SOAP 08/27/2011; Psalm 143:8, 10

Today's reading: Jeremiah 52; Revelation 1; Psalm 143, 144

S)"⁸ Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning;
For I trust in You;
Teach me the way in which I should walk;
For to You I lift up my soul.
 ¹⁰ Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground."

Psalm 143:10 (NASB)

O) Yes; I love this prayer! God said, through Samuel the prophet, that King David was a man after His own heart. I truly believe this was one of the reasons. King David desired to do good. In his most honest times, he truly wanted to do the will of God. He was also humble enough, despite being a very, very powerful man, that he knew he still didn't have it all together. He knew that he needed to be taught more, and that God, though His Spirit, could lead him directly.

A) I need to adopt this attitude. I already try to be very proactive in my humility, but I also need to be proactive in asking God to teach and lead me. When Jesus left, and sent behind Him the Holy Spirit, He called Him "Counselor" and I need to seek His counsel more often. It's like having daily access to the smartest, most wise man in the world, and never asking questions. I simply cannot afford to be so negligent.

P) Father, let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; for I trust in You; yeah ach me the way in which I should walk; for to You I lift up my soul. Teach me to do Your will, for you are my God; let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 08/26/2011; 3 John 11

Today's reading: Jeremiah 50, 51; 3 John

S)"¹¹ Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God."

3 John 11 (NASB)

O) The second half of this verse cannot be any more clear. Doing good is through God, and He has no part in doing evil. Now, the first part is a little tougher to work out... I mean, how do we define "imitate"? In my mind, this falls under the "better safe than sorry" catagory. Obviously, if two kids are playing super-heroes and one of them decides to be the antagonist, I don't think that is, of itself, the evil that is mentioned in the latter half of the verse. On the other hand, it's my heart's desire that my son always wants to be the good guy. I don't like using the "slippery slope" argument, but this is almost applicable here. I mean, how long can you imitate before you start to emulate, and eventually admire...? And then, there are motives to contemplate. I mean, why would you want to be the bad guy, anyway? Bad guys are losers!

A) I actually discovered this verse a few years ago and it struck me then, too. Since, I've really taken it to heart and I really try to apply it to every area of my life, no matter how trivial. In more serious matters, like not getting drunk, or even really not drinking at all (plus it's a staff rule at church), but also when I play games like Overpower. I don't want to become legalistic or religious about it, though. I really feel like the exact measure to which people take this verse has some personal convictions involved. I know and accept that not everyone will feel quite like I do. And so, I'll also do my best not to use this verse as a JesusJuke.

P) Father, You are holy and so You call us (Your children and people) to be holy. You are also indescribably and immeasurably good. So, in addition to pursuing Your holiness in all aspects of my life, I will also pursue Your goodness. Holy Spirit, speak to me and give me discernment to know how, when, and where to really apply this verse. I know that there are times for rebuke, but there are also times for laughter and celebration and not acting like a pharisee. Use this verse to guide me in my life, God. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 08/25/2011; Jeremiah 37:10

Today's reading: Jeremiah 37, 38, 39; Psalm 79; 2 John

S)"¹⁰ 'For even if you had defeated the entire army of Chaldeans who were fighting against you, and there were only wounded men left among them, each man in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.'"

Jeremiah 37:10 (NASB)

O) The word of the LORD cannot be stopped! God is making it very clear in this passage that there is nothing that King Zedekiah can do to fight against the word that God has proclaimed. His only options are to submit or die. Even if he decides to fight on his own, he will die. Even if he has, what would be a resounding victory in every other war, he will still die and Jerusalem will still be burned. The word of the LORD cannot be stopped, and we cannot fight on our own for our freedom.

A) There are many lessons to learn from King Zedekiah's last days. Jeremiah told him again and again that his only hope was in submission to the Chaldeans, but ultimately he would not submit to God's will, because of his own pride and fear of man. In the end, he couldn't afford his own stupidity. Neither can I. Sometimes God will ask me to do things that don't seem logical. My instinct will be to fight for it. It might even look like I can win the fight. I might actually be able to win the fight. But, if I go against the Word of the LORD, I will lose the battle.

P) Father, humble me now, LORD, when the stakes are lower. I need to practice submission to Your will so that when the stakes are higher, I won't choose stupid arrogance or prideful fear. Holy Spirit, continue to speak to me the word of the LORD so that I am well accustomed to hearing the Truth. God, help me stay in prayer, asking for direction, even when it seems like I know the path to victory; let me pray, even when I have the victory in hand. Show me the bigger picture. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 08/24/2011; Jeremiah 34:10

Today's reading: Jeremiah 33, 34; Psalm 74; 1 John 5

S)"¹⁰ And all the officials and all the people obeyed who had entered into the covenant that each man should set free his male servant and each man his female servant, so that no one should keep them any longer in bondage; they obeyed, and set them free. "

Jeremiah 34:10 (NASB)

O) This was part of the old covenant. When some one owed you something they couldn't repay, and they had to work for you as a bond-servant, you could only keep them in service for 7 years. After the end of that term, they had to be set free and their debt was to be forgiven. Just before the above verse, King Zedekiah had just ordered that everyone release their servants. Just after the above verse, they all take their servants back under bondage and God decrees punishment for breaking that covenant.

A) In my world, not many people owe me money. Certainly, no one owes me so much money that they have to work it off, over a period of 7 years. Having said that, though, people have owed me other things. I've been owed an apology, respect, courtesy, gratitude, etc. It has happened that, without really trying or meaning to do so, I've caught myself holding on to these ledgers in my heart. It's not that I was intentionally holding something against the person, but I just realized I was sort of tracking a balance sheet, almost subconsciously. This is dangerously close to unforgiveness. Instead, I need to appreciate the new covenant I have in Jesus Christ and make conscious effort to let people off the hook, especially when they "owe me," and I shouldn't be waiting 7 years to do it.

P) Father, You knew my debt was far to great for me to ever payoff. In 7 thousand years, I was never going t be able to repay You. Instead, Jesus redeemed me by Your grace, God. Holy Spirit, help me keep this in mind as I encounter people who owe me something. Make me fully aware of just how much I need grace, and let that make me gracious to others. Help me to consciously erase debts, wherever I have the power to do so, even if it's just in my own heart. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 08/23/2011; Jeremiah 32:39

Today's reading: Jeremiah 31, 32; 1 John 4

S)"³⁹ and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. "

Jeremiah 32:39 (NASB)

O) Any promise for me and for my children is a great promise. There is nothing more important to me than my family's continual relationship with God. The key to this verse is, I think, the realization that the fear of God is for our own good. God doesn't make rules just for the sake of exercising His sovereignty. He's trying to protect His children.

A) I want to be single-minded in my pursuit of God and my relationship with Him. I heard it said that, "rules without relationship, always leads to rebellion." When I was redeemed and reborn in Christ, God gave me a new heart and a new way. It is up to me to keep my relationship with Him, choosing to fear God, so that it will be good for me and my children after me.

P) Father, thank You for renewal. You didn't simply change me, or help me improve myself; You created me new. God, I am easily distracted sometimes. I get distracted from my relationship with You. Holy Spirit, draw me close and let me feel Your presence, God. Throughout my day, I want our relationship to be at the forefront of my mind. I want to talk to You more often, and hear You more often. I don't want to take our relationship for granted, Lord. Thank You for this one heart, this one way; help me to not become double-minded. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 08/22/2011; Jeremiah 29:7

Today's reading: Jeremiah 28, 29, 30; 1 John 3

S)"⁷ "'Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare."'"

Jeremiah 29:7 (NASB)

O) In this verse, God, through Jeremiah , is telling the people that they will be in a land not their own, among a people who is not like them. As aliens, they will need all of the help they can get. They will need to be able to live alongside people who do not share their beliefs and are not going to be very compassionate. If the people around them have no regard for the exiles, then when tough times come, or tragedy strikes, life will be that much harder. So, they need to take initiative and ask for God's blessings on a city that is not their own, and on a people that is not their own, so that they themselves will also be blessed.

A) I feel truly blessed to live in America. Even though I live in CA, which has myriad and diverse problems, I also feel blessed to live in Redding. My city has a large population of true Christians, compared to a lot of other cities. And yet, this city has tons of issues. Just because there are a lot of like-minded people in my town, doesn't mean I can take anything for granted. Put simply, I do not pray for my city enough. I need to pray more for the people, government, agriculture, and general well-being (welfare) of my city.


P) Father, You have been good to me and my family. We have seen Your provision and protection in season and out of season. God, please bless Redding the way You have blessed me. According to Your Word, it is Your loving-kindness and compassion that draws people to repentence, and Lord I ask that you would pour out that favor on this place. Show these people Your goodness, that they might acknowledge Your great and mighty name, LORD. Holy Spirit, move among the people, both young and old, men and women, and show them the signs and wonders that will draw them to the Father. Let them see Your mercy and grace, God. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 08/21/2011; Psalm 118:17

Today's reading: Jeremiah 21, 24, 27; Psalm 118; 1 John 2

S)"¹⁷ I will not die, but live,
And tell of the works of the LORD."

Psalm 118:17 (NASB)

O) This is my heart's cry! God saved my life and I just want to worship Him all the time for that! I would be completely lost without Him. I have no idea how my marriage would be, or how my relationships with my kids would be. My life was starting to unravel when I turned back to God, and He restored my life. Since then, I am full of praise for Him. The song, "Praise the Lord" by Kristene Mueller really matches my heart.

A) Unhindered, unashamed worship. When I'm dealing with such a bold statement like, "I will not die, but live," I should have no inhibitions about my declarations of praise for the One who made me live! I need to be bold, bold bold bold, in my worship. There's really not much more to say about this... I want to just go worship now...

P) Father, You are so good, God! You saved my life and my own words fail me in my thanks to You. I want to be more and more expressive about my praise of Your name, LORD. You are too good to be ignored, and too good for me to keep You a secret. I will tell of Your works, God! In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.