SOAP 04/13/2012; 1 Samuel 14:6

Today's reading: 1 Samuel 14; 1 Chronicles 4; 2 Corinthians 13
   
S)"⁶ Then Jonathan said to the young man who was carrying his armor, 'Come and let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; perhaps the LORD will work for us, for the LORD is not restrained to save by many or by few.'"
   

1 Samuel 14:6 (NASB)

   
O) I love the last line of this verse, "the LORD is not restrained to save by many or by few." It's such a powerful truth to remember. God is not bound by our perception of things. What we think is (un)necessary is not what He knows to be (un)necessary. But, taking notice of the earlier part of Jonathan's quote, I saw something else: blind faith! Jonathan was about to come upon 20 Philistine soldiers with only himself and his armor bearer, and he wasn't even sure that the LORD would deliver him! He said "perhaps the LORD will work for us," and just went with it because He knew that God was not restrained! There's a big difference between believing that God can do it and believing that God will do it. If Jonathan had simply said that last line, but didn't act on it, I would say he knew that God can deliver by many or by few. But, because he was acting on it, risking his life and his armor bearer's life, then I'd say that he believed God will deliver by many or by few.
   

A) First of all, I need to remember that promise there in the end of this verse. God is not restrained and He will deliver according to His will, not according to my circumstance. However much bigger my problem is than me, God is still bigger than the problem. So, regardless of the deficit, handicap, or disadvantage I face, He will overcome it for me according to His will, not according to my perception. The second thing I need to do is act on this belief. I already believed God can provide me with a good job, a house, and a higher education. Now I need to start believing that God will provide me with those things. Part of that decision to believe is to act on it. So when I move, I cannot worry about how impossible things seem because the LORD is not restrained.
   

P) Father, I will never understand all of Your ways, but I don't need to understand them to believe in them. Remind me that I don't need to know how You will deliver on a promise to believe that You will. You are faithful, You cannot lie, You are compassionate, You love me - all of this despite my guilt - because You are gracious and merciful. Holy Spirit, give me courage to act on my faith and to take my belief from the knowledge that You can to the faith of assurance that You will. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 04/12/2012; 2 Corinthians 12:18

Today's reading: 1 Samuel 13; 1 Chronicles 2,3; 2 Corinthians 12
   
S)"¹⁸ I urged Titus to go, and I sent the brother with him. Titus did not take any advantage of you, did he? Did we not conduct ourselves in the same spirit and walk in the same steps?"
   

2 Corinthians 12:18 (NASB)

   
O) This is the epitome of discipleship. The whole goal is that you are walking in integrity and righteousness and teaching another to do the same. So, the result is that if the disciple is sent instead of the teacher, then the people should see no differences between the two - not in the matters most important.
   

A) There are two ways for this to be applied to me. The first is as a disciple of Christ. He is the ultimate Teacher and I need to be sure that my life is being modeled after His in terms of how I carry myself. I need to speak the truth, but in love. I need to be gentle in ministry, yet firm in righteousness. Etc. The second is as a teacher. At the moment, I have the privelege to still be discipling a young man to some degree. My time with him directly is limited because he has a fiance, job, school, and two ministries. I know I have only a short time left with him directly, also. But, my hope is that years from now he is able to bless me by counting me as one who shaped his life to become more Christ-like for himself. This is how I need to approach every opportunity to minister and disciple others - especially my own children.
   

P) Father, I want to be a better son. I know that Jesus, Your only begotten Son, is the perfect model of how I need to carry myself as one of Your princes, so I invite Your discipline to become more Christ-like myself. Holy Spirit, as I minister to others, guide me to make the most of my time with them. I like down-time and fellowship, but I don't want to miss opportunities. Help me conduct myself according to the will of the Father, so my ministries will always be effective. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 04/11/2012; 2 Corinthians 11:28

Today's reading: 1 Samuel 11,12; 1 Chronicles 1; 2 Corinthians 11
   
S)"²⁸ Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches."
   

2 Corinthians 11:28 (NASB)

   
O) Paul is asserting the validity of his apostleship and in the previous verses, he describes the zillion and a half ways he's almost died for the gospel. He's been stoned, left for dead, ship-wrecked, and whipped. He's faced threats to his life from the wild and from men, from other Israelites and Gentiles. Yet, after listing all the myriad ways he's almost been ended, he says this line. He considers it equal to all of the external struggles he's faced, the burden he has for the success of the churches. I really think that it's because of the persistant longing in his heart, to see the Way doing well in the hearts of the people, that he was even able to endure so much. Yet, it still felt like a burden to him, at least at times. Enough so, that he uses his heartache as a cap to his laundry list of struggles.
   

A) Being on staff for a few years and getting close to my head pastor, I've heard him talk a lot about his experience as a minister. I've never heard my pastor talk about struggling financially, although I know he has. I've never heard him talk about dealing with prejudice and persecution, although I know he has. Fortunately, we live in America, so he hasn't had to face much by way of natural threats, but I don't imagine he'd mention that either. Because the hardest part of ministry, by far and away, is the way that the people you lead, protect, counsel, and love, can break your heart. I consider it a blessing to minister to anyone, but the more intimate the ministry, the more risk there is that the person will make decisions that will crush me. Like Paul's example, though, it's that very concern for the well-being of those love that keeps me moving forward in ministry. So, when my concern for others feels the most like a burden, I need to recognize it as a blessing that will keep me rooted in God, and keep me going despite any other external struggle that can come my way.
   

P) Father, thank You for calling me into ministry. I know that that will look different over the years, as it's already started to change, but I know that there's no other place I'd rather be, than sharing Your grace, mercy, healing, restoration, reconcilation, and love. You are too good to miss. It's hard sometimes though, Lord. Holy Spirit, I pray that You would strengthen me and comfort me when I feel like ministry is futile or when I see that some one is abandoning what they know is right, despite my best efforts to encourage them and lead them back to You. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 04/10/2012; 1 Samuel 10:27

Today's reading: 1 Samuel 8,9,10; 2 Corinthians 10
   
S)"²⁷ But certain worthless men said, 'How can this one deliver us?' And they despised him and did not bring him any present. But he kept silent."
   

1 Samuel 10:27 (NASB)

   
O) I was impressed throughout chapters 9 and 10, at the attitude that Saul had before becoming king. He seemed like a soft-spoken, polite, agreeable man. In this last verse, he seems to be humble as well, or meek perhaps. This is in stark contrast to the king Saul, about whom I've read more, especially relative to (pre-king) David. It strikes me that Saul was chosen by God from the beginning, too, even as the people embraced him. That is to say, while the people certainly welcomed him and supported him (mostly), he still wasn't elected by the populace - God selected him. So, even knowing how he would turn out later (because God declares the end from the beginning), He saw that Saul was right for the job, at the start of things.
   

A) It would seem that Saul didn't handle the spotlight/power/responsibility of being king, very well at all. If I'm to see myself truly as a son of God (a son, not the Son), then that makes me a prince and an heir. I'm the little brother to Jesus Christ. This is a wild thought and a difficult one to embrace, at times. But, with that thought in mind, I have a small portion of God's Kingdom, for which I am responsible. I need to be very cautious, and carefully determine to make deliberate efforts to look more like Saul's beginning than his end. God has entrusted me with a small amount of spotlight/power/responsibility and I need to be sure that my integrity is running at max. The above verse is a good barometer for a healthy heart of a king. When I am insulted/disrespected, do I keep silent?
   

P) Father, I want to be a worthy heir. You have such high standards of righteousness, integrity, even wisdom, because You are so purely good. I know that, outside of Your Son, I would not be able to even stand in Your presence, but in Christ, I know that I have been made holy because You are holy. I know that I can be a worthy heir, the prince You call me to be, a king over my household. Holy Spirit, continue to shape, lead, advise, and cousel me to lead with complete integrity. I place myself in Your charge to discipline me and hold me to the standard of the King. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 04/09/2012; 2 Corinthians 9:13

Today's reading: 1 Samuel 6,7; Psalm 72; 2 Corinthians 9
   
S)"¹³ Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all,"
   

2 Corinthians 9:13 (NASB)

   
O) This verse stood out to me, but it took me a little bit to digest it. I kind of had to work backwards through it. The Corinthians gave liberally to the apostles for the purposes of spreading the gospel and seeing the church grow through their missionary work. That giving was done in obedience to their confession of the gospel. That is to say that, because they confess that the gospel is true, they have an actual obligation, an indirect command, to see to it that the gospel is spread. And then, as that missionary work is being done and proving itself, then God is glorified by their gift, given in obedience.
   

A) I don't consider myself particularly strong in evangelical gifts. Truthfully, to say that a person has the "gift of evangelism" is pretty rare, I think. Having said that, I know that Jesus left us a command to spread the gospel in the Great Commission. I know that a part of that is done in taking the small, maybe rare, occassions to give my testimony to an unbeliever. In this verse, though, I find that there is another way for me to take part in the Great Commission, despite the notion that my giftings don't particularly lend themselves to the spreading of the gospel. I can obey by giving liberally to missionary work. I do believe that there is a small matter of being sure the missionary work is proven and effective - but only to a certain degree. I shouldn't be so concerned with finding "the right ministry" to support that I am frozen in inactivity. I'd be lying to myself if I thought I couldn't find a proven missionary work. With this verse and with yesterday's verse, I think I need to give this serious consideration and work out a plan to give liberally to the spreading of the gospel.
   

P) Father, I want to be faithful to every command given. You are worthy of my obedience in every way. I know that You equip those who are called and You don't command impossible things; in fact, all things are possible with You. I know that I have opportunities to directly share the gospel, but I also know that there are others who more regularly, more successfully share Your love, mercy, and grace to a world who does not know of You. I want to be faithful to that spreading gospel. Holy Spirit, I feel a call to support missionary work more and I want to be sure I am doing it according to the Father's will. So, as I search to put this plan into action, direct my path. Increase my faith to be bold and liberal in my giving, not only as an act of sacrifice, but truly as an act of obedience. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 04/08/2012; 2 Corinthians 8:3-5

Today's reading: 1 Samuel 3,4,5; Psalm 77; 2 Corinthians 8
   
S)" ³ For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, ⁴ begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, ⁵ and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God."
   

2 Corinthians 8:3-5 (NASB)

   
O) Paul is speaking of the church in Macedonia. This church was so eager to be a part of the ministry, and a part of the spreading of the gospel and kingdom of God, that they were giving, not just out of their abundance, but even out of their poverty. That action was a testiment to their obedience and faith and submission to the Lord and His will.
   

A) It's hard to give sometimes. I've learned my lesson, regarding tithing, that my budget isn't really a factor. When I feel like I "can't afford" to tithe, I know the truth is that I can't afford not to tithe. God has shown me the way He provides when I'm faithful to give according to His command. The next step, and it's a step I haven't really addressed or applied, is to give out of my own legitimate need. I know I'm far from wealthy, but I don't usually feel needy, either. Particularly when it comes to missionary work, I want to try and test my faith by pledging to give when I'm not sure of my own ability to meet that commitment. I think by putting myself out there, understanding that it's the Lord who provides all things, it will stretch my faith and God will not let me down.
   

P) Father, You have a peculiar economy when it comes to giving. You always repay those who give for the purposes of blessing You and for blessing others. While I know that in my head, I want to believe it in my heart to the point of proving with my hands. Holy Spirit, direct me according to the will of the Father, to give toward the work of the Gospel, even out of my own need (or at least inability to budget the offering). In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.