Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Isaiah 13-17

Daily Reading
Isaiah 13-17

Daily Thought

Much of a prophet's duty is the announcement of judgment, and for the next 12 chapters Isaiah will speak for God against nations, culminating in chapter 24 with judgment against the world. Their sin is our sin and is two-fold at its core: we forget our God and we take his place; "for you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge" (Isaiah 17:10). 

It works for a time, we "plant pleasant plants" and "make them grow on the day that you plant them, make them blossom in the morning that you sow" (Isaiah 17:10-11), and we begin to believe only in ourselves. When all is sunshine, the world seems like a place we can manage on our own, but there is darkness in our heart, and rather than manage, we want to rule, to be our own god. It started in the Garden with Eve, "for God knows that when you eat of the tree your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God" (Genesis 3:5). It is the sin of Satan, "You said in your heart,
     'I will ascend to heaven;
above the stars of God
     I will set my throne on high;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
    in the far reaches of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
    I will make myself like the Most High'" (Isaiah 14:13-14).

It works during the day, and we desire to rule, but only one can rule and so we war, and then comes the night; "at evening time, behold, terror! Before morning, they are no more!" (Isaiah 17:14). We destroy ourselves. 

The judgment of God is not to ruin, but to restore, to remind us of our God. "In that day man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will look on the Holy One of Israel. He will not look to the altars, the work of his hands, and he will not look on what his own fingers have made" (Isaiah 17:7-8). The judgment of God lifts our eyes from the pride of our own hands, and returns our gaze to the glory of the one who made everything. 

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, You are the God most high, and yet you kneeled low so that we might be saved. Your Son came in humility, considering us better than Himself. You, God, showed that kind of humility for our sake.

I look forward to seeing You return again, in power this time. You have already demonstrated love to its fullest, dying for us even though we had turned out back on You. When You come again, we will see You in full glory, full power, full majesty, and still full of love.

Amen

Monday, July 30, 2012

Isaiah 9-12

Daily Reading
Isaiah 9-12

Daily Thought

Midway through The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf is pulled off the bridge into a seemingly bottomless chasm. Frodo and his companions are certain he plunged to his death, but I didn't think so. I tried to continue reading, turning the pages one at a time, but curiosity won and I peeked ahead, flipping through chapters to see if the name Gandalf showed up again. I wanted to know if their leader would be with them to the end.

Prophets peek ahead. Israel will fall, seemingly to its death. "The Syrians on the east and the Philistines on the west devour Israel with open mouth" (Isaiah 9:12). God will use godless nations to punish sinful Israel; then God will punish the punishers for their arrogance. They think they are in charge. They aren't; God is. This is his story. 

God had promised a kingdom forever, but Israel fears its sin has been greater than God's promises. So the prophet Isaiah flips forward the pages, "There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him" (Isaiah 11:1-2). Israel has a future in God's story; from the family of Jesse, a King will reign. His name is Jesus. Nothing is greater than God's promises.

There will come yet another day when "the wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
    and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
    and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze;
    their young shall lie down together;
    and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
    and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.
They shall not hurt or destroy
    in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea." (Isaiah 11:6-9)

This day has not yet come. It will. 

Daily Prayer

Righteous and mighty God, You created us and called it good. Following You is good. But I keep following the crowd. And it works ...for awhile, but not forever. I want forever.

I trust You, my God. Your Word is certain. You have kept and will keep Your promises, and I will rest in Your strength. May my own words reflect the faithfulness of Your Word.

Amen

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Isaiah 5-8

Daily Reading
Isaiah 5-8

Daily Thought

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here I am! Send me." ~Isaiah 6:8

Isaiah speaks for God to a nation in judgment. He sings a song to Judah of a beautiful vineyard full of grapes gone bad. Past the point of pruning, it is time to uproot:

And now I will tell you
    what I will do to my vineyard.
I will remove its hedge,
    and it shall be devoured;
I will break down its wall,
    and it shall be trampled down.
I will make it a waste;
    it shall not be pruned or hoed (Isaiah 5:5-6). 

God gives six reasons why, six woes delivered by his prophet Isaiah, chapter 5, verses 8, 11, 18, 20 21, and 22. Having rejected their God, they live in a world turned upside down, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20). God's prophet speaks the truth.

There is a seventh woe and it belongs to Isaiah. A vision of the holiness of God confronts Isaiah with his own sinfulness, "and I said: 'Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!'" (Isaiah 6:5). God's prophet is humble, speaking not from self-righteousness, but of God's righteousness.

Most importantly, God's prophet knows grace. Isaiah's unclean lips were touched by God, "one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: 'Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for'" (Isaiah 6:6-7). 

Truth must be spoken with courage and clarity, and always by a heart humbled, by a soul touched with the grace of God. 

Daily Prayer

Righteous God, You are good and Your Words bring life. May I be one who hungers and thirsts for righteousness. May I live in peace, in so far as I am able. But, if something is wrong, may I be a defender of right, a defender of justice. May I be one who speaks up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of the poor and the needy.

Knowing Your goodness, experiencing Your grace, may I never wash my hands of what is right and just and good.

Amen

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Isaiah 1-4

Daily Reading
Isaiah 1-4

Daily Thought

Everything begins with God, not only creation, but character and conduct. The nation of Judah is "a people laden with iniquity, children who deal corruptly" (Isaiah 1:4); Jerusalem "has become a whore" (Isaiah 1:21). This is how prophets talk. Isaiah cries against the sins of the people, the symptoms of destruction, but the sickness is deeper yet; "they have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged" (Isaiah 1:4). The first matter of a nation is her devotion to God. 

A prophet will mourn the day; but he speaks of the future as matter of fact: 

It shall come to pass in the latter days
    that the mountain of the house of the Lord
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
    and shall be lifted up above the hills (Isaiah 2:2). 

Whether these are words of terror or hope is up to us, not God. It is God's grace that allows us to decide whether we are for him or against him, before he does. A nation's only hope, once they have abandoned their God, is to hear and to heed the cry of a prophet.

Daily Prayer

Father God, I am so sorry for turning my back on You. Thank You for Your Son, my Savior. I wish I wasn't so self-centered. Thank You for Your patience. I do repent, I have turned around. You are my Lord, my God, my heavenly Father. Thank You for Your grace.

I will follow You. Thank You for Your Word.

Amen

Friday, July 27, 2012

Song of Songs 1-8

Daily Reading
Song of Songs 1-8

Daily Thought

How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride!
    How much better is your love than wine,
    and the fragrance of your oils than any spice!
Your lips drip nectar, my bride;
     honey and milk are under your tongue.
~Song of Songs 5:10-11

Solomon's Song of Songs reminds us of God's creative delight in fashioning the passions and pleasures of love and marriage. This is love, love to heaven's height, the love we long for, to be cherished and savored and guarded. The world sings of love and celebrates sex in free-for-all fashion, and you get what you pay for. Beware the ways of the world, for they cheapen us. "Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom" (Song of Songs 2:15).

We were created with a powerful passion that must be protected. The young woman warns her friends, "I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases" (Song of Songs 2:7). You have a precious gift; do not open it. It belongs to someone special.  

And there he is, "My beloved is radiant and ruddy, distinguished among ten thousand" (Song of Songs 5:10). He notices her, too, "As a lily among brambles, so is my love among the young women" (Song of Songs 2:2). They each have found the other, their one-in-a-million, and there is a wedding, and they open the gift. 

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. ~Genesis 2:24-25

Daily Prayer

Loving Father, Thank You for Your goodness. You looked at Your Creation and saw that it was good. Except one thing. Man was alone. You made woman, brought them together, and it was very good.

God, may my life be holy, my love be pure, and my marriage be an example of all You had in mind when you paired man with woman and said, "This is very good."

Amen

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Ecclesiastes 9-12

Daily Reading
Ecclesiastes 9-12

Daily Thought

The preacher of Ecclesiastes yearns to say that "wisdom is better than might" (Ecclesiastes 9:16), and it is, but truth is most powerful of all, and all must bow to it. Truth under the sun is simply put, and the preacher ends with what he began, "Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity" (Ecclesiastes 1:2; 12:8). If this seems dismal, blame truth, "the Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth" (Ecclesiastes 12:10). There is no turning from truth; it cannot be avoided. 

Life under the sun is all we see, but it is not all there is, and thus the preacher's plan in his somber words is to lift the eyes of our youth to see what cannot be seen, to what is above and beyond the sun, to our Creator. This is a message best learned young, to dash our hopes early of ever finding meaning in the pleasures and pursuits of this life; "the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all" (Ecclesiastes 9:11). Do not live for the moment, but live every moment for eternity.

Daily Prayer

God of eternity, unseen but more real than all I can put my hands on in this world, strengthen my faith. May I live in wisdom and truth. May all my days reflect all of Yours.  

My life is full of hope because of You. The more I live, the more I know what is truly important, and it is what I have but who I know. It is people and it is You. To love You and to love others, may that consume me, because that is forever. Everything is is chasing after the wind.

Amen

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Ecclesiastes 5-8

Daily Reading
Ecclesiastes 5-8

Daily Thought

Ecclesiastes is the writing of a wise man looking at life "under the sun," this life short of eternity, and he alternates between despair, and "make the best of it." "All are from the dust, and to dust all return" (Ecclesiastes 3:20), so "there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil-this is God's gift to man" (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13). 

On the side of "make the best of it," he offers occasional good advice, like don't go it alone; "two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). After the Los Angeles Lakers won an NBA championship, retired UCLA coach John Wooden was asked how many championships he thought Kobe Bryant could win. "None," said Wooden. "Kobe doesn't win championships. The Lakers win championships." And so it is with wisdom, "though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him-a threefold cord is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:12). We need others, we need teammates, we need friends, says the wise man; nevertheless, he adds, everyone dies. 

The wise man of Ecclesiastes rains on parades; do not invite him to the party; but do not ignore his words. His aim is to lift our heads above the clouds. As long as we live under the sun, life is ultimately futile, and he takes pains to point that out. Then he points upward, "for God is in heaven and you are on earth" (Ecclesiastes 5:2). Life on earth is not fair and brief; and God is good and forever. He sees the way of the world, "a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God" (Ecclesiastes 8:12), so he reaches for the skies, and you should, too. 

Daily Prayer

Father God, may I be heavenly-minded, my head above the clouds. May I think Your thoughts and see life through Your eyes, because that is the only I will be earthly-good. You created us for relationship, with each other and with You. Teach me to value and love people the way You do, to lift their heads up and point them to Your glory and Your goodness.

May I live each day with eternity in mind. My security, God, is in You; keep me from relying on things that simply do not last. Each day is a gift, I will open it and enjoy it and let everyone know Who gave it to me.

Amen

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Ecclesiastes 1-4

Daily Reading
Ecclesiastes 1-4

Daily Thought

Remember the 1960's jingle, "Ford has a better idea"? Truth is, we all have a better idea, and that is the point of Ecclesiastes. We all want to eat, drink, and be merry (Ecclesiastes 2:24, sort of), and we think we know how. Actually, we do know how, and there in is the problem. We eat and drink and work and play to fill a void and find meaning, and it is a poor substitute for what God has in store for us. It is meaninglessness. It is vanity; "vanity of vanities! All is vanity" (Ecclesiastes 1:2). And it is not beautiful, which is what God has in mind.

We live for the moment, for the immediate, life "under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:3), life without regard for God; yet God has put eternity in our heart (Ecclesiastes 3:11). God has established a time for everything; a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, build up, weep, laugh, mourn, dance, cast away stones and gather them again; a time to embrace and refrain, seek and lose, keep and cast away; to tear, to sew, to keep silence, to speak, to love, to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace (Ecclesiastes 3:2-8).

And "he has made everything beautiful in its time" (Ecclesiastes 3:11), not ours. Perhaps the most difficult, but the most vital of all of God's commands, "Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him" (Psalm 37:7).

Daily Prayer

My God, I desire to live a life not focused on pleasure, but on purpose; not for now, but for forever. God, thank You for placing eternity in my heart, for creating me in Your image with Your delights and Your desires. May I always live for You.

Teach me patience and endurance, to wait on Your plans, to endure hardship and suffering, and to discover Your joy and the beauty of Your ways. 

Amen

Monday, July 23, 2012

Proverbs 30-31

Daily Reading
Proverbs 30-31

Daily Thought

It was not "very good" in the Garden until Adam met Eve. Little wonder, then, that a book of wisdom written by male mentors to young men is not complete without a portrait of a godly wife; "an excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels" (Proverbs 31:10). What follows is a composite of qualities worthy of praise, and indeed should be--"her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her" (v 28). Unlikely, however, that they rose before her, "she rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens" (v 15). 

Read these twenty-two verses detailing her day (Proverbs 31:10-31) and you are worn out by the end. The description of this multi-talented, hard-working, strong, wise, wonderful woman may be hard to live up to, but it is a picture of the ideal, and it is written to the man, not the woman. Rather than a checklist to attain, this is a portrait to correct the image young men might have of their ideal woman--"charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised" (v 30). The last half of the last chapter of Proverbs is devoted to the description of a worthy wife. It took the previous thirty chapters to build a man worthy of her. 

Daily Prayer

My Creator, You made me in Your image, male and female You made us. What a grand plan. Man and woman, husband and wife, together displaying Your glory.

God, may I honor You by loving my spouse. May I display Your wisdom in my marriage.

Amen

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Proverbs 27-29

Daily Reading
Proverbs 27-29

Daily Thought

"Let another praise you, and not your own mouth," says Proverbs 27:2, "a stranger, and not your own lips." A friend once approached a singer after a service, complimenting her on her solo, but she refused to allow it. "Oh no," she protested, "it was all God, not me." To which my friend replied, "Surprising, I think God would have reached the high notes." That was mean, I thought. Then I reconsidered; he was right. Why didn't she simply say "thank you"? It wasn't God singing, it was her. The proverb says first, "Let others praise you."

Then it says, "not your own mouth." Mohammed Ali was seated in an airplane and the flight attendant asked him to put on his seatbelt. "Superman don't need no seatbelt," said Ali. "Superman don't need no plane," responded the attendant. The apostle Paul instructed everyone not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think (Romans 12:3). Mohammed Ali ain't Superman. But then Paul continued, "think with sober judgment." Think rightly. When you are praised, it is okay to acknowledge the partnership you have with God. God asks, "Who will?"; you say, "I will." He gives you talents and gifts, you develop them. Someone says, "Good job"; you respond, "Thank you."

"The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
    and a man is tested by his praise. ~Proverbs 27:21

How we handle praise is as good a test of character as how we handle criticism. 

Daily Prayer

My God, the silliest notion I have is that I am good enough on my own; that when all is said and done, I can inventory my life and say, "Open the gates of heaven and let me in." I need You to save me, and You did. I now live because of You and for You, and I commit to throw off everything that distracts or gets in the way.

Keep my heart open to Your glory. Help me do what is right, what is good. May my life reflect Your glory and point others to Your grace. 

Amen

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Proverbs 24-26

Daily Reading
Proverbs 24-26

Daily Thought

True story: in the spring of 1894, the Baltimore Orioles came to Boston to play a routine baseball game. At the crack of the bat, the Baltimore Orioles John McGraw is off and running, past first, he rounds second and keeps going.  The baseball and McGraw arrive at third base together. McGraw slides hard planting a foot into the chest of Tommy Tucker, the Boston Red Stockings' third baseman. Words are exchanged, then shoves, then punches. The benches clear, a fist breaks a nose, a cold-cocked mouth bleeds, teeth go dancing into the air. Fans storm the field and swing at anyone wearing the wrong color shirt. In the right-field bleachers, a stogie drops. Paper cups catch fire, igniting wooden seats. The fire sends sparks into the air, and the ballpark and 107 surrounding buildings burn to the ground.  "How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire" (James 3:5-6).

Proverbs agrees, "as charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife" (Proverbs 26:21). However, if it would stop right there, we have only one quarrelsome person. That's annoying, but it's not a quarrel. "For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases" (Proverbs 26:20). But we don't stop there; instead, we fuel the flames. "The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body" (Proverbs 26:22). We like to share the dirt because we like to hear the dirt, and then we choose sides. A quarrel becomes a feud, a feud a fight, and then a war. 

A quarrelsome man is a fool, but one guy can't start a fight. Fights are a group project. What if we didn't like to hear the dirt?

Daily Prayer

My Righteous God, You passionately defend Your Name, because Your Name is good. You come with peace, but also with a sword. You fight for what is right because You care for the poor, the weak, the humble, and the broken. I fight for what is wrong because I care for myself. 

Teach me to be passionate about the right things. You have not asked me to be timid, but to be courageous, yet gentle.  You gave me a Spirit of power and love and discipline. Give me also the wisdom to do what is right, to keep from sinning when I am properly angry, and to love and promote peace whenever possible.

Amen

Friday, July 20, 2012

Proverbs 22-23

Daily Reading
Proverbs 22-23

Daily Thought

There are things more important than money. A reputation for integrity and honesty, "a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold" (Proverbs 22:1); truth and wisdom, "buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding" (Proverbs 23:23). Pilate infamously asked, "What is truth?" (John 18:38), and humanity has forever sought the answer. Find truth and keep it, says Proverbs. 

Embroidered on the gates guarding Harvard Yard is the Latin word, "Veritas"--Truth.  It is the motto of Harvard University; Harvard seeks to answer Pilate's question. I walked under those gates (a visitor, not a student), and was greeted by a statue of a seated John Harvard. Except it wasn't. A plaque states, "John Harvard, Founder, 1638." Nope, it not John. A model stood in. And John was not the founder, but he did contribute A LOT of money; in 1636, not 1638. A statue of three lies; truth was sold. Even the gates that proclaim "Truth" could not keep it. 

"Everyone has their price," they claim. Prove them wrong. Buy truth, and do not sell it. 

Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." ~John 14:6

Daily Prayer

Dear God, I love reading Your Word. I learn so much about You, and about me. Okay, I'll admit, I don't always love learning about me. But I have learned to love the Truth, and Your Word is Truth. It reveals Your glory and it exposes my sin. As painful as that often is, God, it is good, because it leads me to Your grace, which returns me to Your glory.

God, even while I reject You and rebel against You, You love me so much that You seek me out. You expose my sin with Truth, not to condemn me, but to turn my heart back to You. It opens the door for Your love and grace. I love Truth, God. I love You. 

Amen

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Proverbs 19-21

Daily Reading
Proverbs 19-21

Daily Thought

In Proverbs, the fear of the Lord introduces wisdom, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline" (Proverbs 1:7). It persists throughout the book and is always a good thing, "the fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied" (Proverbs 19:23). Fear, however, seems oddly out of place when we think of our God, full of love and grace and goodness. Why would we be told to fear him?

I remember December 1973, when Dad entrusted me with the keys to his brown 1963 Ford Galaxie. I loved that car! I was young, 16, and did not have a proper appreciation of 2 tons of steel and power and speed. And I drove like it. Now jump with me to July 2004. I hand Abby, my first child, the keys to the family Suburban. As I put them in her hand, I feel the size, the weight, the speed, and the power. I understand, more than ever before, how fear can be a good thing. It is where wisdom blossoms.  

Peter had answered rightly, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God," and Jesus responded, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 16:16-19). 

The church has the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. Our Father hands us the keys to his Kingdom. Consider the weight and the power in our possession. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Daily Prayer

Great and awesome God, Almighty and Everlasting, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.  That You even think about me is amazing, that You have saved me, adopted me into Your family, that I share in the inheritance of Your riches, that Your Holy Spirit has taken residence in me, that I am a child of God, welcomed to Your presence, forever a citizen of Your Kingdom.  Wow.  Thank You.  I worship You.  Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty.    

May my life reflect Your glory.

Amen

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Proverbs 16-18

Daily Reading
Proverbs 16-18

Daily Thought

The book of Proverbs has much to say about what we say, both good, "Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body" (Proverbs 16:24), and bad, "A fool's lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating" (Proverbs 18:8). It's best advice? Handle your words with care. "Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding" (Proverbs 17:27). Author George Eliot gave us, "Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving us wordy evidence of the fact"; and my dad added, frequently, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." All good advice.

"Better to remain silent and thought a fool, than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt," has been attributed to Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, Socrates, and many others, but Proverbs said it first, 

Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, 
and discerning if they hold their tongues.
~Proverbs 17:28

Proverbs makes it clear that intelligence and wisdom are not at all the same, and frequently in opposition; no more so than when we use our words. Our intelligence is often displayed in what we say; our wisdom by what we don't. 

Daily Prayer

Our Wonderful God, When You speak, amazing things happen. The world was created. You spoke the Law that gives us life. And Jesus, the epitome of Your Word, walked on earth. You still speak. May I listen. More than that, may I obey. May I love Your Word.

God, may I also be one who speaks in a way that reflects well on You. May I always seek to bring You glory in all I do, and in all I say, and often enough, in what I don't say. May my words be measured, and may they be good.

Amen

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Proverbs 13-15

Daily Reading
Proverbs 13-15

Daily Thought

We had LOTS of kids on New Dawn Drive, the street I grew up on. My brother Drew, Andy and Ronnie, Ricky, Karen, and Alison, Laurie and Craig, Russell and Colleen, Gina, Debbie and Richie, Michael, and Little David. I was Big Dave. There were older people, too. Chuck and Thelma were a couple of the old people living on my street. They were nice people, but no children, and none of us kids ever got in their house - and we got into everybody's house. Their house was like a museum.

I mowed their lawns, so I was the only kid who made it inside. They had really nice stuff, beautiful chairs and sofas and tables, and all of it was covered. Their carpet was covered, too. Even their Oldsmobile had seat covers. Remember those plastic seat covers with all the bubbles? I don't think anybody's feet or rear ends ever touched the actual material of anything.

They died a number of years ago. I was sad, because I liked them. I hear their stuff was still really nice. Almost like new.

Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox. ~Proverbs 14:4

Daily Prayer

Father God, Creator. You made this world and You called it good. And it was good. It will be again. But at the moment it's messy, and that's my fault. Our fault. We people decided to do things our way. God, if You hadn't created us, Your world would be a lot more peaceful, maybe. Forgive us for the mess we make.

What amazes me is that You still find joy in me. And pleasure. And you love me. So much that You did what it took to bring me back into Your family. God, it amazes me that You create so much delight out of so much trouble. You are a wonderful Father.

Amen

Monday, July 16, 2012

Proverbs 10-12

Daily Reading
Proverbs 10-12

Daily Thought

The familiar two-lined proverb begins in chapter 10, and then one follows after another in no particular order to the end of the book, almost. Read a few chapters, grab a couple proverbs, keep them for the day, let them roll around in your thoughts, then pick up some more tomorrow.

A couple on integrity today:

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. 
~Proverbs 10:9

The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. 
~Proverbs 11:3

Proverbs are truths in a general sort of way; they don't work every time-sometimes the crooked gets away with the goods. But, in general, they describe life.

I am a John Wooden fan, and he is a man who walked in integrity. John Wooden was from the Midwest, liked the Midwest, and wanted to stay forever in the Midwest. And he would if the University of Minnesota called him before the deadline, but they didn't. So, in 1948, John Wooden agreed to go west to Westwood to coach the UCLA Bruins, a team that had three winning seasons in the previous 17 years, and came in last last season.


Then Minnesota called, something about a snowstorm knocking out communication. They had tried to call before the deadline. It was a good honest excuse - it snows a lot in the Midwest. The job is yours, they said. Can you come? But John Wooden had given his word to UCLA.

O Lord, who shall may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?
He who keeps his oath
even when it hurts. ~Psalm 15:1, 4 (NIV)

For the next 27 years, UCLA did not have a losing season. The final twelve seasons under Wooden, UCLA collected 10 NCAA Championships. How? Coaching, discipline, determination, talent. But it began with integrity. A man kept his word.

Daily Prayer

Creator, by Your Word all things came into existence. You speak and it happens. Your Son is Your Word to this world. When we see "The Word," Jesus, we see You, because You are One: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

God, may my word be as true. May I speak without duplicity. May I always keep my word. You said I must walk in Your Word. Your Word is truth. If I am to be like You, God, then my word must be truth, as well.

Amen

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Proverbs 7-9

Daily Reading
Proverbs 7-9

Daily Thought

When you speak sin aloud, describe it accurately, the glamour fades. We prefer the secrecy of darkness; wisdom turns on the light. She knows what's going on, "For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice, and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense" (Proverbs 7:6-7). She knows what you're up to, why you are where you shouldn't be, "passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house" (v 8), when you shouldn't be, "in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness" (v 9). She knows the tempting way of the wicked, "I have spread my couch with coverings, colored linens from Egyptian linen; I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. For my husband is not at home" (vv 16-17, 19). And she knows you, "All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter" (v 22). You're an ox. Wisdom flatters less than that other lady. 

Daily Prayer

My God, Creator of all, Author of good, Wise Judge, Loving Savior, I live this life for an audience of One. You are the crowd, it is Your applause I long to hear, "Well done good and faithful servant." May my life be a reflection of Your grace and goodness. May I at all times be concerned for Your reputation, not my own. If I say I love You with all my heart and soul, mind and strength, may my words be backed up by my life.

Amen

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Proverbs 4-6

Daily Reading
Proverbs 4-6

Daily Thought

In God's eyes, and therefore in reality, there are only two ways to live, two paths, one leading to life, the other to death. In Proverbs, the two paths are traveled by two women, each to her own way. One is Wisdom, and she is a lady; "Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life" (Psalm 4:13). The other, not a lady, is "the evil woman, the smooth tongue of the adulteress. Her feet go down to death" (Proverbs 6:24; 5:5). It is we who seek shades of grey between, who want to keep a woman in each hand, but God says choose.

One woman is enticing and easy, "for the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil" (Proverbs 5:3). The pleasures are immediate, the dangers delayed, the temptation is terrible. "Do not let her capture you with her eyelashes" (Proverbs 6:25). In contrast, the lady Wisdom must be pursued. You must want to get her and work to get her; she doesn't come easy. Proverbs 4:7 makes me laugh, "The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom." It sounds like Steve Martin explaining how to become a millionaire, "First, get a million dollars." It means, however, to become wise you must want to become wise. You must choose to become wise, choose one woman over the other, because you must choose a path, and each woman has her own path. You must be willing to let go of that pleasingly available Wicked Woman of the moment and set your sights down the road. 

Daily Prayer

God, forgive me the desires of the moment, of the immediate, of the attractive, of the available. Strengthen and deepen my desires, to love what is eternal and good, what never loses her beauty, what bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, what never ends. 

Give me wisdom, Heavenly Father. I seek it and I will work for it. I will dig deep in Your Word and let it dig deep in me. I love the path of wisdom, the path of life, the path that leads to Your Kingdom forever.

Amen

Friday, July 13, 2012

Proverbs 1-3

Daily Reading
Proverbs 1-3

Daily Thought

For a few years as a youth pastor, I took a youth choir on tour, and one stop was a California Youth Authority facility in Ione. By facility, I mean prison, and the teenagers there had committed the most violent crimes, arson, rape, even murder. At the end of a performance, the inmates were given an opportunity to speak to us, and the first rose and said, simply, "Listen to your mother." Apparently he had not. What he said was a proverb, not unlike what we find in the first chapter of the biblical proverbs, 

"Hear, my son, your father's instruction,
    and forsake not your mother's teaching" (Proverbs 1:8).

Proverbs are just that, simple slices of wisdom, often a couple lines long, poetic and easy to remember, and that's the point. It is the simple, seemingly obvious things in life we neglect to our detriment. The book of Proverbs was written to make common common sense, "to know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth" (Proverbs 1:2-4). 

Proverbs present a choice, a choice with results, between wisdom and foolishness, "the wise will inherit honor, but fools get disgrace" (Proverbs 3:35). Results are not automatic; if you don't listen to your mom, it doesn't mean you'll end up in prison. But you've upped the odds. The choice is yours. 

Daily Prayer

My God, Creator of all, I'm going to ask for what Solomon asked for: wisdom. Teach me Your ways. I will stay on the path You put in front of me, I will follow You. As I do, God, may I know You better, may I understand You and the world You created, may I see more clearly the difference between right and wrong, and may my will be strengthened to choose rightly. 

God, You have let me stand close to You. I trust You completely with everything, and deep down inside I know it would be foolishness to do anything but that. I know You hold all of life, all of what is good in Your hand. May I choose well, choose life, choose You. Simple choices matter; may I choose wisely.

Amen

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Psalm 146-150

Daily Reading
Psalm 146-150

Daily Thought

Twelve of the 13 lines of the final psalm begin with the word "praise." The one that doesn't ends with "praise the Lord," and tells everything that has breath to do it. Later, Jesus says even the rocks would cry out if the things that breathe didn't (see Luke 19:40). 

The Psalms, Israel's songbook, close with five songs of praise. Only praise. These 150 psalms teach me to pray, to speak with God, to ask questions, to complain, to celebrate, to share my troubles and my victories, to open my heart, to seek help; but always and ultimately at the end, to stop everything else and praise the Lord. All things begin and end with God. 

Look to the past, the stars, the sky, this vast universe. How did it get there? "He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names" (Psalm 147:4); "he commanded and they were created" (Psalm 148:5). Peer into the future, "The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations" (Psalm 146:10). And in between, break out the band; "Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!" (Psalm 150:3-5).

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! 
~Psalm 150:6

Daily Prayer

My Creator, my God, when I star-gaze, I look at Your handiwork. Amazed by the universe, I am awed by You. You explode the universe into existence by Your Word, by Your breath. All things were designed and created by You and for You. May all creation glorify its Creator.

I worship and praise You.

Amen

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Psalm 140-145

Daily Reading
Psalm 140-145

Daily Thought

In Psalm 141, we hear a man pleading for purity. King David (almost?) commands God to attend to him, "Give ear to my voice when I call you!" (Psalm 141:1). The English Standard Version rightly places an exclamation mark at the end--a reverent "Listen to me when I talk to you" could be an accurate translation. David wants help from God, "Set a guard, O Lord" (v 3), and from the godly, "Let a righteous man strike me-it is a kindness" (v 5). 

I remember another king, Ahab, an evil king, who was going to war. He asked King Jehoshaphat, a righteous king, to join him. Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Inquire first for the word of the Lord." King Ahab had 400 prophets who said "Yes." They always said "Yes." Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there not here another prophet of the Lord of whom we may inquire?" Ahab said he has one, "...but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil" (1Kings 22:5, 7-8). 

An evil king wants to hear only good. A righteous king wants to hear only God; "let him rebuke me-it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it" (Psalm 141:5).

Daily Prayer

Lord God, You know the beginning and the end, Your words are wise and good, and You lead into righteousness those who are willing to follow.

God, I will make time each day to read Your Word. Speak to me. May Your Word reveal any rebelliousness in me and may it teach, reprove, correct, and train me to be righteous.

Amen

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Psalm 133-139

Daily Reading
Psalm 133-139

Daily Thought

Psalm 139 is a dangerous poem because intimacy is dangerous. David invites into his heart the one who has searched him and known his innermost and deepest thoughts (Psalm 139:1-12). 

Search me, O God, and know my heart!
     Try me and know my thoughts! ~Psalm 139:23

God knows David better than David knows David, and God will find more in David's heart than even David knows is there. "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb" (Psalm 139:13). Think about that; God knows you better than you know you. That is either wonderful or awful or both. 

The difference comes not of what we believe God will find in us, but what we believe of God. If God is only judge, then there is only terror. We fear him and should. But he is Savior first, and so there is fear and wonder. "God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world," explained God's Son, "but in order that the world might be saved through him" (John 3:17). We are condemned already, he says, because we know enough of our hearts to know the darkness, but "God so loved the world" (John 3:16). We cannot hide our darkness, and we do not need one who closes his eyes to it. We need a Savior who sees the darkness and through it, and leads us in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:24). Invite him in.

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, what a fantastic life! You have created the most wonderful world. You made me in Your image, gave me my intellect and emotions and will. You made me one who laughs and sings and works and runs and plays. You gave me the ability to be delighted, and then put a delightful world around me.

And I sin, and the world is clouded. Come inside and deal with that, God. Put me to the test and show me how badly I am missing the wonders about me. It is a wonderful life, You are a God of wonders, and I am wonderfully made. Restore me, God, to a life overflowing and everlasting and good.

Amen

Monday, July 9, 2012

Psalm 120-132

Daily Reading
Psalm 120-132

Daily Thought

The fifteen Psalms beginning with Psalm 120 are each called "A Song of Ascents." Probably (we don't know for sure) sung by the Hebrews as they pilgrimed to Jerusalem three times a year for the great feasts, the gatherings of God's people, these psalms are short, mostly cheerful, always hopeful--except the first, Psalm 120. It is short, but begins with distress, ends with war, and is filled with deceit. A low, all-too-real beginning, followed by a steady climb upward: "When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy" (Psalm 126:1-2). 

The gathering of God's people is our high point, and otherworldly, in a sense, the city of God rising above the city of man. "You are the light of the world," said Jesus. "A city set on a hill cannot be hidden" (Matthew 5:14). Nowadays, we call it Sunday church, but really it is the church going "up" and gathering in one place, because the church is us, and would it be so wrong to sing on the way there? 

I was glad when they said to me, 
    "Let us go to the house of the Lord!" ~Psalm 122:1

Daily Prayer

To You, O God, I lift my heart in praise. Out of chaos, You created a life overflowing with peace and hope and love. You did it once in the beginning of the world, You did it again at the cross and the empty tomb. You give me life everlasting, an eternity which has already begun. I am a citizen of Your Kingdom today and forever. My heart is glad and I will sing Your praises so all may hear of so great a salvation. 

May I never be shy about it!

Amen

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Psalm 119:89-176

Daily Reading
Psalm 119:89-176

Daily Thought

There is a reason to pay attention to the law of God and follow his commandments, and it is not because they work. Well, it's not only because they work, because they do, and that's good, but it goes deeper than that. They work because they are established by the Creator, they serve his will, and they reflect his ways. When I follow them I reflect him; I become godly. They make me "wiser than my enemies" and give me "more understanding than all my teachers" (Psalm 119:98-99). Bottom line, they are the bottom line; they are true and they are Truth. 

The Law begins with "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might" (Deuteronomy 6:5); ends with "love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18); and everything in between reflects one or the other or both. No gods, but God; no idols; don't use God's name in vain; keep the Sabbath; honor your father and mother; don't murder; don't commit adultery; don't steal; don't bear false witness; don't covet what your neighbor has; these don't tell you anything except what you should or shouldn't do anyway, and would do if you loved God, so love God. 

I don't follow God because it benefits me, but it benefits me to follow God. I follow God because he is God. "But," you ask, "isn't that circular reasoning?" You bet it is, and God gets to do that. Truth is truth because it is. It doesn't have to defend itself; disobey it often enough and you will crash right into it. Obey it and you will know God.

Daily Prayer

My God in heaven, You established the earth and all that is in it and all of it's ways, You are my Beginning and my End. I have life because of You and live life for You. Your word expresses Your desires and delights; may they be mine, as well. I empty my heart of You when I sin; fill it again. Teach me to love anew, because I spend too much time loving only myself. Teach me to love others like I love myself.

May I truly love You with all of my heart, all of my soul, all of my mind, all of my mind.

Amen

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Psalm 119:1-88

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

Psalm 119 is the ABC's of God's Word. One hundred seventy-six verses broken into sets of 8, each verse of the first set begins with Aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the second set, the second letter, and so on. The psalm speaks of God's Word in my life, a Word to be known, to be studied, to be lived, and to be played like a beautiful instrument. "Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my sojourning" (Psalm 119:54).

If you have ever put a guitar in your hands or brought a horn to your lips, you get this psalm. "Practice makes perfect," and the goal is to stop looking for your fingers on the frets, to forget even that you are holding a guitar, and just play; and there is no play without practice. Or another picture; have you ever learned a foreign language? I'm told that you truly know a language when you no longer translate what you read, you simply read; or better, when you dream in the foreign language, which then is no longer foreign. 

Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
    who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
    who seek him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong,
    but walk in his ways! ~Psalm 119:1-3

Daily Prayer

Wonderful God, With pleasure I call You Master. You are the Lord of lords. You are the Lord of me. You are the King of kings. I pledge my allegiance to You.

May I be a worthy citizen of the Kingdom of God, an ambassador of Your grace. May I live for eternity by sharing and showing Your love today.

Amen

Friday, July 6, 2012

Psalm 115-118

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

Why, the psalmist wonders, would anyone put their trust in things that know nothing, with mouths that do not speak and eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear and noses that do not smell and hands that do not feel and feet that do not walk (Psalm 115:4-7). They had idols of silver and gold; we trust in the stars, or fate, or the Big Bang. Que sera sera. Really? We trust in our math, but math doesn't think; 2 plus 2 is always 4. Math leads a dull life. Or science? We can use science to do wonderful things, and we should, but science itself simply observes. Trust it with your life? It cares little for you at all.

Life is neither random nor wooden, it is personal. Science and math and fate and the stars do what they are told; "our God does all that he pleases" (Psalm 115:3). He made the stars in the heaven, and he made the butterfly flap. He knows everything, and he loves "you and your children! May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth!" ~Psalm 115:14-15

Daily Prayer

My God and Savior, You are good. Your Son even said, "No one is good, but God alone." Certainly not me. Yet, you have given me righteousness. Not mine, but the righteousness of Jesus Christ. What a gift. Thank you God. Why in the world do You care about me? Because You do what You please, and You chose to love me. I certainly didn't do anything to deserve it. Thank You!!

May the Name of Jesus be praised, be honored, be worshiped. My God and Savior. May my life point to salvation through Your Son, the One who cares, who gave His all for me. 

Amen