Prayer Focus: India
Bible Reading: Jonah 1-4
Scripture
From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said:
"In my distress I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
and you listened to my cry. (Jonah 2:1-2)
Observation
The wickedness of the land of Nineveh had "come up" before God and he sent his servant Jonah to preach against them. And what did Jonah do? He ran away. In fact, he ran in the opposite direction of Nineveh! When the boat he was on was in danger of sinking, his guilt compelled him to tell the sailors to pitch him overboard to save themselves.
They did.
I think Jonah must have thought that was the end. I think he realized in a visceral way the truth of Psalm 139:8 "If I make my bed in the depths, you are there." No matter how far or fast he ran, he couldn't get away from God' Spirit. At some point during those three nights in the belly of the fish, the other half of the truth in that verse hit him - no matter where he was, GOD WAS STILL THERE. And in his distress, he called out to Him.
Application
I don't know about you, where you are in your life, what God has called you to do that frightens you. I don't know what you are running from.
But I do know this: WE ALL RUN.
We all get afraid of the things that seem to big for us. Maybe God isn't calling you to be a missionary to a hostile and wicked nation. Maybe he isn't telling you to preach the truth of His Kingdom to people who might react violently.
Wait... he did.(Mat. 28:16-20)
When I read the story of Jonah, I think of all the times when I've come face to face with the big plans God has for me and it seemed too big, and I ran.
Prayer
Lord, help me to remember that no matter where I go, or how far I've run, that you are there. Help me see that nothing I've done is ever too much or too far away to come back to you. The enemy likes to camp out and ambush me with lies, he tells me that you don't really love me enough to take me back - that I'm not worth the effort. It's so easy to project my own fears and insecurities on you! You rescue me from the wicked world I live in and from the wickedness of my own self-hate. Nothing can stand against your powerful mercy!
I pray for those who read this devotional today who need to know that you love them enough to pursue them. You are the God of second chances! It doesn't always mean that we get out of those plans (it didn't for Jonah) but it does mean that there is no where we can go that you aren't there.
Sometimes it's nice to see life from someone else's point of view. I am a mother, writer and amateur photographer. This is what the view looks like from where I am standing.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
Mantle
Prayer Focus: India
Bible Reading: 2 Kings 1-4
Scripture
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?"
"Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit," Elisha replied.
10 "You have asked a difficult thing," Elijah said, "yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not."
11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.12 Elisha saw this and cried out, "My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!" And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.
13 Elisha then picked up Elijah's cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. (2 Kings 2:9-13)
Observation
Elisha asked for a double portion of the gift - and got it. He went on to do many miracles, proving that he indeed had Elijah's mantle. The Holy Spirit transfers twice the power and effectiveness from Elijah to Elisha after Elijah is taken by the Lord. The bible goes on to record twice as many miracles for Elisha.
Application
When I let my imagination sit here in this place and time I wonder what sorts of things went through Elisha's mind that provoked his request. We don't have a peek into his thoughts, only what he did with the power once granted. I encourage you to go to today's reading and see what that was.
The take-away that I have with today's reading is simple: What has the Holy Spirit gifted us as Jesus was taken up into heaven? To find the answer to that, go to mark 16:15 where Jesus tells his disciples "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation."
Prayer
Lord, give me the courage to be bold, to proclaim your word as I ought. Your word promises gifts of your Spirit to enable me to do this. Help me reach for them, help me reach for you!
Bible Reading: 2 Kings 1-4
Scripture
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?"
"Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit," Elisha replied.
10 "You have asked a difficult thing," Elijah said, "yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not."
11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.12 Elisha saw this and cried out, "My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!" And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.
13 Elisha then picked up Elijah's cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. (2 Kings 2:9-13)
Observation
Elisha asked for a double portion of the gift - and got it. He went on to do many miracles, proving that he indeed had Elijah's mantle. The Holy Spirit transfers twice the power and effectiveness from Elijah to Elisha after Elijah is taken by the Lord. The bible goes on to record twice as many miracles for Elisha.
Application
When I let my imagination sit here in this place and time I wonder what sorts of things went through Elisha's mind that provoked his request. We don't have a peek into his thoughts, only what he did with the power once granted. I encourage you to go to today's reading and see what that was.
The take-away that I have with today's reading is simple: What has the Holy Spirit gifted us as Jesus was taken up into heaven? To find the answer to that, go to mark 16:15 where Jesus tells his disciples "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation."
Prayer
Lord, give me the courage to be bold, to proclaim your word as I ought. Your word promises gifts of your Spirit to enable me to do this. Help me reach for them, help me reach for you!
Friday, June 15, 2012
Idols
Prayer Focus: Holy See
Bible Reading: 1 Kings 13-14; 2 Chronicles 11-12
Scripture
1 By the word of the Lord a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make an offering.2 By the word of the Lord he cried out against the altar: "Altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: 'A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.'"3 That same day the man of God gave a sign: "This is the sign the Lord has declared: The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out." (1st Kings 13:1-3)
Observation
At this time in Israel's history, a rebellion, lead by Jeroboam, separated the kingdom into two halves, northern and southern. Jeroboam now has a problem, because the law of Moses says that everyone has to travel to Jerusalem to worship at the temple. Jerusalem is inside the southern territory. His solution was to set up a new sect for worship in two cities (Beth-El and Dan) with the creation and installments of two alters in the shape of golden calves, and made it unlawful to go to Jerusalem as the law required. God's response to this? He sends a prophet up from Judah (the southern kingdom where Jerusalem sits) to Bethel and tells him to "cry out against the alter", in the verse I selected above.
This establishes the beginning of Baal worship among the people.
Application
How do I rebel against God? What things do I set up and choose to worship instead? A look at my calendar and my checkbook will show where I spend my time and where I store my treasures. (Mat. 6:21)
I urge you to spend time today talking to God about what things you are tempted to idolize.
Prayer
Lord, help me see clearly the idols that are around me. The temptation to trust in what I can see or what I feel is strong! I pray for your deliverance, for a love of truth.
Bible Reading: 1 Kings 13-14; 2 Chronicles 11-12
Scripture
1 By the word of the Lord a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make an offering.2 By the word of the Lord he cried out against the altar: "Altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: 'A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.'"3 That same day the man of God gave a sign: "This is the sign the Lord has declared: The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out." (1st Kings 13:1-3)
Observation
At this time in Israel's history, a rebellion, lead by Jeroboam, separated the kingdom into two halves, northern and southern. Jeroboam now has a problem, because the law of Moses says that everyone has to travel to Jerusalem to worship at the temple. Jerusalem is inside the southern territory. His solution was to set up a new sect for worship in two cities (Beth-El and Dan) with the creation and installments of two alters in the shape of golden calves, and made it unlawful to go to Jerusalem as the law required. God's response to this? He sends a prophet up from Judah (the southern kingdom where Jerusalem sits) to Bethel and tells him to "cry out against the alter", in the verse I selected above.
This establishes the beginning of Baal worship among the people.
Application
How do I rebel against God? What things do I set up and choose to worship instead? A look at my calendar and my checkbook will show where I spend my time and where I store my treasures. (Mat. 6:21)
I urge you to spend time today talking to God about what things you are tempted to idolize.
Prayer
Lord, help me see clearly the idols that are around me. The temptation to trust in what I can see or what I feel is strong! I pray for your deliverance, for a love of truth.
Friday, June 08, 2012
Self Control
Prayer Focus: Guatemala
Scripture
Like a city whose walls are broken through
is a person who lacks self-control. (Proverbs 25:28)
Observation
For some versions of this verse the bible says “He that has no rule over his own spirit” instead of “self-control”. I like that. It cuts right to the chase, telling me that I need to lead my heart instead of it lead me. So much of our culture today is wrapped up in following our hearts and doing what feels good. The imagery of the breached city walls is a vivid description of being vulnerable to attack, the walls having first been breached from the inside out, from our own foolish behavior. Proverbs 28:26 says “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.”
Application
I don’t think we spend much time guarding or leading our hearts. Oh we talk about salvation plenty. And God is the one who graciously does that for us. An act of mercy for us – the thing we couldn’t do for ourselves. (Eph. 2:8-10)
And so many stop there.
But the bible has made it pretty clear that he’s very interested in what we do after that.
Proverbs 4:23 says to keep your heart with all vigilance. Phil.4:6-7 says that the peace of God guards our hearts. Rom. 12:2 says not to be conformed, but to be transformed. Psalm 51:10 begs God to renew a right spirit. Luke 6:45 tells us that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
What we give permission for our hearts to dwell on or lust after… matters to God. When we allow un controlled thoughts to batter against the boundaries, the protections that keep us safe from the enemy, we run the risk of breaching the walls and opening ourselves up to attack.
Prayer
Father God, forgive me for the times I have stepped over the rules you set out to protect me! Galatians 5 says that self-control is a fruit of the spirit, I pray that you grow this fruit in me, help me to guard my heart with vigilance.
Bible Reading: 1 Kings 9; 2 Chronicles 8; Proverbs 25-26
Scripture
Like a city whose walls are broken through
is a person who lacks self-control. (Proverbs 25:28)
Observation
For some versions of this verse the bible says “He that has no rule over his own spirit” instead of “self-control”. I like that. It cuts right to the chase, telling me that I need to lead my heart instead of it lead me. So much of our culture today is wrapped up in following our hearts and doing what feels good. The imagery of the breached city walls is a vivid description of being vulnerable to attack, the walls having first been breached from the inside out, from our own foolish behavior. Proverbs 28:26 says “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.”
Application
I don’t think we spend much time guarding or leading our hearts. Oh we talk about salvation plenty. And God is the one who graciously does that for us. An act of mercy for us – the thing we couldn’t do for ourselves. (Eph. 2:8-10)
And so many stop there.
But the bible has made it pretty clear that he’s very interested in what we do after that.
Proverbs 4:23 says to keep your heart with all vigilance. Phil.4:6-7 says that the peace of God guards our hearts. Rom. 12:2 says not to be conformed, but to be transformed. Psalm 51:10 begs God to renew a right spirit. Luke 6:45 tells us that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
What we give permission for our hearts to dwell on or lust after… matters to God. When we allow un controlled thoughts to batter against the boundaries, the protections that keep us safe from the enemy, we run the risk of breaching the walls and opening ourselves up to attack.
Prayer
Father God, forgive me for the times I have stepped over the rules you set out to protect me! Galatians 5 says that self-control is a fruit of the spirit, I pray that you grow this fruit in me, help me to guard my heart with vigilance.
Friday, June 01, 2012
Deep Waters
Prayer Focus: Germany
Bible Reading: Proverbs 17-20
Scripture
Many are the plans in a person's heart,
but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 18:21)
The purposes of a person's heart are deep waters,
but one who has insight draws them out. (Proverbs 20:5)
Plans are established by seeking advice;
so if you wage war, obtain guidance. (Proverbs 20:18)
A person's steps are directed by the Lord.
How then can anyone understand their own way? (Proverbs 20:24)
Observation
Recently a dear friend of mine asked me to “listen” to the Holy Spirit with her. She had direction she was seeking on some specific matters and needed discernment on what she should do. She wasn’t asking my advice on what she should do, rather, she wanted to hear from God and get confirmation of what He said through trusted others who’d be praying and listening too.
Immediately, three verses came to mind. I dismissed them as me being afraid of silence and assumed that I’d just supplied them from my own memory, and went on listening...
...To silence. I had no word of wisdom to repeat back to her beyond what scripture had already provided, and I felt like I’d let her down. Maybe even over my head in waters too deep for me.
Then, when I went to prepare today’s devotion, I see those same verse are in today’s reading! I got chills! This was confirmation to me and I immediately wrote her back to tell her what I now felt was surely the thing He wanted me to say to her. Though I couldn’t unpack it’s meaning for her in her particular circumstance, I am confident that God will use it.
Application
But what does it mean for you and me? How do we get the answers we are looking for?
The Holy Spirit has been known to actively guide people down roads that defy the logic of the moment; Him being able to see things we can’t further down the road from where we stand at the crossroads. He has specific plans that require us to be in a certain place at the right time. (My interpretation of Prov. 20:24)
Conversely, sometimes He remains quiet while we cast for answers, content to make good on whatever we choose. I believe in these instances he’s more interested in guiding our hearts and responses to the world around us wherever we are than in the individual plans we make. (This my interpretation of Prov. 18:21)
Our human (sinful) nature wants to have control. God created us and knows that we struggle with these things; He understands that we need plans, intentional actions that produce predictable results in the patterns of our lives. He knows that this tendency leads us to marginalize His involvement. It is why He gave us His Spirit – to override it and take the static verse in the Gospel, and transform it into a living conversation between Him and us.
The question then becomes… what are the purposes of your heart? Can you articulate them? Have you sought wisdom, counsel, and patience? Prov. 20:5 says that “one who has insight will draw them out”.
If you can’t articulate it on your own, find someone who will help you talk through what’s going on in your heart. Jesus sent the Spirit for just this purpose. 1st Cor. 2:10 – 13 says “these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a persons thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.”
Prayer
Lord, thank you for sending your Spirit to intercede on my behalf. Thank you for providing a way to search out your will for my every day circumstances. I now ask you for the courage to follow your leading outside of my comfort zone.
Amen.
Bible Reading: Proverbs 17-20
Scripture
Many are the plans in a person's heart,
but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 18:21)
The purposes of a person's heart are deep waters,
but one who has insight draws them out. (Proverbs 20:5)
Plans are established by seeking advice;
so if you wage war, obtain guidance. (Proverbs 20:18)
A person's steps are directed by the Lord.
How then can anyone understand their own way? (Proverbs 20:24)
Observation
Recently a dear friend of mine asked me to “listen” to the Holy Spirit with her. She had direction she was seeking on some specific matters and needed discernment on what she should do. She wasn’t asking my advice on what she should do, rather, she wanted to hear from God and get confirmation of what He said through trusted others who’d be praying and listening too.
Immediately, three verses came to mind. I dismissed them as me being afraid of silence and assumed that I’d just supplied them from my own memory, and went on listening...
...To silence. I had no word of wisdom to repeat back to her beyond what scripture had already provided, and I felt like I’d let her down. Maybe even over my head in waters too deep for me.
Then, when I went to prepare today’s devotion, I see those same verse are in today’s reading! I got chills! This was confirmation to me and I immediately wrote her back to tell her what I now felt was surely the thing He wanted me to say to her. Though I couldn’t unpack it’s meaning for her in her particular circumstance, I am confident that God will use it.
Application
But what does it mean for you and me? How do we get the answers we are looking for?
The Holy Spirit has been known to actively guide people down roads that defy the logic of the moment; Him being able to see things we can’t further down the road from where we stand at the crossroads. He has specific plans that require us to be in a certain place at the right time. (My interpretation of Prov. 20:24)
Conversely, sometimes He remains quiet while we cast for answers, content to make good on whatever we choose. I believe in these instances he’s more interested in guiding our hearts and responses to the world around us wherever we are than in the individual plans we make. (This my interpretation of Prov. 18:21)
Our human (sinful) nature wants to have control. God created us and knows that we struggle with these things; He understands that we need plans, intentional actions that produce predictable results in the patterns of our lives. He knows that this tendency leads us to marginalize His involvement. It is why He gave us His Spirit – to override it and take the static verse in the Gospel, and transform it into a living conversation between Him and us.
The question then becomes… what are the purposes of your heart? Can you articulate them? Have you sought wisdom, counsel, and patience? Prov. 20:5 says that “one who has insight will draw them out”.
If you can’t articulate it on your own, find someone who will help you talk through what’s going on in your heart. Jesus sent the Spirit for just this purpose. 1st Cor. 2:10 – 13 says “these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a persons thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.”
Prayer
Lord, thank you for sending your Spirit to intercede on my behalf. Thank you for providing a way to search out your will for my every day circumstances. I now ask you for the courage to follow your leading outside of my comfort zone.
Amen.
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