Oct 20 Example of obedience

Father, let me learn a lesson and be like the Rekabites.

You instructed Jeremiah to go and tempt the Rekabites, inviting them to do something contrary to the way they had faithfully chosen to live

Their forefather had told them “Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine.  Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents…”  And they did it!

You rewarded them for their faithfulness and made them an example for the people of Judah and Jerusalem to follow.  And for believers today.

It’s not that I should never do these specific things, or should live in a tent, but that I should be faithful to what You tell me.  Help me “learn this lesson and obey Your words.” 

You told Your people to “turn from their wicked ways and reform their actions; do not follow other gods to serve them.”  Father, the world I live in is so very far from Your standards in its values and morality.  Show me if I have any “wicked ways” that need to be changed.

Speak to me of the values You want me to have – in my attitudes, my speech, my thoughts, my relationships, my vote.  Father, I open everything in my life for Your evaluation and Your comment.  I desire to bring it all into alignment with You.

Lord, if there are actions I have taken that need reforming, show me those and how to make them right.  Likewise, if there are actions I have not taken that I need to, move me to be obedient.

I do not want to “follow other gods” or “serve them.”  Show me if there is anything or anyone I have put before You in my life.  Sometimes I may not even realize the significance or influence I am drawn to or led by. So I depend on You to keep me faithful to only You as my God and my Lord.

Thank You for this faithful example, that I don’t remember ever noticing before.  But will remember now.  Amen

Jeremiah 35: 1-19

Oct 20 Example of obedience

Father, let me learn a lesson and be like the Rekabites.

You instructed Jeremiah to go and tempt the Rekabites, inviting them to do something contrary to the way they had faithfully chosen to live

Their forefather had told them “Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine.  Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents…”  And they did it!

You rewarded them for their faithfulness and made them an example for the people of Judah and Jerusalem to follow.  And for believers today.

It’s not that I should never do these specific things, or should live in a tent, but that I should be faithful to what You tell me.  Help me “learn this lesson and obey Your words.” 

You told Your people to “turn from their wicked ways and reform their actions; do not follow other gods to serve them.”  Father, the world I live in is so very far from Your standards in its values and morality.  Show me if I have any “wicked ways” that need to be changed.

Speak to me of the values You want me to have – in my attitudes, my speech, my thoughts, my relationships, my vote.  Father, I open everything in my life for Your evaluation and Your comment.  I desire to bring it all into alignment with You.

Lord, if there are actions I have taken that need reforming, show me those and how to make them right.  Likewise, if there are actions I have not taken that I need to, move me to be obedient.

I do not want to “follow other gods” or “serve them.”  Show me if there is anything or anyone I have put before You in my life.  Sometimes I may not even realize the significance or influence I am drawn to or led by. So I depend on You to keep me faithful to only You as my God and my Lord.

Thank You for this faithful example, that I don’t remember ever noticing before.  But will remember now.  Amen

Jeremiah 35: 1-19

Dec 14 I am so Jonah!

Father, what wonderful lessons I’ve learned from Jonah!  And about Jonah and about You.  He is so human…  And You are so God…

You spoke to Jonah, giving him a view of Your plan for him and specific directions using the gifts and talents You placed in him.   And You speak to Your people today.  You have given each of us gifts and talents to use in accordance with Your plan.

Help me hear Your voice clearly when You speak.  Give me direction and a view of Your purpose for my gifts.

Jonah thought he could get away with being disobedient.  He thought he could hide from You.  Silly man.  And silly me!  There have been times when I did not follow Your direction.  I never ended up in the belly of a great fish, but I did miss out on some wonderful opportunities.

Remind me of that when I consider disobedience in the future.

You have everything under Your control!  Not only did You see where Jonah went, meaning there in no place to hide from You; but You were in control of everything around him.  The weather?  You brought the storm!  And calmed it.  A large fish?  You brought it to swallow Jonah, and it obeyed Your command to vomit him onto dry land.  The same thing is true of the events and circumstances, relationships and opportunities in my life.

Remind me that You see me wherever I am.  And that there is nowhere I can go away from You.  And nothing beyond Your power.

Jonah called out to You, “In [his] distress…”  Even when he thought his life was over, and knowing he had been disobedient, he prayed to You.  There is no circumstance where I cannot call on You.

It is never too late, I can never be too bad, I am never too far-gone.

You answered!  Even in the bowels of death and disobedience, You heard and answered Jonah’s prayer and rescued him.

You are a God of second chances!  And third and fourth…  You want Your people to be obedient.  You coach them to win, giving them every opportunity to do so.  And I am one of Your people.

Thank You for giving me second chances and more.  Thank You for always hearing my prayer and answering me.

Jonah obeyed eventually.  What I take from this is:  obey the first time – it will save me a lot of grief!

Thank You for this view into Jonah’s life.  It is a view into my own.  And into Your greatness.  Because You are so God…  And I am so human…  Amen

Jonah 1:1-3:3

Oct 20 Example of Obedience

Father, let me learn a lesson and be like the Rekabites.

You instructed Jeremiah to go to them and invite them to do something that was contrary to how they had faithfully chosen to live.  And they refused to do it.

Their forefather had told them “Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine.  Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents…”  And they did it!

You rewarded them for their faithfulness and made them an example to be followed for the people of Judah and Jerusalem.  And for believers today.

It’s not that I should never do these specific things, or should live in a tent, but that I should be faithful to what You tell me.  Help me “learn this lesson and obey Your words.”

You told Your people to “turn from their wicked ways and reform their actions; do not follow other gods to serve them.”  Father, the world I live in is so very far from Your standards in its values and morality.  Show me if I have any “wicked ways” that need to be changed.

Speak to me of the values You want me to have – in my attitudes, my speech, my thoughts, my relationships, my vote.  Father, I open everything in my life for Your evaluation and Your comment.  I desire to bring it all into alignment with You.

Lord, if there are actions I have taken that need reforming, show me those and how to make them right.  Likewise, if there are actions I have not taken that I need to, move me to be obedient.

I do not want to “follow other gods” or “serve them.”  Show me if there is anything or anyone I have put before You in my life.  Sometimes I may not even realize the significance or influence I am drawn to or led by. So I depend on You to keep me faithful to only You as my God and my Lord.

Thank You for this faithful example, that I don’t remember ever noticing before.  But will remember now.  Amen

Jeremiah 35: 1-19

Dec 14 I am so Jonah!

Father, what wonderful lessons I’ve learned from Jonah!  And about Jonah and about You.  He is so human…  And You are so God…

You spoke to Jonah, giving him a view of Your plan for him and specific directions using the gifts and talents You placed in him.   And You speak to Your people today.  You have given each of us gifts and talents to use in accordance with Your plan.

Help me hear Your voice clearly when You speak.  Give me direction and a view of Your purpose for my gifts.

Jonah thought he could get away with being disobedient.  He thought he could hide from You.  Silly man.  And silly me!  There have been times when I did not follow Your direction.  I never ended up in the belly of a great fish, but I did miss out on some wonderful opportunities.

Remind me of that when I consider disobedience in the future.

You have everything under Your control!  Not only did You see where Jonah went, meaning there in no place to hide from You; but You were in control of everything around him.  The weather?  You brought the storm!  And calmed it.  A large fish?  You brought it to swallow Jonah, and it obeyed Your command to vomit him onto dry land.  The same thing is true of the events and circumstances, relationships and opportunities in my life.

Remind me that You see me wherever I am.  And that there is nowhere I can go away from You.  And nothing beyond Your power.

Jonah called out to You, “In [his] distress…”  Even when he thought his life was over, and knowing he had been disobedient, he prayed to You.  There is no circumstance where I cannot call on You.

It is never too late, I can never be too bad, I am never too far-gone.

You answered!  Even in the bowels of death and disobedience, You heard and answered Jonah’s prayer and rescued him.

You are a God of second chances!  And third and fourth…  You want Your people to be obedient.  You coach them to win, giving them every opportunity to do so.  And I am one of Your people.

Thank You for giving me second chances and more.  Thank You for always hearing my prayer and answering me.

Jonah obeyed eventually.  What I take from this is:  obey the first time – it will save me a lot of grief!

Thank You for this view into Jonah’s life.  It is a view into my own.  And into Your greatness.  Because You are so God…  And I am so human…  Amen

Jonah 1:1-3:3

Nov 12 Make my Faith Light shine!

Father, if faith is “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see”, I know that I have faith!

 

 

There are things in my life that I have no control over, and no way of making happen, but I trust that You will work it all out for the best.  And that means according to Your will.

Still, I would ask You to increase my faith.

As Paul says, “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command.”  And although I do not have a scientific understanding of exactly how that occurred, it has never been a stumbling block for me.

I simply know that it was all accomplished by You – in Your way, in Your time, by Your Word and hand.  Since I can trust You with the creation and the running of the entire universe, I can surely trust You with what goes on in my little corner of the world.

Some not only believed, but acted on their faith.  Noah was obedient in building an ark.  No small feat for a five-hundred-year-old!  And Abram had to leave his father’s family and go to a far-off unknown place, trusting the promise You had given him.

As I think of having to do either of these things, I wonder if my faith would be as strong.

There have been times when I felt You leading me to an opportunity.  But because of fear, I hesitated and missed out on some of them.  I could not see past the possibility of failure and ridicule to muster the boldness to act.  And as a result, satan has used those times to make me feel guilty and defeated over the years, and waste my time wondering what might have been.

Till my twenties I moved almost every year of my life.  I trusted that my parents would provide for me wherever we went.  But I also learned a wonderful lesson.  No matter where we went, You were always there.

There were always new and beautiful sights: examples of the marvelous diversity of Your creation.  There were always other believers to fellowship with.  There was always a church to help me learn more about You.  And when I prayed, whether in Arkansas, Texas, New Jersey, Kansas, Arizona or France, You always answered.

What a faith building experience!

Although at this point in my life, I enjoy the stability of being in one location; I would follow You anywhere.  Like the song says: ‘This world is not my home, I’m just a passin’ through.  My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.’

Father, help me continue to believe, trust, and have faith in You for the things that are important.  Help me let go of worry, guilt or shame when I don’t see things working out.  Make me bold when I need to act.

Let it be said of me that I lived a life of faith in You.  Amen

Hebrews 11:1-16

Sept 26 My Teacher

“I am The Lord your God who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” Thank You Father that You are my God. Thank You that You know what is best for me and that You are willing to communicate that to me.

Open my ears and my eyes so I can understand what You are saying to me.

You tell me that “if only you had paid attention to My commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea.”

How many times have I given up that peace because I thought I knew better than You? Or because I was afraid to go forward where You were leading me? I desire the peace and well-being only You can give me. Show me how to be bold enough to follow where You lead.

Father, as I look for the way You direct me and teach me to live, I do not have to look very far. In today’s scripture, You tell me plainly: “Do not live as the Gentiles do.” This is not a cultural judgment, but a spiritual condition. You go on to explain they have hardened their hearts to You and to spiritual matters. This separates them from You. They live in ignorance and have a darkened understanding which dulls their sensitivity, allowing them to give in to sensuality and indulge in every kind of impurity, lust, and greed.

Father, be the light in my life that brightens my understanding and softens my heart to comprehend these Words of life You speak to me. I do not want to live separated from You, but in community with You.

Your presence blesses me, comforts me, encourages me, protects me, motivates me and spurs me on to be better than I am without You.

Father, help me put off those dishonest and deceitful ways that my flesh leads me into. Help me control my tongue, my anger, my selfish tendencies and greed. These things come from the evil one who seeks to rule over and destroy me. Do not let them be master over me.

I desire what You offer me: Your peace and well-being.  Let my actions and attitudes reflect that. I will look for You to teach me the way I should go in all my circumstances. And I will be blessed in following You. Thank You. Amen

Isaiah 48:17-18; Ephesians 4:17-32