I Remember When... - Amos 9:11

"In that day I will restore the fallen kingdom of David. It is now a house in ruins, but I will rebuild its walls and restore its former glory." Amos 9:11

"I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise my God to the last breath! May he be pleased by all these thoughts about him, for I rejoice in the Lord." Ps. 104:33-34

The sense I got while reading this, was one of sadness. It was God reminiscing about days gone by; the days when David was king, and the people actually had a heart and desire for the things of God. It was a longing for the people he had chosen and loved, but who had turned their back on him. It is, I am certain, the very same feeling that God has today when he looks at Israel and the world in general. What a contrast from feeling David's heart when I read Ps. 104 today! But then there is the promise of restoration! "The time will come, says the Lord...," starting in verse 13 of Amos, when it will become what it was always meant to be. So mixed with sadness for God, I felt the hope of the promise as well. AND the desire to not want to contribute to God's sadness by my own actions.

God, I am sorry that you have to go through all this. How painful it must be to watch your people reject you! I repent for my part in this, it is never my desire to make you sad. But at the same time I am thankful that you kept your focus on the end game -- the restoration. Thank you for saving me to be able to see that day.

Today's reading: Amos 7-9; Ps. 104; Titus 2

Prepped and Ready! -- 2 Tim. 3:16-17

"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do."
2 Tim. 3:16-17

If a Christian has EVER wondered about the value of daily Scripture reading, these verses should put any question to rest. ALL of it is inspired by God, to teach us and prepare us to do EVERY thing He wants is to do -- how can we not want to consume this gift every day!! If we are not, we cannot be frustrated at the seeming lack of input that God has in our lives. He has provided an extraordinarily simple way for us to have a DIRECT connection to Him, His teaching and His power. What more could we be asking for? Once we begin to take advantage this gift, we open the door to further understanding of His involvement in, and desire for, our lives. It is the simplest of doorways that so many neglect to pass through.

Lord, thank you for your Word, and your promise that it will prepare me in EVERY way, and FULLY equip me to do your work. Those words, I am confident, were intended to be as absolute as they read, and I thank you for that. I am a simple guy looking for simple answers. I give you praise for your care over your creation.

Today's reading: 2 Ki. 13-14; 2 Chr. 25; 2 Tim. 3

Go! - Col. 28-29

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

When I did today's reading I was originally going to post Col. 1:22-23, talking about how Christ has made us "holy and blameless" as we stand before God "without a single fault." Then I read 28-29 and felt that the time was passed for my focus to be on MY salvation and to rather focus on others'. I am still overwhelmed by those verses, but it is starting to feel more important that others get the opportunity to feel the same thing. Bill has been talking about the vision for Hope for the next five years, and this sense in me seems to fit right in. Time to put feet to this amazing faith that has been given to me!

Holy Spirit, thank you for your guidance and power. The confidence you give me is truly amazing!

Today's reading: 1Ki. 16; 2 Chr. 15, 16; Col. 1

It All Comes Back to Faith - Phil.2:13

From yesterday's reading:

"For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him." Phil. 2:13

What a powerful verse! I read this over and over again. HE will give me the desire, and HE will give me the power! In other words, the desire to obey God is not natural, rather, supernatural; as is the power to actually carry out what he asks of me. Another way of saying it is that my desire to do what I want is is really quite "natural"... Maybe I am not as rebellious as I think I am! Well, lets not go too far here, the question really becomes, how yielded am I to ALLOWING God to have his way with me? With that yieldedness (and I have to be proactive in this area), comes the desire and the power, and yes, all from God. Without the yieldedness, all God has to work with is a hard heart. But once I yield to him, I know that I can rest on the faith that God will do the rest. This aspect of faith is important because I think too often I am trying to manufacture the desire to obey God. This verse tells me that HE will give me that desire, I just have to have faith. This I can do.

God, as I have said over and over again, thank you for sending your Holy Spirit and not leaving us alone and without power. Not only do you have a plan for me, but you give me the power to execute it. Thank you that it is not about me and all about you.

Today's reading: 1Ki. 12; 2Chr. 10, 11; Phil. 2

"Pray!" - Eph. 6:18

"Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christian everywhere." Eph. 6:18

My prayer life is inconsistent. I pray, but not "on every occasion, in the Spirit"; and certainly not "for all Christians everywhere." My daily prayers tend to be a little selfish. Since I don't allocate enough time, I pray for my immediate family and myself more than anything. The reality is that God has placed me in a world full of people who need my prayers. I have allowed the busyness of the world take precedence over my time with the Lord. I have even started to discount those who pray on every occasion! What an enemy we are contending with!

I MUST give God the time he is due! I MUST, once again, re-prioritize! I MUST utilize every piece of God's armor!

Lord, it is too easy to get lax in my prayer life. Reawaken me to the need to pray for others. I love you and want to serve you.

Today's reading: Song 1-4; Eph. 6