SOAP 10/01/2011; Psalm 126:2,5

Today's reading: Zechariah 10,11,12; Psalms 126; Luke 14

S)"² Then our mouth was filled with laughter
And our tongue with joyful shouting;
Then they said among the nations,
'The LORD has done great things for them.'
... ⁵ Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting."

Psalm 126:2, 5 (NASB)

O) Kristene Mueller has a really good rendition of this Psalm, the title track to her album, "Those Who Dream" I know that album really well, but I didn't know that she subtly changed one of the lines. In the Psalm, it says "Then they said among the nations," but in her song she sings, "We will sing among the nations," This isn't any kind of a problem, but I did pick something up, in looking at the actual verse. It's the surrounding nations who are glorifying God with that line, not Israel. It's that Israel is so boistrous, so raucus in their celebration about God's deliverence, that the nations around them cannot help but to take notice. Also, this is another instance where the neighboring nations refer to God by name. "LORD" is our English substitution for the name Jehovah, or Yahweh, or more literally JHVH, which is God's name. This is specifying that these other peoples, these heathens, they are acknowledging that the God of Israel is a living God. He is a real God.

A) My words can only be convincing to a certain point. The most effective ministry I can ever have is to show people the power of God in action. Not a god, but The God. In verse 2, the people surrounding Israel took notice because of the laughter and joyful shouting of Israel's victory. If I want people to know that God is real, and that He is for them if they'll have Him, then I need to be as open about my own celebration of His miracles as Israel was. To take this further, verse 5 says, "... sow in tears... reap with joyful shouting." If I really want my joyful shouting to be noticed, I need to have a better understanding and perspective in my times of sorrow. Am I simply crying? Or am I sowing my tears so that I will reap joyful shouting later? I can be sorrowful, as long as I am keeping my eyes toward the Lord of the Harvest.

P) Father, I want my life to be a proclamation of Your goodness. I have done plenty of crying in my life, LORD, but I know that it wasn't always productive. God, in times of struggle and distress, Holy Spirit, help me sow my tears. Let my first response be to turn to You, God, and cry out to You, and not just cry. And, as those tears are sown, let me reap with joyful shouting when You deliver me, God. Let my celebration of Your goodness be more than noticeable, but to be undeniable to those around me so that You are undeniable, LORD.  In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 09/30/2011; Luke 13:24

Today's reading: Zechariah 7,8,9; Luke 13

S)"²⁴ Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able."

Luke 13:24 (NASB)

O) Make no mistake about it, being a Christian is not a cake-walk. Jesus never said that following Him would be easy; in fact He said quite the opposite. It's a mistake to think that simply believing in Jesus is enough to make it into heaven.

A) I recently heard a teaching, saying that Christians need to stop worrying so much about "being good enough." Don't get me wrong, I embrace grace, but this teaching was dangerously close to telling Christians they don't even have to try. I can't allow myself to be overwhelmed by my shortcomings, because the Bible says that I am, on my own, never good enough. Having said that, in Christ I am able, and so in Christ I must strive. It still takes effort to maintain holiness. I cannot take His righteousness in me, and my place in heaven, for granted.

P) Father, on my own I am a failure, but in Christ I overcome. Help me to focus on the fact that in order to overcome, there must be a struggle. Help me acknowledge that there is always still work to be done within myself. Holy Spirit, strengthen me, so that I am able to continue striving for a holy life and righteous behavior. Thank You for the grace that set all of this in motion, LORD. Help me balance my attitude between grace and effort. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 09/29/2011; Luke 12:3

Today's reading: Zechariah 4,5,6; Luke 12

S)"³ Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops."

Luke 12:3 (NASB)

O) Wow, what a reminder. This is one of those truths that really has the ability to grant freedom, if we embrace it. This is one of those scriptures that actually tests your faith and tests how much you really believe the Bible as 100% truth. With this verse in mind, lying is completely futile. It is only a matter of time, and then every lie will be exposed. Nothing will ever be "taken to the grave" as they say.

A) Honesty is so very, very important to me - as I think about it. In practice, I'd say that I'm generally very honest. Since coming back to serve God as an adult, I've made honesty a priority in my marriage, in raising my kids, and in every other area of my life. The one place that is still hard, is in confessing sins. This is particularly true with my wife. A few years ago, we had a kind of a breakdown between us (not that our marriage was in jeopardy or anything like that), and I kind of exposed all of the last little secrets of my past. I exposed all of my present temptations. Her response was simply amazing: genuine love followed by reciprocated confession. It's still hard to confess sins that shame me, or hurt her, or both. Ultimately, I need to remember the truth of this verse, though. She will eventually know all of my faults; she deserves to hear them from me directly, and not from the rooftops.

P) Father, thank You for the changes You've put in me, God. You only discipline those You love as children, so I am eternally grateful that You're molding and shaping me. I know the end result is that I will be a better man, husband, father, and brother. Holy Spirit, strengthen me to walk in truth always, LORD, even when it hurts me in the short-term. Thank you for your grace and mercy. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 09/28/2011; Zechariah 3:3-4

Today's reading: Zechariah 1,2,3; Luke 11

S)"³ Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. ⁴ He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes. ⁵ Then I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the LORD was standing by"

Zechariah 3:3-4(NASB)

O) First, this is another reminder that our very best before God is simply not good enough. Next, there is the simple grace of God's forgiveness. What I really like about this illustration, though, is that God doesn't clean Joshua's robes. He strips him (an important step), and then gives him new clothes (the festal robes). Finally, He doesn't just replace what was there, He adds to it (the turban).

A) When I stumble and make mistakes, satan tries convince me that I haven't really changed, even after all these years. he'll try to tell me that I've been trying, but I'm doomed to fail, and so I might as well give up. Acknowledgement is the key to victory over this doubt, though. Keeping in mind the verses above gives me encouragement. As I repent, I am laying down my filthy garments and God is giving me a brand new set. They aren't refurbashed clothes. He didn't take my old clothes to a drycleaner and then return them to me. As I repent, I agree to allow God to strip me of everything dirty. Then, He promises new clothes everytime. And so I honor that, by living a life of thanksgiving, and pursuing holiness, and preserving the righteousness with which He's clothed me.

P) Father, forgive me of my sins. Strip me of my filth and clean me. Thank You for clothing me anew, Lord. I will honor Your name with a life of praise and the pursuit of Your standard, God. Holy Spirit, remind me often that God's grace and mercy do not end. Remind me that I am made new. Remind me that my filth isn't simply washed out of my life, but that I am given new life. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 09/27/2011; Luke 10:20

Today's reading: Haggai 1,2; Psalms 129; Luke 10

S)"²⁰ 'Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.'"

Luke 10:20 (NASB)

O) It's good to walk in authority. It's good to have miracles be a regular part of your life and your relationship with God. All of that is for naught if you are not truly saved, though. That brings up another point - you can experience genuine miracles without really having a relationship with God. This is evinced by the beast and false prophet in Revelation and also by Jesus' own words in Matthew 7:21-23. It's not enough to know who Jesus is, or even to access the power of His name. We must have relationship with Him. A lot of people chase the "experiences" with God instead of chasing God.

A) Relationships take work; they are not always convenient. Like in my marriage, I need to be committed to my relationship with God, regardless of how I feel. My feelings can deceive me and lead me astray. I invest my time, energy, and even my money, into my marriage and so I need to do the same things in my relationship with God. I cannot reduce my marriage to the moments that feel good, the amazing moments, and neither can I reduce my relationship with God to the same type of thing. So, I will study the Word, even when I'm exhausted. I will sing praises and worship Him, even when I feel bitterness, fear, or I'm distracted. When I pray to Him, I will listen as much as I talk. I will sacrifice myself for His will.

P) Father, thank You for showing me Your glory, Lord. I have witnessed Your miraculous hand many times in my life. If I never see another miracle in my life, though, You've already done more than I can ever deserve. I would give it all back, though, if it meant securing my place in Heaven. Holy Spirit, constantly shift my focus back to the eternal, and away from the temporal. All of the miracles I will ever see on Earth are still temporary effects unless they produce a permanent change of heart. I want to see miracles because it helps to acknowledge Your sovereignty, God, but I never want my life to be about miracles. Remind me of this daily, LORD. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 09/26/2011; Psalm 127:2

Today's reading: Ezra 4; Psalms 113; Psalms 127; Luke 9

S)"² It is vain for you to rise up early,
To retire late,
To eat the bread of painful labors;
For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep."

Psalm 127:2 (NASB)

O) The rat race... Chasing that dollar is completely useless, because it is God who blesses. God doesn't even have to provide the opportunity for more hours at your job, or a promotion in your career. He can bless you, even while you do nothing to earn the blessing. That is grace. It's like Lecrae says, satan has a rat trap for this rat race.

A) This is a timely lesson for me to learn. I've been working a lot of overtime at work lately, because I feel like I need to be making more money. We'll be moving sometime next Summer, we have a trip to WA this Fall, and I'm trying to bless my wife with some things (during that trip), and general bills and expenses to cover... without realizing it, I think I've become stressed out about my finances. That kind of insecurity leads to sin; I know that from lots and lots of experience. I need to focus on God, and His goodness to me. Obviously, we are all called to work for our food (2 Thessalonians 3:10), but I cannot lose sight that it is God who blesses, not Blue Shield of CA. It is God who makes sure I have enough to eat, not the number of hours I work. It is God who blesses my wife with gifts, not me. I never want to make it sound like Kristin is, in anyway, stressing me out. It's my desire to bless her that has become unbalanced (I know you'll probably read this, Kristin; do not let satan accuse you!). Looking back, I'm not sure I ever even prayed to ask God if I should work this overtime...

P) Father, Your grace is too much for me. I don't deserve the the forgiveness You've given me. I don't deserve entrance to Heaven. In between, LORD, I don't deserve Your blessings and gifts, but I can't be fooled into thinking You will stop blessing me in this life. This was a slow drift into lost focus, God; Holy Spirit, clarify my sight. Reset my thinking to acknowledge that I have no worries or concerns regarding my financial well-being, as long as I am doing the will of the Father. From here, LORD, direct my steps. According to Your will, LORD, I will continue to work overtime, or not. You know how much work I need - not to produce a paycheck - to keep me humble, fruitful, and productive. Restore balance in my life. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 09/25/2011; Luke 8:15

Today's reading: Ezra 2,3; Luke 8

S)"¹⁵ But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance."

Luke 8:15 (NASB)

O) Jesus breaks down His parable, comparing the condition of a man's heart, to the condition of soil, and comparing His words with seed. Since the words are truth from Jesus, they are indisputably good seeds. There's nothing to do to the seed itself. The variable is in the condition of the man's heart. The above verse is the best-case scenario.

A) The interesting thing about this parable is the idea of tilling the soil of my heart. God's word will not change, its seed will bear good fruit, when it is tended well. The first step is to till the soil (heart). Being submissive to God, humbling my heart, is the quickest way to till my soil. The process, like tilling the ground, can be very difficult, but the more often it's done, the easier it is. To hold it fast is to tend the planted seed (word). It's not enough to simply receive the Word of God. I need to apply God's word, meditate on it, soak in the Spirit of God (living water). I've been doing a good job of tilling my soil, and planting the seed, and now I need to work on watering it more consistently.

P) Father, break my heart. I humble myself before You, acknowledging that I have no idea how to run my life. If there are areas of my heart that have become hard, without me realizing it, then I give You full permission, Lord, to break my heart. Holy Spirit, encompass me, envelope me, cover me with Your presence in my daily life. Draw me in, to regular times of worship and in those times especially, cause the Word that has been planted, to grow through Your living waters, God. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.