Job 37
5 God’s voice is glorious in the thunder.
We can’t even imagine the greatness of his power.
We get plenty of thunderstorms during this time of the year here in Vero Beach. Reading this passage today reminds me to look at them in a whole different light: the thunder is God’s glorious voice. I can take great comfort in that thought these days, because it is a physical reminder of God’s promise that He is always with me. Thank You, Lord for Your promise and for this reminder today!
2 Corinthians 4
8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
While I am not suffering anywhere near what Paul did, I have felt a spirit of oppression for the past couple of days. I know it truly is a satanic attack, because he is scared to death of what is in the works around here. I will continue to look to my Lord and Savior Jesus, placing my full hope and trust in Him alone. Yes, I know this is only a temporary season of getting knocked down, and I will get back up and keep on going for the Lord!
Psalm 43
5 Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and my God!
I take comfort in this Psalm today. I know that satan is trying to discourage me. Man will let me down, brothers will disappoint, but my hope is in Jesus. I will not be discouraged because I know that my heavenly Father has it all in His more than capable hands!
Job 28
23 “God alone understands the way to wisdom;
he knows where it can be found,
24 for he looks throughout the whole earth
and sees everything under the heavens.”
Man seeks wisdom from so many different sources, when there is only One True Source: God. May I be a signpost to and for God so that people may not only gain wisdom, but more importantly that they may gain salvation through Jesus.
2 Corinthians 1
21 It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, 22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.
I turn 26 today. It seems like just yesterday when Don Boswell was helping me rise up out of the watery grave of baptism into a new life in Christ. As I look back on these past 26 years, I see God’s hand in it all. Yes, there have been good times and not-so-good times, but God has enabled me to stand firm for Christ through it all. God has commissioned me to be His servant, and blessed me with the ability to do that vocationally. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is a blessing beyond words. Be privileged to live out my faith daily is a joy that I pray I share well with others.
2 Corinthians 1
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 6 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. 7 We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.
I am praying for Brent and Lisa today. Lord, use me in any way possible to be a source of comfort for them during this time of serious spiritual attack and trial. Thank You for the comfort that comes from You through Your people. I love You, Lord!
1 Corinthians 16
13 Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. 14 And do everything with love.
My brother Brent comes to mind as I read these two verses today. May our Loving Heavenly Father guide his every step, his every word, and his every thought during these very difficult days. May the same apply to me every day of my life. Father, I desire for Your direction and guidance every day. Help me to always be on guard, to stand firm in the faith, being courageous, strong, and loving.
Psalm 39
4 “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered—
how fleeting my life is.
5 You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
at best, each of us is but a breath.”
Time on this planet flies by. It seems to speed up the older I get. In counseling with a couple recently, I told them that most of what happens on this planet will not last, and will be quickly forgotten. Pain, suffering, even physical death...these things do not last. What we must concentrate on are those things which are eternal: life in Christ, love for one another, obedience to the Gospel. For people who do not know the Gospel, life on this planet seems to be the “be all, end all.” For those of us who are in Christ, we know that life on this planet is but the blinking of an eye. Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Help me to concentrate on the eternal, and to help others come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
1 Corinthians 15
3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.
Oh, to have the laser focus of Paul. There is plenty out there to distract us, but we need to remember to focus on that which is most important: the Gospel of Christ. I have a brother in Christ who is facing the end of a ministry, and it is going to be ugly. It is easy to get distracted by my hurt for him, and for all those involved. Lord, instead, let me be a voice of Grace, Peace, and Love for my brother, and for those who are (quite frankly) wronging him by their actions. May Jesus be glorified in all of this, and may all involved regain focus on the most important thing: the Gospel of Christ!
Psalm 37
37 Look at those who are honest and good,
for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.
38 But the rebellious will be destroyed;
they have no future.
Rebellion is the definition of sin, isn’t it? To sin is to rebel against God. Those who place their hope and trust in the Lord can indeed look to a bright eternal future, while those who rebel against God have only eternal separation from Him awaiting them. There is no future for those who are Separated from the Creator of Life. There is no hope from those who rebel against the Author of Salvation. May I live my life everyday to help the rebellious repent and come to a saving knowledge of Jesus. Only then, am I living in obedience myself.
Job 1
20 Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. 21 He said,
“I came naked from my mother’s womb,
and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had,
and the Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord!”
22 In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.
Job has just lost everything. His children, and his wealth. His reaction? He grieves, and he worships God. What a great lesson I can learn here. It is natural to grieve, but even in my deepest grief, God is worthy of my worship. Thank You, Lord for the story of Job. Thank You for affirming the fact that my true riches and my true source of joy come from You alone. What a great companion reading from Psalm 37 this morning: 16 It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich.
17 For the strength of the wicked will be shattered,
but the Lord takes care of the godly.
Thanks for taking care of me, Lord. I have more than I deserve, and more than I need because I have Jesus!
1 Corinthians 12
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
I can sum this passage up in one word: Jesus. I can think of one person on this planet who exemplifies this passage: Peggy Blount. I am the most blessed man ever!
Psalm 36
7 How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter
in the shadow of your wings.
The thought of being sheltered in the shadow of God’s wings is more comforting than mere words can express. How great is the knowledge that God is my shelter. As I spend the next two days helping with Habitat for Humanity working on homes in our county, I cannot help but marvel at the notion of helping provide shelter for families who in many cases just would never be able to do so without Habitat. I know beyond a shadow of any doubt that I could not have the shelter I need from God without the Mercy and Grace extended to me through Jesus. May I be His hands and feet and may I extend that grace as I go about my daily business so that others may find the shelter known as Jesus.
1 Corinthians 11
23 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread 24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.” 25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it.” 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.
Each Lord’s Day when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we proclaim the Gospel of Christ. Yes, the act of eating the bread and drinking the cup proclaims the death, burial, resurrection and second coming of our Lord Jesus. Paul tells us that we are to partake of the Supper to remember Jesus. I am so grateful to be part of a church that follows the faith and practices of the 1st Century Church. As a corporate body, we proclaim the Gospel every Sunday morning by celebrating the Lord’s Supper. May Jesus be glorified throughout the week by the way we live. He alone is worthy!
1 Corinthians 11
1 And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.
Now THIS is a serious verse! It is my desire to live a life in Christ that would allow me to use this verse as my life verse. Yeah, I want to be such a devout follower of the Lord Jesus, that I can encourage others to follow me as I follow Jesus. Would that I dare encourage others to imitate me as I imitate Christ. That, my friends is a scary, serious challenge. Not for those whom I am intimating to imitate me, but it is a serious challenge for me! See, if I were to be so bold as to issue that challenge, I place myself in the position of being judged by the Lord Jesus Himself for how I did in that regard. At least for now, I simply will say, “follow Christ with me.” I pray for the day when I can boldly proclaim, “imitate me as I imitate Christ.”
1 Corinthians 10
31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
In this section of Scripture, Paul is talking about the controversy over eating meat sacrificed to idols, but the statement he makes in verse 31 looks to be pretty universal: whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. As I think about my daily routine, there is much to be found there that usually is not necessarily done for the glory of God. Repentance is called for here, so Lord help me to live a life designated to do nothing less than bringing glory to You always!
1 Corinthians 9
19 Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. 20 When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. 21 When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.
22 When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. 23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.
In this passage, Paul is laying out the strategy for meeting people where they are in order to bring them to Christ. He places himself in the culture, not to conform to that culture, but rather to be in a position to bring people out of the culture and into Christ. He does so strategically, and he does so knowing that he will keep himself saturated with God’s Word so that he does not give in to the culture in which he is working to evangelize people to Christ. He also does not avoid the culture, because he knows that he can’t reach people for Jesus that way, either. It is a balancing act, but it is the biblical model for evangelism. I need to do a better job in following this model.
Nehemiah 6
9 They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination.
The enemies of God’s work through the followers of Christ will always be fierce. Our response to those enemies must be met with an even greater determination. Realizing that the forces of satan will oppose us at every turn, should keep us vigilant, determined, and quite honestly, motivated. If we are not facing opposition in our labor for the Lord, then we must not truly be laboring for Him. Jesus reminds us that the world will hate us because it first hated Him. May we not grow weary in what we do for Jesus, and for who we are in Him. May His Name be glorified even among the enemies of God because of our faithful devotion to the task at hand: sharing the Gospel of Christ, and living lives of Love in His Name.
Psalm 32
1 Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sin is put out of sight!
I live in a state of joy that this world cannot comprehend. My sins are forgiven through the precious Blood of my Lord and Savior Jesus. I am no longer bound by the slavery of sinful attitudes, but instead have been freed to be all that I can be in Christ. I have not “arrived” by any stretch, but my daily walk with Jesus strengthens and encourages me more and more. It is this hope, and this joy I wish to share with everyone. May this motivate me to proclaim the Good News even more and may I never shrink from the responsibility to share the Gospel. Father, place me in circumstances where Jesus can be lived out to lead people to His saving grace. May my joy be contagious, and may Jesus be glorified always!
Nehemiah 1
4 When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. 5 Then I said,
“O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, 6 listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! 7 We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses.”
When Nehemiah hears how the people of Judah and the city of Jerusalem are in disgrace and despair, he weeps, mourns, fasts, and prays. As I read the first part of this prayer, I am struck by the notion that we have many Americans who claim to follow Christ who live their lives in disgrace and despair. Do I spend enough time weeping, mourning, and praying? No. I am guilty of NOT doing that. Father, may I seek Your Face on behalf of Christians living in disgrace and despair, and may I be a man of prayer for all peoples every day. May You move through my prayers, and may I put the hands and feet on them like Nehemiah did!
1 Corinthians 6
12 You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. 13 You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. 14 And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.
15 Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! 16 And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.” 17 But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
18 Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. 19Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
Realizing that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit should change everything about how we behave. I know this passage is primarily talking about fleeing sexual immorality, and I totally agree with that. It also mentions food, and that is a struggle that many of us have every bit as much as struggling with sexual immorality. My struggle with food led to me ballooning to 245 pounds a year ago. I am down more than 30 pounds since then, but I have slipped lately in my resolve to lose more weight, to exercise regularly, and to treat this body like the temple of the Holy Spirit it was designed to be. Forgive me, Oh Lord. Help me to get back on the right track.
1 Corinthians 5
12 “It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. 13 God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”
Once again, Paul hits the nail on the head. We “church people” are not to judge those outside the church. After all, pagans behave like pagans. However, when those inside the church start behaving like pagans, we are not only to judge, but we are to correct. If they will not accept our correction, we are to disassociate ourselves with them. Pure and simple. There is NO room for sinful mindsets and lifestyles in the body of Christ. Not that we won’t sin, but it is the attitude about sin that is the subject at hand. I sin every day. I don’t want to, but it is my struggle. However, if I were to decide that a certain sin of mine was no longer a sin, and that I could just keep wallowing in it then I should be admonished, corrected, and if I don’t submit to the authority of the Bible as explained by those in the church, then I should be cast out from among the believers. I would in fact, no longer be a believer! May we in the church be careful to love people to Jesus, but may we be totally intolerant of sin in the camp.
Proverbs 20
29 The glory of the young is their strength;
the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old.
Today, Peggy and I celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. We have spent the day simply resting in each others arms. We we talking just a few moments ago about how our relationship has matured over the years. We used to think that we had to go, and do. Now we are content to just be. Much the same as in our relationship with the Lord. Make no mistake, we still go and do, but the primary concern now is to be. The gray hair of experience helps us to just rest in the arms of the LORD, to be rejuvenated in Christ, and to know that there are times when doing needs to take the back seat to just being in Christ. Thank You, Lord for helping us to learn this life lesson, and for giving us the privilege of being in Christ, serving Christ and doing so together!
1 Corinthians 3
5 After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. 6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7 It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. 9 For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.
I love the attitude of Paul as expressed here. Paul knows that it is not all about him. Yeah, he is God’s chosen Apostle to the Gentiles, but he knows that he is simply a bond servant for the Lord Jesus. It is all about Jesus all the time. Over the years, I have struggled with spiritual jealousy, but I have come to learn that I am where I am because that is where God wants me. I have submitted my life to Christ, and want nothing for than for Him to use me as He sees fit. I am now quite content in that attitude. I love where I am and what I am doing because I know that it is where and what God wants. I know that the seeds I have planted for Jesus are many. I know that many of those seeds are growing into far greater men and women for the Gospel that I could ever be, and I am perfectly fine with that. May Jesus be glorified by all I do every day. How could I dare ask for anything more?
Proverbs 20
25 Don’t trap yourself by making a rash promise to God
and only later counting the cost.
The Old Testament is filled with examples of folks who made rash promises to God. It cost them their children, their livelihood, and more. Jesus says that we must count the cost before making a decision to follow Him. Following Christ means giving EVERYTHING over to Him. He will not be Lord of most of our life. He requires us to acknowledge Him as Lord over ALL our life. This morning, I have counted the cost. Following Jesus is what I desire, everything else is rubbish by comparison. I do not make this decision lightly, nor rashly. Jesus, to You I say: whatever You want me to do, wherever You want me to go, I will follow You.
1 Corinthians 1
18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.
30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. 31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”
I will look like a fool in the eyes of the world as I follow Christ. That is no problem for me, whatsoever. I will boast only in Christ, for He alone is worthy of such boasting. Having been united with Christ, I have all the wisdom I need as I walk closer with Him each day, spend time in His Word each day, and do my best to live for Him each day. On my own, I am simply a fool. In Jesus, I am a fool for Christ, and I don’t mind that designation one tiny bit!
1 Corinthians 1
4 I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. 5 Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge. 6 This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true. 7 Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
As Paul writes the church at Corinth, I wonder if we in the church today wait eagerly for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Have we become complacent? Do we really give that return much thought, or do we just go through our daily routine without so much as a thought to the fact that someday soon Jesus is coming back to collect His Bride, the Church. While we do not know the day or the hour, we do know that Jesus is coming back. Sadly, we don’t appear to live like we believe it. There is no sense of eagerness or urgency in proclaiming the Good News. We have been thoroughly equipped, but I just wonder if we truly believe that Jesus is coming back soon. Just some sobering food for thought today.
Romans 16
25 Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time. 26 But now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him. 27 All glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen.
As Paul ends his letter to the church at Rome, he gives all glory to God while reminding the Gentile Christians (and the Jewish Christians, too) of the all-encompassing Grace of God. The Good News is for everyone. It was foretold by the Old Testament Prophets, and fulfilled by Paul’s ministry. Today, I need to remember that the Gospel is for everyone, not just people with whom I am comfortable. May I reach out well beyond my comfort zone and share Jesus with everyone.
2 Chronicles 33
10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they ignored all his warnings. 11 So the Lord sent the commanders of the Assyrian armies, and they took Manasseh prisoner. They put a ring through his nose, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon. 12But while in deep distress, Manasseh sought the Lord his God and sincerely humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. 13 And when he prayed, the Lord listened to him and was moved by his request. So the Lord brought Manasseh back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh finally realized that the Lord alone is God!
Doesn’t this paragraph summarize the children of Israel’s relationship with God? Ignoring God leads to invasion and slavery, which results in repentance, which results in God hearing and rescuing. Then, the pattern starts all over again. We are no different today. Those of us who are God’s Children ignore, suffer consequences, (hopefully) repent and reap the rewards of God’s mercy and grace. Sure would make more sense if we would just listen to God from the get-go, wouldn’t it?
Psalm 25
4 Show me the right path, O Lord;
point out the road for me to follow.
5 Lead me by your truth and teach me,
for you are the God who saves me.
All day long I put my hope in you.
Like David, I simply ask the LORD God Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, Author of my Salvation, and the Holy, Righteous Judge to guide me this day. May I choose to follow His path, His truth, and may I place my hope in Him all day long today and every day.
