SOAP 03/10/2012; Deuteronomy 15:10

Today's reading: Deuteronomy 13,14,15; Galatians 1

S)"¹⁰ You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings."

Deuteronomy 15:10 (NASB)

O) In the beginning of our walk with God (which this was to this generation of Israelites), getting us to do good almost requires that God will bless us for it. How absurd is it to think that we simply won't do it unless He's going to bless us for it? Nevertheless, I am thankful that our God is compassionate to our weakness and also gracious in His blessings that He wants to reward us for good work. This verse is another example that people don't realize the heart of the Father is kind and compassionate (as opposed to seeing those characteristics in Jesus alone, in the Trinity), but it's not just the New Testament that teaches us to care for the poor. In fact, this has always been a key to receiving blessings from the LORD without hinderance.

A) With much chagrin, I admit that there have been times when it was difficult to give to the poor. There have been times when our support of missionary work has felt like a burden I wished I could skip in one month or another. Or other times when I've felt God to lead me toward giving money to a person with a sign on the street and I felt inconvenienced or pressed for time, or whatever selfish excuse popped up. But, I thank God that in those moments He reminds me of two things.
1) A sacrifice that costs nothing is worth nothing.
2) They still have it worse off than I do.
And so, this verse is another reminder, a third thing to add to the list, that being generous is a command from the LORD. I am to be compassionate because my Father is compassionate. And, in moments of weak selfishness, He reminds me that He'll still reward me.

P) Father, forgive me for being selfish, and even for being busy. You are a tremendously good, and powerfully great Father. You wish to bless everyone around You and I truly want to reflect that for others, God. Holy Spirit, continue to direct me toward those who need the blessings of the Father. Let me share the gospel with them in the most real terms, meeting them where they are, for their sake and not for my own. Remind me that being selfish is one of the quickest ways to lose blessings the Father intended for me, but let that be my last motivator for doing good. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/09/2012; Deuteronomy 10:20

Today's reading: Deuteronomy 10,11,12; Mark 16

S)"²⁰ You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name."

Deuteronomy 10:20 (NASB)

O) Let's see... you shall fear the LORD, check.
you shall serve Him, check.
and cling to Him, che- wait, what? Cling to the LORD? Cling to Him...
This is an interesting verb. It alludes to a desperation. It implies dependency. There is a problem with American culture, I think. Because of how our nation was formed and our separation from England to start our Independence, I think that it quickly became a part of our heritage - this idea of independence. Certainly in the beginning years of our country, the people knew the importance of needing God. Read any writings from early colonies and it becomes clear very quickly that it wasn't just the West that had a hard time settling. Over the 2+ centuries since then, though, our land was tamed. Slowly, the feeling of independence from England grew. Now, most Americans despise the French without realizing how vital they were to our independence, because we don't want to aknowledge getting help from anyone. That has spread, I believe, from politics and a world view to just about every area of American life. Most Americans despise authority being placed over them in any capacity. I think a big part of that is because they don't want to seem dependent on anyone. This makes serving God very difficult. I think one of the reasons we see miracles in developing countries is that they're so willing to be dependent on the LORD.

A) The first imagry I had of this concept of clinging was that of my son. He can be a bit of a scaredy-cat, but I'll never tease him for that. I'm always going to challenge him, but I need to be sure he always knows I'll protect him; I'll always keep him safe. Lately, he's been asking to get up on my shoulders, but he's very scared to do so. Sometimes he does okay getting up there, but when he does, man! that kid has a death-grip on my head! When it's time to get off, he grabs hold of me so tightly that I have to peel him off! He's holding on because he knows that he's safe as long as we're connected. He's depending on me for stability, protection - his very life from his perspective! This needs to be my attitude with God. I need to realize that if I'm not in touch with Him, with His presence, that I'm liable to fall. I'm liable to break something, up to and including my whole self, if I'm not holding on to Him for dear life.

P) Father, I need You! This is a confession that I am not a grown man! I am unable to live this life without my Father! Holy Spirit, open my eyes to all of the ways I am lost without the Father to protect me; I never want to think I can make it on my own. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/08/2012; Deuteronomy 7:22

Today's reading: Deuteronomy 7,8,9; Mark 15

S)"²² The LORD your God will clear away these nations before you little by little; you will not be able to put an end to them quickly, for the wild beasts would grow too numerous for you."

Deuteronomy 7:22 (NASB)

O) I was genuinely surprised when I read this. This is yet another case when I've read this verse before, but it never struck me the way it did this morning. I know that when the 12 spies went into the Promised Land, it wasn't just the people that scared them, but the wildlife as well. What I didn't realize before this, is that God would use the inhabitants of the Promised Land to keep the wildlife at bay, while the Isrealites settled! This speaks volumes about the way God uses circumstances to bring blessings (see Romans 8:28). This is also a rare insight as to why God's timing for a blessing is the way that it is. Often times, the reasons for His timing become clear only after the fact.

A) Sometimes, I've wondered why God has seemed to wait to bless me, or help me, or rescue me. This is another reminder that I need to be patient and trust that His timing is perfect. If I live my life according to His plan and His timing, then I will never miss His blessing, provision, or salvation. If it seems like things are developing slowly, I need to remember that it may very well be exactly as He intends it. This makes it all the more important that I am praying for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

P) Father, Your wisdom and foresight are infinite. You can see every possibility and measure every consequence and I know that You are a good Father. I will trust that Your instruction is perfect for me. I will go when You say go and I will wait, patiently, when You say wait. Holy Spirit, let me hear the Father's voice clearly. Lead me in every decision, great or small, because I do not know all of the consequences my actions can bring and I do not know the dangers that are ahead of me. Father, I pray that Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. If my will is ever maligned, I pray You discipline me however it is necessary, so my will matches Yours. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/07/2012; Deuteronomy 5:29

Today's reading: Deuteronomy 5,6; Psalms 43; Mark 14

S)"²⁹ Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever!"

Deuteronomy 5:29 (NASB)

O) I read a beautifully simple description about sin. The phrase said, "Sin is bad because it harms." That phrase is such as simple, clear, and concise truth that it almost seems inadequate. It seems so close to being an over-simplification, or too much of a generalization, that it's almost tempting to refute it. Then, stop and realize that's the same as defending sin. The beauty of that statement is that it leaves no room for doubt. In the above verse, the key is seeing that God uses the word "it" instead of the word "I" and that makes all the difference for clarifying the heart of a Father. Our Father doesn't give us rules simply to avoid trouble with Him. He gives us rules so that we avoid trouble with life. I don't know of any time in the entire Bible when God refers to Himself as an "it" and to me, the "it" He's describing in this verse is no singular issue, but all issues, ever. It's life.

A) Since coming to Christ as an adult, one of the continual processes for me is to accept God as the perfect Father. I cannot compare Him to any father I've known; not my dad, or my pastor, or even myself. Every father has shortcomings and failings, but not my heavenly Father. One way that my point of view has drastically changed, is to see that God doesn't give rules just for the sake of rules. He's trying to deliver me from my own failings, to a life of blessings He has prepared for me. Every time I feel tempted, my first thoughts need to go to the fact that the sin is only harmful and I cannot be fooled into defending it in any way. Then, I need to remember that my Father sacrificed a lot to ensure that I can escape that harm. Not just become harmed and then be healed, but to escape it altogether by giving me the strength to resist that temptation (see 1 Corinthians 10:13).

P) Father, Your love for me is so perfect! Your plans for me are beyond my understanding. I want to live according to Your ways, LORD, because You hold life itself in Your words. Holy Spirit, continue to strengthen me through the discipline of the Father. Help me change my mindset to flee from temptation, and not flirt with it. Let me always trust that Your rules are only to protect and to provide. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/06/2012; Deuteronomy 4:9

Today's reading: Deuteronomy 3,4; Psalms 36; Mark 13

S)"⁹ Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons."

Deuteronomy 4:9 (NASB)

O) There is an interesting thing that goes on with this verse. In the beginning of it, it's very clear that the responsibility of faithfulness to God is on the individual. Remind yourself of the things which God has done for you, and you're not going to depart from Him, ever. But the end of the verse still says to make them known to the progeny. While it's clear that every person must make their own decisions, including our children as they grow into adulthood (according to God's definition, not our own or society's), we still need to put our children in the best possible place to make the right choice.

A) Admittedly, I haven't been telling Bible stories as much as I used to... some of that is because Ella has become such an avid and independent reader herself, and she was the one who requested Bible stories the most. Honestly, though, and to my chagrin, I don't particularly like telling stories, even about my God - who has done such amazing things. As important as it is to relate Bible stories to my children, it's exceedingly important that I am also telling them my own stories about what God has done for me and for our family. As impressive as the Bible is, there's still a distant feel to it. Sharing personal testimonies is the best way for me to help my children realize that Jesus is alive and that there is a very real, very impacting relationship with Him, and with the Father and the Holy Spirit, as well.

P) Father, Your goodness to me is never ending and it cannot be contained! Forgive me for my lack of excitement in sharing these two facts! I want to be excited at every opportunity to share my testimony! It seems utterly ridiculous to me to be excited at sharing my testimony with complete strangers, and then have it feel like a chore to share the same experiences with my own children. Holy Spirit, help me correct this. I know I have an enemy in this fight, so highlight to me all of the areas that need defending. Let me pray about this persistently, throughout my days, that my children will see You for the miraculous, living, active, caring, compassionate, intervening God that You truly are! In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/05/2012; Deuteronomy 2:5

Today's reading: Deuteronomy 1,2; Mark 12

S)"⁵ do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land, even as little as a footstep because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession."

Deuteronomy 2:5 (NASB)

O) The mistake that the Israelites made after their disbelief of Caleb and Joshua, was that they decided to go up and fight in the Promised Land, even though God's blessings were no longer with that generation. One of the fuels of that mistake was entitlement. They assumed that, because they were God's children, and because He'd blessed them before in war, that He'd bless them again. They were wrong. Later, in the above verse, we see that God is revealing that He actually blesses people who are not His children and we, as His children, are not allowed to interfere with that.

A) The temptation is that, as a child of God (according to 1 John 3:1), I feel like I should be able to take advantage of God's favor however I see fit and whenever I see fit. The problem, of course, is that is the attitude of a spoiled rich kid, "Do you know who my father is?!" I don't want to be a spoiled rich kid. Sometimes, if I don't receive a blessing from God of some kind (say, a new job), it's tempting to assume that the job is bad somehow. Like, "Oh, well obviously it's not God's will because that job must come with difficult hours that would be hard on my family." or some other excuse. But, I need to accept that God might give a perfectly good, perfectly pure, perfectly blessing gift to some one else. In fact, He may even bless some one who hates Him. The humbling truth is that it's none of my business whom else God decides to bless, even when I feel like it's a blessing I would like to have had. If it's not for me, even if it's for some one who ignores God (at best), I need to accept that it's still according to the will of my perfect Father, who has a perfect plan.

P) Father, You are impossibly good to me, but I never want Your blessings to spoil me. If I ever begin feeling entitled to Your blessings, especially relative to the blessings of others, then please reprove, discipline, and humble me, whichever it takes. Holy Spirit, as I continue to search to the will of the Father in every situation, reveal it to me and confirm it, so that I am not wasting my time, attention, and efforts on getting blessings that were never even meant for me. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/04/2012; Mark 11:9-10

Today's reading: Numbers 34,35,36; Mark 11

S)"⁹ Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting:
“Hosanna!
BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD;
¹⁰ Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David;
Hosanna in the highest!”"

Mark 11:9-10 (NASB)

O) This is the compulsive, appropriate, even natural reaction to seeing the King of Glory for whom He is. The reaction that simply overtook the people was that of uncontrollable praise! The triumphal entry was the moment that a lot of people realized Jesus was the Christ, although learning about what His Kingdom really is all about... that took some time.

A) This really should be my reaction to Jesus, now. If my perspective is such that I am seeing Him as King, and this Christian life and all that pertains to the Way, as His Kingdom, then my natural reaction to feeling His presence, or witnessing miracles, or any amount of interaction with Him, should be unabashed, unhindered praise.

P) Father, You are too good for me to not worship. Your Son and everything He did is too good for me to not praise. Holy Spirit, help me to be more conscious of Your glory. Remind me of all the majesty that is the LORD. I will make deliberate acts of praise, even when the emotion of it does not compel me, because You are so good, God. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.