SOAP 06/02/2012; Proverbs 24:30-34

Today's reading: Proverbs 22,23,24; Romans 14
         
S) "³⁰ I passed by the field of the sluggard
And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense,
³¹ And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles;
Its surface was covered with nettles,
And its stone wall was broken down.
³² When I saw, I reflected upon it;
I looked, and received instruction.
³³ 'A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest,'
³⁴ Then your poverty will come as a robber
And your want like an armed man. "
     

Proverbs 24:30-34 (NASB)

     

O) This paragraph, as a whole, stood out to me for a few different reasons, I think. First, is that there's a repeated phrase and principle in verses 33 and 34 that convict my heart. When I read them the first time, in Proverbs 6:9-11, I felt deeply convicted and I probably would have written about them then, except I had already written out my SOAP entry, before I had gone back to read the rest of the scheduled chapters that day (or the next day, I think it was). So, seeing this again, it certainly jumped off the page at me. The second thing I noticed about this passage, though, and the reason I included the first 3 verses as well, is the entire experience Solomon shares. Verse 32 is really key. In the first 2 verses, he shares how he saw the world around him. He took notice of the things around him and in verse 32 he makes it a point to seek a lesson in what he saw. And he says he "received" instruction. That's significant. The LORD will, when we ask, teach us things about life, people, and the world around us. He desires to give us wisdom and understanding, if we'll take the time to seek it out from Him.
     
A) Part of this has actually already been applied. In the past, oh I don't know, 16 years or so, I've pretty much lived my life from snooze button to snooze button. It is now (painfully) obvious that it is folly. I have recognized in the past, that hitting snooze for an hour in the morning isn't really doing me any favors, but when I read these verses, put in such severe light, it really drove the point home. So, for the last week, I have not used my snooze button at all. Furthermore, I haven't adjusted my alarm clock much (keeping it set between 6 and 6:30). It's been a challenge, but I'm really enjoying the fruit of that (no stress in the morning about being late, getting my journaling done early, etc).
Additionally, I really want to be sure I'm applying verse 32 from this passage as well. I don't do a good job of asking God to show me understanding and wisdom in the things I observe. I've even asked God to speak to me in my dreams (I don't dream often), and then foolishly, I'll do nothing with what He shows me. This must change. Even last night, as I was going to bed I put on some worship and asked God to speak to me. I dreamt something that seems pretty significant, but I'm not sure what it means, in terms of my actions going forward. So, I will seek His further instruction for it.
     
P) Father, your discipline and instruction are perfect. I want to be a man shaped by my Creator into exactly what my Creator invisions. I want to fulfill Your purpose for my life because that's when I feel the closest to You and that's when I know I'm doing the most good and that's when I know I am the most secure in You. Your blessings overflow when I am with You. This new discipline with my alarm clock is hard, Father. But, I know it's for my good. Help me to be firm in my bedtime, since I am not waivering in my waking commitment.
With the dream You showed me last night, Father, I know there is significance in it. I don't know exactly what that means to me, though, in terms of the actions You want me to take. Speak to me, Holy Spirit, and make known to me the will of the Father for this. Use confirmation among my brothers in You, even this morning as I meet with them for breakfast. In One Spirit, we are connected, so speak to them a word of knowledge and give them boldness to speak it to me, even if it seems random or out of place to them. Or simply speak to me directly, God. I just want to do Your will in this. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 06/01/2012; Romans 13:8

Today's reading: Proverbs 19,20,21; Romans 13
    
S) "⁸ Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law."
     

Romans 13:8 (NASB)

     

O) This is a tough, tough verse to get down. How far does the phrase "owe nothing" really go? I mean, it's wicked to borrow and not repay (Psalm 37:21), but is that to say that it's the wicked who borrow and it's the wicked who pay back (that it's wicked to do either one)? Or is it okay to borrow, and the verse from Romans is really talking about bigger things? I don't think it's wrong to ask for help, certainly, and if people give money to help, I think it's also good discipline and good relationship to repay them, even if they weren't going to ask for repayment... so is that owing them something...? In the verse prior to this one, it says that we are to give to everyone what they are due, whether it's a tax or custom (tangible) or fear or honor (intangible). So this following verse, I think it's really speaking to the bigger picture. I think it's okay to owe some one something, as long as it's still being repaid. I think borrowing is still tricky and, in most cases, ill-advised. But, I think this verse is more about having no outstanding debt (whether tangible or intangible) and repaying as we should, except love, which we should be giving continuously.
     
A) So, on the practical and monetary side of things, keeping discipline in spending is one of the hardest things in life for me. Ultimately, it's just a work in progress. I'm better now than I was even a year ago, so that's good. Seeing my finances as God's resource, and not my own earning, really helps. Also, I don't want to neglect the second part of this verse. I want to be sure I am actively loving those around me. I don't want my family (or friends) to grow up feeling like I didn't love them enough. So, I need to deliberately do things to show love to my wife and children daily (and other family/friends as opportunity presents itself).
     
P) Father, forgive me for my carelessness and selfishness with Your money. You provide graciously for me and I want to honor Your blessings with the way I spend money. Holy Spirit, convict me strongly when I am thinking about spending money I shouldn't spend. I will seek Your voice before spending, and let me hear Your instruction. Help me also recognize that I have an unceasing debt of love to my family and friends. Reveal to me fresh, new, effective ways to show them my love. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 05/31/2012; Proverbs 17:10

Today's reading: Proverbs 16,17,18; Romans 12
    
S) "¹⁰ A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding
Than a hundred blows into a fool."
     

Proverbs 17:10 (NASB)

     

O) This verse didn't remind me of anyone specifically, but it made me think of disciplining my kids. In the earliest forms of discipline, reasoning with a child is pretty pointless. As they grow, though, they are ideally growing in understanding. So, over time, the discipline that comes by way of a spanking will be slowly replaced by rebukes, discussing the deeper meanings and reasonings of why the behavior is wrong and the type of specific and lasting effects it might have. Ultimately, this should be true of every child of God as well, that He won't need to use His strong arm for our discipline, but through His Holy Spirit, we might hear His rebuke and, in our understanding, we'll respond appropriately.
     
A) I must continue to seek understanding and wisdom as it applies to my own walk with God and listen AND obey His voice when the Holy Spirit is trying to guide me. But also, this verse highlights the importance of praying for my kids to have understanding and wisdom, so that they can move past the phase of spankings and into a more meaningful form of discipline that is focused on the spiritual/lasting effects of various behaviors.
     
P) Father, thank You for the wisdom You've given me so far. Please continue to shape me in the form of man, husband, and father. As much understanding as You have ever given me, LORD, I pray that You give even more to my children. Let them have a firm, deep understanding of Your ways. Let them see things with Your perspective. Holy Spirit, begin to reach out to their hearts and draw them in, near the Father, so they can truly know Him with a personal relationship with You, God. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 05/30/2012; Proverbs 15:2

Today's reading: Proverbs 13,14,15; Romans 11      
S) "² The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable,
But the mouth of fools spouts folly."
     

Proverbs 15:2 (NASB)

     

O) Just because the knowledge is good, doesn't mean people will want to accept it. Enter, the #JesusJuke. The term "Jesus Juke" was something coined by one of my favorite contemporary Christian authors, Jon Acuff and it describes that form of correcting some one, when the conversation is light and maybe trivial, but some one comes in with something super-serious about Jesus/God. For example, "I haven't had a chance to eat yet today, and I'm so hungry!" and the #JesusJuke reply would be, "Oh really, because I bet Jesus was more hungry than that when He fasted for 40 days." And so, this Scripture is exemplified in today's world. Just because it's true, doesn't mean it will be accepted. It needs to be presented with wisdom, or it won't be received.
     
A) So, as a teenager, per the advice of my youth pastor, I started reading a chapter of Proverbs every night. I'm quite sure that I missed several nights, but the important thing is that I started to accept the fact that wisdom is just too important to miss. So, I started asking God for more wisdom. I would pray that very regularly. As I've discussed before, though, my wisdom was unfocused. Now, don't get me wrong, it's still good to ask for more wisdom, but it needs to be specifically applied, because some things are certainly more important than others, where wisdom is involved. So here, I want God's wisdom, but I want it for a specific purpose. My priorities in life are, and in this order, 1) my salvation, 2) Kristin's salvation, 3) the salvation of my children, 4) everything else. That is to say, if I am to lead and teach my children (and to a lesser-needed extent, Kristin), then I must have wisdom in how I deliver the information. I must be giving my children knowledge about God that is receivable, acceptable, able to be seen as good.
     
P) Father, Your grace and goodness to me are without measure. You gave me wisdom when I needed wisdom and Your instruction never left me. Please Father, increase my wisdom now, in how I teach my children Your ways. Let me find the right ways to show them Your justice, mercy, righteousness, and blessings. I want them to see that a lifetime serving and worshiping and honoring You is. the. best. life.! Holy Spirit, continue to rebuke me when I make mistakes. When I am leading my family with a fool's mouth, discipline my lips and remove my folly from me and do not let my careless words make the impression they could. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 05/29/2012; Romans 10:9-10

Today's reading: Proverbs 10,11,12; Romans 10
    
S) "⁹ that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; ¹⁰ for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."
    

Romans 10:9-10 (NASB)

    

O) It's not enough to believe simply, that Jesus is the Son of God. Satan and the angels believe that (see ). So, the difference is that we don't just "believe in Him" but that we "believe Him" all of Him, all that He says. We believe in our heart that Jesus is whom He said He is, and will do what He said He will do. That is the belief that produces righteousness. Abraham believed in the LORD just fine, after all, he was talking with Him. But Abraham believed in what the LORD was saying, and it was credited as righteousness. Then also, confessing sins is good, and that's how we receive mercy, but it's so much more than that. It's a confession of dependency on God, a confession of His sovereignty over us, a confession that He is in charge, not us. These two things (belief and confession) cannot truly be separated, in my mind at least. It seems pretty clear that, if it's authentic, one produces the other.
     
A) Neither one of these actions are emotional, so I need to continue deliberately, believing by choice that everything that's in the Bible is true, and what God speaks to me is true, and take Him at His word because His words are life to me. For the confession side of things, confession to God is often easier than confession to people. But, the solution is this: I continue to stand firm in my declaration that I am not ashamed of the gospel, according to Romans 1:16.
    
P) Father, increase my faith. I also read in verse 17, that faith comes through hearing Your words about Christ. I have been studying Your words carefully, daily, for almost a full year now, God. I feel like You've taken that and used it to help me grow and help me mature and, without a doubt, my faith has increased according to that promise in Romans 10:17, but I ask that You would also put in me an increase of faith beyond that. Holy Spirit, couple that faith with courage and strength. I am choosing to believe Your words instead of anything else I perceive, LORD. I want to couple that with confession, not just to You directly, but to anyone, and I mean anyone who cares to know it. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 05/28/2012; Romans 9:19-24

Today's reading: Proverbs 7, 8, 9; Romans 9
    
S)"¹⁹ You will say to me then, 'Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?' ²⁰ On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, 'Why did you make me like this,' will it? ²¹ Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? ²² What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? ²³ And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, ²⁴ even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles."
     

Romans 9:19:24 (NASB)

     

O) So, this is a lot of scripture to digest, but I simply could not dissect this to journal about one portion of it. Paul so bluntly, but so concisely and precisely addresses what is such a common, common argument from the world. People want to know why God would make them a certain way, and then tell them not to behave per their nature. I see this a lot with homosexuality (despite what I believe, regarding the idea of being born gay, or it being genetic, or anything along those lines). Paul skips right over any response that has to do with the broken world in which we live, and how sin entering the world means we are all born into sin. A person who feels like they were born gay is no different than a person who feels like they were born prone to substance abuse (or was subjected to it early in life with no defense for it), or a person who is constantly struggling with lust, or a person who struggles with greed and materialism. We're all born into a selfish mindset, just look at a toddler snatching a toy from another child. Paul skips any issue like that because it all boils down to one thing: are you going to humble yourself to acknowledge He's sovereign and we can't complain? Are we going to humble ourselves to accept His mercy, and admit that we need mercy, regardless of why we're a sinner? Because even if a person wants to argue that God should not have created them subject to a sinful nature, the simple fact is that He did - but He also offers mercy - all of us can have His mercy.
     
A) Humble myself before the LORD. Humble myself before the LORD. Humble myself before the LORD. Over and over this is in the Bible, not because God wants drones, but because it is impossible to accept His mercy, truly, without a humble heart. Setting aside the fact that arrogance is a sin, in itself, it's nigh impossible to avoid sin and walk in an upright heart with every other temptation, if I am being arrogant or prideful along the way. I cannot abide the lie that God is somehow unfair for my sinful nature. The truth is that God is unfair for His mercy toward me, toward all who are willing to turn their hearts to Him. Life is unfair, but as a child of God, life is unfair in the best possible way.

     

P) Father, I am humbled again in light of Your righteousness and my iniquity. I am humbled again in light of Your mercies and my guilt. Holy Spirit, when I hear that lie, that it's not fair about how God created man, whether I hear it from other people or in my own head as an attack from the enemy, remind me of this exact passage. God, You are unfair and I am thankful for it. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 05/27/2012; Romans 8:38-39

Today's reading: Proverbs 4,5,6; Romans 8      
S)"³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
     

Romans 8:38-39 (NASB)

     

O) This is such an amazing promise! There's an interesting dynamic that is easily missed, though. This promise is actually conditional (as most of, if not all of, the promises from God are). There's a notion out there that some people have in this country, that since God's love is unconditional, that He would never send people to hell. Or because His love is so strong, He'll save everyone. Now, let me make this clear, every person has the opportunity for this, and it's on the individual to access this, but what I think is misconstrued about this promise, is the idea that it's granted to anyone. It's not, though. The promise clearly says, at the end, that it's only found in Christ Jesus our Lord. This means that if a man is not putting Christ Jesus as his Lord, submitting himself to God's way for his life, then he should not expect that nothing can separate him from the love of God, because he has indeed cut himself off from this promise. The unconditional nature of God's love is true, and constant, and it will not change, and it's unconditional because it is for everyone and because God offers this to everyone, regardless of their past, regardless of their geneology, regardless of gender or race or social status. The difference is whether or not we are choosing to accept His grace and mercy that He has offered for those who are willing to repent and live their lives according to His plan.
     
A) I must continually submit myself to the rule, direction, and authority of Christ Jesus. He is my Lord. That means I hand over every part of my life, allowing Him to make all of my decisions, not just some of the more obvious ones. It's not about making sure I'm going to church, it's not even about escaping hell, at this point. It's about being in love with my savior. Love is not an emotion. And thank God for that! If love were and emotion, how fearful I would be that I might "fall out of love" with Jesus. No, it is a decision; it's a decision I will continue to make daily.

     

P) Father, in 1 John 4:19 says that we love because You first loved us. So truly written, as all Your words are! Your grace to love me, to offer Your son as ransom for my life, this is grace beyond measure. Thank You for providing the way to fulfill Your justice, and yet be reconciled to You, Father. Thank You for this amazing promise that nothing, nothing, can separate me from Your love. Holy Spirit, draw me in daily, to the Father of my grace and mercy, the Father of my spirit. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.