SOAP 05/19/2012; Psalm 101:3

Today's reading: 1 Kings 4,5; 2 Chronicles 2; Psalms 101; 2 Thessalonians 3
     
S)"³ I will set no worthless thing before my eyes;
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not fasten its grip on me."
     

Psalm 101:3 (NASB)

     

O) This verse has 3 lines which work almost like a progression of phases. First, David sets the definition to say that the worthless things. Some translations use the word "vile" but I like this translation more because I feel it's more inclusive and less subjective. What may be vile to one person may seem pretty tame to another person, but it's hard to argue value for something when it's truly worthless. Second, David reitterates the reason behind this, stating that these worthless things are what cause people to fall away. These worthless things are the problem, but the people. It's a reminder that the practice of unrighteousness is the problem that causes us to fall away. With regard to others, we shouldn't hate the people, just the unrighteous works. Third, David makes his assertion that he will not conform to unrighteous behavior. Sin is attractive to our flesh because it feels good, despite the consequences (both physical and spiritual). Whatever the sin is, it feels almost literal in the way it grips us, but David has set himself firmly against that pull, that grip.
     

A) This application is pretty straightforward. I need to carefully, continually evaluate what I am watching, seeing, hearing... temptations pop up all of the place and in various ways. Some are obvious, some are less obvious, so I need to be on my guard. I need to remind myself that all sin is vile, and that the work of unrighteousness, in any form, causes a falling away between me and God. This makes it especially important that I am walking in repentance constantly, clearing away anything that would stand between me and the LORD. This all amounts to a perpetual determination to refuse sin to become seeded in me.

     

P) Father, You are holy and You deserve a holy servant. You call me to be righteous as You are righteous, but I am grateful that You also provide me the ability, the strength through grace, to be able to live up to Your holy standard. Forgive me of my sins. Holy Spirit, search my heart and reveal any sins that were hidden to me. Cleanse me and refresh my soul. No vile thing will grip me. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 05/18/2012; 1 Kings 3:9

Today's reading: 1 Kings 3; 2 Chronicles 1; Psalms 78; 2 Thessalonians 2
          
S)"⁹ So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?"
     

1 Kings 3:9 (NASB)

     

O) King Solomon has always been quite the enigma to me. If you consider that he was the author of Ecclesiastes, as I do, then it may also leave you wondering sometimes if this man ever made it to heaven... Certainly, it would seem he loved God and wanted to do His will, but then he just had all these existential issues (again, it would seem, if he wrote Ecclesiastes as suspected). Then, if we consider the simple fact that God promised to bless his throne and offspring like God blessed David, if only Solomon would walk in the ways of the LORD, and yet Solomon's kingdom was immediately divided upon his death later, with his son only taking the throne of Judah and a usurper taking the throne of Israel... For a man who had so much wisdom, he sure did seem to screw that up... then I look back to this verse. Is it possible that Solomon asked for the wrong thing? Is it possible that he valued the prosperity and justice kept in his kingdom so much that he overlooked his own salvation? Is it possible that he was given all the wisdom he wanted - but only as it applies to ruling a kingdom and not as it applies to loving God? I don't know the answer for sure, but I know what to do about it.
     

A) If Solomon did, in fact, have his priorities skewed, then it should be my goal to keep my own priorities from getting twisted. It's good to seek wisdom, and to ask for wisdom from God (see James 1:5). But, the application of that wisdom must be put in order. I must first ensure that my relationship with God is exactly as it should be. I must find wisdom so that I am able to avert sin, repent quickly, study Scripture, speak with Him daily, and worship truly. I must second ensure that my relationships with my wife, then my children, are how they should be also. I acknowledge that, on my own, I am unqualified as a husband and father. I must have wisdom from the LORD in order to lead my family. And then whatever else I have to do, whatever other responsibilities I have, I should apply all wisdom that I may have to them. If I consider that I only have as much wisdom as I am requesting from the LORD, then I need to be sure I am requesting wisdom for the right things. If I consider that He's depositing wisdom into me, then I need to be sure I am spending it in the right areas. I need to have wise spending habits.

     

P) Father, I confess that I don't even always know how to love You correctly. On my own, I am a complete mess and I would utterly fail at loving You or serving You. Thank You for grabbing hold of my heart and not letting go. Holy Spirit, thank You for tracking me down, and relentlessly calling my name in the voice of my Father. Please continue to chisel me and discipline me as I learn Your wisdom in how to maintain this relationship with You. Help me to keep this at the forefront as the single-most important thing I can ever do, since I know that every. other. thing. that I can do is dependant on my relationship to You. I don't want to gain the whole world and lose my soul. Give me wisdom in our relationship, Father. Only after that, God I ask You for wisdom in my marriage. Continue to educate me and open my eyes to see how my marriage should operate, how I should love my wife, how I should talk to her, how I should lead her. Father, give me wisdom in my fatherhood. Continue to educate me and open my eyes to see how my parenting should operate, how I should love my children, how I should talk to them, how I should lead them. Finally LORD, I ask for wisdom in how I minister to others. From giving to the poor to teaching a class, I want to do it with Your direction, Your insight, Your justice, Your methods. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 05/17/2012; 1 Kings 2:2-3

Today's reading: 1 Kings 1; 1 Chronicles 28; Psalms 91; 1 Thessalonians 5
          
S)"² I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man. ³ Keep the charge of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn,"
     

1 Kings 2:2-3 (NASB)

     

O) Now, King David does end this directive by saying, "according to what is written in the Law of Moses," but it's important to remember that when Jesus came, He fulfilled the Old Covenant and established a new one. In doing so, He did not abolish keeping the charge of the LORD, our God, or walking in His ways, or keeping His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, or His testimonies - it only changed how that's carried out. Specifically, we now operate under grace such as was never available before the sacrifice of Jesus. Now, all of that deserves its own attention and there is quite a bit of discussion there, but we can suffice it say this: God still has a will for His sons to do what is right before His eyes. Most simply put, being a man means keeping the charge of the LORD our God, with all that He has commanded us to do.
     

A) His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies haven't changed and they do not vary between myself and my brothers. "Do not lie" is not going to be a command for me, but not for my brother in Christ. These are all found clearly throughout the Bible and they are reinforced by knowing who God is and being familiar with His word will continue to support this for me. Beyond that, though, and more personal to each individual and certainly for myself, is to "keep the charge" that He has given me. This is where it gets personal. It's important for me to always keep an account, realizing that His personal charges to me will never contradict His other ways, statutes, etc. From there, I need to keep them firmly in mind to obey and uphold them. My wife is in my charge, my children are in my charge, ministry (however that looks) is in my charge. God has also given me more personal, more specific charges. Being a man is not about a status, an age, or any specific event or rite. "Show yourself a man" is continual submission to the will of God in obedience, self-sacrifice, and devotion.

     

P) Father, I often fail at being a man. Forgive me for those failures, God. I will be the man You are calling me to be. I will be the man my wife desires and needs. I will be the man my children desire and need. I will be the man my ministry is calling for me to be. Above all else, God, I am Your man. When I fail in this, I commit to get back up quickly and I pray I do not miss opportunities along the way. Thank You for the grace and mercy You have shown Your servant, Your man. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 05/16/2012; Psalm 91:7

Today's reading: 1 Kings 1; 1 Chronicles 28; Psalms 91; 1 Thessalonians 5
          
S)"⁷ A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you."
     

Psalm 91:7 (NASB)

     

O) This is a powerful reminder that God's protection has no limits. It's an amazing promise that He will protect His children. This whole psalm is a tremendous promise to those who are near to the LORD, but this verse, more than any others in the psalm, struck me as particularly... almost severe, in it's imagry. Maybe it's because it's not specific as to why the thousand or ten thousand are falling. It sort of leaves it up to imagination and that can be pretty bad, but it doesn't matter when we are near to God. Of course, like so many promises in the Word, this is not an unconditional promise. If we want God to protect us like this, we must remain close to Him, as it says in verses 1, 2, 4, and 9.
     

A) I remember highlighting this verse when I was a teenager. I don't remember why it stood out to me at the time, except that maybe I was fascinated with the end-times to some degree. What I failed to realize, in those younger days, is that the context of this verse requires that I am remaining close to the LORD. So, to put this verse into application is really to pursue God, according to all the verses around this verse, in Psalm 91. So with that, I need to do more to foster closeness with Him. Even if it means an actual prayer schedule, which is very uncomfortable to me, it feels stiff and impersonal, somehow. But, I know that even scheduled intimacy is better than intended intimacy. It's clearly not the only reason to create more intimacy with the LORD, but I do want this promise for me and my household.

     

P) Father, You deserve better than what I give. I want to spend better time with You, but I know that will require more consistent time with You. Speak to me, God, and show me how to regulate this. I know it starts to feel... I don't know, maybe religious... but I need to do more to ensure that I am spending quality time with You, God. Holy Spirit, continue to call me into times of prayer and help me be more responsive. Encourage me and remind me that time spent with You is always worthwhile and it can be intimate and powerful, even when it's regulated. Help me work out a schedule for more consistent time with You. not just so that I'm assured the promise of this verse, but because You want more of me and You deserve it. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 05/15/2012; 1 Thessalonians 4:13

Today's reading: 1 Chronicles 25,26,27; 1 Thessalonians 4
          
S)"¹³ But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope."
     

1 Thessalonians 4:13 (NASB)

     

O) By "asleep" Paul is referring to those who have died on earth. He uses the term, though, to set up the rest of the passage, regarding the eventual reconciliation that we will have as we all live in eternity in heaven. There's a terrible comparison at the end of this verse, though. There's a grief that the world faces about death, because they have no hope for eternity. In so many ways, we can actually celebrate death in Christ, and that's a blessing in itself. There's no doubt that death is still painful for the people we leave behind, but to the one who has passed - it's just that - they passed from earth to heaven, from temporal to eternal, from death to life. So this verse is actually a promise about death, but it's not a promise to the one who has died, but rather a promise and an encouragement to those who survived them.
     

A) I haven't had to lose anyone terribly close to me, so death has mostly been pretty distant to me. But, about 8 years ago, now, my mom's hep-C started to progress quite a bit and her liver was bad enough that she was told she'd live about 6 months, or so. A lot has changed since then, and I'm quite thankful for that. It's by the grace of God that I've had time to rebuild a relationship with my mom. She lived long enough to see her first grandchild, my oldest daugther, and then 5 more grandkids (my 2 more and my brother's 3). She lived long enough for us to all move back to Redding, a sort of a rendevouz point, and over the last 5 years she's developed an amazing relationship with my wife and with me (and her other kids here), as well as with her 6 grandkids who adore her. She's still alive now and, while her diseases have been rough on her body and spirit, she's still fighting it all. I occassionally think about what it will be like losing her, now. While it breaks my heart to think of living life here without my mom, I have such an amazing hope and joy, now, thinking of living forever with her in heaven. I can only remain humbled and thankful that God's grace was so good to me, affording me the time it took for my place in heaven to be secured and the time it took for me to get closer to my mom here on earth. I hope I have more time with her here, but I know that hope is still temporal, but my eternal hope remains.

     

P) Father, I keep finding new reasons to be thankful and I realize more and more that I truly cannot thank You enough and there are so many ways I find I cannot repay You. The grace You gave me in this, Lord, thank You. Help me to honor this work You've done and make the most of my time with my mom. Holy Spirit, convict me loudly when I am wasting the precious time I have. Open my eyes to see all of my relationships this way, too. I know my mother's illness was eye-opening to the delicate nature of life, but the truth is anyone in my life can be lost. Help me make the most of my time here with them all. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 05/14/2012; 1 Thessalonians 3:8

Today's reading: 1 Chronicles 22,23,24; 1 Thessalonians 3
          
S)"⁸ for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord."
     

1 Thessalonians 3:8 (NASB)

     

O) This is really where the heart of every minister should be. This is the purest motivation in discipleship. This is what caused the kingdom of God and the gospel of Christ to continue to spread and it's still the driving passion of the ministry today. There's really not much more to say about this verse. When a person is called to spread the word of God and minister to others, they simply do not feel alive unless they are doing something for the Lord. The more directly they are able to nurish the relationship others have with God, the more fulfilled they feel.
     

A) This is kind of my closing hope as I leave my current church and strike forward in my new adventure with God in the great northwest. Here in Redding, I've been blessed to be a part of so many people and touch so many lives. I've been able to share the hope, joy, and love of Christ with more teenagers than I actually know. I've been able to teach dozens more adults in our school of ministry. I've even had the honor and blessing to preach the gospel to the congregation at large a few times. In all, I've been able to encourage a few hundred different people to stand firm in the Lord. It's truly humbling. Knowing that I was able to help some one know God better, know His love more intimately or His grace more joyfully, that is what these last 5 years have all been about. It has been a blessing to be in this role God has had me. As I look forward to the next phase, it makes me excited to think about the new ways I get to be a part of new relationships and I get to be a part of new life.

     

P) Father, thank You for seeing in me what I never would have discovered on my own. You created me with purpose and it is a joy to discover what You would have me do. My life has been great these last 5 years, being able to sow Your good seed into the hearts of so many people. God I pray that You continue to work in them. Let each person I have encountered continue to stand firm in You, Lord. Send more and more faithful, obedient brothers and sisters to them each, to encourage them further. Let them encourage eachother to continue in their faith. Holy Spirit, lead me further in this life. Let me quickly discover what my new role will be when we move. I know that there is no better place on earth than in Your service and in Your will. Continue to reveal it to me. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 05/13/2012; 2 Samuel 24:24

Today's reading: 2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21; Psalms 30; 1 Thessalonians 2
     
S)"²⁴ However, the king said to Araunah, 'No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing.' So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver."
     

2 Samuel 24:24 (NASB)

     

O) David makes a very convicting point, here. The principle is that a sacrifice is only worth what we pay for it. It's not bravery if we're not scared and it's not a sacrifice if it costs nothing to do it. This particular instance, though, is a little interesting in that, David was a king, so how much was the 50 shekels really costing him? Also, in terms of monitary sacrifice, can't we also say that God provided the silver in the first place? But that's when we go back to the principle. David knew that the sacrifice meant more if he was actually paying something for it. It also makes me wonder if this 50 shekels of silver was from a more personal source than the king's treasury.
     

A) I will admit, sometimes I am kind of lazy with offerings. It's pretty easy to give a few extra dollars toward something (a missionary, a single mom, a homeless person, etc), if the few extra dollars are truly extra. It's pretty easy to sacrifice a meal when I forgot to pack a lunch. But, even in that, I need to recognize that I can take it a step further. Let's suppose I do give an extra $5 toward something, wasn't that already God's $5? So then my sacrifice should be more than the money and also include my heart. Let's suppose I do forget to bring a lunch to work, so I decide to fast until sundown, then my sacrifice needs to also be in my attitude and I need to fast from my heart and really pray with earnst and with purpose. Maybe God actually orchestrated an opportunity for me to sacrifice something, I need to make the most of that opportunity and be sure that it's still costing me somthing.

     

P) Father, I'm sorry for my worthless offerings. You deserve infinitely more than I can give on my own. I know that Psalm 50 tells us that You own the cattle on a thousand hills, so I can never give anything that You haven't already given me. Whenever I sacrifice anything, let me first evaluate the true cost, to ensure that my sacrifice is also costing me something as well. I will not give offerings to You LORD, that cost me nothing. Holy Spirit, search my heart and expose my motives. When I prepare my offering, show me what it's really costing me. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.