Day 150: A Humble Heart

Mark 2; 2 Samuel 4-5; Daniel 2:24-49

Jesus is so awesome!  Ok, so first in this chapter, he heals a paralyzed man that has just been lowered from the roof. Several things about this story rock. First, the friends. These guys obviously LOVED their crippled friend. How hard will we work for our friends? Would we go to great lengths to assist, provide, aid, and care for them?

Then, Jesus isn't just a man who offers spiritual healing. The Lord wants to heal us, body and soul. That same Jesus is Lord today! He wants to heal us spiritually, from the crud that gets between us and the Father; but he also wants to heal our bodies, and rid us of the pain, sin, and disease that weakens us. Does this mean we will never get the cold, stub our toe, or get some terrible disease? No. But, I believe that God can heal us of all that if he wants to. The real healing comes when our real life starts in heaven.

After that, Jesus calls Levi, an IRS agent, to follow him. The fact that he swiftly gets up and does so, I think shows that he knew he needed something more. He must have known that his job was not enough, he must have felt broken or on some degree, incomplete. I think there is something to be said about Jesus always having dinner with his new followers, the tax collectors, sinners, prostitutes. It is the ostracized, the broken, the unacceptable of our society that understand better what Jesus is all about. These people probably don't have any lofty view of themselves. They recognize their need for a Savior. Sometimes we 'gooder' people don't see that.

Finally, Jesus sheds some light on the 'rules.' People were not made to follow the rules.  Instead, the guidelines are made to help people, to assist us in life. So if Sunday church doesn't work for us, go to Saturday church. If fancy church clothes are not in your budget, wear your jeans. If you can't fast (go without eating) for the right reasons, don't do it. If Ezekiel bread doesn't flot your boat, eat wheat. Jesus did NOT come to set down rules for living perfectly. He came to save and to show us what it means to follow him. But at the same time, he doesn't encourage us to be robots. I don't need to walk around in a robe and sandals, because that is exactly what Jesus wore. I don't need to drink wine because that is what Jesus drank, but at the same time, if I want to drink wine, I can. The goal is focusing on making my heart and life as much like Jesus' heart and life. His love, kindness, service, humility--that is what I should mimic.

During this time in David's life, he was communicating with God. He was asking for guidance and giving The Lord glory for everything. He didn't try to use his position or wisdom to decide things, he knew that God had the plan that would be successful. We may think we know how to accomplish something, but even though David had a lot of experience, was king, and had been successful numerous times before, he still asked The Lord for help.

Daniel interprets the dream, saves the other wise men, and is promoted. The dream talks about the kingdoms that will rule that area later, and the final one is Rome, when Jesus shows up to set up his kingdom. The whole time, Daniel gives glory to God and humbles himself.

All of these readings today demonstrate the power of humility and giving glory to The Lord. I think this is something that many of us need to work on, myself included. God can use a humble heart, much better than he can use a selfish or hardened heart.

Day 149: Quiet Time with God

Mark 1:21-45; 2 Samuel 3:2-39; Daniel 2:1-23

Jesus had the power to heal people of really bad diseases. Why do we think that he still doesn't have that power?  I always thought that such things were no longer possible, but the more I talk to people, the more stories I hear of people being made well from crippling diseases. The only difference is that today, Jesus works through us to do that healing.

Think we don't need to spend quiet, alone time in prayer with God? Jesus did, and he WAS God. Jesus even got up "very early" to pray. Awhile later, after the disciples have slept in, checked facebook, and eaten breakfast, they go looking for him. They should have been following his example, but instead, they didn't really understand the purpose of the quiet time and felt like they need to just being doing stuff. That is a huge trap for people today. We think that we need to be DOING things in order to be making a difference, but as many will tell you, you can't keep going and going without some fuel. These quiet times in the morning are so precious and powerful. Even when it means getting up really early, I look forward to this time and would not miss it. Jesus knew that he needed to maintain his relationship with the Father, that he needed guidance in his mission, that he needed help in life; he wasn't going to get that from any self-help book or tv show. If Jesus needed that and he was God, how much more do we need that quiet time with The Lord!

The story in Daniel is an excellent example of the reality of God and the worthlessness of other gods. I believe today that God is still able to do such things: that when people think that they will get the answer from some spirit or earth force or other hocus pocus, they receive nothing. Only God has the real power. The King's magicians in this story did not have real wisdom or power, they needed some sort of headstart in order to make up something. There is no supernatural power or truth to what they were doing or capable of. Then there was Daniel, who simply prayed to God and then praised God for the answers. God gives true wisdom.

Day 148: Right Away

Mark 1:1-20; 2 Samuel 2:1-3:1; Daniel 1

When do hardships show up?  "Right away" Jesus went into the desert to battle it out with Satan.  Jesus had just been baptized, hadn't even totally dried yet, and God calls him to the desert to test his faith.  If we think that a life lived by Jesus' side is going to be easy and comfortable, just look at how quickly God put his son in the heat of the fire.

There is a theme that runs between these verses and the calling of the disciples.  "Right away" Jesus was tempted and he went, no questions asked.  He followed God's call, even though he knew it would be tough. When Jesus calls the disciples, "right then" they dropped their nets and went with him. Obedience to The Lord is not, "hm, well, I'll think about it for a while and then see, God, if you still want me to do that." No, real obedience is, "Ok, God." If we trust him like way say we do and like we sing in the worship songs, then we know God isn't going to lead us down the wrong path.  He may test us, as he did Jesus, but the point isn't to destroy us, it is to grow us and make us stronger.
That doesn't mean that Jesus was excited about going into the desert to have a throwdown with the devil, or that the disciples had some reservations as they left their boats. When God calls us to do something, we can be scared, but we cannot let our fear outweigh the Almighty's plan.

Abner anoints Ishbosheth, Saul's son, as king. He was not chosen by God and yet he is fulfilling a role ordained by The Lord.  I have a feeling that that won't end well for him.  It is important that we do not try to fill roles that God did not intend for us to do. For example, I wouldn't not make a good principal, so it would be silly for me to try to do that.

Then there's this story about Abner being chased by Asahel. Asahel pursued Abner "without looking to the right or the left" and it got him killed. Maybe he should not have pursued his enemy with such devotion. Perhaps he was so caught up in his anger that he could not stop to consider the consequences.  We need to be careful not to get caught up in our enemies or in revenge. Asahel shows us that it will only destroy us. Good lesson.

The Daniel fast. When people eat healthy, they will be stronger. I've been trying to figure out ways to eat healthier, particularly cutting out some of the sugar that I drink and eat. It's tough. I've gotten used to certain foods and flavors and replacing those with healthier alternatives is difficult (and sometimes expensive). But Daniel and his buddies remind me that giving up that stuff will only make me stronger and healthier. So, this weekend at the grocery store, I will make some changes.

Day 147: A List of Friends

Romans 16; 2 Samuel 1; Psalm 72

In chapter 16, I can't help but be reminded of my brother.  Here's Paul, finishing up his letter, and he wants to send a few "hey, what's ups?" to his friends.  So he starts mentioning some of his closest friends, then remembers this good friend, and he was pretty cool, and she helped out a ton, and they worked with me on that...pretty soon, it is a chapter of its own! Paul must have been a man who cultivated friendships well, of which my brother is very similar.  My favorite sibling is one who loves everyone, all people, no matter what.  He doesn't judge them but simply cares about them and treats them that way. It is so awesome. We could go just about anywhere in the town we grew up in and he would see someone he knew and they were friends.  I'm a little more shy (believe it or not) and tend to cultivate a few close friends and stick with them.  But, God calls us to make an impact on the world, more than just our little world, but all over the place.  Have we told our close friends about Jesus? Have we reached beyond our comfort zone to spread the good news?  Have we tried to connect with people we don't know in order to love on them?  Those are things my brother is awesome at, and something I definitely need to work on.

At the end of this chapter, Paul makes a couple of interesting statements.  First, he says to watch out for false teachings and those that just want to give themselves honor.  They flatter people, lie, and speak with great skills and many are sucked in to their lies. Knowing the Bible will help us to not be fooled by inaccurate and misleading teachings.  Second, Paul writes that God will soon crush Satan "under your feet." What stands out is the use of the pronoun "your." You mean me? Under my feet?  Wow, that's cool.  That I will have the power from The Lord to crush the prince of evil under me.  I won't have to suffer in sinfulness, but God will crush him under my feet.  And finally, it says that God can make us strong by means of the good news about Jesus.  The Good News About Jesus:  it does have the power to strengthen, to give hope, to provide peace.  There is nothing better than Jesus' message.  May we build our whole life around that message.

David wept for his best friend Jonathan. But what seems crazy is that David wept over Saul. Wasn't Saul trying to kill David? Wasn't Saul David's arch nemesis? I think David very much respected Saul and realized that Saul was struggling with a lot of things in his heart and mind. He knew he was being chased by a man who had turned from The Lord and was no longer guided by his spirit. And so he still cared for this troubled man and king. Do we have people that try to hurt us, and yet, do we pray for them? That's a test to see how much love is in our hearts:  pray for our enemeies.  That's what David did.

When I read this psalm, I cannot help but think of Jesus, the king who rules the whole world, who cares for the needy, who rescues the broken, who lives forever and shines like the sun.  Yes, they are probably writing this about or for the king of that day, like Saul or David or Solomon, but because there is not name mentioned in the Psalm, God must have intended it to also respresent his son.  That's pretty cool.

Day 146: Lesson on Sharing

Romans 15:14-33; 1 Samuel 29-31; Psalm 71

Each of us have been given a certain role in God's kingdom, a certain ministry niche.  Paul's was to preach to the Gentiles who have never heard of Jesus.  For you or me, it may be to minister to the church, or to serve with children, or preaching to married couples, or ministering to an office.  Whatever it is, we need to be proud of where God has placed us and use everything we have to bring the love of Jesus there.  It's hard sometimes: maybe you don't know where you are supposed to serve, or if you do, you don't know how to be successful.  Either way, keep pursuing God and he will help.

David's men didn't want to share their winnings with those who had stayed behind.  This is a metaphor for grace and salvation.  Those people who experience difficulties and come out stronger and blessed, or pursue The Lord with all their hearts, can sometimes feel a certain authority or right to God's forgiveness.  Those people who maybe don't pursue God or don't experience struggles, can be seen as second-class citizens.  It doesn't matter how much a person follows God--our salvation and forgiveness is not based on our actions, but on the mercy of The Lord who wants to give eternal life to everyone.  As Christians it can be hard to accept that some people aren't going to work very hard for the kingdom and yet still receive the fullness of Jesus' love.  That's just how generous God is.

About 13 times in this psalm, a word that has to do with telling others or praising God is used.  The psalmist using these words so often, that I can't help but feel that I need to do certain things more often:  tell people about Jesus and praise The Lord Almighty.  It says that God has made him suffer (in order to prune out the sin and grow better stuff), but that God gives new life.  That is something to celebrate and to share!  I hope that no matter what, we are able to praise God despite our circumstances and that we would tell others about who The Lord is.

Day 145: Saul's Death Sentence

Romans 15:1-13; 1 Samuel 27-28; Psalm 70

Romans continues to talk about accepting, encouraging, helping, and pleasing one another.  If we love others, then we stop selfishly focusing on ourselves, and can serve one another.  Our goal is not to admonish, criticize, judge, or isolate others of the faith.  We need to support each other.  If being Baptist works for them, great!  If being Pentacostal works for them, great!  If being Assemblies works for them, great!  If being Non-Denominational works for them, great!  We need to love and support one another in the cause to share the good news and help the poor.  Everything else is just opinions and doesn't matter in the grand scheme of eternity.

David sort of stumps me.  He goes on raids, destroys whole towns, lies about it, and is blessed by God.  I suppose The Lord blesses him for that because he was destroying people who were against him, pagans, I guess.  Either way, David's sagacity keeps him alive, keeps him in favor with the people that it is necessary, and maintains his leadership role.  It's just kind of tough to get.

Poor Saul, on the other hand, is really struggling at this point. Saul is trying to destroy evil, but because of his sins, The Lord has turned his back on Saul and he compromises.  One sin leads to more. Saul then conjures spirits (proving that ghosts do exist...weird) using a spiritist, trying to force God's hand.  Saul wants answers, and what does he get?  A death sentence.  There may not have even been a battle if Saul would have obeyed The Lord, and now, because God had left Saul, he was in this stinky situation and promised that his life was over.  I think of the people in today's society who make wrong choice after wrong choice, and then, when they are desperate, there is no where else to turn, they feel like their life is over. Saul's story happens. People trade in the glories of heaven for their insecurity; they trade in God's strength for sinfulness.

Psalm 70 gives a perfect conclusion, something that would have helped Saul tremendously:  we are poor and needy, but it is God who saves us.

Day 144: Denominations and Eating

Romans 14; 1 Samuel 26; Psalm 69

"Why do you criticize other followers of The Lord?" Who, me? Well, I don't really, but... "Don't criticize them for having beliefs that are different from yours." Oh, ok.  My bad.  Unfortunately, denominations have been a part of Christianity for a long time, they were just not called that in Paul's day.  These verses very clearly emphasize that we are not to judge or criticize the other churches for their beliefs or practices.  The example he gives is if a church decides that they want to eat meat, or not, that is just fine; if the church decides to make one day more important, that's fine.  The thing that makes it fine is if it is done to honor God or give thanks to him.  It would be like an old-fashioned Baptist church (there are a lot around here) criticizing an Assemblies church (there are a lot around here) for using electric guitars and lights and smoke during their praise and worship music time.  As long as the electric guitar doesn't become the golden calf because the dude is rocking sick solos--God is cool with it.  (Did you catch that?  I'm hip.)  If a church decides to do something during their service, or with their congregation in order to truly honor or please God, then God will accept it.  If it isn't done for God's glory, God will take care of it.  Our job is to focus on loving, serving, and living for Christ.

This carries over into the next section that talks about food being fit to eat.  I apply this to worship.  It says, "The Lord Jesus has made it clear to me (Paul) that God considers all foods (forms of worship) fit to eat (do).  But if you think some foods (forms of worship) are unfit to eat (do) then for you they are not fit."  He goes on to say that if you are hurting someone else's faith because you are snarfing down your steak like a starving hyena in front of someone who prefers rabbit food, then you should switch to eating carrots when around them.  Again, if focusing this on worship, then if speaking in tongues, lifting hands, laying on the ground, light shows, are causing a person to struggle in their faith, then they should probably remove themselves or it should be limited as to not hurt a person's faith.

For me, (at this time in my life, anyway), raising my hands during worship distracts me.  I can't do it.  The whole time I'm standing there with my hands raised, I'm thinking "My hands are up. My hands are up. Why are my hands up?  Do they look funny? Should I put one down? etc." It's ridiculous, I know.  So instead, I don't, and I'm able to worship.  If someone else puts their hands up?  That's awesome for them!  If someone tells me to lift my hands--nope, not going to happen.  Because is hurts my attitude of worship, the "faith" that Paul writes about, I am not going to take part in it.  Our life in Christ is about loving others, serving them, and giving God glory. We are being selfish if we expect all people to worship, serve, or live like us.  God created each one of us differently and I don't think he expects us to act the same and so we need to be sensitive to that.  At the same time, North Point doesn't need to stop doing their music and lights the way it does because if it is a problem for someone, they can find another church that fits their tastes better.

This so flies in the face of the American attitude today: it's my business and I don't care what anybody thinks.  Yeah, actually God cares, and you should too.  Paul writes, "Don't let your appetite destroy someone Christ died for.  Don't let your right to eat bring shame to Christ." Again, the eating thing can apply to worship, living, serving, whatever.  We should not do something selfishly and expect others to just deal with it.  That's not the kind of attitude Christ displayed or expects.  We need to love others, and we do that by making sure we are not hurting, offending, or destroying another by our worship. Besides, "God's kingdom isn't about eating and drinking (or worshiping in certain ways). It is about pleasing God, about living in peace, and about true happiness."

Ok, I've got one more thought on this.  Paul tells us to not go against what feels wrong to us.  Because I can't put my hands up during worship, doesn't mean I need to force myself to do that.  If it feels uncomfortable and wrong for me, then it is.  Same goes for you.  God put you together in a certain way, to fulfill a certain role in the body of Christ.  What your soul tells you is right, is right.  What it tells you is wrong, is wrong.

David and Saul's story is one of not taking things into our own hands but allowing God to work and carry out justice.  David could have killed Saul, twice.  The world did and still would tell him to get revenge.  It would have been so easy and all of David's trouble would have been over, right?  Not so much.  God would have held David responsible and that's a big debt to pay to The Lord Almighty.  David respected God and so he didn't take it out on Saul, even when the opportunities presented themselves.  He was the "bigger person" as people like to say today.  That is what God wants of us, to be the "bigger person."  Let God deal with people like Saul.  We have enough to worry about in our own lives to also take up the burden of carrying out justice on others' lives.

The beginning of this psalm reveals to us that the world was a cruel place for followers of The Lord--and shocker, it still is!  But, this psalm also says that if we can praise God in our troubles, we will be a blessing and encouragement to them.  It also says that God will take care of evil-doers and will bless his people in his time.  If you are going through a rough time right now, if people seem to be attacking you for no reason, trust in The Lord to bring justice to them and prosperity to you.  He will do it when the time is right.  Hang in there and keep praising God.

Day 143: Be a Solution

Romans 13; 1 Samuel 25; Psalm 68

"So love is all that the Law demands." We humans like to complicate things.  We like to complicate relationships, jobs, school, success, church, life.  If it isn't confusing or frustrating, we humans will find a way to make it that way.  But what Paul tells us is that living this life should be very simple.  The way to please and obey God is not complicated.  We just need to love others.  Show love to our spouse.  Show love to our family  .  Show love to our friends, coworkers, church, strangers, enemies.  Live a life that is filled with acts of love.  I don't think God really cares how many times we go to church in a week, or which Christian books we have read, or how many Christian concerts we have been to.  Yeah, those are great, but after church, are we helping our neighbors, or sharing the message of the greatest Book, or being a loving witness to our friends? "If you love others, you have done all that the Law demands."  Ok, sounds good.

I love the night and day metaphor because it makes so much sense.  People without God, live in the night, where they can do things of the darkness.  God is the light.  As Paul says, "night is almost over," and the sun (Son) is coming soon.  We need to wake up so that we are ready for the "Sonrise" (pun-intended).  I have an app that tells me the exact time of the sunrise, but God doesn't have that kind of app for his Sonrise.  If we keep living like the darkness will go on forever, then when that sun does appear, we are going to be caught in an act that is vulgar or indecent and displeasing to God.  The light (God), the sun (Son), will reveal all those deeds in the darkness, and I know that I want to be caught loving and serving or studying his word, not quarrelling or being indecent.

When disaster was going to strike her family, Abigail didn't sit around and fret or worry; she quickly worked to fix it and protect them.  She acted and God blessed her.  I think he wants the same from us.  When we know disaster is going to strike (it often does, so we can just be ready always), we need to stop just sitting around and being a victim; instead, get up and do something.  Rather than being so sad about victims of sex or labor trafficking, or babies being aborted, or starving children in Africa, we need to help.  Instead of wallowing in despair about poverty, we need to give.  Rather than focusing on all the problems in the church, figure out how to be a solution.  That's what Abigail did and God looked favorably on her.

This psalm tells of God's great power to save, to fight, to protect, to rescue.  We serve THE Almighty, so why would we think he will let us fall?  Yes, we are going to stumble, have hardships, but it isn't because God doesn't care or has left us.  We are humans, they are humans, and stuff happens because of that.  God is there and he will destroy those who hate us and lift us up to glory, in his appointed time.  I don't know about you, but I'm going to trust in him because I know that he is here for me.

Day 142: The Whole Cow

Romans 12; 1 Samuel 23-24; Psalm 67

Many people have heard Romans 12:1, that we should offer ourselves as living sacrifices.  There are some aspects of this that are important to remember.  First of all, a sacrifice doesn't just include half of something. The cow didn't get to give just his leg, unfortunately. He had to give up his life.  It is also important to understand that the sacrifice was to be the first born and the best.  What this means is that is we are going to offer our lives as living sacrifices to God, then we must surrender everything, we need to do it first and not wait for something else, and we need to give God our best.  He is good and he wants to bless you.  Doing this opens the door for blessings.

It talks about the spiritual gifts and for each says, "If we can." It doesn't say "you should" or "everyone has to."  I think that is one thing that a church needs to realize, that not everyone is cut out for every job in the church body.  On the flip side of that, there are a lot of people out there who have spiritual gifts, who can serve, can give, can lead, but don't out of fear or laziness or selfishness.

Ok, so Romans has a lot in it this morning.  I have to write this verse because I love it and it is so simple, yet powerful:
"Be sincere in your love for others.  Hate everything that is evil and hold tight to everything is good."

Ok, I was going to stop there, but the rest is awsome too:
 "Love each other as brother and sisters and honor others more than you do yourself.  Never give up.  Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve The Lord.  Let your hope make you glad.  Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying.  Take care of God's needy people and welcome strangers into your home."

The first thing that stands out is that we are to love each other as brothers and sisters, not as bosses and employees, or masters and slaves. Brothers and sisters are equals, on the same level. We should not consider ourselves higher than another. The other thing that stands out this morning is the word "Eagerly." We are to willingly, gladly, excitedly, follow and serve God.  How do we do that?  Well, knowing what God is all about, and not just thinking it is a "religion" definitely helps.  And, I think having an eternal perspective, that people are eternal souls that will spend all of time somewhere, also helps.  Several of these verses talk about how to treat enemies, and I think forgiveness, respect, peace, those are things we should do or pursue eagerly in this life.

When David is running for his life, he continuously asks God for guidance.  He does, in a small way doubt it, because in this chapter (23) he has to ask twice.  David's followers sort of challenge God's answer, rather than support it.  As believers we need to make sure that if a friend or family member hears direction from God, we should support it.  But, when David has to ask again, God doesn't get mad, he just gives David the answer he needs.

In a sense, David compromised.  By cutting off a piece of Saul's robe, it was like he was manipulating the situation, and he felt bad for doing it.  What?  He didn't seem do anything wrong!  He certainly didn't harm the king!  But, he was pushing the limits because of what his followers said, and he knew that God didn't want him to harm Saul. This little compromise was felt in David's heart and we need to believe the same.  Little compromises in our own life are how big sins get in.  We need to recognize compromise when we see it and then quit.

David and his men return to their hideout.  Wait, I thought he and Saul just made up and he could go back and live in the luxury of the kingdom?  David wasn't stupid.  He knew Saul, and knew that he had a temper issue, and to live near the king was to test that and place himself in danger again.  If someone hurts us, we need to forgive, but that doesn't mean we have to trust them.  Trust is something that a person has to earn, and a few words should not gain our trust back.

Day 141: The Ruthless

Romans 11:25-36; 1 Samuel 21-22; Psalm 66

David is the ultimate actor.  He pretends to be on a mission for Saul in order to get food and a weapon.  Then he acts insane in order to escape from an outside kingdom.  Unfortunatly, his lies got many, many people killed.  He didn't realize what his actions would lead to, and I'm sure he felt incredible guilt.  There have been times when I've done something and it totally backfired on someone else and I feel terrible.  But in this case, I don't think we can blame David.  Evil and hatred had consumed Saul and Doeg had sold out to him, and they would do anything to destroy David.  That is how the devil works:  he encourages wicked people to prey on the innocent.  And I don't know why, but knowing that this really happened, hearing them plead for their lives, reading that the rest of the soldiers wouldn't touch them, but Doeg was quick to slaughter them all--I don't know, it's just really heartbreaking.  And I know that this same situation happens today.  A leader wants to get rid of some people, and while those that could help just stand by, the ruthless destory the innocent.  We need to find ways to stop evil and hatred--prayer and supporting social justice organizations are a great start.

In this passage, David also becomes the leader of a band of people who were angry or in debt.  These were the down-and-out, the broken, the hurting.  This is the same group that Jesus hung out with. This verse in 1 Samuel foreshadows Christ and his desire to spend time, not with the have-it-all-togethers or the perfect-in-every-ways, but simply those who need a Savior.

There is a passage of this psalm that talks about God testing us, putting a burden on us, traveling through fire.  To me, this means that before Christ entered the world, before we could accept Jesus' grace, the burden was heavy.  But, God did all that so that he could then bring "us to a land of plenty."

Day 140: Religion IS a Burden

Romans 11:1-24; 1 Samuel 20; Psalm 65  

This passage that Paul references from David, shows what "religion" is:  they "stumble" and he says to "Blindfold their eyes!" and "Bend their backs beneath a burden that will never be lifted." That's religion.  That has nothing to do with living for Jesus.  If you think about all the world's religions, including the American version of being a "Christian," it is all about living up to certain standards or appearing a certain way.  Religion IS a burden, it DOES cause people to stumble, it WILL blind people to the truth.  It's just as dangerous today as it was in Paul's time.  Christ offers something that no other "religion" does:  grace through relationship.  Following Jesus isn't one sided, it isn't about doing things, appeasing him, or rituals.  Following Jesus is about living like him by learning from him.  It's freedom. There is not a heavy burden to carry, God doesn't want us to follow blindly, and he will lift us when we stumble.  That sounds way better to me.

If people reject God, he will be hard on them and cut them out of his "tree." But, if a person has faith, then they become a part of the "tree." This is another thing that "religion" does not agree with.  It's not so simple with religion; a person has to earn their way back, and it isn't for everyone.  I tell you what, Christ's salvation IS for everyone.  When we start believing that certain people can't be saved, then we forfeit people's souls, despite having The Lord of the universe on our team.  Not wise, not wise at all.

At this point, Saul is no longer following The Lord.  He cannot control his anger against David, to the point that he tries to manipulate and kill his own son through it.  Saul's fear and insecurity had taken over his life. He allowed sin to creep in and at this point it consumed him.

The loyalty between Jonathan and David must have been significant at the time this was written.  I'm sure it was expected, beyond reason and common sense, that a son should obey a father.  God reveals here that people should be obedient and faithful, not because of someone's rank or position, but because of their heart and their life.  Jonathan, by no means, tries to get back at his father (he still honors him with his actions and life), but he knows that his father does not deserve loyalty like David.  That could be really hard--to have to turn from a family member because they are so deep in sin that you can no longer help them without (as Jonathan experienced) putting yourself in danger.  That is a sad reality for a lot of people, even today.  But, God wants us to protect ourselves by being wise, and if that means stepping back, even from a loved one while they struggle with sin, then I think God would approve.  However, there are also moments when we are to step in and help, as Jonathan does for Saul.  We just need to be wise in how we handle our loved ones so that we do not get manipulated or abused.

This psalm talks a lot about nature and God blessing the earth and caring for it.  God wants things to grow--us and the world around us.  Rain sometimes represents sadness, but isn't it the rain that "soften[s] the soil and help[s] the plants sprout"? The rain is not always pleasant, but it is through those times that we are prepared for prosperity and goodness.  Hang in there.  If you are in a rainy season, know that God is good and he is helping you to grow.

Day 139: Tempting the Evil

Romans 9:30-10:21; 1 Samuel 19; Psalm 64

Romans seems to be mostly about being saved:  who is saved, who is offered salvation, what salvation means, what it does not mean, and how people respond to such a message.  These chapters sort of get on to the Israelites and Jews for not believing in Jesus or trusting God.  Paul says that all it takes to receive salvation is honestly confessing that Jesus is Lord.  We don't have to do or perform anything.  He also talks about who Jesus came to save:  he was meant to save everyone, especially fulfilling the promises for the Israelites, but they are stubborn, so Jesus is for everyone else.  Because Jesus didn't fit the mould that the Jews were expecting, many won't put their faith in him as God's son.  Not good!  Jesus fulfills all of the Old Testament prophecies and came and accomplished what God said he would do, it just took a more eternal form.

Jonathan is an example of an awesome friend and a wise child.  He is bold enough to come before the king, his father, and point out his wrongdoing.  There have been some times in life when my parents needed wisdom and myself or my brother were able to provide it.  Once children become adults, it is important for parents to respect their children and for the children to speak truth with wisdom.

Saul goes back on his word to not try and kill David.  What I don't exactly understand are the few occurences of "an evil spirit from The Lord" took hold of Saul and caused him to respond angrily.  Did God simply allow an evil spirit?  Was the "evil spirit" really that or is it something else?  I looked it up and this website gives a lot of information on it:  http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=6&article=1278
What I DO know is that Saul was tempting the evil spirit by holding a spear.  He wasn't an idiot (or maybe he was) and knew that he had anger issues.  By holding a spear, he was giving himself the opportunity to think about, dwell on, and act out his sinful anger against David.  If he had been holding a cup of coffee, some sweet tea, maybe a royal kitten, he would not have been encouraging the same kind of thoughts. That kind of thing still applies to us.  Do you struggle with overeating?  Then stop buying junk food.  Do you struggle with overspending?  Then get rid of credit cards.  Do you struggle with insecurities?  Then stop hanging out with people that make you insecure.  Do you struggle with substance abuse?  Then don't go where you know those substances will be.  We need to stop viewing ourselves as victims and realize we have a choice in our sin--we don't have to!

This psalm talks about people plotting evil things against us. Trust in The Lord to be the one who destroys them and their plots.  It is our job to worship God, offer our prayers, and love those around us, good and bad.  God is just, and simply because evil people get ahead now, for a short time, doesn't mean God isn't paying attention.  Trust in The Lord.

Day 138: God Knows How LIfe Works

Romans 9:1-29; 1 Samuel 17:55-18:30; Psalm 63

One of the concepts that Paul brings up in this letter is about who we are in relation to God.  He asks, "Who do you think you are to question God?"  I believe that many of us need a healthy dose of humility and fear of the God of the universe.  We try to tell God what to do, what is best for us, how he is wrong.  We get mad at him for doing certain things, we turn from him when things don't go our way, and we don't put him first in our lives.  He's the LORD of the UNIVERSE.  He pretty much knows how life works because, well, he invented it.  Who am I to question his wisdom, authority, purpose, and work in my life? My very life rests in his hands.  This next breath----he gave to me and he could have decided to not.  Whoa. We need to consider how we view God verses how we view ourselves.  We are not God.  We are not even angels.  We are humans--granted, humans saved by grace, but still humble humans.  Let us not forget how unfathomable is The Lord we serve.

I don't know why, but I love that David and Jonathan were best friends.  I love that they cared so much for each other.  Such a friendship does not show up much in the Old Testament.  I think there is a lot to learn from this companionship.  Jonathan and David promised to be loyal to each other and then Jonathan gave David everything he could.  He served him and provided for him.

Unfortunately, Saul continues his slow (and sometimes not so slow) downward spiral.  He is so jealous of David.  He doesn't trust David, not because of something David actually did, but because of the songs some ladies were singing.  His feelings about David were not based on anything substantial or even truthful.  It was Saul's own insecurities, that he has been battling since we met him several chapters ago, if you remember, that ultimately took him from the Lord's blessing and made him into the angry monster that he became.  Instead of rejoicing with what The Lord was doing through David, those things made Saul angry and afraid of him. May we not allow our own insecurities to cause harm, distrust, or dislike of someone else.

Day 137: God is Fighting for You

Romans 8; 1 Samuel 17:1-54; Psalm 62

If you have accepted Jesus' gift, then you are a child of God and free from the power of sin.  Because of that, you have the Holy Spirit inside of you which will help you to live according to the Lord's desires.  However, because we are human, we will daily have to fight against OUR desires and for the HOLY SPIRIT'S desires.  One leads to death and the other to "life and peace."  I'm sure it is pretty easy to figure out which is which.  That's one of those things that, while I don't totally understand how or why it works, it isn't a mystery of how to receive it.  How do you get peace?  Accept and follow Jesus.  How to do you get life?  Accept and follow Jesus.  You don't even have to memorize the hundreds of rules in the Old Testament or even the 10 commandments (though the latter would be helpful sometimes).  If you have accepted Jesus' gift, then you are a child of God and have the Holy Spirit in you that wants to teach you and lead you to good things.  Don't ignore God's gift!

Why would God MAKE the world confused?  Basically, why would he MAKE everyone with a burning hole in their soul?  Because he wants people to come to him so that he can give them life.  He can't make someone love him, so instead he made them with a need and desire for deep love and life that can only be filled by him.

"But now we groan silently, while we wait for od to show that we are his children." What does that mean?  Well, I think what it is saying is that we have to live on this earth with faith in something that can't be seen with physical eyes while the world asks and expects some physical sign of the Almighty and of Jesus. And that sometimes stinks.  We "groan" because we struggle against rejection, hatred, selfishness, cancer, divorce, lay-offs, poverty, disease, and war.  We pray to a God we can't see with our physical eyes, and we wish and pray that God would reveal himself so that we can be encouraged. We have to wait until Jesus returns (and I just had a flashback of the Left Behind books--awesome stuff) before we can be "proven right," so to speak.  There's a good chance it won't happen in our lifetime either, so that's obviously an issue as well.  But, Paul goes on to say that we have hope and hope is all we need.

I just have to include these quotations.  They are rockin':

"If GOD is on OUR SIDE, can anyone be against us?  God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us.  If God did this, won't he freely give us EVERYTHING else?  If God says his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anyone bring charges against them?  Or can anyone condemn them?  No indeed!  Christ died and was raised to life, and now he is at God's right side, speaking to him FOR US.  Can ANYTHING separate us from the love of Christ?  Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger or death?....In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us....NOTHING in all creation can separate us from God's love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!"

And they keep going in all their fabulousness.  There is such hope and joy and promise in those words!!! I'm so excited!

Does fear every paralyze you? I know it does me from time to time.  David believed in the power of God when no one else would.  He took just himself and his skills and overcame a mighty giant.  Whatever battle we face in this life, the God that helped David is still here, and will help us.  The key is believing that it is possible.  It is awesome that the psalm says that "God alone is the mighty rock"--is that the rock that David slain Goliath with?  Hm?  I pray that you would be encouraged today by these words of Paul and the story of David.  God is with you and he's fighting for you.

Day 136: Defeating Sin

Romans 7; 1 Samuel 16; Psalm 61

It is a daily battle, a constant fight, against sin.  Paul talks about how he knows what he should do, he agrees that it is the right thing to do, and yet sin takes a hold of him and makes him do the wrong thing.  Overcoming sin is super hard--that's a given.  But one of the things I've found is the that more a person defeats sin, the more times they battle sin and win, the better they are able to accomplish it.  I'm not saying that it will be easy, but in a sense, the more we see the beauty of being free from the sin, the more motivated we will become to break down all of the sin.  The hardest thing is making that initial choice, taking that first step away, performing that first conscious effort to eliminate a sin.  But as the scriptures we've been reading have talked about, it's so worth it!

God cares so much for his people.  Even in the little things, God provides.  For example, when Samuel was going to find a new king, he was worried about Saul finding out.  God didn't say, "Oh, Samuel, saddle up and be tough." No!  Instead, God say, "Ok, I gotcha, well then take a cow and say you are offering a sacrifice, that will fool them."  Could God have protected Samuel no matter what?  Of course.  But Samuel needed or wanted some sort of protection, maybe he knew he would need it, and so asked The Lord to provide.  In the same way, we sometimes need some earthly protection, like insurance.  Is buying insurance saying that I don't believe that God will protect us?  No, instead, we are just preparing for the earthly disasters that God tells us this life is full of.  Same deal with Samuel.
Then, Samuel thinks that the big brawny son is going to be chosen king.  He has the look, but God knows his heart and has chosen another person.  David wasn't even prepared for his role, he wasn't looking for it, God laid it upon him unexpectedly.  God may have something in store for you, he may have already laid an opportunity in your lap, but you are reluctant to take hold of it because you feel ill-prepared for it.  God knows your heart and he often uses the unexpected to do great things.  You may think that someone else is way more qualified to do that thing, but God reminds us here that he knows our hearts and judges us by them, not our outward appearance or qualifications. Trust in the Lord's decision.

It is so awesome that this psalm may have been one of the songs the David sang to Saul during the time of this reading from Samuel.  This bible reading thing is so awesome.

Day 135: Flesh vs. Spirit

Romans 6; 1 Samuel 15; Psalm 60

If you believe you are going to die one day and go to heaven, then why let sin destroy us in this short life on earth?  That's exactly what Paul is saying in these scriptures:  we have died with Christ and were raised with his resurrection, so we are dead to sin and alive as a child of God.  Since we are going to die a physical death because the body is weak and not permanent, don't be ruled by its desires. Instead, focus on following the desires of the heart that the Holy Spirit gives us.  Paul questions "what good did you receive from the things you did?"  What good does it do us to sin by gossiping?  We lose trust and friends.  What good does it do us to feed our greed?  We lose our family and our peace.  What good does it do us to fill our lives with substance abuse, lust, or selfishness?  We lose control, our family and real friends, and some even lose their life.  If people would really think about the consequences of their sins, if they would really take a good look at those that have gone before them, they would see that a life lived in sin leads to nothing.  Nothing is gained.  Focus on things of The Lord, like love and faith and hope. God wants to give us every good thing, but we can't focus on the world and our sin and The Lord.  We need to trade in the world for Jesus.

Saul has issues. He has an issue of compromise which is disobedience. He was to wipe out this nation, take nothing for himself and his army, trusting that The Lord didn't want any of it and they wouldn't need any of it, not compromise on the Lord's command.  And what is sad, Saul even believes that he is doing the right thing!  He tells Samuel that he only kept the good livestock to offer as a sacrifice.  But God doesn't want sacrifices, he wants obedience.  It makes me think of an altar call at church:  A person can go to the altar and "sacrifice" their lives to The Lord week after week.  But is that what God wants?  A person to continually come forward and "offer their life" to him?  No!  He wants that person to leave that church and obey him with their actions and their life.  Saul compromised because he was selfish and didn't understand the Lord's desire for obedience and a life lived for him.  He lived his life for himself and for the honor he received as king.

This psalm talks about being rejected and also given victory.  Only God can give true victory.  We need to ask The Lord to give us victory over our sinful desires, over our enemies, over our desire to compromise and disobey. God will help us if we truly want his help.

Day 134: Hope, Perseverance, Character

Romans 5; 1 Samuel 14; Psalm 59

(Just had a thought:  I'm going to be a bible reading maniac for the rest of my life.  Why? Because God is the most important relationship in my life; my life centers around The Lord; the only way to get to know him truly is to read his word.)

Because of Christ, we can live at peace with God.  It is grace that allows us to stand tall in life, do all that we do, and have happiness.  Suffering is not about despair, but about learning to endure, which produces character, and that produces hope.  We can believe in that hope because of God's promises and how the Holy Spirit has filled our hearts with love (Paraphrase of Romans 5:1-5).  These are some of my favorite verses in the Bible.  Before I had even read through the entire scriptures, I felt that there was a lot packed into these few little verses.  But, after reading about the Israelites and all their choices and struggles, these verses make that much more sense.  All through the Old Testament, the people were afraid of God, they did not have much peace, their suffering was about despair, and so they struggled to develop their character or hope of any kind.  But because of Jesus, all of that changes!  We now don't need to be afraid, we can live with peace, we can face difficulties because of hope we have in the Lord's promises, and so develop perseverence and character.

Saul is a very impulsive person, very much to a fault.  Instead of asking what he should do from The Lord, he just jumps into battle because he feels he has no time and will definitely win.  Then he makes this curse that really serves a poor purpose and ultimately condemns his son. Then he plans on following through and killing his son for his own stupid words.  Saul shows me that I need to think and pray before acting.

Jonathan is a cool character though, because he decides to raid and attack the Philistines all by himself (and one helper).  He says that God can help a small number win just as easily as he can help a whole army.  Jonathan has faith that God's power is mighty, regardless of the human effort.  The same is true in our own lives.  Just because you feel like you have nothing to offer doesn't mean that God has nothing to offer through you.  We are just God's hands and feet, meant to go and serve the hurting and broken.

I love how these psalms line up with the passages of scripture that I read.  This psalm is all about God rescuing us from our enemies, just like Jonathan believed he would be rescued from his enemies and Saul would defeat his.  The Lord cares for us and wants to help us.  Believe in that promise today.

Day 133: Saul Loses Patience

Romans 4; 1 Samuel 13; Psalm 58

Paul says that "everything depends on having faith in God." Without faith, God's salvation cannot be given; without faith, we will not be given wisdom and peace; without faith, none of his promises can be bestowed on us.  How do you know you are doing what God has called you to do?  Have faith in the Holy Spirit's whisperings in your heart.  How do you know if you are supposed to serve in that way? Have faith that God will make it clear.  How do you know if you are supposed to give your money or possessions away?  Have faith that God will provide. How do you know if you are really saved?  Have faith that God does what he says he does.  When I'm struggling with my own self worth, with confidence, with purpose, what should be my response?  Having faith, trusting in The Lord's word that he is who he says and I am worth what is written in scripture.

Here's the verse of the concept that I've been thinking about a lot lately because of the fear of the Israelites in the Old Testament:  "God gave Jesus to die for our sins, and he raised him to life, so that we would be made acceptable to God."  How awesome is that!  Through Jesus, not our own actions or committment or fantabulousness, we are made acceptable to God!

Back in chapter 10 verse 8 (something I missed the first time and had to look for), Samuel gives Saul the command to go to this place and wait a week, then Samuel will show up and offer a sacrifice.  So Saul is hanging out with his army who is quickly deserting him and shaking in their sandals, and he loses patience and faith.  He decides that he needs to offer the sacrifice in order to show his soldiers that God is really there.  I think there a lot that can be taken from this story.  The first is obviously patience; wait on The Lord.  God's plan sometimes requires us to wait until what seems like that last possible moment, but (as stated just above) we must have faith if we want to experience the fruits of God's work in this world and in our lives.  Saul didn't have patience and he lost God's blessing.  Then, he offers a sacrifice, which in itself is not wrong, but he did it out of fear, out of pride, and it was not his place.  That would be like us going to church and serving in a way that isn't for God, but it is to bring ourselves glory; or it is like going to the altar during a service, not because we want to bow down before The Lord, but because we want others to think us more holy.  God knew Saul's heart and he knew that he was struggling.  He acted out of fear and pride, and disobeyed.

Day 132: Peace with Faith and in Life

Romans 3:9-31; 1 Samuel 12; Psalm 57

There is nothing you or I can do to become right with God, outside of having faith in Jesus.  You can't serve in a church enough, give enough money to the poor, help your neighbor, or read your bible enough to make it to heaven and be right with God, unless you put your faith in God.  While the rest of the world's religions are busy and anxious trying to earn the favor of their god, Christ followers (not just "Christians," because some "Christian" sects believe in works more than faith), real disciples of Jesus Christ, understand that we are worthless and separated without believing in who Jesus is and what he did for us.  This is such good news, because it means that when I mess up, I don't automatically have to take a step back from God, or he doesn't give up on me.  I have hope and peace knowing that I am rescued eternally from The Lord.

This passage of 1 Samuel reveals how before Jesus, the people were afraid of God and could not connect with him personally.  The people say, after Samuel has called down a thunderstorm, "Please, pray to The Lord YOUR God for us!"  It isn't "our" God, but "your" God.  They know, or at least they feel, like God is separate, distant, not a personal God, because they are afraid they will die if they see to much or get too close. Thank The Lord for Jesus who bridges that gap and allows us to pray with peace to The Lord!

This psalm has a wonderful pattern to it:  David is crying out for protection from his dangerous enemies, but does he spend the whole time complaining?  No.  During his struggles, in the midst of these thoughts, at the very moment he needs protection, he also lifts up praises to God.  He isn't just concerned about his own physical well-being, but also about worshipping God even during struggles.  We need to do the same; God deserves our praise no matter what trial we are facing.  I hope and pray that we can remember to give God glory even in our darkest days; just because life isn't perfect, doesn't mean God isn't perfect, or he has changed, or doesn't love us.  God is the same every day, for all eternity and his love never fails.  So, worship The Lord at all times, whether in times of prosperity or battle.

Day 131: Judging, Circumcision, and Baggage

Romans 2:1-3:8; 1 Samuel 10:17-11:15; Psalm 56

"When you judge others, you condemn yourselves, because you are guilty of doing the very same things." Ouch.  I know I'm guilty of judging others, either by their appearance, attitude, lifestyle choices, etc.  As Christians, we often feel like we have the "answer" and we got it "right" and therefore we have this unspoken power to judge those who haven't been accepted into the family. We are reminded here that we are guilty of the same things as those we judge.

In these verses it also talks about those who do good patiently and those who reject the truth and do evil.  It says that "He will give" and "he will show how angry," but doesn't say anything about "you can earn" or "you should show how angry you are." It is not for us to earn, and not for us to judge.  Leave that up to God.  We just need to live doing good and patiently waiting on The Lord.  He will give and he will judge according to his wisdom.

The verses that talk about the conscience cleared some things up for me.  I knew some people who were volunteering, trying to make the world a better place, but were self-proclaimed non-believers (I forget now what they said exactly, but I knew they were not Christians). I wondered, how could these people be doing good without it coming from The Lord?  This verse says that some people naturally obey the Law's commands even though they don't have any connection with it.  This is proof that a person's conscience is God's voice or spirit in our hearts and why sometimes we feel like God is speaking or calling us to do right or warning us not to do wrong.  That little Jiminy Cricket is really a presence sent by God and placed in the hearts and minds of all people.  It is prompting people to live right, do right, and turn to God.  Some will accept and others will not.  So that is why someone who doesn't want anything to do with God can still do good--because there is more influence from The Lord in their lives than they realize or want to admit.

Ok, so the circumcision. (Haha, awkward.  Welcome to my blog!)  Obviously, the physical procedure doesn't apply to half of us, but the principle behind it applies to all of us.  This was a sign of someone who was in God's family, and yet they would still live stupidly and selfishly.  Paul tells us that your physical demonstrations, your name being in the church membership book, your Jesus t-shirt really don't say that you are a follower of The Lord.  Anyone can get their name in the church bulletin, go to a conference or mission trip, or wear WWJD paraphenalia.  What really matters is those that actually obey God's call in their lives.  We need to make sure we aren't just doing stuff, but that we are actually obeying and following The Lord.  It is "something that happens deep in your heart, not something done to your body."

"God tells the truth, even if everyone else is a liar." People get hurt by churches.  People get hurt by pastors.  People get hurt by Christians.  But, people need to realize that those hurts do not come from God.  The people of God may lie, cheat, gossip, but The Lord does not.  His goal is to lift up, to grow, to heal.  So if you've been wronged by a church or a Christian, realize that is not from God.

So where is Saul?  He's "hiding behind the baggage." Saul had been appointed by God, he had experienced some interesting intervention by The Lord, and had been promised an important position.  But instead of being strengthened by God, he is fearful and hiding, where?  Behind the baggage.  We could say that he was hiding behind the past, the stuff he held on to, his junk.  He was allowing the burdens of his life to come between him and God's calling for his life.  We do that!  God tells us to be a leader, a servant, a giver, and we hide behind our past failures and hurts, our fears and uncertainties.  But, God made them drag Saul out into the light, and they encouraged him.  Even Saul, their mighty king, needed some prodding.  May you and I not hide behind our baggage, but to step out in faith, trusting in God's promises.

Saul, through The Lord, proved himself.  The Israelites wanted to destory those that had doubted him.  That idea was quicktly squashed by Saul:  there was victory and The Lord had helped them survive.  Putting people to death would defeat the purpose and distract the course.  Good job Saul!

Day 130: Trading Truths for Lies

Romans 1:16-32; 1 Samuel 9:1-10:16; Psalm 55

The message of the Lord's salvation is the most powerful and important thing in all of the earth!  Believe that with all your heart!  Those that don't:  They traded the truth of God for a lie, and worship things in the earth rather than Him who made the earth.  When it is put like that, it is so sad--they traded truth for a lie, a LIE. People all over the world and right in our own neighborhoods are living their lives in search of or believing lies:  lies about creation, lies about themselves, lies about how life works.  People will live and die for these lies, even when the truth of God is all around them.  As a follower of Christ, when I read this, I feel hurried, like because these people are dying without believing the truth, I need to get up and do something!  However, I recognize that some of these people do know of God's truth, and yet, they will still be so in love with their lies, that they will refuse to accept truth and life.  That is the truth of freedom and probably the disappointment that God lives with everyday.

A few verses later it talks about the way in which many people have gone:  homosexuality.  Yep, I'm gonna talk about it. (It's one of those hot topics today, though I won't spend much time on it ever, since I care more about saving the lives of babies in the womb and rescuing young women from sex trafficking.) But here's scripture's and my take on homosexuality:  Sometimes we think that this concept and lifestyle is a terrible problem of the 20th/21st century--nope.  But what stands out to me is the part of the verse that says, "what has happened to them is punishment for their foolish deeds." So, what has happened to them?  I was reading an article by a transgender person and they were talking about how they just want acceptance, and how transgender people (and I think they included homosexuals too) had the highest rate of depression and suicide.  This individiual believed that it was because they aren't being accepted by people.  I believe it is something else entirely.  These people are believing a lie, pursuing that lie, hoping it will fill the hole in their hearts, discover it can't, feel more hopeless than when they started, so they end their life.  It isn't because they aren't accepted--all of us deal with rejection.  It is because they believe a lie about themselves and when they can't fill the emptiness with their sexual identity (because that emptiness can only be filled by Jesus), they sink deep into depression.  Now, I don't claim to be an expert on any of this, but I believe that this might be what this scripture is talking about.

The following verses, 28-32 talk about all the terrible and evil things these people who have traded truth for a lie do--again, not just a 21st century problem.  This just means that as believers, we must be different:  no gossiping, no cheating, no greed, no boasting.  We must have love and compassion.

God loves to do this:  he works with the smallest, least important, most unexpected people and allows them to do great things.  Saul, the first king of Israel, came from the smallest, least important tribe, and he was on an errand to catch donkeys when Samuel made him king.  That would be like me, going to get groceries, and I become president instead.  I wouldn't want that job, but how crazy is that!  We don't have to have a high position or great power to do something great.  God is the greatness we need, we just have to be the carrier of that.

Day 129: "Like Other Nations"

Romans 1:1-15; 1 Samuel 8; Psalm 54

Paul summarizes his life in these verses in Romans:  He never stops praying while he serves God with all his heart and tells the news about Jesus Christ.  That's pretty much it!  That is how the Christian church became what it is today.  He didn't have to start a mega church, be a world renowned speaker, have lots of money, or even be popular on both sides of the aisle.  He simply spoke with God on a daily basis, served those aroud him, and told people about Jesus.  Humans like to complicate things.  Living our life for Christ is actually pretty simple, it just isn't always easy.

I suppose Samuel's sons not being obedient had nothing to do with how Samuel raised them.  Perhaps he did set a very good example, and they simply chose not to follow.  I know that if a parent raises a child in the ways of The Lord, they still have to let them go and allow them to choose.  The same is true for God, he lets us choose our path, knowing that we may be disobedient.

The people of Israel wanted a king "like the other nations." They wanted to adopt the practices of those around them, rather than being set apart and ruled by God.  However, God warned them that they wouldn't like their ruler (sounds like much of America every time a political leader is elected).  This leader, he told them, would force them to join the army (the draft), farm or make weapons for the king (government jobs), the daughters have to make perfume and cook (women have to work to support their families), and he will take their best fields/vineyards/orchards/grain/grapes/slaves/young men/donkeys/sheep/goats (taxes).  All in all, God said that they wouldn't like how the king would make things.  Hm, sounds familiar.  The Israelites decided (democratically) that they wanted a king instead of being ruled by God.  We Americans "choose" our leaders, but we end up not liking them; sometimes we end up not liking them before they are even elected, but elect them anyway!  No, I'm not saying that we need to get rid of the democracy, just that since we have this government that rules our land, we need to take back Christ in order to rule our hearts.

Day 128: Turning to God

Acts 28:16-31; 1 Samuel 6-7; Psalm 53

The fact that Paul uses those verses from Isaiah in this conversation are so awesome and so relevent to today.  How many people in America have heard the gospel of Jesus or are looking for something to fill their life?  They are stubborn or are looking in all the wrong places.  Part of these verses talk about their ears being stopped up and eyes are covered--what is hindering them?  My guess is that this is a reference to all the things that keep us from connecting with God and his message. Things like our friends' adivce, messages from tv and movies, a desire for money, the belief in living for oneself.  All of those and many more are what cover up a person's ability to listen to God's message and receive it.  But Paul kept preaching for two more years hoping that some would turn to Jesus.

 A few of things strike me as interesting in this story in 1 Samuel.  The Israelites are hanging out with the sacred chest and a whole bunch of men decide to look inside it and are killed.  The people respond with "Who can go near him and still live?" The God of the Old Testament I think was a little distant, maybe a little scary.  People had to atone for their sins through lots of sacrifices and worship practices.  There was a lot riding on what they could do right.  Today, though, we can go near to God.  That is the beauty of Jesus.  Jesus atoned for our sins so that we don't have to be afraid to draw close to The Lord because we can.  We are seen as holy in the Lord's sight, and therefore, we can be near him without fear.

The other thing that sticks out from these passages is that at one point the Israelites are so desperate and sad and they cry out to God.  Samuel tells them that if they really want to prove that they will go back to The Lord, then they need to destroy the idols in their lives and worship only him.  People try to serve God and other things in their lives and then get so frustrated when it does work.  That's because they don't have God as first in their life so that he can then work out all things for good!  If God doesn't have the first priority, the room to work, then people shouldn't expect much from him.  When our attention, focus, and worship is divided, God won't bless.

Finally, Samuel sets up an "Ebenezer" a "Help Monument" to remind the people of what God has done.  If you have had some amazing blessings in your life, find a way to record them, to represent them, because then when the troubles come, you can be reminded of God's promises.  If you are struggling with life right now, find something that reminds you of the great love of God.  That is what the monument for the Israelites was:  a reminder of God's fulfilled promises in their lives.

Day 127: What Saves Us?

Acts 28:1-15; 1 Samuel 4-5; Psalm 52

The situation with the sacred chest in battle is sort of sad.  The people expected God to come through for them and he doesn't.  Why not?  Because they thought it was the physical box and tablets that would save them, not the God who wrote the tablets and filled the box.  It was the item, not the Creator, that they believed in.  I think that happens a lot in today's society; we believe in the physical thing rather than the one who made that physical thing, the one who actually deserves our praise.  People worship money, thinking that having more will protect them.  People honor significant others (or future spouses), believing that just having the right one will make their lives perfect.  And sometimes people even worship their church, thinking that it is so awesome and is the thing that saved them.  But money, people, promotions, friends, even church, can't save us.  Only God can, and that is what the Israelites forgot in this moment, and as a result, thousands of them were killed and the sacred chest was stolen.

Today's readings seem to be all about trusting in the one true Lord. When people in the scriptures don't, they lose, die, hurt, break, and are dragged around.  It is not pretty.  Just looking at the world around us, it is easy to see the people and the result of lives not lived for God and instead lived for pleasure and with selfishness.  We have to be honest with ourselves:  is there anything in our lives that separates us from The Lord?  Are there things that we are putting before him?  Are we using God as a weapon, rather than using him as our Savior?  Are we expecting God to simply save us from troubles, rather than trusting him to lead us through them?  I hope and pray that The Lord can be your rock, your constant friend, your Lord and Savior.

Day 126: Caring for those at Rock Bottom

Acts 27:13-44; 1 Samuel 3; Psalm 51

These sailors had lost all hope.  They were at rock bottom.  They knew that they were toast.  Had Paul not been on board, they very well might have died.  Paul has this opportunity, in the midst of their darkest hour, to reveal what God had told him.  Paul also spends some of this time caring for the people's well-being by encouraging them to eat.  Essentially, their spiritual and physical needs are being met in this hopeless time.  If we think about dark times in people's lives today, how should we, as followers of Christ, respond?   Just caring for their physical needs?  Just bringing their problems to the church prayer meetings?  Just gossiping about them at our bible study?  Just telling them that we will pray for them but then forgetting?  I think if we take note of Paul's story, we learn what to do:  he encouraged them with God's faithfulness, gave thanks to The Lord, and then provided for their physical needs.  He focused on their spiritual needs, spoke to God on their behalf, and then fed them.  When our friends and family are going through really challenging times, what do we normally do?  Do we treat them the way Paul does the sailors or do we do something different?

Samuel didn't know what The Lord sounded like.  This is a really cool part of Samuel's story that shows that our relationship with God is one that grows with time.  Samuel didn't automatically understand or recognize all that he could about The Lord.  He had to learn to hear God's voice and how to respond.  The same is true for us.  If we are new on our spiritual journey, then we may find ourselves confused or unsure about the Holy Spirit and discerning God's voice from other things.  The longer we follow The Lord, and the closer our relationship is, we can discern his voice and be obedient to it.

God punishes or corrects us for sins not because he is mean or enjoys torturing us.  In this psalm David cries out for The Lord to make the bones that God crushed, now celebrate.  He begs God to make him white as snow, and help him to obey.  God repremands us because he wants us to return to him, to sacrifice with deep sorrow in our hearts, and to turn from our sin.