Friday, August 31, 2012

A To Do List - Day 40


Psalms 25:1 - Psalms 45:14
 
          In this section of reading I focused on things that God would have me do.
 
"Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths." Ps. 25:4
 
"Judge me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore I shall not slide.
Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart." Ps. 26:1-2

"One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple." Ps. 27:4

"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." Ps. 27:14

"Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart." Ps. 32:11

"Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it." Ps. 34:13-14

"Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil." Ps. 37:1-8

This will be the result of working on the Lord's to do list:

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand." Ps. 37:23-24










Thursday, August 30, 2012

Name It and Claim It - Day 39

 
Job 42:1 - Psalms 24:10
 
          I have in the past come to the Psalms for comfort. There are a wide range of emotions represented here in this book; Rage, sorrow, fear, rejoicing, and gladness.
 
          There are quite a few verses on how God will deliver the righteous and make the wicked pay. I tried to get comfort from those verses, assuming I was the righteous one and the other guy was the wicked. I took for granted that I knew how God would respond in my situation. I was greatly disappointed.
 
"But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me." Psalms 13:5-6
 
 
          I may never know how God is treating some else and I am foolish to think I know how God is dealing with someone by what I see going on in their life. I only know how God is treating me and sometimes I am not so sure about that. What I have learned is that God is hard to figure out in my life so how can I assume I know how he is treating some one else.
 
"The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." Psalms 19:9
 
          In the Psalms there are comparisons of the righteous and the wicked. The righteous being well taken care of and the wicked falling to shame. I am very cautious now to apply those verses to my life because I may never see the results, good or bad, that come from my decisions or some one else's. I do know that God is good and his judgements are true. That is where I will find my comfort.
 
 

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Lots of Words, Little Wisdom - Day 38

 
Job 25:1 - Job 41:34
 
          God allowed a lot of evil to happen to Job. It made Job look back on his life and see how things used  to be.
 

"Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;" Job 29:2
 
Compared to how things are going now in his life.
 
"But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock." Job 30:1

          But God knows Job.

"Let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity." Job 31:6
 
          God knows what he is doing in my life and in the life of my friends. As we all face difficult times, I need to be a comfort to my friends. Possibly just by being there for them and being silent.










Tuesday, August 28, 2012

God is Doing It - Day 37

 
Job 8:1 - Job 24:5
 
          Job is going through a lot of different emotions.
 
"If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;" Job 10:15
 
 
          Job does not know what God is up to, yet, he knows to trust the Lord.
 
"Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him." Job 13:15
 
 
          With all the words spoken by Job's friends, this is really all we remember of them;
 
"I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all." Job 16:2
 
 
          Job may not have understood what God was doing but he knew that God was doing it.
 
"For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him." Job 23:14
 
 
         We need to remember that all that happens, good or bad, it is all part of God's plan for our lives. It may be confusing and our friends may not understand why we are going through a trial but we need to keep our eyes on the Lord.
 


Monday, August 27, 2012

Power - Day 36


Nehemiah13:15 - Job 7:21
 
          As a Christian woman we are taught to submit and obey, especially when it comes to marriage. If we are not careful we will not see the power that we hold just by being a woman.
 
          When Queen Vashti disobeyed her husband and did not come when he called her, she did not realize who was watching her. The men in the court did. They knew that the women of the kingdom would do as she had done.
 
"For this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not." Ester 1:17
 
          I wonder if the Queen had realized that other women were watching her if she would have chosen differently. If she would have used her position to strengthen the home instead of tear it down.
 
            Do you know that others are watching you? You may think, why would they watch me, I am not important or in a place of authority? People are watching how you raise your kids, they are watching you go to church every week. They are watching what you make a priority in your home. Right now, as you make the hard choices for the Lord's work you may be encouraging someone else to make those same choices in her home. If you quit, she may also.
 
          The world is watching you also. Your neighbors know more about you than you think. You are a Christian and that makes people wonder what is different about you compared to them. Is there a difference?
 
 
 


Sunday, August 26, 2012

Remember Me - Day 35

Nehemiah 1:1 - Nehemiah 13:14
 
          Nehemiah was working for the king in Shushan and he receives word about the broken down walls of Jerusalem. That news brings him to his knees. He prays to God for forgiveness for Israel's sin and his own families sins.
 
"Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.
We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses." Neh. 1:6-7
 
          Nehemiah knows that God is not pleased with Israel but they need God's help getting this wall built back up. They get a lot of trouble from Sanballat and Tobiah but still they continue and the wall gets completed.
 
          At the end of the book Nehemiah is praying to God and he says remember me for good.
 
"And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good." Neh. 13:31
 
          That would be my prayer to God, to remember me for the good I do not all the times I mess up and shame him. I thank God today for Jesus my Saviour.


Saturday, August 25, 2012

Hard Work Day 34


II Chronicles 35:16 - Ezra 10:44
 
          King Cyrus of Persia was moved to build the house of God in Jerusalem.
 
"Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah." Ezra 1:2
 
 
          When the people laid the foundation of the temple it caused such a stirr of emotions.
 
 
"But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:
So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off." Ezra 3:12-13
 
 
           It was not easy but it got done.
 
 
"And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king." Ezra 6:15
 
 
         
Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.


 Gilbert K. Chesterton



Friday, August 24, 2012

Remember - Day 33


II Chronicles 23:16 - II Chronicles 35:15
 
          King Hezekiah felt it in his heart to make a covenant with the Lord.
 
"Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us." II Chr. 29:10
 
 
           It influenced the people to have revival toward the house of the Lord. When they were done rebuilding and worshipping, there was such joy.
 
"So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem." II Chr. 30:26

 
But they soon forgot.
 
          Doesn't anyone see how good things are when God is on thier side? Do we just think it is because we are so good? Do we forget who is blessing us until the blessings are gone? Lord, help us to remember.
 


Thursday, August 23, 2012

This was of God - Day 32


II Chronicles 7:11- II Chronicles 23:15
 
 
          After Solomon dies, his son Rehoboam becomes king. Rehoboam gets advise from wise men about how to treat the people. Then he gets advise from his peers on how he should treat the people. He takes the advise of his peers and treats the people harshly and with a heavy burden. Consequently, this was all part of God's plan.
 
"So the king hearkened not unto the people: for the cause was of God, that the Lord might perform his word, which he spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat."
II Chr. 10:15
 
 
          When I think of God's plan for my life I think of all the good things. Good health, successful business, and the kids doing well in school.
 
          I must say that when things are going horribly wrong my first thought is not how this might be fulfilling God's word in my life.
 
          God's plan does not always make sense but as long as it is His plan, I know I am in good hands.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Prepare the Way - Day 31

I Chronicles 24:1 - II Chronicles 7:10
 
 
          David had a heart to build God's house but God said no.
 
"But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood."
II Chr. 28:3
 
 
          Now David could have pouted and thrown a fit about God's decision. He could have wasted years being angry with God and Solomon; However, he chose to get busy. He gathered the items, supplies, and tools for his son Solomon to build the temple.
 
 
"Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and the brass for things of brass, the iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, glistering stones, and of divers colours, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance." I Chr. 29:2
 
 
          Solomon has everything he could possibly need to build a house for the Lord. Solomon finishes the temple.
 
 
"Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the Lord was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God."
II Chr. 5:1
 
 
          Sometimes we are just the see sower. Our job is to just plant seeds for the Lord. We are preparing hearts for the Lord. Then someone else comes along and reaps the harvest. As long as God's plan is fulfilled, that is all that should matter. We are a part of something much greater.
 
 
 
 
 

          

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Be Ye Mindful - Day 30


I Chronicles 10:1 - I Chronicles 23:32

          The Bible tells us why Saul died.

"So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;
And enquired not of the Lord: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse." I Chr. 10:13-14



           David became king and God blessed him.

"So David waxed greater and greater: for the Lord of hosts was with him." I Chr. 11:9

          Even when things are going good we need to keep doing the right things.

"Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations;" I Chr. 16:15


          No one is above sin. I will never be perfect until I get to heaven. As I live my life I need to stay close to God and be gracious to others.






Monday, August 20, 2012

A World We Never Touch


Ever since I heard this song it has touched me and has spoken of how I have felt in my heart God would have me treat other people, Christian or not.



 



First Verse

He walked along the shores of Galilee

From clay He formed the healing balm

That caused the blind to see

When stones of wrath lay heavy in their hands

He knelt to write His mercy in the sand



Jesus came to set the captives free

Showed us by the way He lived

The way we need to be

Oh love is more than words could ever say

We must touch them with compassion

To help them find their way



Chorus



How can we reach a world we never touch?

How can we show them Christ

If we never show them love?

Just to say we care will never be enough

How can we reach a world we never touch?



Second Verse

Could we be so busy being saved

Trying to impress a world that's long since lost its way

We pride ourselves in being set apart

Yet we don't have time to touch a broken heart



Even if we found the time to care

Would we take the risk involved in always being there

Oh we hold the very thing they need so much

Sometimes the Word of life can pass

Through just a simple touch



Bridge



We hide behind these walls

And the security of friends

While beyond the stained glass windows

The world is lost in sin

How can we reach a world we never touch?

How can we show them Christ

If we never show them love?

Just to say we care will never be enough

How can we reach a world we never touch?


Mark Carouthers, Steve Richardson and Tim Pedigo – copyright 1996

Bondage - Day 29


I Chronicles 1:1 - I Chronicles 9:44

          All these kings, men, and women spoken of in the first 8 chapters of I Chronicles gets reduced to one verse.

"So all Israel were reckoned by genealogies; and, behold, they were written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah, who were carried away to Babylon for their transgression." I Chronicles 9:1

          The good was not good enough. The bad was evil in the sight of the Lord. It all lead to them being carried away into bondage.

          All our good is not good enough. Our bad can never be taken care of by our own hand,

          It all points to our need for a Saviour or we will be in eternal bondage.








Sunday, August 19, 2012

It's Never OK...


It’s Never OK…To Get Hit


 



          I was reading an article about Hope Solo’s new book "Solo: A Memoir of Hope". In a section of her book she tells of her time on “Dancing with the Stars” (DWTS) when she was partnered with Maks Chmerkovskiy. Things were getting frustrating during one of their rehearsals together and while the cameras were rolling, Hope states that Maks hit her. Hard. It made her ears ring. The article goes on to say that no one ever said anything to the producers and that Hope looked and acted like everything was ok on and off the camera. The show maybe trying to say that Hope is making this up by stating that she looked fine and that she and Maks looked fine together. There were no signs that she was slapped.


          I find Hope’s description of the event interesting. She just doesn’t leave it with, he slapped me. She goes on to say, that he slapped her hard. Like being slapped, unless it is hard is acceptable. Then she described the slap as causing her ears to ring. Again, she is insinuating that just getting slapped is not bad enough.


          It is never ok to get hit. Ever. A person never deserves it. When you have a disagreement with another person and they are using force to get you to agree with them, that is the wrong way to act. Whether they are using threats with their words, body language or actions, it is wrong. You are not a punching bag. A slap is wrong. A slight push is wrong. A threatening glare is wrong. Yelling is wrong. When someone is trying to control your behavior because it is not agreeing with their opinion, it is wrong.


          Whether it was a hard slap or not; whether the slap caused her ears to ring or not; Maks should not have have laid a hand on her in a violent way. Period.

Difference - Day 28


II Kings 15:27 - II Kings 25:30

          Israel is doing their own thing again. God removes them out of his sight.

"Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only."
II Kings 17:18

          So many bad things are happening to the men so they will turn towards God but nothing works. The men turn to the King of Assyria for help.

"Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land." II Kings 17:26

          The King gets a priest to teach the men to fear the Lord.

"Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the Lord." II Kings 17:28

          They learn to fear the Lord but they still worship others gods.


"So they feared the Lord, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places." II Kings 17:32
"They feared the Lord, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence." II Kings 17:33

"So these nations feared the Lord, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children's children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day." II Kings 17:41

         
          As Christians, is this what we are doing in our lives? Are we going to church on Sunday, learning about God and then going about our own business the rest of the week. But, hey, we know about godly things! Do we know how to act but are choosing not to do it?

          How will the world know about God unless we live a different life? We are in this world but we should not be acting like this world. We need to show them there is a difference between a Christian and a non-Christian.








Saturday, August 18, 2012

Strange Things are Happening - Day 27


II Kings 4:38 - II Kings 15:26

          There are some strange things going on in this section of reading.

          Leprosy healed in the Jordan River.

"Then went he down, and Axe dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean."
II Kings 5:14

           An axe head floats.

"And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim." II Kings 6:6


         Invisible horses and chariots of fire. 

"And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." II Kings 6:17


         Mothers eating their children. 

"And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow." II Kings 6:28


         70 heads in baskets. 

"And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Jezreel." II Kings 10:7



         Elijah's bones revived a man from the dead.


"And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet." II Kings 13:21




          We may think this world is getting worse but after this section of reading I may not be to sure of that any more. 











Friday, August 17, 2012

Purpose - Day 26


I Kings 16:21 - II Kings 4:37

          Elijah the Prophet. The way I imagine him is strong, no nonsense, and authoritative. When he prays in front of 400 plus prophets of Baal, he meant business.

"And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again."
I Kings 18:36-37

          I bet the prophets and on lookers just snickered at Elijah. Their hearts were not going to turn towards the Lord. What was Elijah thinking?
          But when that fire came down from heaven after just one small prayer, yep, they turned towards God.

"And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God." I Kings 18:39

          God used Elijah in mighty ways, however, God still wanted Elijah to know what his purpose was in life.

"And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?"  I Kings 19:13 

           I want God to use me. I may not know specifically what God is doing in my life but I need to have a purpose and a plan to keep me focused. What is your purpose?


Thursday, August 16, 2012

Gladness - Day 25



I Kings 7:38 - I Kings 16:20

          Solomon gets the Lord's temple built. Israel worships the Lord. They worship for days. They had gladness and joy.

"On the eighth day he sent the people away: and they blessed the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had done for David his servant, and for Israel his people."  I Kings 8:66


         When people from other parts of the world come to see what is going on in Israel, they are amazed at the difference in Solomon's servants. They were happy.


"Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom." I Kings 10:8

          Then things change. Solomon goes after strange women, which turn his heart away from the Lord.


"For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father." I Kings 11:4


        You do not read of gladness, joy or happiness again.

  "So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day"
I Kings 12:19


          When we obey the Lord and do right, that is where we will find happiness. There is joy when we obey. There are rewards for obedience and they are consequences when we disobey.