My Refuge - Ps. 144:1-2

"Bless the Lord who is my rock. He gives me strength for war and skill for battle. He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my deliverer. He stands before me as a shield, and I take refuge in him. He subdues the nations under me." Ps. 144:1-2

What a great God I serve that he would be all these things for me. Who am I? Yet this is what he promises me. Do I recognize this day to day? Not nearly enough. He promises to be my refuge, yet I work so hard to be self-sufficient. He will provide if I let him; he will protect if I let him; and he will go before me and conquer if I let him. How can there be fear or insecurity when the God of the Universe, who created ALL things, is your ally and deliverer? Who and what would I fear? I need to recognize this verse at the beginning of every day and operate under it's promises, it's REALITY.

God, thank you for caring for me this much. Please help me to ingrain these promises into my day to day living--I should live in absolute confidence as I take refuge in you.

Today's reading: Jer. 52; Rev. 1; Ps. 143, 144

Bring It! - Jer. 17:7-8

"But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing delicious fruit." Jer. 17:7-8

In many ways I do feel like these trees. Thank you Lord for the gift of faith and the confidence I have in your provision. I have always said that it kind of feels like cheating, but I love it that it is a gift from my Father to me, and I gladly accept it. I am not saying that I am perfect in this confidence, but I truly feel it more often than not. Where I need work, though, is in the last sentence, "... and they go right on producing delicious fruit." My weakness is that I am not always "productive" from a heavenly perspective. I have to recognize that God gave me this gift of faith not so I could simply be free of worldly worries and fears, but so I could remain productive for the kingdom despite what the world throws at me. What is God asking of me? What does he want me to do? These are questions I don't spend enough time trying to answer. I need to.

Lord, as much as you have given me faith, give me direction. Make my path absolutely clear, and give me complete confidence that it is your will.

Today's reading: Jer. 16-17; Ps. 95; Jn. 16

O.T. in 8 Verses - Jer. 7:21-28

"This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'Away with your burnt offerings and sacrifices! Eat them yourselves! When I led your ancestors out of Egypt, it was not burnt offerings and sacrifices I wanted from them. This is what I told them: 'Obey me and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Only do as I say and all will be well!'

But my people would not listen to me. They kept on doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward. From the day your ancestors left Egypt until now, I have continued to send my prophets--day in and day out. But my people have not listened to me or even tried to hear. They have been stubborn and sinful--even worse than their ancestors.

Tell them all this, but do not expect them to listen. Shout out your warnings, but do not expect them to respond. Say to them, 'This is the nation whose people will not obey the Lord their God and who refuse to be taught. Truth has vanished from among them; it is no longer heard on their lips.'" Jer. 7:21-28

It is not often that I site this long of a passage, but it was speaking very loudly to me today. In large part, it distills much of the O.T. message down to eight verses for me. Over and over again, this is the message that God is repeating to his people through his prophets. Two sentences stand out in particular, "They kept on doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward." As much as we might want to read the O.T. as a message to the Jews of the time, there is no question that there are words put there just for us! One of the things I always pray is that I can keep moving forward, even if it is three steps forward and two back, my goal is to make progress. What an indictment these verses are, for them and for us! My problem is, I am sure, the same as it was for the Jews he was addressing--I get too comfortable. As I get comfortable I start enjoying, and as I enjoy, the less I want to be uncomfortable. This cycle ultimately ends up moving me backward instead of forward. It is a constant battle to continue to move toward Christ and away from the world, but one worth fighting.

Lord, I pray that you keep me aware of the things that I allow in my life that come between me and you. Shine your light on these things, and give me the courage and strength to move away from them. Never stop drawing me closer!

Today's reading: Jer: 7-9; Jn. 13

Word To The Wise - Jn. 9:39

"Then Jesus told him, 'I have come to judge the world, I have come to give sight to the blind and to show those who think that they see that they are blind.'" Jn. 9:39

There is a friend of mine who is an atheist, and we have these ongoing discussions about whether there is a God, reasons to believe or not, etc. Among his many issues, is that he feels that there is too much that is illogical about a belief in a supernatural being. Even if he did exist, who really knows who he is--many religions believe that what THEY believe is right. What gives Christians the right to say that theirs is the only right answer? Even if I get him to accept that Jesus is the ONLY one who said that he was, in fact, God, and came specifically to show mankind the way, because he is a scientist, he still has intellectual issues. Accepting anything strictly by faith is absurd to him. If there was a God who created all things, then he created him as well as his intellect; and now this God wants him to suspend the use of that intellect to believe in him? This makes no sense to him. The idea of a "God" goes against everything that is scientific and logical in him--he even said that it is like trying to make him believe that gravity doesn't exist.

The intellectual in me understands all this, and I had to contend with some of the same thoughts on my path to being a believer. The conclusion that I reached was that the analytical, scientific, logical man can also accept that if there was an all-powerful God who created EVERYTHING, that being simply a man, he would not be able to understand everything about him. To me this is very logical. So it is not a matter of suspending intellect, it is rather understanding the limits of that intellect. This verse in John is something that I have to remind myself of more often. To the degree that I can remain "blind," the more I have to trust my guide Jesus to lead me; the more that I think I can see, the more I trust in myself to get me... where?

God, I pray that you keep me humble. Keep me blind to everything but what you want to show me and tell me. Show me how to live my life with only you as my guide.

Today's reading: Zeph. 1-3; Jn. 9

It Is Finished... - Jn. 5:24

"I assure you, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death to life." Jn. 5:24

The simplicity of this verse really hit me today, especially the phrase, "...they have already passed from death to life." ALREADY, meaning there is nothing more to do, the job is complete. Like Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished." I will NEVER be condemned for my sins! I know this, but I still kind of live in "fear" of my sins. Like a daily report card -- how did I do today? Not to minimize it, but I think God knows that as humans, sin is woven into our fabric. Evidently, this is not his primary concern; rather, he looks past all that to whether we BELIEVE in him. If so, that's it, done deal, I have eternal life! Incredible. Now the rubber meets the road, how do I pass on that gift?

Jesus, thank you for coming and being the doorway from death to life. More importantly, thank you for helping me to find the door! Now help me to live daily with this knowledge: That I have nothing to fear, but many others do.

Today's reading: Nah. 1-3; Jn. 5

Keep Looking Up - Ps. 62:5-7

"I wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My salvation and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me." Ps. 62:5-7

I can definitely improve in this area. I am OK on the salvation part, but I let my honor, way too often, be dictated by the world around me. Why do I try to impress? Why do I worry about what others think? What could I EVER be insecure about?! Why am I allowing my enemy to reach me, when my God has already provided a secure fortress in which to reside with no fear, concern or worry? Because my eyes are on the world and not on him. And it's not like I don't know what is going on. I can feel it happening, and yet I allow it! It just reminds me that we contend with a formidable enemy. However, we serve an even more awesome God! I just need to have COMPLETE trust in him. The word "complete" appears to be my stumbling block. When I am feeling beaten up or afraid, and I determine to look up to God as opposed to myself and my abilities, I feel immediate relief. So why don't I spend my life simply looking up at him and ignoring the world around me? It is simply my fallen nature, and I have a lifetime to contend with this weakness. But praise God that he has provided the path to freedom! My only challenge is to stay on it by looking up instead of down.

Lord, I know I am dealing with my lifelong thorn: How do I live in this world and not become part of it--how do I maintain my "alien" status while also desiring citizenship? I know the answer, it's just hard. Please help me. Be the biggest thing that I see on the horizon everyday.

Today's reading: Is. 65, 66; Ps. 62; Jn. 3