone tomorrow. How are you living? To what end? Are you living as an heir to the Kingdom of Heaven, a royal ambassador on a mission, or are you living however you choose, without a thought of the eternal? Ask God to help put life in a proper perspective, knowing that our time here serves a purpose and that our life is not our own. We serve the King of Kings, and our lives best reflect that, as we are most certainly and assuredly held accountable for how we represented Him here on this Earth.

Lord, thank You for choosing me to be Yours. Help me to live my life as an example and as an emissary of You. Remind me daily of exactly Who I am serving and what my purpose here is. Help me to be Your servant in how I live the life You've given me. Amen.

Opposition of God's Work- Nehemiah 6

Scripture: Nehemiah 6

"For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, 'Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.' Now therefore, O God, strengthen our hands." -Nehemiah 6:9

Nehemiah was written at a hard time in the history of Jerusalem. During the exile, the Babylonians hadn't taken everyone, but they only took the leaders and the wealthy- anyone who could mount a serious threat to their control, essentially. The people left behind lived in constant fear, and were disheartened and defenseless against the outside marauders. Many years later, after the Babylonian Empire had fallen to the Medes and the Persians, there was a Persian king sitting in the capital. His cupbearer was the Jewish Nehemiah, who talked with some of the Jews who had been to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity was over. One such group lamented, reporting that the condition of the once glorious capital was in ruins, without so much as a wall to protect the inhabitants from invaders and brigands. The kings notices the sorrow of Nehemiah, and after learning the report, dispatches Nehemiah with an edict that makes Nehemiah the governor and the man in charge of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. This- of course- is wildly popular with the rulers of the surrounding areas. Time and again they try to thwart God's plans by disheartening the workers and the faithful Nehemiah. In just chapter 6 alone they try to lure him to meet them and compromise, they try to slander him by saying that he is doing it all to be proclaimed the new king of Judah, and then by hiring some prophets in Judah to speak ill of the work of rebuilding the wall. Through it all, God shows Nehemiah exactly what is going on, and Nehemiah keeps praying for God's help in everything, and specifically during times of opposition.

We face opposition frequently when we are being obedient to God's calling. We have people that want us to compromise our values and not be completely going for what God's called us to do. We have people that choose to malign our character and spread rumors and lies about us. We can even have people that claim to serve God that speak falsely in His name against what God is having us do. Recently, I have experienced this in a few different ways. A friend of mine is working on a project with me and several other people to bring more youth and young adults into our church. The project is creating a coffeehouse atmosphere as an outreach of just showing love and giving them something to do that isn't going to bring them down on a Friday night. Not preaching. Not Bible-thumping. Just loving on people with a cup of Joe, some music and a place to be where they don't have to be drunk or stoned or doing junk to have a good time. All three of the kinds of opposition that came against Nehemiah have come against us. There have been people trying to get us to take all the work effort off of the project and apply it to other things that are "more important". They want us to compromise and say, "well, it can wait". There have been people that have been spreading the nastiest slander and gossip about the people involved. Everything from "So-and-So doesn't want you around because they find you annoying" to "Such-and-Such is sleeping with What's-His-Face"... and most everything in between. Then there are people on the inside that are of the genuine (or seemingly genuine) opinion that this is never going to get off the ground and it won't make a cent of difference in anyone's life. It has been a struggle to fend this garbage off, but through God's grace and strength, we can listen to the truth, dispel the lies, and and bond as a group in a common purpose. As long as we are doing what God leads us to do, Satan won't like it, and he will have opposition come against us and the work we do. But through everything, we are reminded by Nehemiah's example to pray. Pray for the success of God's work and for His strength to see it through to completion. Pray God's protection and encouragement in time of opposition. Pray and seek His face above all, and He will come through for you.

Lord, be my Refuge in the time of opposition. Help me to stay strong despite the attacks of my enemies. Help me to continue pressing into You through all things, and be my Protector and Validator when others would seek to harm me. Thank You for allowing me to work alongside You. Amen.

Rejected- Hosea 4

Scripture: Hosea 4

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being priest for Me..." -Hosea 4:6a

In the days of Hosea, things had gotten pretty bleak in the land of Israel. On the outside, there were still some times of good things, but the inside was as spiritually rotten as a bad piece of fruit. Hosea wrote right before the fall of Israel to Assyria (722 BC), which was a judgment of the Lord on the land. The people had turned to worshiping other gods like household gods, the different poles, and even what sounds like a form of Druidism (they were worshiping trees and nature). There was also widespread sexual sin- adultery, harlotry, and general fornication- to the extent that no one could be punished because they were all involved in some sort of sexual sin themselves. God had said time and again that living that way is an abhorrence to Him and will lead to His judgment on the people. Therefore, His judgment- though the wrath of God had been turned away in the past by their repentance- would be coming because of their willful ignorance of Him and His commands. The people knew they were doing wrong and did not care, but continued.

We can be a lot like Israel here in America today. We think that we can call ourselves "Christians", and continue doing things God hates because He has grace on us. He does have grace on us, but just as Paul says in Romans 6:1-2, "What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" Instead of rejecting God's instruction of truth and His knowledge, we should rather learn their lesson and seek out those things. By knowing God, we become better equipped to serve Him and make a difference. Matthew 6:33 exhorts us to "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness", and in doing so, we are shaped more and more into His image. If we spend time growing with God and seeking Him first in our lives, we will be changed, and we will not be destroyed. Israel rejected God's instruction and paid dearly for it. Let us rather embrace His Word and become renewed and shaped into His likeness.

Lord, help me to take the time to grow with You daily. Help me to seek You first in all things and to cherish Your truth and Who You are. Let me embrace Your knowledge and Your understanding more every day. Amen.

Waiting on the Lord- Psalm 27

Scripture: Psalm 27

"Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!"
~Psalm 27:14

It is one of the hardest lessons to learn as a believer: waiting on the Lord. I'm sure that it was not easy for David to wait on God at times. This was a guy who was anointed as a kid to one day rule a nation. He killed the front man of the biggest enemy of his people with a poor kid's slingshot. He also spent years on the run from the guy that was in charge (incidentally his best friend's dad), hiding in caves and undoubtedly wondering how God was going to make that whole "king" thing happen. Hard to see yourself as royalty when you are sleeping on a stone floor and running for your life from the people who you once considered family. But God used that time to teach David to wait and depend on Him. This wasn't something that the ruddy runt of seven boys could do on his own. He had to trust God to save his life daily. He understood that God really DOES supply all of our needs. Psalm 27 is all about his wanting to be closer to God all the time, and how waiting on the Lord is the right choice because He will prevail for us.

In our lives, it's hard to wait for anything. The traffic light takes that extra 6 seconds, and we are peeved the rest of the drive. Little kids want to grow up immediately. Teenagers want to be adults. Adults want to lose weight and have those anti-wrinkle procedures work NOW. We like things at microwave-speed (or for any Mel Brooks fans out there, Ludicrous Speed), and anything slower than that puts a kink in our plans. God has different plans, though. He works at the perfect timing in our lives, which is sometimes hard to see, and even harder to trust Him for. My time at Check Into Cash is coming to an end. God had a time for me to be there, and now that time is expiring. Ironically, our last day is my 25th birthday. I know that He has a plan for me and what I am supposed to do now. He has provisions for my future in His hands. It's just sometimes hard to trust that it will work out at the perfect time. It's like when you're a kid and playing a video game. For all those old-school, Commodore 64 types out there (when floppy disks were actually floppy...), it's like Oregon Trail. Remember that game? You made up a family (named all the people after your friends and the person you might have had a crush on that week), picked a vocation, bought supplies and headed "out West" from Independence, Missouri. Along the way (a few space bar clicks later), you would face trials, rivers, Indian attacks, disease, and sometimes loss of food. When you lost all your food, and your family was dying of Cholera or Dysentery (usually your crush was the first casualty, as if the computer knew), you would go "hunting" using the arrow keys and the space bar to "shoot" rabbits, bears, deer and so on. The thing about hunting was that you had to hit the space bar at the exact moment to hit the animal, or else you were just wasting your ammo. Real life can be like that, too. You are on this epic journey with your family and your friends, and things happen. Jobs get lost. People get sick. You try to ford the Columbia. Whatever it is, God has the provision to see you through. He has perfect timing to hit the thing that needs to happen exactly when it needs to happen. Isaiah says, "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)" We can't do it in our own strength. Moses understood this too. When God told him to take the Israelites and leave Sinai, he said, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. (Exodus 33:15)" He knew that it wasn't about him, and that all the fancy staff miracles in the world would not be enough to lead. It's like trying to kill the giant with a rubber band and a pebble- it takes God making it count. His timing is perfect, and His plans are worth waiting for.

Lord, help me to wait for Your moving. Help me to say like Moses that I will only go if You go with me. Lead me where You want me to go. I trust You to provide for me. Amen.

Meditate on These Things: Philippians 4

Scripture: Philippians 4

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy- meditate on these things."
~Philippians 4:8

I absolutely love the book of Philippians. Paul loves these people dearly, and the whole book is encouraging them and uplifting them. They have partnered with him in ministry, and they have given to meet his needs. They aren't perfect, but they love God, and they are His servants. In chapter 4, Paul talks a lot about refocusing the mind:

Help Euodia and Syntyche be of one MIND (help them resolve their issues)

Rejoice in the Lord always (telling your MIND to praise in good times and in hard times)

Don't worry about anything, but let God know what you need, and He will give you His peace to guard your heart and MIND

Meditate (or let your MIND focus on for an extended period) on good things (true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy)

Be content in whatever situations you find yourself- poverty or prosperity (reMIND yourself that God provides your needs)

Through Christ, we can do anything (His MIND over our matter)

Have you ever had one of those days where everything is seeming to collapse around you? You wake up as tired as when you went to bed, your work is bleeding every ounce of life from your body, your paycheck barely covers the rent, and you are down to your last can of WhoHash? For me, that has been it lately. Ok, maybe not the last can of WhoHash, but where you look at things and just feel like you don't know how this is all going to work out. I have had friends lately that I felt like we were once close, but now we seem to be pulled apart. It's not easy to rejoice in the Lord when you feel like you are stomped into the ground. It's not easy to push out those thoughts of people hurting you, or how much you are tired of your job, or the worries of will you be able to pay the bills or not. Are you there? Are you looking out at life and getting this sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach? Are your relationships with people strained (even your church family)? Are the worries of life grabbing you around the ankles and holding a death grip? That is when refocusing our mind is most important. Go to the person you were hurt by. Talk to them openly and honestly about your injuries. Be prepared that you might not be the only one of the two that has been hurt. Rejoice in the Lord even when times are tough (more so then!!), because God uses those times to build character in our lives. No, the building process is not painless (hammer-strike to the thumb, anyone?), but it is important. Don't spend your time worrying about things, but spend time giving your worries and cares to God, Who will take care of you and give you His peace. Trust me, His peace makes no sense sometimes. You feel peace in a sea of sharks, or hanging precariously above sharp objects. It's peace when everything around you should be freaking you out. Jesus talked about how the cares of this world can choke off the seed of God's good news (Matthew 13:22), so by giving all the cares of our world to Him, we become a weedless soil (which, as any botanical-types will tell you, is a good thing), and fertile for producing good things. Once you give God your junk, then you turn your mind off of those things, and focus it on good things. When I was a kid, I did this Peer Helpers thing. It's basically a training program to help kids learn how to mediate situations between other kids. One of the demonstrations was a person stood up by one of the adult leaders. They were told to find something they hated- math, as I recall. They repeated "I hate math" while they held their arm out to their side. The adult would have no problem pushing the arm down to their side. Then they were told to say "I love math" and try again. They could hold their ground this time. Ah, the power of positive thinking, and yet it was thought of and encouraged at least 2000 years ago, when God spoke through Paul to the suffering Philippians. Don't look at the junk you gave to God, but have the mindset of an overcomer. Remember that it's not about what you are capable of in and of yourself, but what God is capable of through you. When you have trained your mind to think on the good things God is doing, giving all your troubles to Him, and being covered with His peace, you can be content wherever you are, and God can use you to do extraordinary things because you know that He can do anything. Be encouraged today, my friend. We serve a big God. Let Him take your life and use it how He will.

Lord, help me to give the cares of this world to you. Help me to praise You in everything, and to refocus my mind on the amazing and wonderful things You have given me. Amen.

Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura

For those who don't know the story, when Martin Luther was first separating himself from the Catholic church (and starting what would later be called the Protestant Reformation), his two main points were sola fide ("by faith alone") and sola scriptura ("the scriptures alone"). What he was saying was that we were saved by our faith in Jesus Christ as our atoning sacrifice, and that our lives should be guided by that faith and by the Word of God (the Bible), and not by a bunch of practices and rituals. His original intent was not to separate from the Catholic church, but to debate with them and see if they would change. However, he was not well received by any stretch of the imagination when it came to the leaders of the church. Nonetheless, he stood firmly by what he'd said and believed, and at the Diet of Worms (basically a trial of sorts), he was given an ultimatum: recant, or else. After a night in prayer, he came back the next morning, and after trying to address each of his works individually, he was ordered to give a simple answer to the question. He gave this reply:

"Your Imperial Majesty and Your Lordships demand a simple answer. Here it is, plain and unvarnished. Unless I am convicted [convinced] of error by the testimony of Scripture or (since I put no trust in the unsupported authority of Pope or councils, since it is plain that they have often erred and often contradicted themselves) by manifest reasoning, I stand convicted [convinced] by the Scriptures to which I have appealed, and my conscience is taken captive by God's word, I cannot and will not recant anything, for to act against our conscience is neither safe for us, nor open to us.

On this I take my stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen."

On this same principle is this blog founded. I am human, plain and simple. I err. I am not perfect (just ask anyone who knows me). However, I am not writing a blog about my perfection, but rather taking my devotional time and putting it up, that it might be of aid, guidance by the scriptures or encouragement to any that read it. Such is how I have always found the Bible to be in my life: Encouragement, Guidance and Aid. Make comments if you wish, and don't be afraid to ask questions. Jesus Himself encouraged us to "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7)"

May God be with you today.

Amen.