In God Daily

. Passionate Participating in this Project will make your personal transformation into the likeness of Jesus the Messiah a practical and realistic option for your daily life.

This transformational process which we all long for but seem never to find a simple and practical plan to follow up on in our own lives is available "inch by precious inch" if we will seek it in small bites on a daily basis.

One of the key aspects of Spiritual growth is the daily practice of Biblical Spiritual Disciplines, without which we live soulish lives ungrounded in God's Word, and subject to the winds of doctrine which men proclaim as new or deep, but which lack the stability found in a firm relationship with God through His written and living Word. This daily devotional adventure will advance us in our growth.

FYI: This is a one year devotional and that means we have 12 days to make up if we want to be done in 2010. You can accomplish this by doing one devotional extra each month.

BELOW YOU WILL FIND THE CONTENT OF EACH DAY'S MATERIAL THESE ARE LISTED BY DAY First Then By DATE

Introduction 01/11/2010
Introduction to our Journey: The Bible and the With-God life.

As you read this introductory part of the devotional please take note of these items

1. In the Catching the Vision section:
    A. The definition of Immanuel and how the Bible show that God is with us as individuals.
    B. "Because of this truth our primary task is to learn to see and understand the reality of the With-God Life, to enter the process of the transformation of our whole person and of our whole life into Christ likeness."
2. Opening Ourselves to the Life
    A. If we want to receive from the Bible the life with God that is portrayed in the Bible, we must be prepared to have our dearest and most fundamental assumptions about ourselves and our associations called into question.
    B. We must read humbly and in a constant attitude of repentance.
Only in this way can we gain a thorough and practical grasp of the spiritual riches that God has made available to all humanity in His written Word

Day 202, 07/29/2010, Come Away and Rest a While, Mark 6:31-47

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34 As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. 35 When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; 36 send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat." 37 But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?" 38 And he said to them, "How many loaves have you? Go and see." When they had found out, they said, "Five, and two fish." 39 Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And all ate and were filled; 43 and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men. 45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray. 47 When evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. NRSV

Richard Foster in A Year With God says the flowing.

The Story of the loaves and the fishes, one of Jesus’ best-remembered crowd experiences, is both preceded and followed by a time of solitude. Jesus craves solitude and rest not for selfish reasons, but because this is where the spiritual resources for ministry are found.

“It is in deep solitude that I find the gentleness with which I can truly love my brothers. The more solitary I am, the more affection I have for them.”

Thomas Merton, from his journals

Day 201, 07/28/2010, Rising Early to Pray, Mark 1:32-39

32 When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were cdemon-possessed. 33 And the whole city had gathered at the door. 34 And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.

35 In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. 36 Simon and his companions searched for Him; 37 they found Him, and said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You." 38 He said to them, "Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for." 39 And He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out the demons. NASU

Richard Foster in the devotional book, “ A Year With God,” tells us the following;

Jesus’ Fame Had spread to the point that “the Whole City” was gathered to watch Him heal. Yet in the midst of this hectic time Jesus rises early to go pray in a deserted place; so intent is He on solitude that even the disciples do not know where He is gone. When they find Him, Jesus is ready, refreshed enough from His time alone with God to continue His work in the neighboring towns. This instance is one of several in which mark mentions that Jesus and the disciples go to a deserted place to rest and pray. Our own spiritual formation will be strengthened if, in our busy, crowed, and noisy lives, we find regular times and places for quiet, for prayer, for listening to God. Time alone with God gives us renewed energy to live fully engaged with the world.

Do you neglect your need to be alone to recharge?

“Every so often I need OUT; something will throw me into disproportion, and I have to get away from everybody, away from all those people I love most in the world, in order to regain a sense of proportion.” Madeleine L’Engle, A Circle of Quiet

Day 200, 07/27/2010, The Crowds Were Looking for Jesus, Luke 4:42-44

42 And when daybreak came, He left [Peter's house] and went into an isolated [desert] place. And the people looked for Him until they came up to Him and tried to prevent Him from leaving them.

43 But He said to them, I must preach the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom of God to the other cities [and towns] also, for I was sent for this [purpose].

44 And He continued to preach in the synagogues of Galilee. AMP

I am so glad that Jesus allowed us to see Him taking time to get away from the crowds and seek God. It not only demonstrates His humanity, but even more His reliance on the Father’s will and plans.

Often we are treated poorly if we do not have every minute of our lives all mapped out and scheduled. Thank you Father that you have a plan for us and just as Jesus had to seek you to walk out your plan for Him, we can have confidence, that as we seek you, you will direct our lives as well.

Thank YOU for the light and wisdom for the next step for each of us! Your Word is a light for our path!

Day 199, 07/26/2010, Shaping the Soul, Exodus, 3:1-10

3 Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, "I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up." 4 When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." 5 Then he said, "Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." 6 He said further, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

7 Then the Lord said, "I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. 10 So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt." NRSV

How has God shown up in your life?

Day 198, 07/25/2010, I will Bring Her into the Wilderness, Hosea 2:14-15

14 Therefore, behold, I will allure her [Israel] and bring her into the wilderness, and I will speak tenderly and to her heart.

15 There I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor [troubling] to be for her a door of hope and expectation. And she shall sing there and respond as in the days of her youth and as at the time when she came up out of the land of Egypt. [Ex 15:2; Josh 7:24-26.] AMP

Day 197, 07/24/2010, In the Wilderness, Luke 4:1-15(4:1-2a)

1 THEN JESUS, full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led in [by] the [Holy] Spirit

2 For (during) forty days in the wilderness (desert), where He was tempted (tried, tested exceedingly) by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they were completed, He was hungry. [Deut 9:9; 1 Kings 19:8.]

3 Then the devil said to Him, If You are the Son of God, order this stone to turn into a loaf [of bread].

4 And Jesus replied to him, It is written, Man shall not live and be sustained by (on) bread alone but by every word and expression of God. [Deut 8:3.]

5 Then the devil took Him up to a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the habitable world in a moment of time [in the twinkling of an eye].

6 And he said to Him, To You I will give all this power and authority and their glory (all their magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, and grace), for it has been turned over to me, and I give it to whomever I will.

7 Therefore if You will do homage to and worship me [just once], it shall all be Yours.

8 And Jesus replied to him, Get behind Me, Satan! It is written, You shall do homage to and worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve. [Deut 6:13; 10:20.]

9 Then he took Him to Jerusalem and set Him on a gable of the temple, and said to Him, If You are the Son of God, cast Yourself down from here;

10 For it is written, He will give His angels charge over you to guard and watch over you closely and carefully;

11 And on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. [Ps 91:11,12.]

12 And Jesus replied to him, [The Scripture] says, You shall not tempt (try, test exceedingly) the Lord your God. [Deut 6:16.]

13 And when the devil had ended every [the complete cycle of] temptation, he [temporarily] left Him [that is, stood off from Him] until another more opportune and favorable time.

14 Then Jesus went back full of and under the power of the [Holy] Spirit into Galilee, and the fame of Him spread through the whole region round about.

15 And He Himself conducted [a course of] teaching in their synagogues, being recognized and honored and praised by all. AMP

There are several points of worth noting in this passage, so I have expanded our study beyond the original to help us benefit from them.

1. Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness and then after being tested and using God’s Word to battle the Devil with the sword of the Spirit came out of the wilderness in the power of the Spirit.

2. Once He had fought and won with the Word of God he went up in power to teach in the Synagogue and people honored Him because of God’s favor, honor or glory upon Him.

3. When tempted He let the devil know he was using the Word and authority of God to answer by using a phrase common in Jewish teaching “it is written,” which signified that He was quoting the Word breathed by God to Hid servants.

4. Satan attempted to give Him everything that Satan thought Jesus wanted; only to be rebuked by the Word of God, which demonstrated that what Jesus wanted most was to do the will of the father.

5. He was able to sand against the devil by God’s authority in the Word and by the work of the Holy spirit in His life.

6. Jesus defeated the devil's plans in the wilderness, but the Word lets us know that he only went away until there was a more opportune time to defeat or delay God’s purpose through Jesus. This is a warning to us to be on guard so that the world, the flesh and the devil cannot find a more opportune time to defeat or delay God’s purpose in us. We must be on guard and watch over the five gates into our lives, which are our five senses.

7. The wilderness is a place where God can speak to us and minister to us in awesome ways. It is also a place where the attacks of the enemy can be defeated as we fight using the Sword of the Spirit as we are empowered by the Spirit of God. These battles equip us to do great exploits for our God!

Day 196, 07/23/2010, Retreat With God, Matthew 14:22-23

22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, NRSV

Dr. Richard J. Foster in ‘A Year With God’, makes the following statements.

Most of us probably live too far from mountains to climb one regularly to pray, but we have other ways to be alone with God. Sometime within the next ten days, build on your practice of daily solitude by taking an entire day or at least an afternoon to spend alone with God. If you absolutely cannot get away now, plan the time when you will do it, mark it on your calendar, and make a promise to yourself, to God, and to another person that you will honor it. It is so easy to let the rhythm of our daily lives carry us away. Remind yourself that this time alone with God will be to refresh and nourish you for the rest of your life, that it will not be time wasted when you could be doing other necessary things, but rather time that you need in order to get rest and direction.

Author and former executive Emilie Griffin writes, “When there is no time to do it, that’s when you most need to unclutter the calendar and go apart to pray. When the gridlock of your schedule relentlessly forbids it is the time you most need retreat. That is when your heart beats against the prison walls of your enslavement and says, ‘Yes, Lord, I want to spend time with you.’”³

You can take a solitary hike (up a mountain, just as Jesus did, if that is possible for you and appeals to you), drive out to a forest, or visit another quiet place. Another option is to look into staying at a retreat center for a night or an entire weekend. Take your Bible if you wish, but you may prefer just spending the time praying or talking to God. A good resource for preparation is Emilie Griffin’s Wilderness Time. But do not feel the need to plan too much; just remember that you are deliberately creating an open, empty space in which you can be found by God.

Day 195, 07/22/2010, Opening Ourselves, Revelation 1:1-20(9-11)

1 [THIS IS] the revelation of Jesus Christ [His unveiling of the divine mysteries]. God gave it to Him to disclose and make known to His bond servants certain things which must shortly and speedily come to pass in their entirety. And He sent and communicated it through His angel (messenger) to His bond servant John,

2 Who has testified to and vouched for all that he saw [in his visions], the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who reads aloud [in the assemblies] the word of this prophecy; and blessed (happy, to be envied) are those who hear [it read] and who keep themselves true to the things which are written in it [heeding them and laying them to heart], for the time [for them to be fulfilled] is near.

4 John to the seven assemblies (churches) that are in Asia: May grace (God's unmerited favor) be granted to you and spiritual peace (the peace of Christ's kingdom) from Him Who is and Who was and Who is to come, and from the seven Spirits [the sevenfold Holy Spirit] before His throne, [Isa 11:2.]

5 And from Jesus Christ the faithful and trustworthy Witness, the Firstborn of the dead [first to be brought back to life] and the Prince (Ruler) of the kings of the earth. To Him Who ever loves us and has once [for all] loosed and freed us from our sins by His own blood, [Ps 89:27.]

6 And formed us into a kingdom (a royal race), priests to His God and Father — to Him be the glory and the power and the majesty and the dominion throughout the ages and forever and ever. Amen (so be it). [Ex 19:6; Isa 61:6.]

7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth shall gaze upon Him and beat their breasts and mourn and lament over Him. Even so [must it be]. Amen (so be it). [Dan 7:13; Zech 12:10.]

8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord God, He Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty (the Ruler of all). [Isa 9:6.]

9 I, John, your brother and companion (sharer and participator) with you in the tribulation and kingdom and patient endurance [which are] in Jesus Christ, was on the isle called Patmos, [banished] on account of [my witnessing to] the Word of God and the testimony (the proof, the evidence) for Jesus Christ.

10 I was in the Spirit [rapt in His power] on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a great voice like the calling of a war trumpet,

11 Saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. Write promptly what you see (your vision) in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia — to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.

Rev 1:12-20

12 Then I turned to see [whose was] the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,

13 And in the midst of the lampstands [One] like a Son of Man, clothed with a robe which reached to His feet and with a girdle of gold about His breast. [Dan 7:13; 10:5.]

14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, [as white] as snow, and His eyes [flashed] like a flame of fire. [Dan 7:9.]

15 His feet glowed like burnished (bright) bronze as it is refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. [Dan 10:6.]

16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and from His mouth there came forth a sharp two-edged sword, and His face was like the sun shining in full power at midday. [Ex 34:29.]

17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as if dead. But He laid His right hand on me and said, Do not be afraid! I am the First and the Last, [Isa 44:6.]

18 And the Ever-living One [I am living in the eternity of the eternities]. I died, but see, I am alive forevermore; and I possess the keys of death and Hades (the realm of the dead).

19 Write therefore the things you see, what they are [and signify] and what is to take place hereafter.

20 As to the hidden meaning (the mystery) of the seven stars which you saw on My right hand and the seven lampstands of gold: the seven stars are the seven angels (messengers) of the seven assemblies (churches) and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. AMP

I have included the entire chapter to help us see the whole picture or context of verses 9-11. Our focus is on John being in a place of prolonged solitude when he has this encounter with God. God surprises John and unfold one of the greatest revelations in the Bible. Verse 20 speaks of a hidden mystery which is revealed. Reading through the book of Revelation causes us to realize how many mysteries there are and how important it is to not put our understanding in where God has not made clear what something means.

More important to us today is the principle which if stated as a mathematic formula would go something like this;

More time alone with God = a greater encounter with God =a stronger and deeper relationship with Him & a greater transformation of our lives into His image.

Today and in the next 10 days seek to discipline yourself to have an increasing block of time with God.

Day 194, 07/21/2010, Yet I Am Not Alone, John 16:29-33

29 His disciples said, "Yes, now you are speaking plainly, not in any figure of speech! 30 Now we know that you know all things, and do not need to have anyone question you; by this we believe that you came from God." 31 Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? 32 The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. 33 I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!"

Again Jesus tells the disciples that although the people around him will desert him, he will not be alone because God is with him. History is replete with stories of Christians who have been alone for extended periods of time, voluntarily in deserts or involuntarily in prison, but who came through the experience knowing that God was with them.

What do Jesus’ words teach you about the difference between loneliness and solitude? In days and weeks ahead, if you have not already done so, read a book about the desert fathers and mothers to inform your understanding of solitude. You might want to start with John Chryssavgis’s, In The Heart of the Desert: The Spirituality of the desert Fathers and Mothers, a compilation of their sayings accompanied by original commentary by Chryssavgis.

Day 193, 07/20/2010, He Is With Me, John 8:28-29 & John 14:6-11

28 So Jesus added, When you have lifted up the Son of Man [on the cross], you will realize (know, understand) that I am He [for Whom you look] and that I do nothing of Myself (of My own accord or on My own authority), but I say [exactly] what My Father has taught Me.

29 And He Who sent Me is ever with Me; My Father has not left Me alone, for I always do what pleases Him. AMP

John 14:6-11

6 Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.

7 If you had known Me [had learned to recognize Me], you would also have known My Father. From now on, you know Him and have seen Him.

8 Philip said to Him, Lord, show us the Father [cause us to see the Father — that is all we ask]; then we shall be satisfied.

9 Jesus replied, Have I been with all of you for so long a time, and do you not recognize and know Me yet, Philip? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say then, Show us the Father?

10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me? What I am telling you I do not say on My own authority and of My own accord; but the Father Who lives continually in Me does the (His) works (His own miracles, deeds of power).

11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me; or else believe Me for the sake of the [very] works themselves. [If you cannot trust Me, at least let these works that I do in My Father's name convince you.] AMP

My Comments

It is important for Jesus to reveal His relationship and oneness with the Father, both for the Jewish people and for us today so that we see that He and Father are one and that He is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. This is also needed so that the Satan and followers of false religions cannot say with any authority that Jesus is simply a prophet or teacher as the Muslims and others who want to deny Jesus as Messiah do. The Gospels proclaim Jesus as the Son of God and The Son of Man. Although this truth is hard for our limited minds to understand it is true according to the Bible which is the only authoritative Word of God.

Solitude can give us the opportunity to encounter God in a deeper way, His living and written Word, as well as the presence of the Holy Spirit. This interaction can make us deeply aware of the Oneness of the God who is three in one. He also makes us aware of His desire to be one with us in every moment of our life.

Meditate on these verses. “Believe Me (Jesus) that I am in the Father and the Father in Me (Jesus).

Day 192, 07/19/2010, I Sat Alone, Jeremiah 15:15-21

15 O LORD, you know; remember me and visit me,

and bring down retribution for me on my persecutors. In your forbearance do not take me away; know that on your account I suffer insult.

16 Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.

17 I did not sit in the company of merrymakers, nor did I rejoice; under the weight of your hand I sat alone, for you had filled me with indignation.

18 Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?

Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail.

19 Therefore thus says the LORD: If you turn back, I will take you back,

and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall serve as my mouth. It is they, who will turn to you,

not you who will turn to them.

20 And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you

to save you and deliver you, says the LORD.

21 I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,

and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless. NRSV

It is both a joyous and fearful thing to be called into ministry for God. It does not matter if it is to a fivefold office from Ephesians 4:10 or a market place ministry as a cook or a politician. When we say yes to god there is great joy and responsibility to be a vessel of honor for God.

Satan, aka, Lucifer is jealous of God and therefore of us who serve God. His schemes to distort, delay or destroy everything God is doing in and through us. Along with that fact is the old saying, “If you are in the Light the darkness is not happy with you.”The world, the flesh and the devil have one thing in common which causes them to not like you if you are a believer; you are in the light of God. So as one old pastor told me, stay in the light no matter how fierce the storm and you will win the battle.

When you think you are alone in serving God turn toward God and He will show you the way!

Day 191, 07/18/2010,I Alone Am Left, I Kings 19:1-10

19 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow." 3 Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors." 5 Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, "Get up and eat." 6 He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, "Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you." 8 He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. 9 At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 He answered, "I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away."NRSV

My Comments

I have seen and experienced the Mount Carmel aftermath phenomenon. This is the experience that comes when God has done a great work though you and then there is a backlash that comes against you. It has always seemed odd to me that you could have an awesome victory in God and then feel defeated, afraid or otherwise like a loser when you were just a member of the team that had a great victory.

I have since learned from studying spiritual warfare that this counter attack of Satan is designed to rob you of the victory and to keep you from marching into another victorious battle against Satan and his forces. Remember Satan comes, to kill, steal and destroy. In the counter attack he seeks to either stop you or delay you from the next victory. The solution is to run to a place of solitude with God in worship, prayer and study and meditation on His Word. This will refresh and strengthen you and keep the enemy from taking advantage of you during the post victory recuperation period. Without knowing it, Satan actually helps us to remember it is God who brings the victory and causes us to run to God for renewal and to get God’s plan for the next battle.

Remember with God you are never alone. In addition God has strategically placed His people so that when the time is right they will run into the battle with you. They are either in battle or being prepared even when we do not know about them. Trust Him to be your resource and he will provide all that is needed in resources and people when the time is right. Are you seeking God for the renewal and in preparation of the battle?

Richard Foster in, “A Year With God,” made the following observations.

Once again Elijah goes into the wilderness for refuge. Elijah wasn’t necessarily trying to find God; he fled because he was afraid. But even in Elijah’s running away, God met him in his solitude. Elijah lived a fantastic life, seeing God’s might firsthand as few others have. Yet even Elijah needed times of solitude, where God could meet him alone, giving refreshment and guidance.

Have you ever sought solitude for a reason other than trying to meet God and had an experience of God anyway? What is it about being alone that allows God to come to us more easily?

Day 190, 07/17/2010, Hide Yourself, I Kings 17:1-6

17 Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbeq in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the Lord the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word." 2 The word of the Lord came to him, saying, 3 "Go from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4 You shall drink from the wadi, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there." 5 So he went and did according to the word of the Lord ; he went and lived by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the wadi. NRSV

Have you ever felt hidden, and that no one cared enough to reach out to you? How would you react if God said hide yourself and then had ravens deliver you food? Wow! Talk about God going the extra mile to care for you…

God knows what we need, when we need it and how He plan s on getting it to us.

Day 189, 07/16/2010, Spending the Night in Prayer, Luke 6:12-16

12 Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon, who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. NRSV

The material below is from the book “ A Year With God” by Richard Foster.

Two Significant Emphases in Luke are prayer and solitude. All the Gospel writers mention prayer, of course, but Luke takes care to show how Jesus’ prayer practice was often linked to solitude: “(Jesus) would withdraw to deserted places and pray” (5:16) “At daybreak he departed and went into a deserted place” (4:12). Other Gospel writers mention his calling of the twelve apostles, but not that he prayed all night about it, as we see here. And they relate his challenge to the disciples, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” but not that he was praying by himself before he put the question:”Jesus was praying alone, with only disciples near him. (9:18).

When have you spent time in solitude and prayer before making a big decision? What was the result?

It is so refreshing that Jesus functioned as we must so that we have his example for us today!

Day 188, 07/15/2010, Wrestling With God, Genesis 32:22-30

22 The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. 24 Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." 27 So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." 28 Then the man said, "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed." 29 Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved." 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the thigh muscle that is on the hip socket, because he struck Jacob on the hip socket at the thigh muscle. NRSV

[And there wrestled a man with him] This was doubtless the Lord Jesus Christ, who, among the patriarchs, assumed that human form, which in the fullness of time he really took of a woman, and in which he dwelt thirty-three years among men. He is here styled an "angel," because he was ‎megalees ‎‎boulees ‎‎Angelos ‎(see the Septuagint, Isa 9:7 ), the Messenger of the great counsel or design to redeem fallen man from death, and bring him to eternal glory; see Gen 16:7.(from Adam Clarke's Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1996, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

There are key points in the scripture we should note.

1. He made an opportunity to be alone with God.

2. God’s (Man) came and wrestled with Him. This was an old fashion knock down fight for his life.

3. Jacob did not give up and as a result He was honored with a new name. Israel, God Preserves, or God Rules.

4. He also received a reminder (His hip socket was out of place) that he had been in a fight and that even though he did not give up during God’s test, God was the one with the power and authority.

Today ask yourself how hard you are willing to battle to get all that God has for you.

Day 187, 07/14/2010, The Tent of Meeting, Exodus 33:7-11a

7 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp; he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. 8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise and stand, each of them, at the entrance of their tents and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9 When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. 10 When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise and bow down, all of them, at the entrance of their tent. 11 Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then he would return to the camp; but his young assistant, Joshua son of Nun, would not leave the tent. NRSV

If you have read the Bible though recently you were exposed to one very powerful truth. Which one you ask for there are so many? The one I speak of is this; that the God who is above all who claim to be god, the one who created all and is and was and will be, the great I am, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ desires to have a an intimate relationship with each of us. We see this in God’s relationship with, Adam, Abraham, Moses, David and so many more. This truth is most clear in God’s relationship with Jesus the Son of man and Son of God. Because of Jesus we have been made adopted children so that along with the people of Israel, God’s chosen people, we might have a relationship with God unhindered by our sin.

This is not a small thing, in fact the cloud of witness mentioned in Hebrews 12:1-2, reminds us of just how close Jesus is to the father and therefore how we may come to Him as His children and experience the joy of direct fellowship with God anytime and anywhere.

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. NRSV

Today, seek out that place where you and God meet in intimate fellowship. If you do not have such a place yet, begin to seek out and establish such a place of meeting for everyday fellowship with God.

Day 186, 07/13/2010, Withdrawing to a Deserted Place, Luke 5:15-16

12 Once, when he was in one of the cities, there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean." 13 Then Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I do choose. Be made clean." Immediately the leprosy left him. 14 And he ordered him to tell no one. "Go," he said, "and show yourself to the priest, and, as Moses commanded, make an offering for your cleansing, for a testimony to them." 15 But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. 16 But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray. NRSV

The material below is from, ”A Year With God,” by Richard Foster.

Each day of the next ten days, seek to do exactly what Jesus did. Withdraw to a place where you can be alone with God and use that time to pray. When possible, try to have these times of solitude immediately before or after times where you are around others. If it is an extremely busy time for you---especially if that is the case---work to create time to be alone with God, even if all you can manage is a solitary cup of coffee in the morning or a few moments of prayer in your car before you drive to work. Remind yourself that these times of solitude will nourish and refresh you. Perhaps you already set aside time each day to be with God in a place that is quiet and deserted. If so, perhaps you will want to challenge yourself to withdraw even more. For example, if you usually pray in a room in your house, perhaps you can try driving or walking to a park or a place where you can be almost certain that you won’t be interrupted. You might want to begin your time of solitude with this prayer from the Northumbria Community:

Here am I, Lord, I’ve come to do your will. Here am I, Lord, in your presence I’m still.

--Celtic Daily Prayer

SOLITUDE

, the Secret Place of Power With God!

This 20 Day Study can be followed here or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=237088564302.

SOLITUDEThe creation of an open, empty space in our lives by purposefully abstaining from interaction with other human beings, so that, freed from competing loyalties, we can be found by God.

The Gospels tell us that Jesus’ very public ministry was interspersed with periods of solitude during which He, either completely by Himself or with the disciples, left the crowds behind to pray. These times of solitude appeared to nourish Jesus for those times when He was in the public eye. He began His ministry with forty days in the desert, just after He was baptized. And He continued the practice of going off alone to pray, often just at the times when His ministry seemed to demand the most from Him.

Solitude is not about becoming a hermit or misanthrope. Indeed, times of solitude can enhance our times of fellowship with others. Neither is solitude loneliness. It is time spent with God. Put this way, it sounds so natural, yet for most of us this time does not just happen. One of the keys to the definition above is the phrase “the creation of an open, empty space.” We must work to create this space, to “purposefully” withdraw even when—especially when—it seems that we have no time to do so. We can all learn from Jesus’ example and take time to focus on our relationship with God, replenishing and nourishing ourselves for busy lives.

Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while. —Mark 6:31

Day 186 Spiritual Practice: Withdrawing to a Deserted Place

Day 187 The Tent of Meeting

Day 188 Wrestling With God

Day 189 Spending the Night in Prayer

Day 190 Hide Yourself

Day 191 I Alone Am Left

Day 192 I Sat Alone

Day 193 He Is With Me

Day 194 Yet I Am Not Alone

Day 195 Opening Ourselves

Day 196 Spiritual Practice: Retreat with God

Day 197 In the Wilderness

Day 198 I Will Bring Her Into the Wilderness

Day 199 Shaping the Soul

Day 200 The Crowds Were Looking for Jesus

Day 201 Rising Early to Pray

Day 202 Come Away and Rest a While

Day 203 I Went Away at Once

Day 204 Preparation Time

Day 205 Down From the Mountaintop

Day 185, 07/12/2010, Setting Our Sights on Jesus, Hebrews 12:1-4

Our primary passage today is Hebrews 12:1-4 and 22-24. I encourage you however to read the entire passage as it speaks to the real message in verse 28 and 29.

Truly our example is Jesus and it is He who came to proclaim and establish the message of the Kingdom for which He who was born of a virgin, lived among us, died and was resurrected all in fulfillment of Bible prophecy as described in the scriptures given by God through His people Israel. So let us look to Jesus today for there is no other way to the Father, for He alone is the Lord of Host and every knee shall bow to Him alone

1 THEREFORE THEN, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us,

2 Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. [Ps 110:1.]

3 Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds.

4 You have not yet struggled and fought agonizingly against sin, nor have you yet resisted and withstood to the point of pouring out your [own] blood.

5 And have you [completely] forgotten the divine word of appeal and encouragement in which you are reasoned with and addressed as sons? My son, do not think lightly or scorn to submit to the correction and discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage and give up and faint when you are reproved or corrected by Him;

6 For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes, even scourges, every son whom He accepts and welcomes to His heart and cherishes.

7 You must submit to and endure [correction] for discipline; God is dealing with you as with sons. For what son is there whom his father does not [thus] train and correct and discipline?

8 Now if you are exempt from correction and left without discipline in which all [of God's children] share, then you are illegitimate offspring and not true sons [at all]. [Prov 3:11,12.]

9 Moreover, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we yielded [to them] and respected [them for training us]. Shall we not much more cheerfully submit to the Father of spirits and so [truly] live?

10 For [our earthly fathers] disciplined us for only a short period of time and chastised us as seemed proper and good to them; but He disciplines us for our certain good, that we may become sharers in His own holiness.

11 For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it [a harvest of fruit which consists in righteousness — in conformity to God's will in purpose, thought, and action, resulting in right living and right standing with God].

12 So then, brace up and reinvigorate and set right your slackened and weakened and drooping hands and strengthen your feeble and palsied and tottering knees, [Isa 35:3.]

13 And cut through and make firm and plain and smooth, straight paths for your feet [yes, make them safe and upright and happy paths that go in the right direction], so that the lame and halting [limbs] may not be put out of joint, but rather may be cured.

14 Strive to live in peace with everybody and pursue that consecration and holiness without which no one will [ever] see the Lord.

15 Exercise foresight and be on the watch to look [after one another], to see that no one falls back from and fails to secure God's grace (His unmerited favor and spiritual blessing), in order that no root of resentment (rancor, bitterness, or hatred) shoots forth and causes trouble and bitter torment, and the many become contaminated and defiled by it —

16 That no one may become guilty of sexual vice, or become a profane (godless and sacrilegious) person as Esau did, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. [Gen 25:29-34.]

17 For you understand that later on, when he wanted [to regain title to] his inheritance of the blessing, he was rejected (disqualified and set aside), for he could find no opportunity to repair by repentance [what he had done, no chance to recall the choice he had made], although he sought for it carefully with [bitter] tears. [Gen 27:30-40.]

18 For you have not come [as did the Israelites in the wilderness] to a [material] mountain that can be touched, [a mountain] that is ablaze with fire, and to gloom and darkness and a raging storm,

19 And to the blast of a trumpet and a voice whose words make the listeners beg that nothing more be said to them. [Ex 19:12-22; 20:18-21; Deut 4:11,12; 5:22-27.]

20 For they could not bear the command that was given: If even a wild animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death. [Ex 19:12,13.]

21 In fact, so awful and terrifying was the [phenomenal] sight that Moses said, I am terrified (aghast and trembling with fear). [Deut 9:19.]

22 But rather, you have come to Mount Zion, even to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless multitudes of angels in festal gathering,

23 And to the church (assembly) of the Firstborn who are registered [as citizens] in heaven, and to the God Who is Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous (the redeemed in heaven) who have been made perfect,

24 And to Jesus, the Mediator (Go-between, Agent) of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks [of mercy], a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance]. [Gen 4:10.]

25 So see to it that you do not reject Him or refuse to listen to and heed Him Who is speaking [to you now]. For if they [the Israelites] did not escape when they refused to listen and heed Him Who warned and divinely instructed them [here] on earth [revealing with heavenly warnings His will], how much less shall we escape if we reject and turn our backs on Him Who cautions and admonishes [us] from heaven?

26 Then [at Mount Sinai] His voice shook the earth, but now He has given a promise: Yet once more I will shake and make tremble not only the earth but also the [starry] heavens. [Hag 2:6.]

27 Now this expression, Yet once more, indicates the final removal and transformation of all [that can be] shaken that is, of that which has been created — in order that what cannot be shaken may remain and continue. [Ps 102:26.]

28 Let us therefore, receiving a kingdom that is firm and stable and cannot be shaken, offer to God pleasing service and acceptable worship, with modesty and pious care and godly fear and awe;

29 For our God [is indeed] a consuming fire. [Deut 4:24.] AMP

Day 184, 07/11/2010, Reflecting on Jesus, Hebrews 3:1-6

1 SO THEN, brethren, consecrated and set apart for God, who share in the heavenly calling, [thoughtfully and attentively] consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest Whom we confessed [as ours when we embraced the Christian faith].

2 [See how] faithful He was to Him Who appointed Him [Apostle and High Priest], as Moses was also faithful in the whole house [of God]. [Num 12:7.]

3 Yet Jesus has been considered worthy of much greater honor and glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house [itself].

4 For [of course] every house is built and furnished by someone, but the Builder of all things and the Furnisher [of the entire equipment of all things] is God.

5 And Moses certainly was faithful in the administration of all God's house [but it was only] as a ministering servant. [In his entire ministry he was but] a testimony to the things which were to be spoken [the revelations to be given afterward in Christ]. [Num 12:7.]

6 But Christ (the Messiah) was faithful over His [own Father's] house as a Son [and Master of it]. And it is we who are [now members] of this house, if we hold fast and firm to the end our joyful and exultant confidence and sense of triumph in our hope [in Christ]. AMP

I have no comments today, except to encourage you to read and re-read this passage and meditate on God’s goodness toward us who believe.

Day 183, 07/10/2010, Meditating on God’s Works, Psalm 104:10-34

10 You make springs gush forth in the valley they flow between the hills,

11 giving drink to every wild animal; the wild asses quench their thirst.

12 By the streams the birds of the air have their habitation; they sing among the branches.

13 From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.

14 You cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and plants for people to use, to bring forth food from the earth,

15 and wine to gladden the human heart, oil to make the face shine, and bread to strengthen the human heart.

16 The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.

17 In them the birds build their nests;

the stork has its home in the fir trees.

18 The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the coneys.

19 You have made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting.

20 You make darkness, and it is night, when all the animals of the forest come creeping out.

21 The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God.

22 When the sun rises, they withdrawand lie down in their dens.

23 People go out to their work and to their labor until the evening.

24 O Lord , how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.

25 Yonder is the sea, great and wide, creeping things innumerable are there,

living things both small and great.

26 There go the ships, and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it.

27 These all look to you to give them their food in due season;

28 when you give to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.

29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die

and return to their dust.

30 When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground.

31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works —

32 who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke.

33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.

34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord .NRSV

Wow, Our God does amazing things!

Day 182, 07/09/2010, A walking Meditation, Genesis 24:62-67

62 Meanwhile, Isaac, whose home was in the Negev, had returned from Beer-lahai-roi. 63 One evening as he was walking and meditating in the fields, he looked up and saw the camels coming. 64 When Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she quickly dismounted from her camel. 65 "Who is that man walking through the fields to meet us?" she asked the servant.

And he replied, "It is my master." So Rebekah covered her face with her veil. 66 Then the servant told Isaac everything he had done.

67 And Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah's tent, and she became his wife. He loved her deeply, and she was a special comfort to him after the death of his mother. NLT

I love getting out in nature and prayer walking with God. It is a refreshing thing, to be in the land unhindered by development and crowds of people. It seems easier to focus and meditate on God.

Today I encourage you to find a place where you can be away even in some small way from the crush of society and alone with God in nature. Maybe it is a tree in your favorite part of your yard, a nearby park or an open space but set aside some time there for you and God and meditate on Him not just His creation. You never know how He will work in those times. Be sure to take the Word with you so that you can respond according to it as He ministers to you.

Day 181, 07/08/2010, When Life Hinders Meditation, Job 15:1-4

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:

2 "Should the wise answer with windy knowledge,

and fill themselves with the east wind?

3 Should they argue in unprofitable talk,

or in words with which they can do no good?

4 But you are doing away with the fear of God,

and hindering meditation before God.

5 For your iniquity teaches your mouth,

and you choose the tongue of the crafty.

The material below is from “A Year With God,” by Dr Richard Foster.

In this passage job’s friend Elipaz, accuses Job of “hindering meditation before God.”

He argues that Job has no right to question God, that such talk is “unprofitable.” Listening, quiet ruminations before God, would be a better way to deal with Job’s situation, he seems to be saying. But the central problem for Job is that God will not talk to him, will not explain to him why this disproportionate suffering has been visited upon him. The silence of God is a theological problem in the book of Job. We honor the mysteries of God by allowing our confusion, anger, hopelessness, and grief to mount along with Job’s as the book develops.

Has there ever been a time in your life when what one person said or did seemed to hamper your ability to meditate on the things of God or talk with God?

God, there are times when I feel that you will not talk to me, to explain to me why I feel a certain way or why a certain thing has happened. Lord, help me to keep asking, to keep opening my heart to you and asking you to shape it. In your name I pray, Amen.

Day 180, 07/07/2010, Meditating in the Watches of the Night, Psalm 63:5-8

5 My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,

and my mouth praises you with joyful lips

6 when I think of you on my bed,

and meditate on you in the watches of the night;

7 for you have been my help,

and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.

8 My soul clings to you;

your right hand upholds me. NRSV

The material below is from “A Year With God,’ by Dr Richard Foster.

Psalm 63 calls especially for focused attention on God. Far from being boring or a chore, the singer finds the experience to be one of joy. When the disciple looks upon God, thinks of Him, and meditates on Him, his “soul is satisfied as with a feast.”

‘Have you found your meditative prayer practice to be joyful?

Only to sit and think of God,

Oh what a joy it is!

To think the thought, to breathe the Name

Earth has no higher bliss. By Frederick W. Faber

Day 179, 07/06/2010, Resting and Reflecting, Numbers 29:1

1 ON THE first day of the seventh month [on New Year's Day of the civil year], you shall have a holy [summoned] assembly; you shall do no servile work. It is a day of blowing of trumpets for you [everyone blowing who wishes, proclaiming that the glad New Year has come and that the great Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles are now approaching]. AMP

The material below is from the book, A Year With God,” by Dr. Richard Foster

Built into the religious calendar of the Israelites was a day to rest and blow trumpets. Taking time to rest is important in the spiritual life. Rest is not merely the state of doing no work. Rest is a time for refreshment. It may be a time to reflect on the past or plan for the future. It is also a time for worshiping God. The Sabbath is an intentional time set apart for worship. Our souls receive true peace and strength when we worship God. Rest is a Spiritual Discipline that requires and also restores our trust in God. Out trust grows as we see how God fulfills our needs even when we are working. We realize we don’t need to earn God’s provision. Rest helps us reside in the unconditional, unfailing and forgiving love of God.

Meditation is a wonderful way to rest in God. Today think of your meditative prayer time as a resting in God, seeking the refreshment only God can give. Relax, close your eyes even allow yourself to fall asleep if that is what tour body wants. When you awake, thank God for the gift of rest.

Day 178, 04/05/2010, Think About These Things, Philippians 4:8-9

8 For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].

9 Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you. AMP

The material below is from the book, “A Year With God, “ by Dr Richard Foster.

The Spiritual Life is a cooperative transformation of thought and action. First, God is at work in us, enabling us”both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (2:13). Yet we also have a part to play. As Paul urges, we must choose to think of the things of God and choose to do the things of God. As we model our thoughts after the highest of standards and model our lives after the life and message of Paul himself, we will find that the “God of Peace” himself accompanies us on our transforming journey.

Lord God, I return to you today to meditate on those things that are excellent and “worthy of praise.” Throughout my day it seems that my thoughts are on everything but what is just, pure, pleasing and commendable. Guide my thoughts, Lord; teach me about what is excellent and praiseworthy in your sight, that I may honor you in thought, word and deed. Amen.

Day 177, 07/04/2010, THE MEDITATION OF MY HEART, Psalm 19:14

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14

The material below is from “A Year With God,” by Dr Richard J. Foster

This familiar verse invites God’s scrutiny and correction (see 139:23-24). The word translated “meditation” here would be better rendered “whisperings” or “murmurings.” Welcoming God’s knowing and shaping of our inner talk deepens our vulnerability. It is a huge step in our formation.

Joyce Huggett writes, “We meditate to give God’s words the opportunity to penetrate not just our minds, but our emotions—the places where we hurt—and our will—the place where we make choices and decisions. We meditate to encounter the Living Word, Jesus Himself. We meditate so the every part of our being, our thoughts and our affections and our ambitions, are turned to face and honour and glorify him. Yet another reason for learning to meditate is so that we may become conversant with the will of God.”¹⁰ Use this quote as inspiration for your meditation today. Or you may wish to begin with this prayer.

Father God, today I come to you in meditative prayer. I ask that you open my heart to whatever you want to show me. Guide my meditations, my inner whispers, in the way that is acceptable and pleasing to you. I want so much for you to shape my inner being, yet I don’t often seem to succeed at setting aside the time for you to do this work. Help me to be consistent in my meditations over the coming days, that I may come to you eagerly to learn, to be changed. In your name I pray. Amen.

ARTWORK:MAJESTIC KEYS TO THE KINGDOM by William Hallmark

Day 176, 07/3/2010, SETTING OUR MINDS ON GOD, Colossians 3:1-2

SETTING OUR MINDS ON GOD

“So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Colossians 3:1-2

The following material is from “A Year With God,” by Dr Richard Foster

For the next ten days, we will try to set our minds on the things that are above, practicing clearing out from our minds the noise of daily life and focusing on hearing God’s voice. Try to find a place that is as quiet and free of distractions as possible. Choose a comfortable position. Many prefer sitting on the floor or in a chair with feet flat on the ground. The idea is to be in a position comfortable enough that it requires no thought. You can close your eyes, or keep them open and focused on a religious item, perhaps a cross, or a tree or some other image from nature.

You might want to pick a word or phrase to keep your mind focused on God if you find yourself distracted by thoughts about work, household tasks, family, or a noise outside. “Jesus” or “Abba” is a good word to use. At first, you may find that your mind shoots out all kind of information at you, like a computer shutting down. Just try to relax as you work through this stage; keep repeating your word. Spiritual writer Madame Guyon writes: “Be assured that as your soul becomes more accustomed to withdrawing to inward things, this process will become easier. There are two reasons that you will find it easier each time to bring your mind under the subjection of the Lord. One is that the mind, after much practice, will form a new habit of turning deep within. The second is that you have a gracious Lord!”

If you have not tried meditative prayer before, then start with five minutes or less. You can gradually work up to longer. You may find that God leads you to practical insights about your family or your life or events that have happened in your past or perhaps direct insights about God, his nature, and your relationship to him. The experience of meditative prayer is different for everyone. Many find it extremely helpful to keep a journal detailing their experiences and insights.

Day 175, 0702/2010, Musing on God’s Deeds, Psalm 77:11-15

11 I shall remember the deeds of the Lord ;

Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.

12 I will meditate on all Your work

And muse on Your deeds.

13 Your way, O God, is holy;

What god is great like our God?

14 You are the God who works wonders;

You have made known Your strength among the peoples.

15 You have by Your power redeemed Your people,

The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah. NASU

Have you been meditating on God’s Word?

What difference is it making in your life?

Day 174, 07/01/2010, I Search My Spirit, Psalm 77:1-10

1 I WILL cry to God with my voice, even to God with my voice, and He will give ear and hearken to me.

2 In the day of my trouble I seek (inquire of and desperately require) the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out [in prayer] without slacking up; I refuse to be comforted.

3 I [earnestly] remember God; I am disquieted and I groan; I muse in prayer, and my spirit faints [overwhelmed]. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

4 You hold my eyes from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

5 I consider the days of old, the years of bygone times [of prosperity].

6 I call to remembrance my song in the night; with my heart I meditate and my spirit searches diligently:

7 Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more?

8 Have His mercy and loving-kindness ceased forever? Have His promises ended for all time?

9 Has God [deliberately] abandoned or forgotten His graciousness? Has He in anger shut up His compassion? Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

10 And I say, This [apparent desertion of Israel by God] is my appointed lot and trial, but I will recall the years of the right hand of the Most High [in loving-kindness extended toward us], for this is my grief, that the right hand of the Most High changes. AMP

Jer 33:1-3

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was still confined in the court of the guard, saying, 2 "Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it, the Lord is His name, 3 'Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know. NASU

Day 173, 06/30/2010, Knowledge of God’s Mystery, Col 1:26-29, 2:1-3

26 The mystery of which was hidden for ages and generations [from angels and men], but is now revealed to His holy people (the saints),

27 To whom God was pleased to make known how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ within and among you, the Hope of [realizing the] glory.

28 Him we preach and proclaim, warning and admonishing everyone and instructing everyone in all wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God), that we may present every person mature (full-grown, fully initiated, complete, and perfect) in Christ (the Anointed One).

29 For this I labor [unto weariness], striving with all the superhuman energy which He so mightily enkindles and works within me.

1 FOR I want you to know how great is my solicitude for you [how severe an inward struggle I am engaged in for you] and for those [believers] at Laodicea, and for all who [like yourselves] have never seen my face and known me personally.

2 [For my concern is] that their hearts may be braced (comforted, cheered, and encouraged) as they are knit together in love, that they may come to have all the abounding wealth and blessings of assured conviction of understanding, and that they may become progressively more intimately acquainted with and may know more definitely and accurately and thoroughly that mystic secret of God, [which is] Christ (the Anointed One).

3 In Him all the treasures of [divine] wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God) and [all the riches of spiritual] knowledge and enlightenment are stored up and lie hidden. AMP

Meditate on these verses and rejoice that God has chosen to reveal this mystery to us. Focus on verse 27 and then reread this passage.

Artwork by Graham Braddock

Day 172, 06/29/2010, Knowing Jesus’ Voice, John 10:2-5, 14-16

John 10:1-18

2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers." 6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

7 So again Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away — and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takesg it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father." NRSV

Meditate on One of The ‘I am’ statements of Jesus

John 6:35,48: I am the bread of life.

John 8:12; 9:5: The light of the world

John 10:7, 9: The gate

John 10:11, 14: The good shepherd

John 11:25: The resurrection and the life

John 14:6: The way, the truth, and the life

John 15:1, 5: The vine

Day 171, 06/28/2010, Give Me Understanding, Psalm 119:33-40

33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, and I will keep it to the end [steadfastly].

34 Give me understanding, that I may keep Your law; yes, I will observe it with my whole heart. [Prov 2:6; James 1:5.]

35 Make me go in the path of Your commandments, for in them do I delight.

36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies and not to covetousness (robbery, sensuality, unworthy riches). [Ezek 33:31; Mark 7:21,22; 1 Tim 6:10; Heb 13:5.]

37 Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity (idols and idolatry); and restore me to vigorous life and health in Your ways.

38 Establish Your word and confirm Your promise to Your servant, which is for those who reverently fear and devotedly worship You. [Deut 10:12; Ps 96:9.]

39 Turn away my reproach which I fear and dread, for Your ordinances are good.

40 Behold, I long for Your precepts; in Your righteousness give me renewed life. AMP

Today I would challenge you to ask yourself if you have lost or never had the passion, discipline and focus of reading, meditating, memorizing and then examining your life to see how you should apply and put God’s Word to work in your life today.

If needed ask God to make you willing and able to do this.

Phil 2:13 For it is God which works in you both to make you willing and to do of His good pleasure.

Ask him to help you set aside the time, to find the place so that you might do this. Cry out to him, humble yourself and ask for His mercy to make the way straight for you into His heart through His Word, for as you long for His precepts, read, meditate upon, memorize and apply His Word He will renew your life in Him in deeper levels of transforming power.

AraaaHtwork habkukkuk

Day 170, 06/27/2010, The Beginning of Knowledge, Proverbs 1:1-7

1 THE PROVERBS (truths obscurely expressed, maxims, and parables) of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

2 That people may know skillful and godly Wisdom and instruction, discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight,

3 Receive instruction in wise dealing and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness, righteousness, justice, and integrity,

4 That prudence may be given to the simple, and knowledge, discretion, and discernment to the youth —

5 The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly] — [Prov 9:9.]

6 That people may understand a proverb and a figure of speech or an enigma with its interpretation, and the words of the wise and their dark sayings or riddles.

7 The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline. [Ps 111:10.] (AMP)

As you approach this study ask God to help you slow down and allow the Word to take deep root in your life this week.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: Fear in relation to God expresses a range of meanings in Old Testament contexts. For example, in Job 37:23-24 mortals are in terror and dread of God's punishment. In Ex 9:30 Moses tells the king of Egypt that he will stop the thunder and hail, even though the king and his people are not yet afraid of the Lord God. In Jer 26:19 fear has the sense of obedience. In the case of Abraham, after he had showed his willingness to obey God and sacrifice Isaac, the angel of the Lord said to him "I know that you fear God," which indicates Abraham's trust in God (Gen 22:12). Here in this verse and throughout Proverbs the fear of the Lord means to respect and believe the Lord.

Lord is the common English translation of the Hebrew name of God, which is written as ‎yhwh ‎and pronounced something like ‎yahweh‎. It is the most frequently used term for God in the Old Testament. Because the name was sacred, it was not pronounced, but instead the term ‎'adonai ‎("my lord") was pronounced in its place. To translate the name of Israel's God there are several options open to the translator:

(1) Transliterate the form ‎yahweh‎.

(2) Translate by a term such as "Owner," "Master," "Ruler," "One who Commands," "the Ever-Present One," or "the Eternal One."

(3) Use of the name of a local god is considered inappropriate.

(4) Translate Lord (‎yhwh‎) and the general word for God (‎'elohim ‎in Hebrew) by the same term.

In many languages a literal rendering of fear of the Lord will mean nothing more than terror or dread, that is, being scared of what the Lord may do. If the language has an expression equivalent to "be in awe of," this will be more satisfactory. In some languages such a thought is expressed idiomatically; for example, "to stand with your heart in your hand before the Lord" or "You must respect the Lord with a quivering liver."

Beginning of knowledge: Beginning renders the word used in Gen 1:1, "in the beginning," which refers to the first in an ordered series of events. In this verse it is the starting point without which nothing else can follow. It may be taken as the root, fundamental, or basic element upon which all wisdom is built. The TEV footnote expresses this thought as "The most important part of knowledge is..."; the CEV footnote says "What knowledge is all about is...." In some languages "stump" or "root" is used figuratively for the source or basic element from which everything else comes, so these languages have a translation like "If a person wants to gain wisdom, the root of it is honoring the Lord."

In some languages it is not possible to use a noun phrase such as the fear of the Lord as the subject of a clause. Accordingly it is sometimes necessary to restructure fear as an "if" clause; for example, "If you hold the Lord in awe, you will have the beginning of knowledge." We may also translate, for example, "Whoever respects and obeys the Lord is beginning to be wise," "The first thing about knowledge is to respect and obey the Lord," or "The most important part of knowledge is having reverence for the Lord" (TEV footnote). The FRCL rendering may serve as a model translation for some: "To recognize the authority of the Lord is the A-B-C of wisdom."

Fools despise wisdom and instruction: The second line contrasts the fool with the person who respects the Lord. Fools renders a word used in Isa 35:8 to indicate uninstructed people who mislead others. In 10:8; 20:3; and 29:9 fools are contrasted with sensible and intelligent people. Despise is not to be taken in the sense of "hate" or "loathe." The Hebrew, like the English term, properly means to look down upon with contempt, to disdain as unworthy. It is in this sense that Esau despised his birthright in Gen 25:34. Wisdom and instruction are the same words as used in verse 2. This line may be rendered "Fools turn their noses up at wisdom and good advice" or "People who look down on wisdom and instruction are fools."

In translation it may be necessary to make the contrast between the two lines clear by saying, for example, "but fools despise..." or "Foolish people, on the other hand, think wisdom and instruction are worthless."

Day 169, 06/26/2010, Mary Pondered the Words in Her Heart, Luke 2:8-19

8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. NRSV

Pondering Supernatural Encounters

There is no greater need for pondering the things of God, than comes when we receive a supernatural revelation, dream, and vision or experience an angelic encounter. God breaks through our natural realm in these ways when there is a significant need or event that He is preparing us for. He does not guide or intervene in these ways every day as our relationship with Him and our walk is one of faith based on His Word.

When we have such encounters it is important to ponder them, prayerfully consider them and seek God concerning how we should live in relationship to them. If the event is of God He will see that it comes to pass, but we must have faith in Him to do what He has revealed and be willing to do our part.

Day 168, 06/25/2010, Meditate on It Day and Night, Joshua 1:7-8

MEDITATE ON IT DAY AND NIGHT

“Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful.” —Joshua 1:7-8

The material below is from “A Year With God”, by Dr Richard J. Foster

‘G o d ’ s W o r d s T o Joshua at the beginning of Joshua’s story suggest that effective leadership calls for concentrated meditation and musing on the law of God. This word was not to “depart” from his “mouth,” for mortals do not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Deut 8:3). Like Joshua, we are to talk about the Word, think about the Word, and obey the Word (Ps 1:2-3). In a sense, every word from the Lord is also a call from the Lord. We read every verse of Scripture lovingly and attentively, because every verse is a potential summons from God. Perhaps when we read, we ought not to ask ourselves, “What do these words mean?” but “What is God summoning me to do through these words?”

Be guided by these words as you return to your meditation today:

“You must look up with the vision of the heart to the Person of Christ, and listen for the impress of His will on your will through His words, that is, through the Book of the Gospel that was written to be the means of communication with the souls of His people. As you become familiar with them He will by His Spirit bring them to your memory as you need them, to be your defense in the dangers of the way, even as David said in the Psalms: ‘Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee’ (Ps 119:11, KJV).”

—Lilias Trotter, The Way of the Sevenfold Secret^4’

ACCEPTING THE
EMBRACE of GOD:
THE ANCIENT ART of LECTIO DIVINA

by Fr. Luke Dysinger, O.S.B. @ http://www.valyermo.com/ld-art.html

I am sending out this article from the web site listed on the ancient practice of Holy Reading or lectio divina. It is new term to me although the concepts taught within it I have seen adapted by other writers in more recent history. It is from a more formal theological background than I am used to but the truth within is worth the read. I hope it will be of value to you as you learn to Meditate on God, His Word and His Ways!

THE PROCESS of LECTIO DIVIN

A VERY ANCIENT art, practiced at one time by all Christians, is the technique known as lectio divina - a slow, contemplative praying of the Scriptures which enables the Bible, the Word of God, to become a means of union with God. This ancient practice has been kept alive in the Christian monastic tradition, and is one of the precious treasures of Benedictine monastics and oblates. Together with the Liturgy and daily manual labor, time set aside in a special way for lectio divina enables us to discover in our daily life an underlying spiritual rhythm. Within this rhythm we discover an increasing ability to offer more of ourselves and our relationships to the Father, and to accept the embrace that God is continuously extending to us in the person of his Son Jesus Christ.

Lectio - reading/listening

THE ART of lectio divina begins with cultivating the ability to listen deeply, to hear “with the ear of our hearts” as St. Benedict encourages us in the Prologue to the Rule. When we read the Scriptures we should try to imitate the prophet Elijah. We should allow ourselves to become women and men who are able to listen for the still, small voice of God (I Kings 19:12); the “faint murmuring sound” which is God's word for us, God's voice touching our hearts. This gentle listening is an “atunement” to the presence of God in that special part of God's creation which is the Scriptures.

THE CRY of the prophets to ancient Israel was the joy-filled command to “Listen!” “Sh'ma Israel: Hear, O Israel!” In lectio divina we, too, heed that command and turn to the Scriptures, knowing that we must “hear” - listen - to the voice of God, which often speaks very softly. In order to hear someone speaking softly we must learn to be silent. We must learn to love silence. If we are constantly speaking or if we are surrounded with noise, we cannot hear gentle sounds. The practice of lectio divina, therefore, requires that we first quiet down in order to hear God's word to us. This is the first step of lectio divina, appropriately called lectio - reading.

THE READING or listening which is the first step in lectio divina is very different from the speed reading which modern Christians apply to newspapers, books and even to the Bible. Lectio is reverential listening; listening both in a spirit of silence and of awe. We are listening for the still, small voice of God that will speak to us personally - not loudly, but intimately. In lectio we read slowly, attentively, gently listening to hear a word or phrase that is God's word for us this day.

Meditatio - meditation

ONCE WE have found a word or a passage in the Scriptures that speaks to us in a personal way, we must take it in and “ruminate” on it. The image of the ruminant animal quietly chewing its cud was used in antiquity as a symbol of the Christian pondering the Word of God. Christians have always seen a scriptural invitation to lectio divina in the example of the Virgin Mary “pondering in her heart” what she saw and heard of Christ (Luke 2:19). For us today these images are a reminder that we must take in the word - that is, memorize it - and while gently repeating it to ourselves, allow it to interact with our thoughts, our hopes, our memories, our desires. This is the second step or stage in lectio divina - meditatio. Through meditatio we allow God's word to become His word for us, a word that touches us and affects us at our deepest levels.

Oratio - prayer

THE THIRD step in lectio divina is oratio - prayer: prayer understood both as dialogue with God, that is, as loving conversation with the One who has invited us into His embrace; and as consecration, prayer as the priestly offering to God of parts of ourselves that we have not previously believed God wants. In this consecration-prayer we allow the word that we have taken in and on which we are pondering to touch and change our deepest selves. Just as a priest consecrates the elements of bread and wine at the Eucharist, God invites us in lectio divina to hold up our most difficult and pain-filled experiences to Him, and to gently recite over them the healing word or phrase He has given us in our lectio and meditatio. In this oratio, this consecration-prayer, we allow our real selves to be touched and changed by the word of God.

Contemplatio - contemplation

FINALLY, WE simply rest in the presence of the One who has used His word as a means of inviting us to accept His transforming embrace. No one who has ever been in love needs to be reminded that there are moments in loving relationships when words are unnecessary. It is the same in our relationship with God. Wordless, quiet rest in the presence of the One Who loves us has a name in the Christian tradition - contemplatio, contemplation. Once again we practice silence, letting go of our own words; this time simply enjoying the experience of being in the presence of God.

2. THE UNDERLYING RHYTHM of LECTIO DIVINA

IF WE are to practice lectio divina effectively, we must travel back in time to an understanding that today is in danger of being almost completely lost. In the Christian past the words action (or practice, from the Greek praktikos) and contemplation did not describe different kinds of Christians engaging (or not engaging) in different forms of prayer and apostolates. Practice and contemplation were understood as the two poles of our underlying, ongoing spiritual rhythm: a gentle oscillation back and forth between spiritual “activity” with regard to God and “receptivity.”

PRACTICE - spiritual “activity” - referred in ancient times to our active cooperation with God's grace in rooting out vices and allowing the virtues to flourish. The direction of spiritual activity was not outward in the sense of an apostolate, but inward - down into the depths of the soul where the Spirit of God is constantly transforming us, refashioning us in God's image. The active life is thus coming to see who we truly are and allowing ourselves to be remade into what God intends us to become.

IN THE early monastic tradition contemplation was understood in two ways. First was theoria physike, the contemplation of God in creation - God in “the many.” Second was theologia, the contemplation of God in Himself without images or words - God as “The One.” From this perspective lectio divina serves as a training-ground for the contemplation of God in His creation.

IN CONTEMPLATION we cease from interior spiritual doing and learn simply to be, that is to rest in the presence of our loving Father. Just as we constantly move back and forth in our exterior lives between speaking and listening, between questioning and reflecting, so in our spiritual lives we must learn to enjoy the refreshment of simply being in God's presence, an experience that naturally alternates (if we let it!) with our spiritual practice.

IN ANCIENT times contemplation was not regarded as a goal to be achieved through some method of prayer, but was simply accepted with gratitude as God's recurring gift. At intervals the Lord invites us to cease from speaking so that we can simply rest in his embrace. This is the pole of our inner spiritual rhythm called contemplation.

HOW DIFFERENT this ancient understanding is from our modern approach! Instead of recognizing that we all gently oscillate back and forth between spiritual activity and receptivity, between practice and contemplation, we today tend to set contemplation before ourselves as a goal - something we imagine we can achieve through some spiritual technique. We must be willing to sacrifice our “goal-oriented” approach if we are to practice lectio divina, because lectio divina has no other goal than spending time with God through the medium of His word. The amount of time we spend in any aspect of lectio divina, whether it be rumination, consecration or contemplation depends on God's Spirit, not on us. Lectio divina teaches us to savor and delight in all the different flavors of God's presence, whether they be active or receptive modes of experiencing Him.

IN lectio divina we offer ourselves to God; and we are people in motion. In ancient times this inner spiritual motion was described as a helix - an ascending spiral. Viewed in only two dimensions it appears as a circular motion back and forth; seen with the added dimension of time it becomes a helix, an ascending spiral by means of which we are drawn ever closer to God. The whole of our spiritual lives were viewed in this way, as a gentle oscillation between spiritual activity and receptivity by means of which God unites us ever closer to Himself. In just the same way the steps or stages of lectio divina represent an oscillation back and forth between these spiritual poles. In lectio divina we recognize our underlying spiritual rhythm and discover many different ways of experiencing God's presence - many different ways of praying.

3. THE PRACTICE of LECTIO DIVINA

Private Lectio Divina

CHOOSE a text of the Scriptures that you wish to pray. Many Christians use in their daily lectio divina one of the readings from the Eucharistic liturgy for the day; others prefer to slowly work through a particular book of the Bible. It makes no difference which text is chosen, as long as one has no set goal of “covering” a certain amount of text: the amount of text “covered” is in God's hands, not yours.

PLACE YOURSELF in a comfortable position and allow yourself to become silent. Some Christians focus for a few moments on their breathing; other have a beloved “prayer word” or “prayer phrase” they gently recite in order to become interiorly silent. For some the practice known as “centering prayer” makes a good, brief introduction to lectio divina. Use whatever method is best for you and allow yourself to enjoy silence for a few moments.

THEN TURN to the text and read it slowly, gently. Savor each portion of the reading, constantly listening for the “still, small voice” of a word or phrase that somehow says, “I am for you today.” Do not expect lightening or ecstasies. In lectio divina God is teaching us to listen to Him, to seek Him in silence. He does not reach out and grab us; rather, He softly, gently invites us ever more deeply into His presence.

NEXT TAKE the word or phrase into yourself. Memorize it and slowly repeat it to yourself, allowing it to interact with your inner world of concerns, memories and ideas. Do not be afraid of “distractions.” Memories or thoughts are simply parts of yourself which, when they rise up during lectio divina, are asking to be given to God along with the rest of your inner self. Allow this inner pondering, this rumination, to invite you into dialogue with God.

THEN, SPEAK to God. Whether you use words or ideas or images or all three is not important. Interact with God as you would with one who you know loves and accepts you. And give to Him what you have discovered in yourself during your experience of meditatio. Experience yourself as the priest that you are. Experience God using the word or phrase that He has given you as a means of blessing, of transforming the ideas and memories, which your pondering on His word has awakened. Give to God what you have found within your heart.

FINALLY, SIMPLY rest in God's embrace. And when He invites you to return to your pondering of His word or to your inner dialogue with Him, do so. Learn to use words when words are helpful, and to let go of words when they no longer are necessary. Rejoice in the knowledge that God is with you in both words and silence, in spiritual activity and inner receptivity.

SOMETIMES IN lectio divina one will return several times to the printed text, either to savor the literary context of the word or phrase that God has given, or to seek a new word or phrase to ponder. At other times only a single word or phrase will fill the whole time set aside for lectio divina. It is not necessary to anxiously assess the quality of one's lectio divina as if one were “performing” or seeking some goal: lectio divina has no goal other than that of being in the presence of God by praying the Scriptures.

Lectio Divina as a Group Exercise

THE most authentic and traditional form of Christian lectio divina is the solitary or “private” practice described to this point. In recent years, however, many different forms of so-called “group lectio” have become popular and are now widely-practiced. These group exercises can be very useful means of introducing and encouraging the practice of lectio divina; but they should not become a substitute for an encounter and communion with the Living God that can only take place in that privileged solitude where the biblical Word of God becomes transparent to the Very Word Himself - namely private lectio divina.

IN churches of the Third World where books are rare, a form of corporate lectio divina is becoming common in which a text from the Scriptures is pondered by Christians praying together in a group. The method of group lectio divina described here was introduced at St. Andrew's Abbey by oblates Doug and Norvene Vest: it is used as part of the Benedictine Spirituality for Laity workshops conducted at the Abbey each summer.

THIS FORM of lectio divina works best in a group of between four and eight people. A group leader coordinates the process and facilitates sharing. The same text from the Scriptures is read out three times, followed each time by a period of silence and an opportunity for each member of the group to share the fruit of her or his lectio.

THE FIRST reading (the text is actually read twice on this occasion) is for the purpose of hearing a word or passage that touches the heart. When the word or phrase is found, it is silently taken in, and gently recited and pondered during the silence which follows. After the silence each person shares which word or phrase has touched his or her heart.

THE SECOND reading (by a member of the opposite sex from the first reader) is for the purpose of “hearing” or “seeing” Christ in the text. Each ponders the word that has touched the heart and asks where the word or phrase touches his or her life that day. In other words, how is Christ the Word touching his own experience, his own life? How are the various members of the group seeing or hearing Christ reach out to them through the text? Then, after the silence, each member of the group shares what he or she has “heard” or “seen.”

THE THIRD and final reading is for the purpose of experiencing Christ “calling us forth” into doing or being. Members ask themselves what Christ in the text is calling them to do or to become today or this week. After the silence, each shares for the last time; and the exercise concludes with each person praying for the person on the right.

THOSE WHO who regularly practice this method of praying and sharing the Scriptures regularly find it to be an excellent way of developing trust within a group; it also is an excellent way of consecrating projects and hopes to Christ before more formal group meetings. A summary of this method for group lectio divina is appended at the end of this article.

Lectio Divina on Life

IN THE ancient tradition lectio divina was understood as being one of the most important ways in which Christians experience God in creation. After all, the Scriptures are part of creation! If one is daily growing in the art of finding Christ in the pages of the Bible, one naturally begins to discover Him more clearly in aspects of the other things He has made. This includes, of course, our own personal history.

OUR OWN lives are fit matter for lectio divina. Very often our concerns, our relationships, our hopes and aspirations naturally intertwine with our pondering on the Scriptures, as has been described above. But sometimes it is fitting to simply sit down and “read” the experiences of the last few days or weeks in our hearts, much as we might slowly read and savor the words of Scripture in lectio divina. We can attend “with the ear of our hearts” to our own memories, listening for God's gentle presence in the events of our lives. We thus allow ourselves the joy of experiencing Christ reaching out to us through our own memories. Our own personal story becomes “salvation history.”

FOR THOSE who are new to the practice of lectio divina a group experience of “lectio on life” can provide a helpful introduction. An approach that has been used at workshops at St. Andrew's Priory is detailed at the end of this article. Like the experience of lectio divina shared in community, this group experience of lectio on life can foster relationships in community and enable personal experiences to be consecrated - offered to Christ - in a concrete way.

HOWEVER, UNLIKE scriptural lectio divina shared in community, this group lectio on life contains more silence than sharing. The role of group facilitators or leaders is important, since they will be guiding the group through several periods of silence and reflection without the “interruption” of individual sharing until the end of the exercise. Since the experiences we choose to “read” or “listen to” may be intensely personal, it is important in this group exercise to safeguard privacy by making sharing completely optional.

IN BRIEF, one begins with restful silence, then gently reviews the events of a given period of time. One seeks an event, a memory, which touches the heart just as a word or phrase in scriptural lectio divina does. One then recalls the setting, the circumstances; one seeks to discover how God seemed to be present or absent from the experience. One then offers the event to God and rests for a time in silence. A suggested method for group lectio divina on life is given in the Appendix to this article.

CONCLUSION

LECTIO DIVINA is an ancient spiritual art that is being rediscovered in our day. It is a way of allowing the Scriptures to become again what God intended that they should be - a means of uniting us to Himself. In lectio divina we discover our own underlying spiritual rhythm. We experience God in a gentle oscillation back and forth between spiritual activity and receptivity, in the movement from practice into contemplation and back again into spiritual practice.

LECTIO DIVINA teaches us about the God who truly loves us. In lectio divina we dare to believe that our loving Father continues to extend His embrace to us today. And His embrace is real. In His word we experience ourselves as personally loved by God; as the recipients of a word which He gives uniquely to each of us whenever we turn to Him in the Scriptures.

FINALLY, lectio divina teaches us about ourselves. In lectio divina we discover that there is no place in our hearts, no interior corner or closet that cannot be opened and offered to God. God teaches us in lectio divina what it means to be members of His royal priesthood - a people called to consecrate all of our memories, our hopes and our dreams to Christ.

APPENDIX: TWO APPROACHES to
GROUP LECTIO DIVINA

1. Lectio Divina Shared in Community

(A) Listening for the Gentle Touch of Christ the Word
(The Literal Sense)

1. One person reads aloud (twice) the passage of scripture, as others are attentive to some segment that is especially meaningful to them.

2. Silence for 1-2 minutes. Each hears and silently repeats a word or phrase that attracts.

3. Sharing aloud: [A word or phrase that has attracted each person]. A simple statement of one or a few words. No elaboration.

(B) How Christ the Word speaks to ME
(The Allegorical Sense)

4. Second reading of same passage by another person.

5. Silence for 2-3 minutes. Reflect on “Where does the content of this reading touch my life today?”

6. Sharing aloud: Briefly: “I hear, I see...”

7. Third reading by still another person.

8. Silence for 2-3 minutes. Reflect on “I believe that God wants me to . . . . . . today/this week.”

9. Sharing aloud: at somewhat greater length the results of each one's reflection. [Be especially aware of what is shared by the person to your right.]

10. After full sharing, pray for the person to your right.

Note: Anyone may “pass” at any time. If instead of sharing with the group you prefer to pray silently , simply state this aloud and conclude your silent prayer with Amen.

2. Lectio on Life: Applying Lectio Divina
to my personal Salvation History

Purpose: to apply a method of prayerful reflection to a life/work incident (instead of to a scripture passage)

(A) Listening for the Gentle Touch of Christ the Word
(The Literal Sense)

1. Each person quiets the body and mind: relax, sit comfortably but alert, close eyes, attune to breathing...

2. Each person gently reviews events, situations, sights, encounters that have happened since the beginning of the retreat/or during the last month at work.

(B) Gently Ruminating, Reflecting
(Meditatio - Meditation)

3. Each person allows the self to focus on one such offering.

a) Recollect the setting, sensory details, sequence of events, etc.

b) Notice where the greatest energy seemed to be evoked. Was there a turning point or shift?

c) In what ways did God seem to be present? To what extent was I aware then? Now?

4. Use a word or phrase from the Scriptures to inwardly consecrate - to offer up to God in prayer - the incident and interior reflections. Allow God to accept and bless them as your gift.

(D) Accepting Christ's Embrace; Silent Presence to the Lord
(Contemplatio - Contemplation)

5. Remain in silence for some period.

(E) Sharing our Lectio Experience with Each Other
(Operatio - Action; works)

6. Leader calls the group back into “community.”

7. All share briefly (or remain in continuing silence).

The author considers this article to be in the Public Domain. This article may therefore be downloaded, reproduced and distributed without special permission from the author. It was first published in the Spring, 1990 (vol.1, no.1) edition of Valyermo Benedictine. It has subsequently been reprinted as (1) “Appendix 2” in The Art and Vocation of Caring for People in Pain by Karl A. Schultz (Paulist Press, 1993), pp. 98-110; and in (2) An Invitation to Centering Prayer with and Introduction to Lectio Divina, by Basil Pennington and Luke Dysinger (Liguori/Triumph, 2001)

From here you may return to the St. Andrew's Abbey Homepage. This document was last updated on 12/9/05 at 10:30 a.

Day 167, 06/24/2010, Holy Reading, Psalm 119:97-99

97 Oh, how love I Your law! It is my meditation all the day. [Ps 1:2.]

98 You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies, for [Your words] are ever before me.

99 I have better understanding and deeper insight than all my teachers, because Your testimonies are my meditation. [2 Tim 3:15.] AMP

How do you approach your time of reading God’s Word? There are a few simple steps that will cause you to get much more from God’s Word. If we will come with a humble heart, eager to learn, realizing that it is the Holy Spirit that causes us to gain life, truth and understanding from God’s Word.

When we read are we looking for quick fixes for the circumstances in our lives or are we seeking to be transformed by the renewing our minds that comes from God’s Word working in us.

Are we seeking to know the author and finisher of our faith? Are we seeking to know God and please God by conforming our lives, thought, hopes and emotions to align to His?

Do we seek to please Him in all of our ways or are we simply hoping to gain His power, wisdom, knowledge and miracles for our own purposes and ego?

Below is an addition article on the Word meditate and concept of meditation in scripture.

MEDITATE [Hebr. ‎´î(a)µ‎, ‎´û(a)µ‎] (Gen 24:63; Ps 77:3,6 [MT :4 :7 ]; 119:15,23,27,48,78,148; 145:5); AV also COMPLAIN , "commune with mine own heart" (Ps 77:6), TALK OF, SPEAK OF; NEB also "hoping to meet" (Gen 24:63), "lay thinking" (Ps 77:3,6), STUDY , "my theme shall be" (Ps 145:5); [‎h¹gâ‎] (Josh 1:8; Ps 1:2; 38:12 (MT :13 ); 63:6 [MT :7 ]; 77:12 [MT :13 ]; 143:5); AV also IMAGINE ; NEB also "keep in mind" (Josh 1:8), MUTTER , "think on," MEMORY; [Gk. ‎promeletáœ‎] (Luke 21:14); NEB "prepare beforehand";

MEDITATION [Hebr. ‎´î(a)µ‎] (Ps 104:34); [‎´îµâ‎] (Job 15:4; Ps 119:97,99); AV also PRAYER ; NEB SPEAK, STUDY ; [‎higg¹yôn‎] (Ps 19:14 [MT :15 ]); NEB "all that I ... think"; [‎h¹gû¾‎] (Ps 49:3 [MT :4 ]); NEB "thoughtful."

In the biblical world meditation was not a silent practice. ‎H¹gâ ‎means "growl," "utter," or "moan" (cf. BDB p. 211 ) as well as "meditate" or "muse." No doubt meditation involved a muttering sound from reading half aloud or conversing with oneself (cf. Ps 77:6). Consequently, translations can vary: e.g., in Job 15:4 "meditation" (RSV) is rendered "prayer" by the AV and "to speak" by the NEB; in the AV Ps 5:1 (MT :2 ) has, "O Lord, consider my meditation", but the RSV has "give heed to my groaning" and the NEB "consider my inmost thought."

Meditation takes place any time of the day or night (Josh 1:8; Ps 1:2). It produces inward strength and joy (Ps 63:5). The object of meditation is particularly the law with its precepts (119:15), statutes (v. 48), testimonies (v. 99), and promises (v. 148). The glorious splendor of God's majesty, along with His wondrous works or miracles, is also the content of meditation (143:5; 145:5). Meditation takes place in the heart, the seat of the emotional and rational life. Therefore, the psalmist prays that the meditation of his heart will be acceptable in God's sight (19:14; 104:34), i.e., he wants his inner thoughts to approach the standard God approves. Thus the righteous, when they encounter the plots of the wicked, maintain a pure mind by meditating on God's law (119:23).

Jesus instructed His followers not to waste their time meditating their anticipated defense before their persecutors. Such confrontations are so versatile and unpredictable that undue preoccupation with them only increases one's anxiety and reduces one's effectiveness in the task at hand. To meet such a crisis Jesus promised special wisdom in speech from the Holy Spirit (Luke 21:14).

Conversely, as Paul taught Timothy, the mind is to be occupied with spiritual matters to increase spiritual growth (1 Tim 4:15, using Gk. ‎meletáœ‎, RSV "practice," AV "mediate").

Day 166, 06/23/2010, Meditating on Scripture, 2 Timothy 2:7

2 Tim 2:1-7

1 SO YOU, my son, be strong (strengthened inwardly) in the grace (spiritual blessing) that is [to be found only] in Christ Jesus. 2 And the [instructions] which you have heard from me along with many witnesses, transmit and entrust [as a deposit] to reliable and faithful men who will be competent and qualified to teach others also. 3 Take [with me] your share of the hardships and suffering [which you are called to endure] as a good (first-class) soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier when in service gets entangled in the enterprises of [civilian] life; his aim is to satisfy and please the one who enlisted him. 5 And if anyone enters competitive games, he is not crowned unless he competes lawfully (fairly, according to the rules laid down). 6 [It is] the hard-working farmer [who labors to produce] who must be the first partaker of the fruits. 7 Think over these things I am saying [understand them and grasp their application], for the Lord will grant you full insight and understanding in everything. amp

Paul is instructing Timothy about be a good servant of God. He tells him to consider these things in verse 7, which refers to verses 1-6 as applied to serving God as a pastor. Paul is telling Timothy that God will give him understanding as he considers, thinks on or meditates on what Paul by the Holy Spirit is telling him.

When we seek to understand a verse or truth in scripture (those things God has had written in the Bible) we must be careful to seek to understand them first within the passage and book they are in and then in the fuller context of the Bible as a whole. When we do this we will gain the understanding God intends. If we do not learn to do this we open ourselves to false teachings.

Application

Today we have learned that when we think on, consider or meditate on the Bible we must look for its meaning and understanding from the Bible itself. Pick a verse from either the ‘I am’ sayings of Jesus in John’s Gospel or the ‘In Him’ scriptures in the first three chapters of Ephesians and begin to meditate, think on and consider it.

You may want use cross references if your Bible has them. Use of an exhaustive concordance such as Strong’s is also helpful as it will allow you to see the Hebrew and Greek definitions of the words used.

I am including word definitions from the Old and New Testaments below to help you get started.

TO MEDITATE: OT Usage

Hagah OT:1897, "to meditate, moan, growl, utter, speak." This word is common to both ancient and modern Hebrew. Found only 25 times in the Hebrew Old Testament, it seems to be an onomatopoetic term (the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (as buzz, hiss), reflecting the sighing and low sounds one may make while musing, at least as the ancients practiced it. This meaning is seen in its first occurrence in the text: "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night..." Josh 1:8. Perhaps the most famous reference "to meditating" on the law day and night is Ps 1:2.

Hagah also expresses the "growl" of lions Isa 31:4 and the "mourning" of doves Isa 38:14. When the word is used in the sense of "to mourn," it apparently emphasizes the sorrowful sounds of mourning, as seen in this parallelism: "Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; mine heart shall mourn for the men of Kir-heres" Jer 48:31. The idea that mental exercise, planning, often is accompanied by low talking seems to be reflected by Prov 24:1-2: "Be not thou envious against evil men,... for their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.

MEDITATE: NT Usage

meletao (‎meleta/w‎, NT:3191), primarily, "to care for" (akin to melete, "care"; cf. melei, "it is a care"), denotes (a) "to attend to, practice," 1 Tim 4:15, RV, "be diligent in" (KJV, "meditate upon"); to practice is the prevalent sense of the word, and the context is not against this significance in the RV rendering; some mss. have it in Mark 13:11; (b) "to ponder, imagine," Acts 4:25.

MEDITATION

Prayerful rumination upon God, His Word, and His world.

Many of us worry that “meditation” has a ring of the occult or of Eastern religions. Yet the Bible is filled with references to God’s people meditating on His Word, pondering Jesus or “higher things,” reflecting on the beauty of creation. Unlike Eastern meditation, in which participants seek to empty themselves of attachment, in Christian meditation we seek to fill ourselves with God, to form a more complete attachment to Christ.

“Christian meditation involves, not emptiness, but fullness,” writes author Joyce Huggett. “It means being attentive to God. Meditation is trying to focus on God with the aim of letting God direct our thoughts. Like so many of the

disciplines, it is ultimately about seeking God’s voice. And while meditation is closely linked with prayer and study, it focuses more on listening than on talking, is more devotional than analytical. In meditation, our emotions and our imaginations are as equally engaged as our minds.

Just as Enoch, Moses, the prophets, and countless others walked and talked with God, so too we seek to listen for God—whether in the slow savoring of God’s Word, in silent meditation, or in contemplation of creation or events in the world around us. Meditation is countercultural for many of us who tend to want to learn and pray and read as quickly as we can, so we can get to the next item on our to-do list. Reading slowly, pondering a flower, thinking about God with no set agenda—these are often difficult tasks for us, which shows just how essential they are for our formation.

On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.—Psalm 145:5

Day 166 Spiritual Practice: Meditating on Scripture

Day 167 Holy Reading

Day 168 Meditate on It Day and Night

Day 169 Mary Pondered the Words in Her Heart

Day 170 The Beginning of Knowledge

Day 171 Give Me Understanding

Day 172 Knowing Jesus’ Voice

Day 173 Knowledge of God’s Mystery

Day 174 I Search My Spirit

Day 175 Musing on God’s Mighty Deeds

Day 176 Spiritual Practice: Setting Our Minds on God

Day 177 The Meditation of My Heart

Day 178 Think About These Things

Day 179 Resting and Reflecting

Day 180 Meditating in the Watches of the Night

Day 181 When Life Hinders Meditation

Day 182 A Walking Meditation

Day 183 Meditating on God’s Works

Day 184 Reflecting on Jesus

Day 185 Setting Our Sights on Jesus

Day 165, 06/22/2010, The Life God Wants For Us, I John 3:18-22

18 Little children, let us not love [merely] in theory or in speech but in deed and in truth (in practice and in sincerity).

19 By this we shall come to know (perceive, recognize, and understand) that we are of the Truth, and can reassure (quiet, conciliate, and pacify) our hearts in His presence,

20 Whenever our hearts in [tormenting] self-accusation make us feel guilty and condemn us. [For owe are in God's hands.] For He is above and greater than our consciences (our hearts), and He knows (perceives and understands) everything [nothing is hidden from Him].

21 And, beloved, if our consciences (our hearts) do not accuse us [if they do not make us feel guilty and condemn us], we have confidence (complete assurance and boldness) before God,

22 And we receive from Him whatever we ask, because we [watchfully] obey His orders [observe His suggestions and injunctions, follow His plan for us] and [habitually] practice what is pleasing to Him. AMP

God’s guidance in our lives is based on our relationship with Him. We know Him, His Word and His ways and from this relationship we have an intimate knowledge which allows us to hear him say this is the way. James 1:5-6

5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, NASU

164, 06/21/2010, Guiding the Nations, Psalm 67:1-8

The Nations Called to Praise God

To the leader: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us

and make his face to shine upon us,

Selah

2 that your way may be known upon earth,

your saving power among all nations.

3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you.

4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,

for you judge the peoples with equity

and guide the nations upon earth.

Selah

5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you.

6 The earth has yielded its increase;

God, our God, has blessed us.

7 May God continue to bless us;

let all the ends of the earth revere him. NRSV

Are You trusting Him to Guide you or Your nation?

Day 162, 06/19/2010, What Makes for Understanding, Job 32:6-10

Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite answered:

"I am young in years,

and you are aged;

therefore I was timid and afraid

to declare my opinion to you.

7 I said, 'Let days speak,

and many years teach wisdom.'

8 But truly it is the spirit in a mortal,

the breath of the Almighty, that makes for understanding.

9 It is not the old that are wise,

nor the aged that understand what is right.

10 Therefore I say, 'Listen to me;

let me also declare my opinion.' NRSV

God gives supernatural insight and wisdom to the young and the old, to women and to men, to the educated and the uneducated. James 1:5-8

5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. NASU

When we need spiritual direction, we may find it in those whom the world assumes there is no wisdom.

Day 161, 06/18/2010, Asking for Help, 2 kings 22:11-20

1 When the king heard the book being read, he tore his clothes in dismay, 12 and gave the following order to Hilkiah the priest, to Ahikam son of Shaphan, to Achbor son of Micaiah, to Shaphan, the court secretary, and to Asaiah, the king's attendant: 13 "Go and consult the LORD for me and for all the people of Judah about the teachings of this book. The LORD is angry with us because our ancestors have not done what this book says must be done."

14 Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to consult a woman named Huldah, a prophet who lived in the newer part of Jerusalem. (Her husband Shallum, the son of Tikvah and grandson of Harhas, was in charge of the Temple robes.) They described to her what had happened, 15 and she told them to go back to the king and give him 16 the following message from the Lord : "I am going to punish Jerusalem and all its people, as written in the book that the king has read. 17 They have rejected me and have offered sacrifices to other gods, and so have stirred up my anger by all they have done. My anger is aroused against Jerusalem, and it will not die down. 18 As for the king himself, this is what I, the Lord God of Israel, say: You listened to what is written in the book, 19 and you repented and humbled yourself before me, tearing your clothes and weeping, when you heard how I threatened to punish Jerusalem and its people. I will make it a terrifying sight, a place whose name people will use as a curse. But I have heard your prayer, 20 and the punishment which I am going to bring on Jerusalem will not come until after your death. I will let you die in peace." TEV

Josiah is humble enough to know he needs help understanding God’s will and even though he is king he seeks help so that he might know the will of God.

Today, it is ok to admit that we need help in understanding God’s will and searching out His Word for that help. We may even need help in understanding the Word of God.

Day 160, 06/17/2010, The Fruit of The Spirit, Galatians 5:22-25

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 humility, self control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things.

24 Moreover, those who belong to the Messiah Yeshua have put their old nature to death on the stake, along with its passions and desires. 25 Since it is through the Spirit that we have Life, let it also be through the Spirit that we order our lives day by day.

26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (CJB)

Jesus said in Matt 12:33 “If you make a tree good, its fruit will be good; and if you make a tree bad, its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. CJB

How is your tree (life with God) doing? Is it getting the right food, pure water and Son shine? Are you allowing God to prune it (cut back some branches so that all branches produce more good fruit)?

Ask God today to help you in the care and feeding of your life so that you are producing the fruit of the Holy Spirit!

Day 159, 06/16/2010, Seeking False Guidance, I Chronicles 10:13-14

So Saul died for his trespass against the Lord (in sparing Amalek), for his unfaithfulness in not keeping God's word, and also for consulting [a medium with] a spirit of the dead to inquire pleadingly of it,

14 And inquired not so of the Lord [in earnest penitence]. Therefore the Lord slew him and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse. [1 Sam 28:6.] AMP

Lev 19:31

31 Turn not to those [mediums] who have familiar spirits (witches or to wizards) or wiccans; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.

We observe that Saul was disobedient to God on several occasions and committed complete acts of knowingly being disobedient to God and His laws.

It is sad when we see someone disobedient to God because of ignorance, but it is tragic when we see someone disobedient to God who knows God’s Word and then rejects it and knowingly is disobedient.

Today we must be careful not to seek guidance from sources and spiritual powers apart from God Himself. This is a complete rejection of god as our source and a demonstration of our complete lack of faith in God to provide, protect and guide our lives.

Day 158, 06/15/2010, Asking For a Sign, Judges 6:12-22

12 The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, "The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior." 13 Then Gideon said to him, "O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?' But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian." 14 The Lord looked at him and said, "aGo in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?" 15 He said to Him, "O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's house." 16 But the Lord said to him, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man." 17 So Gideon said to Him, "If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me. 18 "Please do not depart from here, until I come back to You, and bring out my offering and lay it before You." And He said, "I will remain until you return."

19 Then Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour; he put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, and brought them out to him under the oak and presented them. 20 The angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth." And he did so. 21 Then the angel of the Lord put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight. 22 When Gideon saw that he was the angel of the Lord, he said, "Alas, O Lord God ! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face." NASU

Have you ever ask God for a sign? What happened? In looking back at that time in your life did you sense God leading?

Day 157, With Him I Speak Face to Face, Numbers 12:1-9

12 While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had indeed married a Cushite woman); 2 and they said, "Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?" And the Lord heard it. 3 Now the man Moses was very humble, more so than anyone else on the face of the earth. 4 Suddenly the LORD said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, "Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting." So the three of them came out. 5 Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the entrance of the tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward. 6 And he said, "Hear my words: When there are prophets among you, I the Lord make myself known to them in visions; I speak to them in dreams.7 Not so with my servant Moses; he is entrusted with all my house.8 With him I speak face to face — clearly, not in riddles; and he beholds the form of the Lord .Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" 9 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed. NRSV

God directs each of us in a variety of ways. When we hear of others who claim to have clear direction in life and events we may become jealous or frustrated. We must be careful to trust God to guide and direct us in the way He chooses for He alone know how we think, feel and perceive things. He alone is wise enough to guide us and He promises that He will. Knowing God’s will requires us to know Him personally and know Him well by being both a person who knows and does His Word. It also requires us to trust that His Word is true and that He is no respecter of one person over another and that He values us as much as the rest of His people. Remember He still speaks both in the still small voce and the voce that causes mountains to tremble.

Today, lay down your preferred ways and allow Him to have His way in your life!

Day 156, 06/13/2010, Finding the Way, Isaiah 30:19-22

19 O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem,

you will weep no more.

He will be gracious if you ask for help.

He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.

20 Though the Lord gave you adversity for food

and suffering for drink,

he will still be with you to teach you.

You will see your teacher with your own eyes.

21 Your own ears will hear him.

Right behind you a voice will say,

"This is the way you should go,"

whether to the right or to the left.

22 Then you will destroy all your silver idols

and your precious gold images.

You will throw them out like filthy rags,

saying to them, "Good riddance!" NLT

It is a marvelous thing to know the guidance of the Lord in our lives.

With the Lord’s guidance comes a call to get rid of any other idols, false gods and things that have priority over God in our lives.

Just as Israel torn down the shrines to the false gods in their land we must also tear down everything that we have allowed to be elevated above God in our lives and put them in the place that the Bible requires.

Ask God to reveal anything that you have allowed to have higher priority in your life than God. Once he reveals it to you repent (turn away) from it and run to God. Make Him Lord over your life and yield everything else to him that you will be free to hear him say, go here or go there.

FINDING THE WAY

It is often difficult to hear that voice guiding us to the right path. Many of us think we know God’s direction for a certain part of our lives, but we are not sure. Throughout the next ten days we will be seeking discernment about a major decision. Perhaps there is some leading you think you have felt or some issue about which you remain undecided—such as whether you should stay in or pursue a relationship with a certain person, or whether you should change vocation. Or perhaps you have not felt any real leadings from God about the direction your life should take and your task is not to confirm, but to ask God for a new direction.

You can go about this task in a variety of ways. You might want to pray about the same thing every day, asking God for confirmation or direction, or, alternately, spend a block of time one day thinking and praying. Another option is to ask several trusted friends to meet with you to talk over and pray about your question. Quakers call such gatherings “meetings for clearness.” Sometimes the Holy Spirit can speak to us more clearly in a group and also reassure us that our inclination is of the Spirit and not of our own ego.

Throughout, as you seek confirmation that you are on the right path, consider that, in his Rules for the Discernment of Spirits, Ignatius of Loyola states that good influences provide courage and strength and produce peace and a greater feeling of love, while choices influenced by evil can be counted on to cause regret, sadness, and disquiet.⁵

Reflect on these thoughts of Ignatius whenever you feel unsure.

154, Guided by God’s Strength, Exodus 15:11-13

11 "Who is like you among the gods, O Lord —glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor,

performing great wonders?

12 You raised your right hand, and the earth swallowed our enemies.

13 "With your unfailing love you lead the people you have redeemed. In your might, you guide them to your sacred home. NLT

Day 153, You Are The Man, 2 Samuel 12:7-13

2 Sam 11:27-12:14

But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord , 12 1 and the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, "There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds; 3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meager fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. 4 Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him." 5 Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, "As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; 6 he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."

7 Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the Lord , the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; 8 I gave you your master's house, and your master's wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more. 9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord , to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. 11 Thus says the Lord : I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this very sun. 12 For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun." 13 David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord ." Nathan said to David, "Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die. NRSV

Nathan was called on to speak the truth and Trust God to help the King.

Day 151, 06/10/2010, Peter’s Vision, Acts 10:9-35

9 About noon the next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat; and while it was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw the heaven opened and something like a large sheet coming down, being lowered to the ground by its four corners. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed creatures and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 Then he heard a voice saying, "Get up, Peter; kill and eat." 14 But Peter said, "By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean." 15 The voice said to him again, a second time, "What God has made clean, you must not call profane." 16 This happened three times, and the thing was suddenly taken up to heaven.

17 Now while Peter was greatly puzzled about what to make of the vision that he had seen, suddenly the men sent by Cornelius appeared. They were asking for Simon's house and were standing by the gate. 18 They called out to ask whether Simon, who was called Peter, was staying there. 19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Look, three men are searching for you. 20 Now get up, go down, and go with them without hesitation; for I have sent them." 21 So Peter went down to the men and said, "I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for your coming?" 22 They answered, "Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say." 23 So Peter invited them in and gave them lodging.

The next day he got up and went with them, and some of the believers from Joppa accompanied him. 24 The following day they came to Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 On Peter's arrival Cornelius met him, and falling at his feet, worshiped him. 26 But Peter made him get up, saying, "Stand up; I am only a mortal." 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found that many had assembled; 28 and he said to them, "You yourselves know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or to visit a Gentile; but God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. Now may I ask why you sent for me?"

30 Cornelius replied, "Four days ago at this very hour, at three o'clock, I was praying in my house when suddenly a man in dazzling clothes stood before me. 31 He said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon, who is called Peter; he is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.' 33 Therefore I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. So now all of us are here in the presence of God to listen to all that the Lord has commanded you to say." NRSV

In the section of the Word Peter, receives a vision, has people come to him to confirm the message and Peter still takes a while to figure out that this is not about food but about people and that God’s grace and good news in Jesus Christ is for all people everywhere.

How hard does God work to speak to you? What can we be doing to be more in tune with God and therefore make it easier on ourselves for God to communicate with us?

Day 151, 06/09/2010, Ananias Guides Saul, Acts 9:1-18

Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" 5 He asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." He answered, "Here I am, Lord." 11 The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a visiont a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight." 13 But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name." 15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 16 I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." 17 So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saulu and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. NRSV

This account of Paul’s Damascus road conversion is a remarkable story all by itself, but verses 10-18 which tell of Ananias’ willingness to be used by God to minister to Paul who was a great persecutor of believers is even more amazing as we see how can use us to help those who we might not think worthy of God’s goodness. They may not seem in our understanding to be the ones we should be helping, but God desires that all people come to Him and become what He desires and our role is to be Christ like to them and obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Who would you think least likely to be saved and living for God? Have you prayed for that person or group to come to God and be saved?

Day 150, 06/08/2010, Through the Mouth of a Donkey, Numbers 22:20-23 + 28- 31.

20 God came to Balaam at night and said to him, "If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you shall you do."

21 So Balaam arose in the morning, and saddled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab.

The Angel and Balaam

22 But God was angry because he was going, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field; but Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back into the way.

28 And the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?" 29 Then Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, would have killed you by now." 30 The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you?" And he said, "No."

31 Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed all the way to the ground. NASU

This is one of my all time favorite accounts of God’s relationship with people in the Bible. Many have heard me in preaching or teaching say “read about Balaam and remember verses 27-28 which in the king James use the word ass instead of donkey. If God is using you do not think to highly of yourself, He can use any (donkey/ass or animal). If he used you or uses you remember to give Him all of the credit and glory!”

Read the entire story and then thank God that He desires to use you!

Day 149, 06/07/2010, David Inquires of the Lord, 2 Samuel, 5:17, 19-25

Philistine Attack Repulsed

17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up in search of David; but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the valley of Rephaim. 19 David inquired of the Lord , "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?" The Lord said to David, "Go up; for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand." 20 So David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. He said, "The Lord has burst forth against my enemies before me, like a bursting flood." Therefore that place is called Baal-perazim. 21 The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them away.

22 Once again the Philistines came up, and were spread out in the valley of Rephaim. 23 When David inquired of the Lord , he said, "You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come upon them opposite the balsam trees. 24 When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then be on the alert; for then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines." 25 David did just as the Lord had commanded him; and he struck down the Philistines from Geba all the way to Gezer. NRSV

God delights in winning battles for His people against over whelming odds.

Will you allow Him to fight your battles today and give the strategy and resources needed to win?

Day 148, 0606/2010, Here I Am, I Samuel 3:1-20.

Samuel's Calling and Prophetic Activity

3 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.

2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; 3 the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord , where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called, "Samuel! Samuel!"d and he said, "Here I am!" 5 and ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and lay down. 6 The Lord called again, "Samuel!" Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord , and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, Lord , for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 For I have told him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God,e and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever."

15 Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord . Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." He said, "Here I am." 17 Eli said, "What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you." 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, "It is the Lord ; let him do what seems good to him."

19 As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord . 21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord . NRSV

God will use our children if we will allow Him. He will also use us if we allow and to the degree we trust and respond to him with the heart of a child he will do great things measured by His grace and power more than our abilities!

Day 147, 06/05/2010, You Shall Go, Jeremiah 1:4-8

4 Now the word of the LORD CAME to me saying,
5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."
6 Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy."
7 But the LORD SAID to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a boy'; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you.
8 Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you, NRSV

Notice the prophet’s humility, his understanding of his own limitations as seen by himself and maybe even others. But God will have none of the” I am not good enough stuff.” God created him with the gifts and called him to fulfill just this purpose.

God has a much grander plan than our fleshly understanding can grasp and it is the exercise of Hid supernatural abilities in us that accomplishes His purposes not anything we might be able to do in the natural.

Remember as we come to him like little children He will accomplish above and beyond what we could hope or image!

Day 146, 06/04/2010 Hearing God, Psalm 73:23-24

Ps 73:23-24

23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;

You have taken hold of my right hand.

24 With Your counsel You will guide me,

And afterward receive me to glory. NASU

Remember, God is always with us and he knows the way we will go and is there holding our hand. He counsels us, guides us and keeps us on the path to glory with Him.

Day 145, 06/03/2010, A God Who Guides, Isaiah 45:14-1

"The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush

And the Sabeans, men of stature,

Will come over to you and will be yours;

They will walk behind you, they will come over in chains

And will bow down to you;

They will make supplication to you:

'Surely, God is with you, and there is none else,

No other God.'"

15 Truly, You are a God who hides Himself,

O God of Israel, Savior! NASU

God chooses how and to whom He will reveal Himself and His ways. If we seek Him with all of our hearts he will be found! 1 Chron 28:9-10

9 "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. NASU

GUIDANCE

Experiencing an interactive friendship with God that gives direction and purpose to daily life.

God wishes to be in relationship with us. One aspect of this interactive friendship with God is guidance. Throughout the Bible we see God providing continued guidance for the rough times and the good. Today, we often think this kind of interaction is no longer possible, but that is not the case. As Dallas Willard writes, “Today I continue to believe that people are meant to live in an ongoing conversation with God, speaking and being spoken to. . . . Given who we are by basic nature, we live—really live—only through God’s regular speaking in our souls and thus ‘by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”¹

These words from God can come to us in a variety of ways: through “the still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12, KJV), through others, through Scripture. As with so many of the disciplines, we often must cut through a lot of worldly static to hear God’s voice. Like Moses and Jeremiah, we often resist God’s will, in matters small and large.

But it’s also important to realize that guidance is not just discerning God’s will and direction for specific decisions, such as whether to marry a certain person, start a certain ministry, or pursue a particular career path. Having an interactive friendship with God means that divine will can pervade all areas of our life, so that even when we are not fully conscious of asking God whether to do a particular thing, we can still be within the scope of God’s will. As Willard puts it, hearing God is about who God wants us to be as well as what God wants us to do.

When you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” —Isaiah 30:21

Day 146 Spiritual Practice: Hearing God

Day 147 You Shall Go

Day 148 Here I Am

Day 149 David Inquires of the Lord

Day 150 Through the Mouth of a Donkey

Day 151 Ananias Guides Saul

Day 152 Peter’s Vision

Day 153 You Are the Man!

Day 154 Guided by God’s Strength

Day 155 Guided by the Spirit

Day 156 Spiritual Practice: Finding the Way

Day 157 With Him I Speak Face to Face

Day 158 Asking for a Sign

Day 159 Seeking False Guidance

Day 160 The Fruit of the Spirit

Day 161 Asking for Help

Day 162 What Makes for Understanding

Day 163 A Mentoring Influence

Day 164 Guiding the Nations

Day 165 The Life God Wants for Us

Day 144, 06/02/2010, God Notices Us, Psalm 10:1-4,14

1 Why, O Lord , do you stand far off?

Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

2 In arrogance the wicked persecute the poor —

let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.

3 For the wicked boast of the desires of their heart,

those greedy for gain curse and renounce the Lord .

4 In the pride of their countenance the wicked say, "God will not seek it out";

all their thoughts are, "There is no God."

14 But you do see! Indeed you note trouble and grief,

that you may take it into your hands;

the helpless commit themselves to you;

you have been the helper of the orphan. NRSV

God seems far off when we want tangible demonstrations of His presence. He will never leave or forsake us.

Heb 13:5-6

He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU," 6 so that we confidently say,

"THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID.

WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?" NASU

Day 143, 06/01/2010, We Boast in Our Hope of Sharing the Glory of God, Romans 5:1-3, 11

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person — though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. 8 But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. 9 Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. 11 But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. NRSV

Day 142, 05/31/2010, Boasting In Christ, Philippians 3:1-10

Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord.

To write the same things to you is not troublesome to me, and for you it is a safeguard.

2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh! 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of Godr and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh — 4 even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh.

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. NRSV

Have you contrasted your abilities with God’s? Boast in Him and His Mighty Work in your life!

Day 141, 05/30/2010, Let Those who Boast, Boast in This, Jeremiah 9:23-24

Jer 9:23-24

23 Thus says the Lord : Do not let the wise boast in their wisdom, do not let the mighty boast in their might, do not let the wealthy boast in their wealth; 24 but let those who boast boast in this, that they understand and know me, that I am the Lord ; I act with steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord .

Christ the Power and Wisdom of God

1 Cor 1:17-31

17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power.

18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,

"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart."

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, 23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.

26 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters not many of you were wise by human standards not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, 29 so that no onei might boast in the presence of God. 30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 in order that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast inj the Lord." TLWGB

Have you boasted about the Lord Today?

Day 140, 05/29/2010, Let No One Boast, I Corinthians 3:18-21a

16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.

18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, "He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS"; 20 and again, "THE LORD KNOWS THE REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS." 21 So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, 23 and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God. NASU

Are you boasting in God’s goodness?

Day 139, 05/29/2010, God’s Splendor, Ezekiel 16:14-15

Ezek 16:14-15

Then your fame went forth among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect because of My splendor which I bestowed on you," declares the Lord GOD.

15 "But you trusted in your beauty and played the harlot because of your fame, and you poured out your harlotries on every passer-by who might be willing .NASU

These verses deal with Jerusalem. Even though God was responsible for her blessings and beauty, She (the people who lived in her) made themselves vile and served other gods and did things, which were forbidden by God. This reveals allegiances both spiritual and political.

God loves us so very much that he will seek to correct and bring us to repentance and call us to turn from sin and He ask us and yes requires us to have our allegiances to Him alone.

Today, ask yourself; What have I done with God’s blessings and where are my loyalties and allegiances? If you need to turn back and repent, now is the time. God is faithful and just and will forgive us of all sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Day 138, Jesus Humbled Himself, Philippians 2:5-11

5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and cbeing made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even cdeath on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him cthe name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. NASU

Jesus gave up His authority and power and relied on the Holy Spirit’s power to do will of the father’s. He demonstrated to us that spiritual formation can be accomplished as we live out the father’s will by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

Learning the father’s will require that we build a close relationship with Him by studying His Word and applying it completely to our life. This means the Word of God applied through His grace and done out of our free will obedience empowered by His Spirit.

Today ask God to draw you into His presence through the Word and enlighten you by His spirit so that you may chose to obey its life giving message and be transformed day by day until your spiritual formation brings you into the fullness of Christ.

Day 137, 05/26/2010, The One Who Is More Powerful Than I, Mark 1:4-8

4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."NRSV

John’s message appealed to people wanting to made right with God and who were willing to take any step necessary to please God.

His message was straight forward and his purpose was not self centered but Christ centered. Today people will still receive a message that is direct and actually offers hope for their hopelessness and a solution for their sins that does not add additional burdens to their already guilt laden lives.

Do you offer Jesus and the Gospel, which is good news for those in sin’s grip? If you do people will respond.

Day 136, Praying for Others’ Success, I Thessalonians 4:9-12

9 Now concerning love of the brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anyone write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another; 10 and indeed you do love all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, beloved, to do so more and more, 11 to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we directed you, 12 so that you may

Behave properly toward outsiders and be dependent on no one. NRSV

These believers having been taught by God to love each other will act and think like God and His son Jesus the Messiah who intercedes for us continually.

Heb 7:25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. NASU

Today ask yourself if you are truly willing to demonstrate love towards your brothers and sisters in Christ so much that you give up your time to intercede on their behalf before God the father and plead for God’s best for them

Day 135, The Shelter of The Most High, Psalm 91:1-2

Ps 91:1-2

1 HE WHO wdwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].

2 I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust! AMP

These verses are very powerful and the wording needs to be carefully examined. The people spoken of here are not occasional visitors to god’s presence, but seek Him so much that it can be said of them that they dwell in His presence.

Are you seeking Him continually so that it can be said of you that you dwell in His presence?

Day 134, 05/23/2010, Hidden With God, Psalm 31:19-20

How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you.

You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.

20 You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them.

You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues.

I want to encourage you to read and reread these verses. The One True God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, through whom Jesus of Nazareth descended in the flesh, who is also the only begotten Son of God has made these promises to you if you receive Him as your Lord and Savior, obey and daily live them.

John 6:40 For this is My Father's will and His purpose, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in and cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up [from the dead] at the last day. AMP

There is no other name, authority or power by which we may be saved from sin and death and by which we may be once again be made right with God.

Acts 4:8-14

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers and elders of our people, 9 are we being questioned today because we've done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? 10 Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene,* the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. 11 For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,

'The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.'*

12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved."

13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. 14 NLT

Day 132, 05/22/2010, Riches Hidden in Secret Places, Isaiah 45:3

3 "I will give you the treasures of darkness

And hidden wealth of secret places,

So that you may know that it is I,

The Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. NASU

This passage should encourage us when we see no way forward and have no control over our circumstances that God has more than enough and that His ways are as far above ours as the heaven are above the earth. God calls those the world sees as weak and foolish and mocks the worlds wisdom in doing this.

1 Corinthians 1:27-31 But God chose what the world considers nonsense in order to shame the wise; God chose what the world considers weak in order to shame the strong; 28 and God chose what the world looks down on as common or regards as nothing in order to bring to nothing what the world considers important; 29 so that no one should boast before God. 30 It is his doing that you are united with the Messiah Yeshua. He has become wisdom for us from God, and righteousness and holiness and redemption as well! 31 Therefore — as the Tanakh says — “Let anyone who wants to boast, boast about Adonai.” CJB

Day 132, God Will Judge Our Secret Thoughts, Romans 2:12-16

12 All who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in God's sight, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 When Gentiles, who do not possess the law, do instinctively what the law requires, these, though not having the law, are a law to themselves. 15 They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, to which their own conscience also bears witness; and their conflicting thoughts will accuse or perhaps excuse them 16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God, through Jesus Christ, will judge the secret thoughts of all. NRSV

These verses make it clear that God is fair in His judgment of people. What we see here when placed alongside the verses which tell us of God’s forgiveness and mercy is a healthy presentation of God who is just and merciful.

If you need to repent of things in your life, 1 John1:9 is where you should turn.

1 John 1:9 If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action]. AMP

Be wise and bring your sinfulness to God today. He is willing and ready to forgive and cleans (wash you clean) from all unrighteousness.

Day 131, 05/20/2010, The Light of the World, Matthew 5:14-16

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. ESV

ESV Study Notes

Matt. 5:14 light of the world. Jesus' disciples have the kingdom life within them as a living testimony to those in the world who do not yet have the light.

Matt. 5:15 The typical lamp in a Jewish home was fairly small and was placed on a stand to give maximum illumination.

Matt. 5:16 The world will see the light of the kingdom through the good works done by Jesus' disciples (and believers today), with the result that the Father who is in heaven will be glorified.

Matt. 5:17–48 The Messianic Kingdom in Relation to the Law. Verses 17–20 explain how Jesus and the kingdom fulfill the law of Moses; this is the key to interpreting the Sermon on the Mount and indeed the whole of Jesus' ministry. Jesus then offers six antitheses (vv. 21–48) that contrast proper and false interpretation and application of the OT.

Day 130, 05/19/2010, He Could Not Escape Notice, Mark 7:24

24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. [7] And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. 25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

ESV STUDY BIBLE NOTES

Mark 7:24 Tyre and Sidon. Jesus travels to a Hellenistic Gentile region where he is already known (esp. among its resettled Jewish residents; cf. 3:8). Jesus is called first to bring the news of God's kingdom to the people of Israel. However, he foresees a later mission to the Gentiles through his disciples (7:27; 13:10; 14:9). Excavations have unearthed many remarkable finds at both More »

Mark 7:26 Elijah had also aided a non-Jewish woman in this area (1 Kings 17:8, 17–24). Mark emphasizes that this woman was a Gentile and in great need. Syrophoenician indicates that she was a native of Phoenicia, which included Tyre and Sidon (cf. “Canaanite” in Matt. 15:22).

Mark 7:27 Jesus' noncommittal response is surprising and may seem offensive. He gives three comparisons: bread/his message; children/the Jewish people; and dogs/Gentiles. First holds out the hope, however, that Gentiles will also become the recipients of God's grace. Taking into account vv. 29–30, it is reasonable to conclude that Jesus spoke as he did merely to test the woman's faith.

Mark 7:28–30 yet even the dogs. The woman's response to Jesus' surprising statement (v. 27) is both humble and persistent. Perhaps she understands and humbly accepts that God called Israel first for a particular purpose (cf. Ex. 4:22). For this statement. Jesus honors the woman's simple faith, so that upon returning home, she finds that the demon is gone out of her daughter

Day 129, 05/19/2010, In My Secret Heart, Psalm 51:6

6 You desire truth in the inward being;

therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. NRSV

Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

[Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts] The word rendered "desirest," means to have pleasure in; to delight in; and the idea is that this only is agreeable to God, or this only accords with his own nature. The word rendered "inward parts," means properly the reins, and is usually employed to denote the seat of the mind, the feelings, the intellect. Compare the notes at Job 38:36. The allusion is to the "soul;" and the idea is, that God could be satisfied with nothing "but" purity in the soul. The "connection" is this: David was deeply conscious of his own pollution; his deep, early, native depravity. This, in his own mind, he contrasted strongly with the nature of God, and with what God must require, and be pleased with. He "felt" that God could not approve of or love such a heart as his, so vile, so polluted, so corrupt; and he felt that it was necessary that he should have a pure heart in order to meet with the favor of a God so holy. But how was that to be obtained? His mind at once adverted to the fact that it could come only from God; and hence, the psalm now turns from confession to prayer. The psalmist pleads earnestly (Ps 51:7-10) that God "would" thus cleanse and purify his soul.

[And in the hidden part] In the secret part; the heart; the depths of the soul. The cleansing was to begin in that which was hidden from the eye of man; in the soul itself. Wisdom, heavenly, saving wisdom, was to have its seat there; the cleansing needed was not any mere outward purification, it was the purification of the soul itself.

[Thou shalt make me to know wisdom] Thou only canst enable me to understand what is truly wise. This wisdom, this cleansing, this knowledge of the way in which a guilty man can be restored to favor, can be imparted only by thee; and "thou wilt do it." There is here, therefore, at the same time a recognition of the truth that this "must" come from God, and an act of faith, or a strong assurance that he "would" impart this.

Day 127, 05/16/2010, Not Seen by Others, Matthew 6:1-18

Matt 6:1-18

"Take care! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired, because then you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give a gift to someone in need, don't shout about it as the hypocrites do — blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I assure you, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone, don't tell your left hand what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in secret, and your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.

Teaching about Prayer and Fasting

5 "And now about prayer. When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I assure you, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.

7 "When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don't be like them, because your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this:

Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored. 10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven. 11 Give us our food for today, 12 and forgive us our sins ,just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us. 13 And don't let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

14 "If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

16 "And when you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, who try to look pale and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I assure you, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18 Then no one will suspect you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in secret. And your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you. NLT

In these verses Jesus brings renewed understanding to (Old Testament) teaching which had been corrupted by legalistic teachers. Read them today in your Bible and ask God to help you to apply them fresh and new in your life!

Day 128, 05/17/2010, The Appearance of Righteousness, Matthew 23:1-7, 27-28

Matt 23:1-7

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 "The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the Scriptures. 3 So practice and obey whatever they say to you, but don't follow their example. For they don't practice what they teach. 4 They crush you with impossible religious demands and never lift a finger to help ease the burden.

5 "Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear extra long tassels on their robes. 6 And how they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the most prominent seats in the synagogue! 7 They enjoy the attention they get on the streets, and they enjoy being called 'Rabbi.'

NLT

Matt 23:27-28

27 "How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs — beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people's bones and all sorts of impurity. 28 You try to look like upright people outwardly, but inside your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.

NLT

It is interesting in these verses that Jesus condemns hypocrites, (somebody who pretends to have admirable principles, beliefs, or feelings but behaves otherwise.)

We all fail when it comes to having behavior that perfectly matches our proclamation or desired appearance of faith. Jesus here is not targeting the average person who is not perfected in their faith walk. He is targeting those who do so in a self righteous manner. Knowing that they are failing in their own faith-walk they put unrealistic burdens on others and ‘seem’ to measure up to the perfection they make everyone else strive for.

They are like politicians or public personalities who point out everyone one else’s faults or the faults they want you to believe that others have while making themselves look good or even better than the ones they are making look bad. They do this not to help us or warn us about bad people or groups but to get what they want and to manipulate us into believing that we can trust them in this game of self righteous make believe they are playing so that they can gain or keep the power and control they lust after.

RUN AWAY FROM the leader who must make everyone one else seem evil and themselves good. This is not the way of truth and humility, but the methodology of Satan. Read Genesis chapter 3 and see how Satan tried to make his lie seem good and God’s truth a lie in the Garden of Eden when he was manipulating Eve and Adam.

Day 126, 05/15/2010, Keeping Our Works Private, Mark 7:31-37

Mark 7:31-37

Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. 34 Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." 35 And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 They were astounded beyond measure, saying, "He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."

NRSV

This is a clear example of Jesus doing the father’s will and not seeking the attention of the crowd. He took him aside to a private area. When we are doing God’s work he will give us all of the credit we need. He does not need us to be our own public relations person, he can do a far better job of getting the word out when the time is right.

During the next ten days practice your spiritual discipline in private, give God the glory and do not let others know what you are doing. God will be with you and he will reward you more than you can imagine.

SECRECY, By Richard Foster

Consciously refraining from having our good deeds and qualities generally known, which in turn rightly disciplines our longing for recognition.

We often long to talk about the good deeds that we do, wanting others to think well of us. The danger of this inclination is that approval will become our motivation. When we fast or pray or give in secret, as Jesus advises us in Matthew 6, we can know we are doing so for the right reasons, looking to God for approval rather than to our fellow humans. God knows all that we are and all that we do; His heavenly reward for any good that we do will far outweigh any earthly approbation (Matt 6:1). Deliberately avoiding earthly recognition, fame, and attention helps to cultivate within us humility and true love for others. It also gives us the opportunity to meditate on the nature of our God, who the Bible tells us is also “hidden” (Isa 45:15) and “in secret” (Matt 6).

That is not to say that our good qualities will never be recognized by others, just that we leave it to God to point them out, We see Jesus avoiding crowds and performing miracles in private, but the crowds invariably find Him and spread the word about Him. Jesus told us that a city set on a hill cannot be hid, and that we are to be the light of the world, not hidden under a bushel (Matt 5:14-16). Practicing the discipline of secrecy simply relinquishes to God the power to reveal our light. This submission is only appropriate, because everything in us that is good comes from God.

Whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. —Matthew 6:6

Day 126 Spiritual Practice: Keeping Our Works Private

Day 127 Not Seen by Others

Day 128 The Appearance of Righteousness

Day 129 In My Secret Heart

Day 130 He Could Not Escape Notice

Day 131 The Light of the World

Day 132 God Will Judge Our Secret Thoughts

Day 133 Riches Hidden in Secret Places

Day 134 Hidden with God

Day 135 The Shelter of the Most High

Day 136 Spiritual Practice: Praying for Others’ Success

Day 137 The One Who is More Powerful Than I

Day 138 Jesus Humbled Himself

Day 139 God’s Splendor

Day 140 Let No One Boast

Day 141 Let Those Who Boast Boast in This

Day 142 Boasting in Christ Jesus

Day 143 We Boast in Our Hope of Sharing the Glory of God

Day 144 God Notices Us

Day 145 A God Who Hides

Day 125, 05/14/2010, A Light to the Nations, Isaiah 49:5-7

Isa 49:5-7

5 And now the LORD speaks — he who formed me in my mother's womb to be his servant, who commissioned me to bring his people of Israel back to him. The LORD has honored me, and my God has given me strength. 6 He says, "You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."

7 The LORD, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, says to the one who is despised and rejected by a nation, to the one who is the servant of rulers: "Kings will stand at attention when you pass by. Princes will bow low because the LORD has chosen you. He, the faithful LORD, the Holy One of Israel, chooses you."

NLT

I stand in amazement at how the descendants of Esau, Israel’s brother have grown in their hate of Israel and how the so many people seem to have blindly taken up the cause of the of Esau and not that of Jacob later to be called Israel by God. For Israel is the light to the nations and through her all of God’s promises are fulfilled, through Yeshua (Jesus the Messiah) Gen 12:3

3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and the entire world will be blessed because of you." Israel is the descendant of Abraham through whom God’s covenant is fulfilled. TLB

Today are you a light to the nations?

Do you pray for God’s people Israel, that they would once again cry out to God and see His promises fulfilled to them?

Day 124, 05/13/2010, Serving the saints, I Corinthians 16:13-16

13 Be alert and on your guard; stand firm in your faith ( your conviction respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, keeping the trust and holy fervor born of faith and a part of it). Act like men and be courageous; grow in strength! [Ps 31:24.]

14 Let everything you do be done in love (true love to God and man as inspired by God's love for us).

15 Now, brethren, you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts and our firstfruits in Achaia (most of Greece), and how they have consecrated and devoted themselves to the service of the saints (God's people).

16 I urge you to pay all deference to such leaders and to enlist under them and be subject to them, as well as to everyone who joins and cooperates [with you] and labors earnestly.

AMP

Is your life spent only on yourself?

There are many in the body of Christ who give of themselves faithfully and are never served or shown appreciation.

Seek out someone who leads or serves faithfully, who may not be in the spot light and bless them today.

Day 123, 05/12/2010, A Servant of the Gospel, Colossians 1:15-29

Christ Is Supreme (greater than or superior to any other, especially above all others in power, authority, rank, status, or skill.)

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation. 16 Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see — kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him. 17 He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together.

18 Christ is the head of the church, which is his body. He is the first of all who will rise from the dead, so he is first in everything. 19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20 and by him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross. 21 This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, 22 yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. 23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand in it firmly. Don't drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed by God to proclaim it.

Paul's Work for the Church ( because of God’s grace toward him)

24 I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am completing what remains of Christ's sufferings for his body, the church. 25 God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his message in all its fullness to you Gentiles. 26 This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to his own holy people. 27 For it has pleased God to tell his people that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. For this is the secret: Christ lives in you, and this is your assurance that you will share in his glory.

28 So everywhere we go, we tell everyone about Christ. We warn them and teach them with all the wisdom God has given us, for we want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. 29 I work very hard at this, as I depend on Christ's mighty power that works within me. NLT

The Apostle Paul moved by the Holy Spirit here proclaims to us the Supremacy of Jesus the Messiah and how God’s grace has been extended to them. This is the message, that Paul who sees himself as a servant of the Gospel, proclaims and encourages all who will listen to serve as well. Paul by God’s grace has moved from legalistic prosecutor of the law and persecutor of the believers to lover of God’s grace and God’s people.

Are you a servant of the Gospel because of god’s grace toward you?

Is that servant lifestyle seen in your serving God’s people?

Is it seen in your service to the unsaved? Do they know why you are serving them

Day 122, 0511/2010, A Servants Heart, 2 Samuel 11:7-11

2 Sam 11:6-13

6 So David sent word to Joab, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent Uriah to David. 7 When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the people fared, and how the war was going. 8 Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house, and wash your feet." Uriah went out of the king's house, and there followed him a present from the king. 9 But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. 10 When they told David, "Uriah did not go down to his house," David said to Uriah, "You have just come from a journey. Why did you not go down to your house?" 11 Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah remain in booths; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field; shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing.

Uriah here is demonstrating a heart filled with care for his leaders and fellow soldiers. He wants to be where he should be, in battle. David would not be in this bind if he had gone to battle and was where he should be instead of lusting after Uriah’s wife.

If you notice someone being a good servant this week, thank them for their faithful service!

Day 121, 05/10/2010, Serving Others Needs, Acts 6:1-6

6:1 NOW ABOUT this time, when the number of the disciples was greatly increasing, complaint was made by the Hellenists (the Greek-speaking Jews) against the [native] Hebrews because their widows were being overlooked and neglected in the daily ministration (distribution of relief).

2 So the Twelve [apostles] convened the multitude of the disciples and said, It is not seemly or desirable or right that we should have to give up or neglect [preaching] the Word of God in order to attend to serving at tables and superintending the distribution of food.

3 Therefore select out from among yourselves, brethren, seven men of good and attested character and repute, full of the [Holy] Spirit and wisdom, whom we may assign to look after this business and duty.

4 But we will continue to devote ourselves steadfastly to prayer and the ministry of the Word.

5 And the suggestion pleased the whole assembly, and they selected Stephen, a man full of faith (a strong and welcome belief that Jesus is the Messiah) and full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte (convert) from Antioch.

6 These they presented to the apostles, who after prayer laid their hands on them.

7 And the message of God kept on spreading, and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem; and [besides] a large number of the priests were obedient to the faith [in Jesus as the Messiah, through Whom is obtained eternal salvation in the kingdom of God].

AMP

When we chose people to handle money God has strong characteristics that are required.

good and attested character and repute, full of the [Holy] Spirit and wisdom, whom we may assign to look after this business and duty.

DO YOU look for people who meet the biblical requirements when you are seeking helpers in your life or in your church?

Day 120, 05/09/2010, Servants of the Lord, Psalm 113:1-8

Ps 113:1-8

113:1 PRAISE THE Lord! (Hallelujah!) Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord!

2 Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forever

3 From the rising of the sun to the going down of it and from east to west, the name of the Lord is to be praised!

4 The Lord is high above all nations, and His glory above the heavens!

5 Who is like the Lord our God, Who has His seat on high,

6 Who humbles Himself to regard the heavens and the earth! [Ps 138:6; Isa 57:15.]

7[The Lord] raises the poor out of the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap and the dung hill,

8 That He may seat them with princes, even with the princes of His people.

AMP

I am so impressed with God! He loves and is concerned for every person. In the inner man even the rich and famous are often miserable people. The poor and the needy among us are not forgotten by the Lord who cares for every person.

May we start in our own household, our churches and out to our communities to demonstrate the goodness and love of God to every person. We must not neglect our own household and churches to say we have helped those in need, for when we do we neglect one at the expense of the other.

Day 119, 05/08/2010, Wash One another’s Feet,

John 13:1-18

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" 7 Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." 8 Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." 9 Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" 10 Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you." 11 For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, "Not all of you are clean."

12 After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord — and you are right, for that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16 Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

NRSV

Today will you serve someone so completely?

Day 118, 05/07/2010, Do Not Withhold Good, Proverbs 3:27-31

27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,

when it is in your power to do it.

28 Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come again,

tomorrow I will give it" — when you have it with you.

29 Do not plan harm against your neighbor

who lives trustingly beside you.

30 Do not quarrel with anyone without cause,

when no harm has been done to you.

31 Do not envy the violent

and do not choose any of their ways; NRSV

Rom 13:8

8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.

NIV

Do not fall prey to false understandings about charity. We often want to give to the helpless in another land but fail to show mercy and charity to believers around us who’s live are in great need of our kindness and mercy.

Today seek out those in the household of faith who have a need and seek to meet it.

Day 117, 05/06/2010, I Devoted Myself to the Work, Nehemiah 5:14-19

14 I would like to mention that for the entire twelve years that I was governor of Judah — from the twentieth until the thirty-second year of the reign of King Artaxerxes — neither I nor my officials drew on our official food allowance. 15 This was quite a contrast to the former governors who had laid heavy burdens on the people, demanding a daily ration of food and wine, besides a pound of silver. Even their assistants took advantage of the people. But because of my fear of God, I did not act that way. 16 I devoted myself to working on the wall and refused to acquire any land. And I required all my officials to spend time working on the wall. 17 I asked for nothing, even though I regularly fed 150 Jewish officials at my table, besides all the visitors from other lands! 18 The provisions required at my expense for each day were one ox, six fat sheep, and a large number of domestic fowl. And every ten days we needed a large supply of all kinds of wine. Yet I refused to claim the governor's food allowance because the people were already having a difficult time.

19 Remember, O my God, all that I have done for these people, and bless me for it.

NLT

It is refreshing to see Nehemiah’s devotion to what was on God’s heart. He seemed unconcerned about himself and only allowed his focus to be on completing God’s assignment.

What are your priorities? Where is God and His desire for you on your list?

Matt 6:33-34

33 But seek ( aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness ( His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.

34 So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.

AMP

Day 116, 05/05/2010, Not to Be Served, but to Serve, Matt 20:20-34

20 Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, brought them to Jesus and respectfully asked a favor.

21 "What is your request?" he asked. She replied, "In your Kingdom, will you let my two sons sit on two thrones next to yours?"

22 But Jesus told her, "You don't know what you are asking!" Then he turned to James and John and asked them, "Are you able to drink from the terrible cup I am about to drink from?"

"Yes," they replied, "we are able!"

23 "You shall indeed drink from it," he told them. "But I have no right to say who will sit on the thrones next to mine. Those places are reserved for the persons my Father selects."

24 The other ten disciples were indignant when they heard what James and John had asked for.

25 But Jesus called them together and said, "Among the heathen, kings are tyrants and each minor official lords it over those beneath him. 26 But among you it is quite different. Anyone wanting to be a leader among you must be your servant. 27 And if you want to be right at the top, you must serve like a slave. 28 Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life as a ransom for many."

29 As Jesus and the disciples left the city of Jericho, a vast crowd surged along behind.

30 Two blind men were sitting beside the road, and when they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, "Sir, King David's Son, have mercy on us!"

31 The crowd told them to be quiet, but they only yelled the louder.

32 When Jesus came to the place where they were, he stopped in the road and called, "What do you want me to do for you?"

"Sir," they said, "we want to see!"

34 Jesus was moved with pity for them and touched their eyes. And instantly they could see, and followed him.

TLB

These verses give us great insight into how Jesus modeled the father’s will and the coming of the Kingdom. People tend to become self centered and His Kingdom becomes their vision, the gifts He has given become their status symbols, justifying their selfish ambitions and the elevation of their vision above others.

Jesus teaching is here is a hard one for our human sinful nature. It requires us to lead when God says lead and to serve when he says serve. Be Bold and Courageous by His Spirit according to His Word. Be humble and wise as His spirit directs.

Day 115, 05/04/2010, In Every Good Work, 2 Thessalonians 2:15-17

Although today’s devotion is centered in verses 15-17 it lack the impact that knowing the whole context of the chapter does before you read Verses 15-17.

1 And now, what about the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to meet him? Please don't be upset and excited, dear brothers, by the rumor that this day of the Lord has already begun. If you hear of people having visions and special messages from God about this, or letters that are supposed to have come from me, don't believe them. 3 Don't be carried away and deceived regardless of what they say.

For that day will not come until two things happen: first, there will be a time of great rebellion against God, and then the man of rebellion will come-the son of hell. 4 He will defy every god there is and tear down every other object of adoration and worship. He will go in and sit as God in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. 5 Don't you remember that I told you this when I was with you? 6 And you know what is keeping him from being here already; for he can come only when his time is ready.

7 As for the work this man of rebellion and hell will do when he comes, it is already going on, but he himself will not come until the one who is holding him back steps out of the way. 8 Then this wicked one will appear, whom the Lord Jesus will burn up with the breath of his mouth and destroy by his presence when he returns. 9 This man of sin will come as Satan's tool, full of satanic power, and will trick everyone with strange demonstrations, and will do great miracles. 10 He will completely fool those who are on their way to hell because they have said no to the Truth; they have refused to believe it and love it and let it save them, 11 so God will allow them to believe lies with all their hearts, 12 and all of them will be justly judged for believing falsehood, refusing the Truth, and enjoying their sins.

13 But we must forever give thanks to God for you, our brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose from the very first to give you salvation, cleansing you by the work of the Holy Spirit and by your trusting in the Truth. 14 Through us he told you the Good News. Through us he called you to share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15 With all these things in mind, dear brothers, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the truth that we taught you in our letters and during the time we were with you.

16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting comfort and hope, which we don't deserve, 17 comfort your hearts with all comfort, and help you in every good thing you say and do.

TLB

Stand Firm and keep a Strong Grip on the truth we taught you in our letters…

In today’s world with everyone voicing their own opinion it is critical that we are continually standing firm on, and seeking out God’s Word and become like the people of Berea in Acts 17:11.

11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul's message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to check up on Paul and Silas, to see if they were really teaching the truth.

Day 114, 05/03/2010, Two Servants, Ruth 2:2-12.

Ruth 2:2-12

2 And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, "Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain, behind someone in whose sight I may find favor." She said to her, "Go, my daughter." 3 So she went. She came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers. As it happened, she came to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. 4 Just then Boaz came from Bethlehem. He said to the reapers, "The LORD be with you." They answered, "The LORD bless you." 5 Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, "To whom does this young woman belong?" 6 The servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, "She is the Moabite who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7 She said, 'Please, let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the reapers.' So she came, and she has been on her feet from early this morning until now, without resting even for a moment."

8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Now listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. 9 Keep your eyes on the field that is being reaped, and follow behind them. I have ordered the young men not to bother you. If you get thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn." 10 Then she fell prostrate, with her face to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take notice of me, when I am a foreigner?" 11 But Boaz answered her, "All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. 12 May the LORD reward you for your deeds, and may you have a full reward from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge!"

NRSV

Day 113, 05/02/2010, As For Me and My Household, Joshua 24:2, 14-15

Josh 24:1-16

24:1 Then Joshua summoned all the people of Israel to him at Shechem, along with their leaders-the elders, officers, and judges. So they came and presented themselves before God.

2 Then Joshua addressed them as follows: "The Lord God of Israel says, 'Your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived east of the Euphrates River; and they worshiped other gods. 3 But I took your father Abraham from that land across the river and led him into the land of Canaan and gave him many descendants through Isaac, his son. 4 Isaac's children, whom I gave him, were Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave the area around Mount Seir while Jacob and his children went into Egypt.

5 "Then I sent Moses and Aaron to bring terrible plagues upon Egypt; and afterwards I brought my people out as free men. 6 But when they arrived at the Red Sea, the Egyptians chased after them with chariots and cavalry. 7 Then Israel cried out to me and I put darkness between them and the Egyptians; and I brought the sea crashing in upon the Egyptians, drowning them. You saw what I did. Then Israel lived in the wilderness for many years.

8 "Finally I brought you into the land of the Amorites on the other side of the Jordan; and they fought against you, but I destroyed them and gave you their land. 9 Then King Balak of Moab started a war against Israel, and he asked Balaam, the son of Beor, to curse you. 10 But I wouldn't listen to him. Instead I made him bless you; and so I delivered Israel from him.

11 "Then you crossed the Jordan River and came to Jericho. The men of Jericho fought against you, and so did many others-the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Each in turn fought against you, but I destroyed them all. 12 And I sent hornets ahead of you to drive out the two kings of the Amorites and their people. It was not your swords or bows that brought you victory! 13 I gave you land you had not worked for and cities you did not build-these cities where you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them.'

14 "So revere Jehovah and serve him in sincerity and truth. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Worship the Lord alone. 15 But if you are unwilling to obey the Lord, then decide today whom you will obey. Will it be the gods of your ancestors beyond the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites here in this land? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord."

TLB

Have you decided to serve the Lord? Never backup, Never back down pursue Him with all that you have within you and all that is in your means to serve Him with. He alone is God and He alone is the faithful One! His Word is true, learn it, love it live it!

Day 112, 05/01/2010, Service in the Home, Proverbs 31:10-15

Prov 31:10-15

10 A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman — who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls. [Prov 12:4; 18:22; 19:14.]

11 The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her securely, so that he has no lack of [honest] gain or need of [dishonest] spoil.

12 She comforts, encourages, and does him only good as long as there is life within her.

13 She seeks out wool and flax and works with willing hands [to develop it].

14 She is like the merchant ships loaded with foodstuffs; she brings her household's food from a far [country].

15 She rises while it is yet night and gets [spiritual] food for her household and assigns her maids their tasks. [Job 23:12.] AMP

Are you serving the ones you love or are they forgotten because you think you must be about the master’s business?

Day 111, 04/28/2010, A Willing Heart, Exodus 35:21-25a, 29; 36:2

Ex 35:20-25

21 Everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit moved him came and brought the LORD'S contribution for the work of the tent of meeting and for all its service and for the holy garments. 22 Then all whose hearts moved them, both men and women, came and brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and bracelets, all articles of gold; so did every man who presented an offering of gold to the LORD. 23 Every man, who had in his possession blue and purple and scarlet material and fine linen and goats' hair and rams' skins dyed red and porpoise skins, brought them. 24 Everyone who could make a contribution of silver and bronze brought the LORD'S contribution; and every man who had in his possession acacia wood for any work of the service brought it. 25 All the skilled women spun with their hands,

Ex 35:29

9 The Israelites, all the men and women, whose heart moved them to bring material for all the work, which the LORD had commanded through Moses to be done, brought a freewill offering to the LORD.

Ex 36:2-3

2 Then Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every skillful person in whom the LORD had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him, to come to the work to perform it.

NASU

Day 110, 04/28/2010, My Servant Caleb, Numbers 13:1, 25, 27, 28, 14:1, 6-9, 10, 20, 22-24

The LORD said to Moses,

NRSV

Num 13:25-28

At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. 26 And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the Israelites in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, "We came to the land to which you sent us;

NRSV

Num 14:1

Then all the congregation raised a loud cry

NRSV

Num 14:6-9

6 And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to all the congregation of the Israelites, "The land that we went through as spies is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the LORD is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. 9 Only, do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they are no more than bread for us; their protection is removed from them,

NRSV

Num 14:10

0 But the whole congregation threatened to stone them.

NRSV

Num 14:20

20 Then the LORD said,

NRSV

Num 14:22-25

2 none of the people who have seen my glory and the signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have tested me these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, 23 shall see the land that I swore to give to their ancestors; none of those who despised me shall see it. 24 But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me wholeheartedly, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.

NRSV

Richard Foster says

“Part of serving God is always trying to do God’s will even when those around us make it difficult. Joshua and Caleb were a unique minority: they had an idea of who God was and who they were. The spiritual life requires that we learn to see things as God does.”

Day 109, 04/28/2010, Do Not Neglect Them, Deuteronomy 14:27-29

27 And you shall not forsake or neglect the Levite [God's minister] in your towns, for he has been given no share or inheritance with you.

28 At the end of every three years you shall bring forth all the tithe of your increase the same year and lay it up within your towns.

29 And the Levite [because he has no part or inheritance with you] and the stranger or temporary resident, and the fatherless and the widow who are in your towns shall come and eat and be satisfied, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do. AMP

Deut 14:28-29

“Every third year, on the other hand, they were to separate the whole of the tithe from the year's produce ("bring forth," sc., from the granary), and leaven it in their gates (i.e., their towns), and feed the Levites, the strangers, and the widows and orphans with it. They were not to take it to the sanctuary, therefore; but according to Deut 26:12 ff., after bringing it out, were to make confession to the Lord of what they had done, and pray for His blessing. "At the end of three years:" i.e., when the third year, namely the civil year, which closed with the harvest (see at Ex 23:16), had come to an end. This regulation as to the time was founded upon the observance of the sabbatical year, as we may see from Deut 15:1, where the seventh year is no other than the sabbatical year. Twice, therefore, within the period of a sabbatical year, namely in the third and sixth years, the tithe set apart for a sacrificial meal was not to be eaten at the sanctuary, but to be used in the different towns of the land in providing festal meals for those who had no possessions, viz., the Levites, strangers, widows, and orphans. Consequently this tithe cannot properly be called the "third tithe," as it is by many of the Rabbins, but rather the "poor tithe," as it was simply in the way of applying it that it differed from the "second" (see Hottinger, de decimies, exerc. viii. pp. 182 ff., and my Archäol. i. p. 339). As an encouragement to carry out these instructions, Moses closes in v. 29 with an allusion to the divine blessing which would follow their observance.”

Today look for someone who is unable to support themselves, out of work or otherwise dealing with hard times and ask God how you might help and bless them.

Day 108, 04/27/2010, Consecrated for God’s Service, Numbers 8:9-11

9 You shall present the Levites before the Tent of Meeting, and you shall assemble the whole Israelite congregation.

10 And you shall present the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites shall put their hands upon the Levites,

11 And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites and on their behalf, that they may do the service of the Lord.

AMP

When we were transferred from the Kingdom of Darkness and transferred into the Kingdom of God’s son. We were set aside to the purposes of God.

Col 1:13-14

13[The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,

14 In Whom we have our redemption through His blood, [which means] the forgiveness of our sins. AMP

We have been made Holy and clean by the blood of the lamb and we are now set apart as Holy vessels unto God purposes. 1 Thess 3:13

13 May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

NIV

Today remember how you lived before he transferred you into His Kingdom. Ask yourself how you can live life today as one who is set apart to God.

Day 107, 04/26/2010, Serving and Carrying, Numbers 4:24-26, 29, 31-32a, 49

Num 4:24-27

24 This is the service of the clans of the Gershonites, in serving and bearing burdens: 25 They shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tent of meeting with its covering, and the outer covering of fine leather that is on top of it, and the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26 and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the entrance of the gate of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords, and all the equipment for their service; and they shall do all that needs to be done with regard to them. NRSV

Num 4:29

29 As for the Merarites, you shall enroll them by their clans and their ancestral houses; NRSV

Num 4:31-32

31 This is what they are charged to carry, as the whole of their service in the tent of meeting: the frames of the tabernacle, with its bars, pillars, and bases, 32 and the pillars of the court all around with their bases, pegs, and cords, with all their equipment and all their related service; NRSV

Num 4:49

49 According to the commandment of the LORD through Moses they were appointed to their several tasks of serving or carrying; thus they were enrolled by him, as the LORD commanded Moses. NRSV

Notes from Richard Foster in ‘A Year With God.’

“As the Israelites were moving from place to place in the wilderness, specific Levitical clans were enrolled to break down the tabernacle, carry it to the new site, and resemble it. Scriptures refers to these tasks as “serving” or “carrying.” To be a part of God’s community is to participate in it. God gave the Israelites work to do, because He was interested in the spiritual transformation and maturity of each individual. Just as God appointed the duties of the priest, He assigns work to each of us. Offering service to God is an important aspect pf our continued growth in character. Doing our best to serve in our God-given ministries and in constantly pursuing spiritual maturity is pleasing to God.

Today make an effort to help others by serving and carrying; for example, serve coffee to a colleague or carry someone’s groceries.”

Definitions:

Servant in the Old Testament “ ebed” in Hebrew. In the New Testament “doulos”.

`ebed

OT:5650 `ebed —a slave , a servant

a) a slave , a servant, a man-servant

b) subjects

c) servants, worshipers (of God)

d) servant (in special sense as prophets, Levites etc)

e) servant (of Israel)

f) servant (as form of address between equals)

NT:1401 doulos (doo'-los); from NT:1210; a slave (literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary; frequently, therefore in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency):

KJV - bond (-man), servant.

SERVICE Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. —1 Peter 4:10

Loving, thoughtful, active promotion of the good of others and the causes of God in our world, through which we experience the many little deaths of going beyond ourselves.

Service is one of the most frequently mentioned disciplines in the Bible. From the very beginning God’s people pledged themselves as God’s servants and were directed in the law to serve and care for others. Being a servant of God and of others was a way of living—a declaration of obedience, not an occasional volunteer activity.

In the New Testament, Jesus made it clear that He was God’s servant, but also the servant of others. These two were inextricably linked. Again and again, He spoke of turning the cultural order upside down: “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35b). In Luke 22:25-26, He said, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves.” Jesus underscored His point by humbling Himself to wash the feet of the disciples (John 13:1-20), making it clear that this servanthood was much more than symbolic.

Then after Jesus’ ultimate act of submission and servanthood on the cross, Paul took up the theme of servanthood, referring to himself time and again as a servant of the gospel (Eph 3:7; Col 1:23). We can follow in Jesus’ footsteps and serve God and others purely as an act of love, but service is also an excellent way to train ourselves in humility and submission to God’s will.

Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. —1 Peter 4:10

Day 106 Spiritual Practice: Serving God in Every Task

Day 107 Serving and Carrying

Day 108 Consecrated for God’s Service

Day 109 Do Not Neglect Them

Day 110 My Servant Caleb

Day 111 A Willing Heart

Day 112 Service in the Home

Day 113 As for Me and My Household

Day 114 Two Servants

Day 115 In Every Good Work

Day 116 Spiritual Practice: Not to Be Served, but to Serve

Day 117 I Devoted Myself to the Work

Day 118 Do Not Withhold Good

Day 119 Wash One Another’s Feet

Day 120 Servants of the Lord

Day 121 Serving Others’ Needs

Day 122 A Servant Heart

Day 123 A Servant of the Gospel

Day 124 Serving the Saints

Day 125 A Light to the Nations

Day 106, 04/25/2010, Serving God in Every Task, Colossians 3:22-24

Col 3:22-24

22 Servants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not only when their eyes are on you as pleasers of men, but in simplicity of purpose [with all your heart] because of your reverence for the Lord and as a sincere expression of your devotion to Him.

23 Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men,

24 Knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [and not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [real] reward. [The One Whom] you are actually serving [is] the Lord Christ (the Messiah).

AMP

Dr. Richard Foster comments below.

“Many of us view service as an occasional commitment that comprises a small part of our day or week or month, but Paul here tells us to view every task as service not only to those around us, but to the Lord. Service is less a task or series of task than an attitude of obedience. Paul’s words in this passage are directed specifically at slaves, so our first reaction may be that these words are directly applicable to us”.

My comments.

For additional insight look up the word servant in your concordance and check the Hebrew and Greek words used as it will enlighten you as you understand the real meaning of slave and servant.

This week try to put Paul’s words into action. Put yourself whole heartedly into every task. Do everything you do, especially the lowest and most menial task, with an attitude that you are serving God.

In the olden days when Kings were raising their children they were put under tutors who trained them so that might one day rule the people of the land with justice and wisdom. This meant that the up and coming prince or princess had to learn obedience, justice and wisdom so that they did not become spoiled brats and rule the people of the land foolishly.

Even though we are called to be the children of the King of Kings we also must become good servants if we are to grow into the maturity in Christ so that we like Christ will learn to serve before we can be called to lead.

I highly recommend that you purchase a copy of ‘A Year With God’ by Richard Foster so that you will get all of each day’s content in your study.

Day 105, 04/24/2010, praise Without Ceasing, Revelation 4:8-11

8 And the four living creatures, individually having six wings, were full of eyes all over and within [underneath their wings]; and day and night they never stop saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty (Omnipotent), Who was and Who is and Who is to come. [Isa 6:1-3.]

9 And whenever the living creatures offer glory and honor and thanksgiving to Him Who sits on the throne, Who lives forever and ever (through the eternities of the eternities), [Ps 47:8.]

10 The twenty-four elders ( the members of the heavenly Sanhedrin) fall prostrate before Him Who is sitting on the throne, and they worship Him Who lives forever and ever; and they throw down their crowns before the throne, crying out,

11 Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and dominion, for You created all things; by Your will they were [brought into being] and were created. [Ps 19:1.] AMP

Richard Foster writes

“When we worship, we join with all the company of heaven in the praise that continually echoes throughout the cosmos. Their hymn hallows God the creator of all realities.”

I encourage you to join all of heaven as they praise God today!

Day 104, 04/23/2010, Coming Close to the Glory of God, Ezekiel 1:26-28

Ezek 1:26-28

26 And above the dome over their heads there was something like a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was something that seemed like a human form. 27 Upward from what appeared like the loins I saw something like gleaming amber, something that looked like fire enclosed all around; and downward from what looked like the loins I saw something that looked like fire, and there was a splendor all around. 28 Like the bow in a cloud on a rainy day, such was the appearance of the splendor all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.

When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of someone speaking.

NRSV

Notes from Richard Foster

The Glory of the Lord is the shinning, potent, almost material presence of God. Coming close to the glory of God causes Ezekiel to fall on his face before such high-voltage energy. Like Ezekiel, A.W. Tozer felt the only response to God was simply to fall on one’s face. Tozer would spend four to five hours at a time lying face down on the floor, saying nothing. Being with God in such intensity overpowered both men in awe and fear.

Have you experienced ”holy expectancy” in worship?

“A striking feature of worship in the Bible is that people gathered in what we could call a “holy expectancy.’ They believed they would actually hear Kol Yahweh, the voice of God…..They were coming into an aweful, glorious, gracious presence of the living God. They gathered with anticipation, knowing Christ was present among them and would teach and touch them with His living power…..When more than one or two come into public worship with a holy expectancy, it can change the atmosphere of a room. People who enter harried and distracted are drawn quickly into a sense of silent Presence. Hearts and minds are lifted upward. The air becomes charged with expectancy.”

ARE YOU SEEKING HIM WITH HOLY EXPECTANCY?

Day 103, 04/22/2010, Practicing God’s Presence, Luke 2:36-38

Luke 2:36-37

36 And there was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old, having lived with her husband seven years from her maidenhood, [Josh 19:24.]

37 And as a widow even for eighty-four years. She did not go out from the temple enclosure, but was worshiping night and day with fasting and prayer. AMP

Richard Foster in ‘A Year With God’, says:

“The discipline of worship is a powerful tool that allows us to practice God’s presence throughout all facets of our being, to live daily and hourly as a dwelling place of God.”

The Bible says in Gen 5:24 and Heb 11:5 talks about Enoch’s walk with God.

Gen 5:21-24

21 When Enoch was 65 years old, Methuselah was born.

22 Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with God after the birth of Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters.

23 So all the days of Enoch were 365 years.

24 And Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with God; and he was not, for God took him [home with Him]. [Heb 11:5.] AMP

Heb 11:5

5 Because of faith Enoch was caught up and transferred to heaven, so that he did not have a glimpse of death; and he was not found, because God had translated him. For even before he was taken to heaven, he received testimony [still on record] that he had pleased and been satisfactory to God. [Gen 5:21-24.]

AMP

May it be said of us as it is of Enoch that ‘we walked (in habitual fellowship) with God!

Day 102, 04/21/2010, Worshiping God, Not Spiritual Experiences, Hebrews 1:5-9

Heb 1:5-9

5 For to which of the angels did [God] ever say, You are My Son, today I have begotten You [established You in an official Sonship relation, with kingly dignity]? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He will be to Me a Son? [2 Sam 7:14; Ps 2:7.]

6 Moreover, when He brings the firstborn Son again into the habitable world, He says, Let all the angels of God worship Him.

7 Referring to the angels He says, [God] Who makes His angels winds and His ministering servants flames of fire; [Ps 104:4.]

8 But as to the Son, He says to Him, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever (to the ages of the ages), and the scepter of Your kingdom is a scepter of absolute righteousness (of justice and straightforwardness).

9 You have loved righteousness [You have delighted in integrity, virtue, and uprightness in purpose, thought, and action] and You have hated lawlessness (injustice and iniquity). Therefore God, [even] Your God ( Godhead), has anointed You with the oil of exultant joy and gladness above and beyond Your companions. [Ps 45:6,7.]

AMP

Richard Foster points out these items.

“ As the Son of God, Jesus is vastly superior to the angels, indeed is worshiped by them. A salvo of scriptural quotations demonstrates that spiritual creatures and experience are subordinate to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and cannot be substituted for Him. Making spiritual experience one’s primary objective is like being in love with marriage instead of one’s spouse. A good marriage results from loving and serving one’s spouse; a healthy spiritual life results from glorifying Christ. Being in love with spiritual experience is not the same as loving and serving Christ and can even eclipse Christ.

As we seek to practice the disciple of Worship, or indeed any discipline, we must always be aware of the danger of worshiping the discipline instead of Christ. Have you found yourself worshiping for worship’s sake rather than God’s? Ask God to help you keep your focus on God alone.”

My Comments for Today.

I am in love with God and love to worship and be in His presence, to soar on the wind of His Spirit. I have seldom known people who worship for the experience itself, but I do believe it is a good caution for us. This is especially for those of us who love God’s presence and much like Peter on the mount of Transfiguration would rather camp out in God’s presence than fight the good fight in day to day living.

May we worship Him for all that He is and does but most of all because he alone is God!

Day 101, 04/20/2010, Worshiping in Community, Acts 13:1-3

Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

NASU

This passage is an outstanding example of God working among His people while they were worshiping and seeking Him with fasting and prayers. The recounting of this event is an important one as we seek God for His will in our lives today. When we come together in worship, seeking God with prayer and fasting we can expect God to respond and reveal His will by His Spirit.

God has given us the ability to evaluate a situation with our natural mind but that must never be the final means of decision. WE MUST seek Him for His supernatural guidance as well if we are to be Biblical Christians.

Day 100, 04/19/2010, Preparing For worship, Ezra 6:1-5

So King Darius issued orders that a search be made in the Babylonian archives, where treasures were stored. 2 But it was at the fortress at Ecbatana in the province of Media that a scroll was found. This is what it said:

3 "Memorandum:

"In the first year of King Cyrus's reign, a decree was sent out concerning the Temple of God at Jerusalem. It must be rebuilt on the site where Jews used to offer their sacrifices, retaining the original foundations. Its height will be ninety feet, and its width will be ninety feet. 4 Every three layers of specially prepared stones will be topped by a layer of timber. All expenses will be paid by the royal treasury. 5 And the gold and silver utensils, which were taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar from the Temple of God in Jerusalem, will be taken back to Jerusalem and put into God's Temple as they were before."

NLT

Do you have a Vision, a Hope, a Calling? Does it burn in you day and night? Do you tremble at the magnitude of what wants to do in and through you because you do have the wisdom, resources or connections to accomplish it on your own?

GOOD, now that we realize that we will be more willing to worship and trust God to accomplish it! God who created the heavens and the earth and all that is within them has a plan, He has the resources, He has prepared them and set them aside for you so that His purpose in you will be fulfilled! He commands the kings of the earth, the angels in heaven and changes the course of history so that you are being prepared to fulfill His purpose at the right time and in the right place and for the righteous purpose of God.

So, do not say you are not enough, you cannot do it. Say instead:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil 4:12-13

His provision is more than enough to accomplish His plans through and for me! Ex 36:5

I will love and serve the Lord with all my strength, all my soul and all my heart. Deut 6:5

I will not grow weary in doing what the Lord requires of me. 1 Sam 12:20

Gal 6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. NKJV

Day 99, 04/18/2010, Worshiping False Gods, I Kings 11:1-4

King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2 from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the Israelites, "You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you; for they will surely incline your heart to follow their gods"; Solomon clung to these in love. 3 Among his wives were seven hundred princesses and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David.

NRSV

Not in our home we declare! But, we must honestly evaluate our heart, priorities and preferred ways of living life with all that the Bible says. We can only do this when we are reading and studying God’s Word daily.

We must also be willing to ask God to examine our hearts and make us willing to be willing to be honest with ourselves. If we will do these things He will show us the truth and allow us to repent. He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness if we do.

1 John 1:9

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

NASU

Day 98, Building the House of The Lord, I Kings 6:14-16, 21-22

14 So Solomon built the temple and completed it. 15 He lined its interior walls with cedar boards, paneling them from the floor of the temple to the ceiling, and covered the floor of the temple with planks of pine. 16 He partitioned off twenty cubits at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. 17 The main hall in front of this room was forty cubits long. 18 The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; no stone was to be seen.

19 He prepared the inner sanctuary within the temple to set the ark of the covenant of the LORD there. 20 The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty wide and twenty high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar. 21 Solomon covered the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold. 22 So he overlaid the whole interior with gold. He also overlaid with gold the altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary.

NIV

What are you doing to prepare your inner sanctuary for the Lord?

Day 97, 04/16/2010, God Directed Worship, Deuteronomy 12:1-7

Deut 12:1-7

These are the statutes and ordinances that you must diligently observe in the land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has given you to occupy all the days that you live on the earth.

2 You must demolish completely all the places where the nations whom you are about to dispossess served their gods, on the mountain heights, on the hills, and under every leafy tree. 3 Break down their altars, smash their pillars, burn their sacred poles with fire, and hew down the idols of their gods, and thus blot out their name from their places. 4 You shall not worship the LORD your God in such ways. 5 But you shall seek the place that the LORD your God will choose out of all your tribes as his habitation to put his name there. You shall go there, 6 bringing there your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and your donations, your votive gifts, your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and flocks. 7 And you shall eat there in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your households together, rejoicing in all the undertakings in which the LORD your God has blessed you.

NRSV

Today search your heart. Examine where your treasure, time, money and energy are invested each day. This will begin to show you what is a priority and maybe even what is worshiped in your life.

If needed cry out to God in repentance and flee to Him He will cleanse and forgive, restoring you to a place where you may worship Him freely and with a pure heart. When each of does this there will be no room for false gods and the philosophies of men.

Day 96, 04/15/2010, Worshiping With Our Hearts, Isaiah 29:13-14

13 And the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips but remove their hearts and minds far from Me, and their fear and reverence for Me are a commandment of men that is learned by repetition [without any thought as to the meaning],

14 Therefore, behold! I will again do marvelous things with this people, marvelous and astonishing things; and the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the understanding of their discerning men will vanish or be hidden.

AMP

Jer 33:1-3

33:1 While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him a second time: 2 "This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it — the LORD is his name: 3'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'

NIV

Jer 29:13-14

3 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

NIV

There are times when we should be focused on God but instead we allow ourselves to be undisciplined, unfocused and without faith. It is a snare of the enemy to distract us when we could be worshiping the Lord, when we could be crying out to Him for answers, when we could be trusting Him and digging deep in His word for His assurance, His answers and we could be singing His praises instead we have packed our baggage and we are going a side trip of distraction from Him. We allow ourselves to worry, plot and plan how we will do this or escape that perceived problem instead of praising the one who knows the end from the beginning and every twist and turn in between. He alone can deliver us into His perfect will. He alone knows which is the best way for us to proceed on each step of life.

Prov 8:17-19

17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.

18 With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity.

19 My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver.

Day 95, 04/14/2010, Worship That Is Dependent On God, Exodus 3:7-8a; 4:28-31

7 The LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. 8 "So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. NASU

Ex 4:28-31

28 Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD with which He had sent him, and all the signs that He had commanded him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the sons of Israel; 30 and Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses. He then performed the signs in the sight of the people. 31 So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD was concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, then they bowed low and worshiped. NASU

When our worship is dependent up on God and not our emotions, circumstances etc. we will enter into God’s presence in clear and powerful ways. In order to do this we must rely on the Word of God, the nature and character of God and the instructions for victory and truth that come from God’s word.

I am a worshipper and love to worship and be in His presence. There is however a danger in worship if we do not seek Him according to His word. Worship and Prayer without the Word can lead to a mystical experience not based in truth and may open the door to deception. Relying on the Word without true worship and prayer can lead to intellectualism and legalism. We must seek with all our heart, mind and soul our God by being anchored in the Word, soaring in Worship and intimate in Prayer.

In Our Test, “ A Year With God”, by Richard Foster there is a discussion based on the interaction of Moses along with Aaron and the people of God while they were in captivity. When things were good they worshipped God and listen to His servant. When their circumstances were bad they grumbled and complained not trusting in God or His messenger.

We are all tempted to not worship God when life does seem to line up with what we thought God should be doing but He is still god and still worthy of our worship.

Day 93, 04/13/2010, Trusting That God Is With Us, Psalm 22:1-5

My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?

Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.

2 O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer;

And by night, but I have no rest.

3 Yet You are holy,

O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.

4 In You our fathers trusted;

They trusted and You delivered them.

5 To You they cried out and were delivered;

In You they trusted and were not disappointed.

NASU

This is from “A Year With God.” By Richard Foster.

“The Psalms move between two poles; on one side is the desperate condition of human beings when left to stand on their own and, on the other, the unlimited greatness and goodness of God. From that movement there emerges, strangely but beautifully, the greatness of humanity under God and within God’s life and cosmic plan. This is the result of God’s salvation or deliverance, which in psalm after psalm is remembered, praised and anticipated. “God-with-us” is the essence of deliverance regardless of the specific circumstances.”

I wonder today while you worship if you would meditate on the goodness and grace of God toward you. If you are a follower of Jesus the Messiah think back to the time when you were first born again.

If you are not living for God he is waiting with His arms wide open waiting to forgive your sins and transfer you out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of His Son. Col 1:13

13[The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,

AMP

Day 92, 04/12/2010 Worshiping Jesus, Matthew 14:22-33

22 Immediately after this, Jesus made his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake while he sent the people home. 23 Afterward he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. 24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves.

25 About three o'clock in the morning Jesus came to them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him, they screamed in terror, thinking he was a ghost. 27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. "It's all right," he said. "I am here! Don't be afraid."

28 Then Peter called to him, "Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you by walking on water."

29 "All right, come," Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he looked around at the high waves, he was terrified and began to sink. "Save me, Lord!" he shouted.

31 Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and grabbed him. "You don't have much faith," Jesus said. "Why did you doubt me?" 32 And when they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.

`33 Then the disciples worshiped him. "You really are the Son of God!" they exclaimed.

NLT

Notes from ‘A Year With God’, by Richard Foster

Jesus initially is mistaken for a ghost, since Jews at the time viewed bodies of water as the dwelling place of spirits and demons. Only Peter attempts to step out in faith and walk to Jesus, until the elements of wind and wave frighten him. It is a story of walking by faith, rather than fear. Peter is called” you of a little faith,” but in the end all those in the boat, including Peter, worship Jesus as the divine son of God.

Today pay special attention to remembering and thanking God for Jesus.

“When we worship, fill our minds and hearts with wonder at (Jesus) the detailed actions and words of His earthly life, his trial and death on the cross, His resurrection reality, and His work as ascended intercessor. Here, in the words of Albertus Magnus (dies 1280), we find ‘God through God Himself; that is, we pass by the Manhood into the Godhood, by the wounds of humanity into the depths of His divinity.’” Dallas Willard, ‘The Spirit of the Disciplines.

Day 91, 04/11/2010, Remembering God’s Deliverance, Leviticus 23:39-43

Lev 23:39-43

39 Now, the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall keep the festival of the LORD, lasting seven days; a complete rest on the first day, and a complete rest on the eighth day. 40 On the first day you shall take the fruit of majestic trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. 41 You shall keep it as a festival to the LORD seven days in the year; you shall keep it in the seventh month as a statute forever throughout your generations. 42 You shall live in booths for seven days; all that are citizens in Israel shall live in booths, 43 so that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

NRSV

Day 90, 04/10/2010 How We Worship, Exodus 12:1,3, 6b-7, 11-14

Ex 12:1-15

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: 2 This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. 3 Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. 4 If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year-old male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight. 7 They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8 They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs. 10 You shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 11 This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the LORD. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. 13 The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

14 This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.

NRSV

Notes from ‘A Year With God’, by Richard Foster

Even in Times of great danger and haste there is a place for ritual in the spiritual life. God is careful to give very specific instructions on how families should celebrate the first Passover. God is a God of symbols, who impregnates common objects with divine significance. The precision with which God creates the Passover meal will be a He brings to the law and to the construction of the tabernacle. Why is important, and what, but also how: how we speak, how we pray, how we act, how we worship. This matters to God, and it matters to us. It plays a role in what we retain and what kind of person we become.

Today pay attention to the “how” of your worship. What kind are you most comfortable with? Do you find that having a certain order or ritual to your individual worship of God is helpful? Why or why not?

Additional Material:

The material below is from [1]Hayford, Jack W., Hayford’s Bible Handbook, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers) 1998, c1995Hayford, Jack W., Hayford’s Bible Handbook, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers) 1998, c1995

WORSHIP—reverent devotion and allegiance pledged to God; the rituals or ceremonies by which this reverence is expressed. The English word “worship” comes from the Old English word “worthship,” a word which denotes the worthiness of the one receiving the special honor or devotion.

In Old Testament times patriarchs built altars to the Lord and called on His name (Gen. 12:8; 13:18). This worship of God required no elaborate priesthood or ritual. In Moses’ time the foundations of Israelite ritual were laid, as God ordered the instructive forms and principles of worship that would govern Israel and typify the coming Redeemer (Exodus 25-31; 35-40).

After the occupation of the Promised Land, Israel’s exposure to Canaanite worship corrupted the nation’s own worship as the people adopted practices of the pagan world around them. But such idolatry was condemned by God and His special spokesmen, the *prophets of the Old Testament.

New Testament worship was characterized by a joy and thanksgiving because of God’s gracious redemption in Christ, as early church worship focused on the presence of God’s kingdom grace and power through His saving work in His Son. True worship was defined as that which occurred under the inspiration and animation of the Holy Spirit (John 4:23-24; Phil. 3:3).

The New Testament does not instruct worshipers in a specific procedure to follow in their gatherings, but several elements appear to be component parts of the worship in the early church. First Corinthians 14:26, 1 Timothy 4:13, and 2 Timothy 3:10-4:5 seem to show a combination of participation by the leaders and laity alike.

Of course, other basics are revealed for corporate worship:

1. Prayer apparently had a leading place in Christian worship. The letters of Paul regularly open with references to prayer for fellow Christians who are instructed to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17).

2. Praise, either by individuals or in hymns sung in common, reflects the frequent use of psalms in the synagogue. Also, possible fragments of Christian hymns appear scattered through the New Testament (Acts 4:24-30; Eph. 5:14; 1 Tim. 3:16; Rev. 4:8, 11; 5:9-10, 12-13).

3. Lessons from the Bible to be read, taught, and studied were another part of the worship procedure of the New Testament church. Remember, the Old Testament was their “Bible” at first, and emphasis was probably given to the messianic prophecies which had been fulfilled in Jesus Christ, as well as practical lessons from the rest of the Scriptures (1 Cor. 10:6; Rom. 15:4). Jesus’ teachings also received a primary place.

4. The Lord’s Table was practiced (1 Cor. 11:10-34); prophecies and other gifts of the Spirit in manifestation (1 Cor. 12, 14); contributions were received (1 Cor. 16:2); and the sick were prayed for (James 5:13-16). Other details about the worship procedures of the early church in the New Testament times are evident, but these elements seem to have been regularly included in their gatherings.

WORSHIP. (Ps. 99:5) shachah (shah-chah); Strong’s #7812: To bow, to stoop; to bow down before someone as an act of submission or reverence; to worship; to fall or bow down when paying homage to God. The primary meaning is “to make oneself low.” In the present reference, shachah is used in contrast to exaltation: exalt the Lord (lift Him up high) and worship (bow yourselves down low before Him) at the place of His feet. Also (Rev. 4:10) proskuneo (pros-koo-neh-oh); Strong’s #4352: From pros, “toward,” and kuneo, “to kiss.” To prostrate oneself, bow down, do obeisance, show reverence, do homage, worship, adore. In the New Testament the word especially denotes homage rendered to God and the ascended Christ. All believers have a one-dimensional worship, to the only Lord and Savior. We do not worship angels, saints, shrines, relics, or religious personages.

Day 89, 04/08/2010, Worshipping God Through Song, 1 Chron 6:31-32

These are the men whom David put in charge of the service of song in the house of the LORD, after the ark came to rest there. 32 They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem; and they performed their service in due order. NRSV

The material immediately below is from “A Year with God”, by Richard Foster.

“The singers play a very important role in the worship described by the chronicler; they are here given Levitical pedigree. David found great joy in worshipping God through song and promoted music as a ministry, a practice that continues today through traditional hymns and modern praise bands.”

“Today seek to worship God through song. As you prepare to worship challenge yourself to let go of feeling of self-conscious in your worship and really rejoice, even if it feels as though you are making a fool of yourself.”

MUSIC ARTICLE From the International Bible Encyclopedia

(mu'-zik):

‘Its Importance. - That the Hebrews were in ancient times, as they are at the present day, devoted to the study and practice of music is obvious to every reader of the Old Testament. The references to it are numerous, and are frequently of such a nature as to emphasize its importance. They occur not only in the Psalter, where we might expect them, but in the Historical Books and the Prophets, in narratives and in declamations of the loftiest meaning and most intense seriousness. And the conclusion drawn from a cursory glance is confirmed by a closer study.

1. The Sole Art Cultivated: The place held by music in the Old Testament is unique. Besides poetry, it is the only art that Art seems to have been cultivated to any extent in ancient Israel. Painting is entirely, sculpture almost entirely, ignored. This may have been due to the prohibition contained in the Second Commandment, but the fidelity with which that was obeyed is remarkable.

2. Vocabulary: From the traces of it extant in the Old Testament, we can infer that the vocabulary of musical terms was far from scanty. This is all the more significant when we consider the condensed and pregnant nature of Hebrew. "Song" in our English Versions of the Bible represents at least half a dozen words in the original.

3. Place in Social Life: The events, occasions, and occupations with which music was associated were extremely varied. It accompanied leave-taking with honored guests (Gen 31:27); celebrated a signal triumph over the nation's enemies (Ex 15:20); and welcomed conquerors returning from victory (Judg 11:34; 1 Sam 18:6). It was employed to exorcise an evil spirit (1 Sam 18:10), and to soothe temper, or excite the inspiration, of a prophet (2 Kings 3:15). The words "Destroy not" in the titles of four of the Psalms (compare Isa 65:8) most probably are the beginning of a vintage-song, and the markedly rhythmical character of Hebrew music would indicate that it accompanied and lightened many kinds of work requiring combined and uniform exertion. Processions, as e.g. marriages (1 Macc 9:39) and funerals (2 Chron 35:25), were regulated in a similar way. The Psalms headed "Songs of Degrees" were probably the sacred marches sung by the pious as they journeyed to and from the holy festivals at Jerusalem.

4. Emotional Range: It follows from this that the range of emotion expressed by Hebrew music was anything but limited. In addition to the passages just quoted, we may mention the jeering songs leveled at Job (Job 30:9). But the music that could be used to interpret or accompany the Psalms with any degree of fitness must have been capable of expressing a great variety of moods and feelings. Not only the broadly marked antitheses of joy and sorrow, hope and fear, faith and doubt, but every shade and quality of sentiment are found there. It is hardly possible to suppose that the people who originated all that wealth of emotional utterance should have been without a corresponding ability to invent diversified melodies, or should have been content with the bald and colorless recitative usually attributed to them.

This internal evidence is confirmed by other testimony. The Babylonian tyrants demanded one of the famous songs of Zion from thor Jewish captives (Ps 137:3), and among the presents sent by Hezekiah to Sennacherib there were included male and female musicians. In later times Latin writers attest the influence of the East in matters musical. We need only refer to Juvenal iii.62 ff.

5. Place in Divine Service: By far the most important evidence of the value attached to music by the Hebrews is afforded by the place given to it in Divine service. It is true that nothing is said of it in the Pentateuch in connection with the consecration of the tabernacle, or the institution of the various sacrifices or festivals. But this omission proves nothing. It is not perhaps atoned for by the tradition (Wisd 18:9) that at the first paschal celebration "the fathers already led the sacred songs of praise," but the rest of the history makes ample amends. In later days, at all events, music formed an essential part of the national worship of Yahweh, and elaborate arrangements were made for its correct and impressive performance. These are detailed in 1 Chronicles. There we are told that the whole body of the temple chorus and orchestra numbered 4,000; that they were trained and conducted, in 24 divisions, by the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun; and that in each group experts and novices were combined, so that the former preserved the correct tradition, and the latter were trained and fitted to take their place. This is, no doubt, a description of the arrangements that were carried out in the Second Temple, but it sheds a reflex, if somewhat uncertain, light on those adopted in the First.

6. In Religious Reformations: We are told by the same authority that every reformation of religion brought with it a reconstruction of the temple chorus and orchestra, and a resumption of their duties. Thus when Hezekiah purged the state and church of the heathenism patronized by Ahaz, "he set the Levites in the house of Yahweh with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps" (2 Chron 29:25). The same thing took place under Josiah (2 Chron 34). After the restoration-at the dedication of the Temple (Ezra 3:10) and of the walls of Jerusalem (Neh 12:17) - music played a great part. In Nehemiah's time the descendants of the ancient choral guilds drew together, and their maintenance was secured to them out of the public funds in return for their services.’

Day 88, 04/08/2010, Admiring Who God Is, Psalm 99:1-5

THE LORD reigns, let the peoples tremble [with reverential fear]! He sits [enthroned] above the cherubim, let the earth quake!

2 The Lord is great in Zion, and He is high above all the peoples.

3 Let them confess and praise Your great name, awesome and reverence inspiring! It is holy, and holy is He! [Rev 15:4.]

4 The strength of the king who loves righteousness and equity You establish in uprightness; You execute justice and righteousness in Jacob (Israel).

5 Extol the Lord our God and worship at His footstool! Holy is He!

AMP

Comments from our “A Year With God.”

This Enthronement Psalm repeatedly calls the People of God to worship, to tremble, to be overwhelmed by the God who is with us, but is set apart from us. Other songs celebrating God as King point to acts of creation and deliverance. This one focuses more on God’s character as one who is just, who answers those who call for help, who forgives and establishes justice all at once, who is holy. One way to “worship at his footstool” is to admire who God is.

According to Augustine, “ A Christian should be an Alleluia from head to foot.” What does this quote mean to you? How well does this description fit you? Strong’s Concordance #NT-239

My Additional research below.

NT:239 allelouia (al-lay-loo'-ee-ah); of Hebrew origin [imperative of OT:1984 and OT:3050]; praise ye Jah!, an adoring exclamation: Rev 19:6

6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia : for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

KJV

Day 87, 04/07/2010, Sing to the Lord, Psalm 96:1-4

Sing to the LORD a new song;

Sing to the LORD, all the earth.

2 Sing to the LORD, bless His name;

Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.

3 Tell of His glory among the nations,

His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.

4 For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised;

NASU

Facts: The word sing occurs 120 times in scripture. The word praise occurs 340 times in the Bible. The word worship occurs 158 times in the Bible. Singing and praising God in song and is one of the primary ways we worship God.

Below are comments from our author.

Along with Prayer, praise is the pulse beat of the Psalms. The praise or adulation often looks like proclamation, but poetic proclamation is our natural response when we have entered into surpassing magnificence—the Person and the creation of the Lord God, the Almighty. We simply must bear witness to it, shout it from the rooftops as an essential part of engaging, enjoying, and being faithful to it.

Meditate for a few minutes on this quote as you begin your time of worship today.

“ To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.” From William Temple.

This material is from the devotional book ‘A Year With God’ by Richard Foster and can be purchased from Renovare at http://www.renovare.us/

PRAISE

(praz) (tehillah, "psalm," "praise," todhah, "confession" "thanksgiving," shabhach, "to praise" "glorify," zamar, yadhah, "to stretch out the hand," "confess"; aineo, epaineo, (epainos):

1. Its Meaning: The word comes from the Latin pretium, "price," or "value," and may be defined generally as an ascription of value or worth. Praise may be bestowed upon unworthy objects or from improper motives, but true praise consists in a sincere acknowledgment of a real conviction of worth. Its type may be seen in the representation given in the Apocalypse of the adoration of God and of the Lamb, which is inspired by a sense of their worthiness to be adored (Rev 4:11; 5:12).

2. With Man as Its Object: Man may be the object of praise, and may receive it either from God or from his fellow-men. In the former case (Rom 2:29; 1 Cor 4:5) the praise is inevitably just, as resting on a divine estimate of worth; in the latter case its value depends upon the grounds and motives that lie behind it. There is a praise which is itself a condemnation (Luke 6:26), an honor which seals the eyes in unbelief (John 5:44), a careless use of the epithet "good" which is dishonoring to God (Luke 18:19). This is the "praise of men" which Jesus warned His followers to shun as being incompatible with the "praise of God" (Matt 6:1-4; compare John 12:43; Gal 1:10; 1 Thess 2:6). On the other hand, there is a praise that is the instinctive homage of the soul to righteousness (Luke 23:47), the acknowledgment given to well-doing by just government (Rom 13:3; 1 Peter 2:14), the tribute of the churches to distinguished Christian service (2 Cor 8:18). Such praise, so far from being incompatible with the praise of God, is a reflection of it in human consciousness; and so Paul associates praise with virtue as an aid and incentive to holy living on which the mind should dwell (Phil 4 S).

3. With God as Its Object: In the Bible it is God who is especially brought before us as the object of praise. His whole creation praises Him, from the angels of heaven (Ps 103:20; Rev 5:11) to those lower existences that are unconscious or even inanimate (Ps 19:1-4; 148:1-10; Rev 5:13). But it is with the praises offered to God by man, and with the human duty of praising God, that the Scriptures are principally concerned. In regard to this subject the following points may be noticed:

(1) The grounds of praise. - Sometimes God is praised for His inherent qualities. His majesty (Ps 104:1) or holiness (Isa 6:3) fills the mind, and He is "glorified as God" (Rom 1:21) in view of what He essentially is. More frequently He is praised for His works in creation, providence, and redemption. References may be dispensed with here, for the evidence meets us on almost every page of the sacred literature from Genesis to Revelation, and the Book of Psalms in particular, from beginning to end, is occupied with these themes. When God's operations under these aspects present themselves, not simply as general effects of His power and wisdom, but as expressions of His personal love to the individual, the nation, the church, His works become benefits, and praise passes into blessing and thanksgiving (Ps 34; 103; Eph 1:3; 1 Peter 1:3).

(2) The modes of praise. - True praise of God, as distinguished from false praise (Isa 29:13; Matt 15:8), is first of all an inward emotion-a gladness and rejoicing of the heart (Ps 4:7; 33:21), a music of the soul and spirit (Ps 103:1; Luke 1:46 f) which no language can adequately express (Ps 106:2; 2 Cor 9:15). But utterance is natural to strong emotion, and the mouth instinctively strives to express the praises of the heart (Ps 51:15 and passim). Many of the most moving passages in Scripture come from the inspiration of the spirit of praise awakened by the contemplation of the divine majesty or power or wisdom or kindness, but above all by the revelation of redeeming love. Again, the spirit of praise is a social spirit calling for social utterance. The man who praises God desires to praise Him in the hearing of other men (Ps 40:10), and desires also that their praises should be joined with his own (34:3).

Further, the spirit of praise is a spirit of song. It may find expression in other ways-in sacrifice (Lev 7:13), or testimony (Ps 66:16), or prayer (Col 1:3); but it finds its most natural and its fullest utterance in lyrical and musical forms. When God fills the heart with praise He puts a new song into the mouth (Ps 40:3). The Book of Psalms is the proof of this for the Old Testament. And when we pass to the New Testament we find that, alike for angels and men, for the church on earth and the church in heaven, the higher moods of praise express themselves in bursts of song (Luke 2:14; Eph 5:19; Col 3:16; Rev 5:9; 14:3; 15:3). Finally, both in the Old Testament and New Testament, the spirit of song gives birth to ordered modes of public praise. In their earlier expressions the praises of Israel were joyful outbursts in which song was mingled with shouting and dancing to a rude accompaniment of timbrels and trumpets (Ex 15:20 ff; 2 Sam 6:5,14 ff).

In later times Israel had its sacred Psalter, its guilds of trained singers (Ezra 2:41; Neh 7:44), its skilled musicians (Ps 42; 49, etc.); and the praise that waited for God in Zion was full of the solemn beauty of holiness (Ps 29:2; 96:9). In the New Testament the Psalter is still a manual of social praise. The "hymn" which Jesus sang with His disciples after the Last Supper (Matt 26:30) would be a Hebrew psalm, probably from the Hallel (Ps 113-118) which was used at the Passover service, and various references in the Epistles point to the continued employment of the ancient psalms in Christian worship (1 Cor 14:26; Eph 5:19; Col 3:16; James 5:13). But the Psalter of the Jewish church could not suffice to express the distinctive moods of Christian feeling. Original utterance of the spirit of Christian song was one of the manifestations of the gift of tongues (1 Cor 14:15-17). Paul distinguishes hymns and spiritual songs from psalms (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16); and it was hymns that he and Silas sang at midnight in the prison of Philippi (Acts 16:25 the Revised Version (British and American)). But from hymns and songs that were the spontaneous utterance of individual feeling the development was natural, in New Testament as in Old Testament times, to hymns that were sung in unison by a whole congregation; and in rhythmic passages like 1 Tim 3:16; Rev 15:3 f, we seem to have fragments of a primitive Christian hymnology, such as Pliny bears witness to for the early years of the 2 nd century, when he informs Trajan that the Christians of Bithynia at their morning meetings sang a hymn in alternate strains to Christ as God (Ep. x.97). See PERSECUTION .
(from International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright © 1996, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Day 86, 04/06/2010, Everyday Worship, John 4:23

John 4:23-25

23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

NRSV

Our author Richard Foster in ‘A Year With God’ has a lot to say on this subject. I want to just hit the high points and I highly recommend you buy this book, It is well worth the price.

“God The father is seeking worshippers. Most often we respond to this call by worshipping God during the hour or two we spend in church. At least we try. We know that worship should not be limited to Sunday mornings, but often we find ourselves doing just that. Yet what we are meant to do is spend each day in praise and adoration, in a never ceasing conversation with our Lord. When we pour worship out over our daily lives, we grow ever more sensitive to God’s voice and presence.”

“To try to integrate worship more fully into our everyday life, make an effort during each of the ten days to worship in some way. This practice could take many forms: singing a praise song during your morning commute, remembering to thank God for something good that happens, finding a few minutes in a quiet place to sit in silent adoration, gathering a couple of friends to praise and worship together. On Sunday consider attending church that you know has a style of worship different from your own to see what you learn from experiencing another way of entering God’s presence.”

I would like to challenge you to do some memorizing of the verses about worship. Start with yesterdays verse and today’s. Ps 96:9

Worship the LORD in holy splendor;

tremble before him, all the earth.

NRSV

WORSHIP
This article is from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia and will assist you in your study.

Worship
(wur'-ship) (Anglo-Saxon: weorthscipe, wyrthscype, "honor," from weorth, wurth, "worthy," "honorable," and scipe, "ship"):

1. Terms
2. Old Testament Worship
3. New Testament Worship
4. Public Christian Worship
LITERATURE

Honor, reverence, homage, in thought, feeling, or act, paid to men, angels, or other "spiritual" beings, and figuratively to other entities, ideas, powers or qualities, but specifically and supremely to Deity.

1. Terms: The principal Old Testament word is shachah, "depress," "bow down," "prostrate" (Hithpael), as in Ex 4:31, "bowed their heads and worshipped"; so in 94 other places. The context determines more or less clearly whether the physical act or the volitional and emotional idea is intended. The word is applied to acts of reverence to human superiors as well as supernatural. the Revised Version (British and American) renders it according to its physical aspect, as indicated by the context, "bowed himself down" (the King James Version "worshipped," Gen 24:52; compare 23:7; 27:29, etc.).

Other words are: caghadh, "prostrate," occurring in Isa 44:15,17,19; 46:6, but rendered (English Versions of the Bible) "fall down." In Dan 2:46; 3:5-7,10,15,18,28, it (Aramaic ceghidh) is "worship" (English Versions of the Bible), 7 times associated with "falling down" and 5 times with "serve." `abhadh, "work," "labor," "serve," is rendered "worship" by English Versions of the Bible in 2 Kings 10:19,21 ff: "the worshippers (servants) of Baal." In Isa 19:21 the Revised Version (British and American) has "worship with sacrifice and oblation" (the King James Version "do sacrifice"). Isa 19:23 the King James Version has "served," the Revised Version (British and American) "worship." `atsabh, "carve," "fabricate," "fashion," is once given "worship," i.e. "make (an object of) worship" (Jer 44:19, the American Revised Version margin "portray").

The Old Testament idea is therefore the reverential attitude of mind or body or both, combined with the more generic notions of religions adoration, obedience, service.

The principal New Testament word (59 times) is proskuneo, "kiss (the hand or the ground) toward," hence, often in the oriental fashion bowing prostrate upon the ground; accordingly, Septuagint uses it for the Hithpael of shachah (hishtachawah), "prostrate oneself." It is to render homage to men, angels, demons, the Devil, the "beast," idols, or to God. It is rendered 16 times to Jesus as a beneficent superior; at least 24 times to God or to Jesus as God. The root idea of bodily prostration is much less prominent than in the Old Testament. It is always translated "worship."

Next in frequency is sebomai, "venerate," and its various cognates, sebazomai, eusebeo, theosebes, sebasma. Its root is sebas, "fear," but this primitive meaning is completely merged into "reverence," "hold in awe": "In vain do they worship me" (Matt 15:9, etc.). latreuo, is "serve" (religiously), or "worship publicly," "perform sacred services," "offer gifts," "worship God in the observance of the rites instituted for His worship." It is translated "worship" in Acts 7:42; 24:14 the King James Version, but "serve," American Standard Revised Version: "serve the host of heaven," "serve I the God of our fathers"; but both the King James Version and the American Standard Revised Version render Phil 3:3, "worship by the Spirit of God," and Heb 10:2, "the worshippers," the context in the first two being general, in the second two specific. In 2 Tim 1:3 and many other cases both the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) give "serve," the meaning not being confined to worship; but compare Luke 2:37 Revised Version: "worshipping (the King James Version "served") with fastings and supplications." Rom 1:25 gives both sebazomai and latreuo in their specific meanings: "worshipped (venerated) and served (religiously,) the creature." doxa, "glory" (Luke 14:10, King James Version: "Thou shalt have worship," is a survival of an old English use, rightly discarded in the Revised Version (British and American)). threskeia (Col 2:18), "a voluntary humility and worshipping of the angels" (the American Revised Version margin "an act of reverence"), has the root idea of trembling or fear. therapeuo, "serve," "heal," "tend" (Acts 17:25, King James Version: "neither is worshipped by men's hands"), is "served" in the Revised Version (British and American), perhaps properly, but its close connection with "temples made with hands" makes this questionable. neokoros, "temple-sweepers," "temple-keeper" (Acts 19:35), has its true meaning in the Revised Version (British and American), but "worshipper" is needed to complete the idea, in our modern idiom.

In the Apocrypha the usage is the same as in the New Testament, the verbs used being, in the order of their frequency, proskuneo, sebomai, threskeuo, and latreuo.

The New Testament idea of worship is a combination of the reverential attitude of mind and body, the general ceremonial and religious service of God, the feeling of awe, veneration, adoration; with the outward and ceremonial aspects approaching, but not reaching, the vanishing point. The total idea of worship, however, both in the Old Testament and New Testament, must be built up, not from the words specifically so translated, but also, and chiefly, from the whole body of description of worshipful feeling and action, whether of individuals singly and privately, or of larger bodies engaged in the public services of sanctuary, tabernacle, temple, synagogue, upper room or meeting-place
(from International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright © 1996, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Day 85, 04/05/2010 Psalm 130.8

OUT OF the depths have I cried to You, O Lord.
2 Lord, hear my voice; let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
3 If You, Lord, should keep account of and treat [us according to our] sins, O Lord, who could stand? [Ps 143:2; Rom 3:20; Gal 2:16.]
4 But there is forgiveness with You [just what man needs], that You may be reverently feared and worshiped. [Deut 10:12.]
5 I wait for the Lord, I expectantly wait, and in His word do I hope.
6 I am looking and waiting for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, I say, more than watchmen for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is mercy and loving-kindness, and with Him is plenteous redemption.
8 And He will redeem Israel from all their iniquities.
AMP

Reflect on What you have learned about yourself and God during these days of discussuon and study on confession

Day 84, 03/04/2010, Forgive and Console Him, 2 Corinthians 2:5-11

2 Cor 2:5-11

But if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but to some extent — not to exaggerate it — to all of you. 6 This punishment by the majority is enough for such a person; 7 so now instead you should forgive and console him, so that he may not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 So I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. 9 I wrote for this reason: to test you and to know whether you are obedient in everything. 10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ. 11 And we do this so that we may not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

NRSV

The truth hear is meant to keep someone who has sinned and received punishment from totally giving up and turning their back on God and His people. Another passage which helps our understanding here is Colossians 3:13Col:

13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 1

NIV

God is a God of mercy as well as justice. May we find Hid wisdom to mix them well in our lives!

Day 83, 04/03/2010, Healing and Forgiveness, Mark 2:1-12

When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. 3 Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 "Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" 8 At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, "Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Stand up and take your mat and walk'? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" — he said to the paralytic — 11 "I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home." 12 And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

NRSV

What are your thoughts on today's lesson?

Day 82, 04/02/2010, Our Sins Weigh Upon Us, Ezekiel 33:10-16

10 "Now as for you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, 'Thus you have spoken, saying, "Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we are rotting away in them; how then can we survive?"' 11 "Say to them, ' As I live!' declares the Lord GOD, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?' 12 "And you, son of man, say to your fellow citizens, 'The righteousness of a righteous man will not deliver him in the day of his transgression, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he will not stumble because of it in the day when he turns from his wickedness; whereas a righteous man will not be able to live by his righteousness on the day when he commits sin.' 13 "When I say to the righteous he will surely live, and he so trusts in his righteousness that he commits iniquity, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered; but in that same iniquity of his which he has committed he will die. 14 "But when I say to the wicked, 'You will surely die,' and he turns from his sin and practices justice and righteousness, 15 if a wicked man restores a pledge, pays back what he has taken by robbery, walks by the statutes which ensure life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 16 " None of his sins that he has committed will be remembered against him. He has practiced justice and righteousness; he shall surely live.

NASU

This passage is dealing with the children of God (Hebrews) in captivity. Unfortunately we all need places of captivity to make us realize how very good life is when we obey God in all of our ways on a consistent basis. The public acknowledgement of Israel’s sins is meant as an act of humility and is a step back toward a steady walk with God.

Day 81, 04/01/2010, Concealed Sin, Proverbs 28:9-13

9 He who turns away his ear from listening to the law,

Even his prayer is an abomination.

13 But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.

NASU

When we think we can conceal something from God we are just fooling ourselves.

Let God help you. Remember 1 John 1:9

9 If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].

AMP

Day 80, 03/31/2010, I Was Born Guilty, Psalm 51:1-5

51:1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had sinned with Bathsheba.

HAVE MERCY upon me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to the multitude of Your tender mercy and loving-kindness blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me thoroughly [and repeatedly] from my iniquity and guilt and cleanse me and make me wholly pure from my sin!

3 For I am conscious of my transgressions and I acknowledge them; my sin is ever before me.

4 Against You, You only, have I sinned and done that which is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified in Your sentence and faultless in Your judgment. [Rom 3:4.]

5 Behold, I was brought forth in [a state of] iniquity; my mother was sinful who conceived me [and I too am sinful]. [John 3:6; Rom 5:12; Eph 2:3.]

AMP

David’s genuine deep felt repentance is a clear lesson for us that when we have a heart after God and we fail our honest appraisal of our sin is painful and vividly clear to those around us. It is this honest deeply felt repentance that continues to demonstrate that we are people after God’s own heart.

Day 79, 03/30/2010, Our Ancestors have Not Kept Your Law, Nehemiah 9:2-3, 6a, 33-37

Neh 9:1-4

Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the sons of Israel assembled with fasting, in sackcloth and with dirt upon them. 2 The descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. 3 While they stood in their place, they read from the book of the law of the LORD their God for a fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the LORD their God.

NASU

Neh 9:6

6 " You alone are the LORD.

You have made the heavens,

The heaven of heavens with all their host,

The earth and all that is on it,

The seas and all that is in them.

NASU

Neh 9:33-38

33 "However, You are just in all that has come upon us;

For You have dealt faithfully, but we have acted wickedly.

34 "For our kings, our leaders, our priests and our fathers have not kept Your law

Or paid attention to Your commandments and Your admonitions with which You have admonished them.

35 "But they, in their own kingdom,

With Your great goodness which You gave them,

With the broad and rich land which You set before them,

Did not serve You or turn from their evil deeds.

36 "Behold, we are slaves today,

And as to the land which You gave to our fathers to eat of its fruit and its bounty,

Behold, we are slaves in it.

37 " Its abundant produce is for the kings

Whom You have set over us because of our sins;

They also rule over our bodies

And over our cattle as they please,

So we are in great distress. NASU

God through Jesus the Messiah had made a way for our sins to be forgiven and cleansed no matter what are sin or heritage.

Day78, 03/29/2010, When You realize Your Guilt, Leviticus 5:1-5

When any of you sin in that you have heard a public adjuration to testify and — though able to testify as one who has seen or learned of the matter — do not speak up, you are subject to punishment. 2 Or when any of you touch any unclean thing — whether the carcass of an unclean beast or the carcass of unclean livestock or the carcass of an unclean swarming thing — and are unaware of it, you have become unclean, and are guilty. 3 Or when you touch human uncleanness — any uncleanness by which one can become unclean — and are unaware of it, when you come to know it, you shall be guilty. 4 Or when any of you utter aloud a rash oath for a bad or a good purpose, whatever people utter in an oath, and are unaware of it, when you come to know it, you shall in any of these be guilty. 5 When you realize your guilt in any of these, you shall confess the sin that you have committed.

NRSV

When we first become Christians we are not immediately aware of all Biblical teaching and therefor may not realize something is a sin. Once we have become aware that we have sinned in some way we must confess that sin and turn from it so that God will both cleanse us and deliver us rom the sinful activity.

1 John 1:9

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Day 77, 03/28/2010, Being Open and Honest, Genesis 45:25-28

25 So they went up out of Egypt and came into the land of Canaan to Jacob their father,

26 And they said to him, Joseph is still alive! And he is governor over all the land of Egypt! And Jacob's heart began to stop beating and [he almost] fainted, for he did not believe them.

27 But when they told him all the words of Joseph which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived [and warmth and life returned].

28 And Israel said, It is enough! Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.

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Thoughts from our author Dr. Richard Foster (paraphrased)

What an intriguing situation that is laid out for us here. These brothers of Joseph who had sold him into slavery now tell Jacob that his son Joseph who they had sold into slavery was alive. What would their relationship have been like if he had known they were the ones responsible for his disappearance?

Have you ever been in a place where telling the truth could have completely changed your family relationship for the worst or for the better?

Day 76, 03/27/2010, Revealing The Hidden, Luke 12:1-3

12:1 IN THE meanwhile, when so many thousands of the people had gathered that they were trampling on one another, Jesus commenced by saying primarily to His disciples, Be on your guard against the leaven (ferment) of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy [producing unrest and violent agitation].

2 Nothing is [so closely] covered up that it will not be revealed, or hidden that it will not be known.

3 Whatever you have spoken in the darkness shall be heard and listened to in the light, and what you have whispered in [people's] ears and behind closed doors will be proclaimed upon the housetops.

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When you look at the previous chapter you see this section in context. The Pharisees were seeking to get Jesus tripped up. They like many political elites both in government and the church today will say or do anything to make themselves look good and the cause of Christ or anyone else who is a threat to their power look bad.

This warning was not simply about hidden things being made visible but about evil, self centered, manipulators who smile and say things they think you want to hear. In reality they are saying these things to use you and get power and prestige for themselves.

This is not the character of Jesus nor should it be that of His people. In all of my years as a Christian I have seen more harm inflicted on God’s people by this type of lording it over people than by anything, any person or doctrine. Those who promise they will be your helper and deliver may be well meaning but they are deceived if not deliberately so.

God calls us to believe in Him and turn from the ways and philosophies of the world.

Day 75, 03/26/2010, The Joy of Forgiveness, Psalm 32:1-5

Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,

whose sin is covered.

2 Happy are those to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity,

and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3 While I kept silence, my body wasted away

through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;

my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.

Selah

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you,

and I did not hide my iniquity;

I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,"

and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

NRSV

May God’s Holy Spirit speak to you and cause you to say yes and amen.

Day 74, 03/25/2010, Confession and Restitution, Numbers 5:5-6

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 6 Speak to the Israelites: When a man or a woman wrongs another, breaking faith with the LORD, that person incurs guilt 7 and shall confess the sin that has been committed. The person shall make full restitution for the wrong, adding one-fifth to it, and giving it to the one who was wronged. 8 If the injured party has no next of kin to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution for wrong shall go to the LORD for the priest, in addition to the ram of atonement with which atonement is made for the guilty party.

NRSV

We live in a day where many think that a simple I am sorry is all that is needed to make things right. The Bible points to a change in behavior and restitution where appropriate. When I was 9 I took a candy bar from a local store without paying for it, and got caught. My father gave me a pretty strong spanking and then made me apologize to the store owner. Then I had to work for him for a day. Without knowing it my dad was very biblical in his approach. I can tell you that I never forgot the lesson!

Day 73, 03/24/2010, Observing All the Commandments, Nehemiah 10:28-29

28 And the rest of the people — the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, Nethinim [temple servants], and all they who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who had knowledge and understanding —

29 Join now, with their brethren, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God's Law which was given to Moses the servant of God and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes:

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When we turn from sin we must turn to God and rejoin our life in the Vine which is Messiah. If we do not get into the Word and fellowship with the father we are easily picked off by the enemy of our soul. Turning from sin must be combined with a fierce turning to God and all of His ways if we are to prosper in God and live a life free from the curse of sin and it results.

Day 72, 03/22/2010, Teach Me to Do Your will, Psalms 143:1-2, 10

Today we are doubling up on our studies that we might catch up on the twelve days we started late. So yes you get two devotions for one day today.

Ps 143:1-8

Hear my prayer, O LORD;

give ear to my supplications in your faithfulness;

answer me in your righteousness.

2 Do not enter into judgment with your servant,

for no one living is righteous before you.

3 For the enemy has pursued me,

crushing my life to the ground,

making me sit in darkness like those long dead.

4 Therefore my spirit faints within me;

my heart within me is appalled.

5 I remember the days of old,

I think about all your deeds,

I meditate on the works of your hands.

6 I stretch out my hands to you;

my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.

Selah

7 Answer me quickly, O LORD;

my spirit fails.

Do not hide your face from me,

or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.

8 Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning,

NRSV

Yes we may cry out to Him and know He will answer!

Day 71, 02/22/2010, We Have Sinned and Done Wrong, Daniel 9:1-19

Daniel's Prayer for the People

In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus, by birth a Mede, who became king over the realm of the Chaldeans — 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to the prophet Jeremiah, must be fulfilled for the devastation of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

3 Then I turned to the Lord God, to seek an answer by prayer and supplication with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying,

"Ah, Lord, great and awesome God, keeping covenant and steadfast love with those who love you and keep your commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong, acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and ordinances. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.

7 "Righteousness is on your side, O Lord, but open shame, as at this day, falls on us, the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. 8 Open shame, O LORD, falls on us, our kings, our officials, and our ancestors, because we have sinned against you. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him, 10 and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by following his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

11 "All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. So the curse and the oath written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against you. 12 He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers, by bringing upon us a calamity so great that what has been done against Jerusalem has never before been done under the whole heaven. 13 Just as it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us. We did not entreat the favor of the LORD our God, turning from our iniquities and reflecting on his fidelity. 14 So the LORD kept watch over this calamity until he brought it upon us. Indeed, the LORD our God is right in all that he has done; for we have disobeyed his voice.

15 "And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and made your name renowned even to this day — we have sinned, we have done wickedly. 16 O Lord, in view of all your righteous acts, let your anger and wrath, we pray, turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain; because of our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people have become a disgrace among all our neighbors. 17 Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his supplication, and for your own sake, Lord, let your face shine upon your desolated sanctuary. 18 Incline your ear, O my God, and hear. Open your eyes and look at our desolation and the city that bears your name. We do not present our supplication before you on the ground of our righteousness, but on the ground of your great mercies. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, listen and act and do not delay! For your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people bear your name!"

Do you Pray on behalf of God's people? If not will you begin?

Day 70, 03/22/2010, Forgive the Sin of Your People Israel, 1 Kings 8:22-34

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands to heaven. 23 He said, "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and steadfast love for your servants who walk before you with all their heart, 24 the covenant that you kept for your servant my father David as you declared to him; you promised with your mouth and have this day fulfilled with your hand. 25 Therefore, O LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant my father David that which you promised him, saying, 'There shall never fail you a successor before me to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children look to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.' 26 Therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you promised to your servant my father David.

27 "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, much less this house that I have built! 28 Regard your servant's prayer and his plea, O LORD my God, heeding the cry and the prayer that your servant prays to you today; 29 that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you said, 'My name shall be there,' that you may heed the prayer that your servant prays toward this place. 30 Hear the plea of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place; O hear in heaven your dwelling place; heed and forgive.

31 "If someone sins against a neighbor and is given an oath to swear, and comes and swears before your altar in this house, 32 then hear in heaven, and act, and judge your servants, condemning the guilty by bringing their conduct on their own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding them according to their righteousness.

33 "When your people Israel, having sinned against you, are defeated before an enemy but turn again to you, confess your name, pray and plead with you in this house, 34 then hear in heaven, forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them again to the land that you gave to their ancestors.

NRSV

Wow, what else could I add?

Day 69, 03/21/2010, The People Were Baptized, Confessing Their Sin, Mark 1:-4-8

⁴ John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶ Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷ And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. ⁸ I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

1 John 1:9

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Every Christian knows that we will not become perfect in this life. It is encouraging therefore to know that we may continually confess our sins to Him but also know that as we do he is faithful and just to forgive us for our sins.

Abba's Glory

A Life of Passionate Participation in God