SOAP 03/29/2014 Psalm 52:7

Today's reading: Judges 6, 7; Psalm 52; 1 Corinthians 14

S) "⁷ Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge,
But trusted in the abundance of his riches
And was strong in his evil desire."

Psalm 52:7  (NASB)

O) The contrast of these two paths is what this verse is really highlighting. Financial security is a myth that is part of the American Dream, but can never truly be realized. We do not control our money. Most retirement plans in this country are a complete gamble, or, "investment" into other things. But, as any decent stockbroker will tell you, there are no guarantees. Only God can provide the assurance of a true refuge.

A) It's easy to chase riches, without realizing that's what I'm doing. Financial security is generally in the form of admirable, commendable things. Buy a house, have a 401k, build up a savings... but the problem is when I start chasing all of those things with a false-hope. If I never buy a house, God can provide shelter. If I never have a 401k, God will still provide. If I never have a savings, God will protect. This verse doesn't mean that I can't have those things, but the last line is critical. My heart must be toward God first, and only.

P) Father, forgive my untrusting heart. Let me put my mind on Your love, which ultimately leads to your mercy and grace. It is through Your compassion and lovingkindness that I am saved. I know that there is an eternity that will have nothing to do with money, or pensions, or college funds, so let my mind linger there. Convict me when my heart goes astray as I seek to make wise decisions in my life, on this world. Guide me in peace, to seek Your will in these things, trusting only in You to be my refuge. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/28/2014 Judges 5:23

Today's reading: Judges 4, 5; Psalm 39, 41; 1 Corinthians 13

S) "^23 'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the Lord,
'Utterly curse its inhabitants;
Because they did not come to the help of the Lord,
To the help of the Lord against the warriors.'"

Judges 5:23  (NASB)

O) So, historically speaking, very little is actually known about Meroz. The place is only mentioned once in the Bible, and there are no other known writings that really mention it. Apparently, it's mentioned in the Talmud (Moed Katan 16a), but with no more detail than Judges. So, where does that leave us with this verse? Well, one thing is clear; Meroz chose not to take sides, and it cost them. They weren't cursed for siding with Sisera, but they also didn't join Israel. So, they tried to remain neutral, and were utterly cursed.

A) This verse has incredible shades of when Jesus said, "He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters." (Matthew 12:30). I think carefully evaluating my own heart will reveal the truth about why I am choosing one side, or the other, or trying to remain neutral. I think that sometimes, there is wisdom in, "choosing your battles," but sometimes, I am reluctant to get involved in some fight or another, simply because of what it will cost me. I'm afraid to offend, or lose, or - whatever. What I cannot afford, however, is to neglect to help where the LORD is calling me to help. So, I need to heed this warning that sitting on the sidelines can be every bit as dangerous as siding with God's enemies.

P) Father, give me wisdom and understanding, to know when I am supposed to fight. Open my eyes to see the true condition of my heart, and my true motives, when I want to hold myself out of a fight. Give courage and boldness to take up Your standard when I am, indeed, called to action. Thank You for grace and mercy when I misunderstand these two things, but continue to discipline me to know better. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/27/2014 Judges 1:34

Today's reading: Judges 1, 2, 3; 1 Corinthians 12

S) "³⁴ Then the Amorites forced the sons of Dan into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the valley;"

Judges 1:34  (NASB)

O) The last passage of this chapter (vv.27-36) describes the areas the Israelites failed to conquer. Ultimately, this is what caused the fall of Israel, as a nation, since it was idol-worship of the previous inhabitants which caused the Israelites to stray from the LORD. Of all the recounted failures, this one stood as the worst. Not only did Dan fail to drive out the Amorites, but the Amorites flat-out denied the Danites entrance down into the valley. The Danites completely failed to claim an entire portion of their inheritance.

A) Applying certain Old Testament scriptures can be hard. As mentioned previously, I am not in the military and I am not part of any holy conquest. God has not given me a literal land that I am to claim. However, God has marked out spiritual areas of my life, in which I should be walking freely, victoriously. This is especially true in areas of sin. God has given me, through Christ Jesus, every victory over every sin. So, my failure to walk in righteousness is actually a failure to claim the victory of a battle Jesus has already fought. Just like the Danites, I am not simply guilty of losing a fight - I'm guilty of not trusting God and allowing Him to fight for me. I am not submitted to the LORD, following Him to victory. In the fight, I am failing because I am giving up. The enemy isn't beating me, I'm beating myself.

P) Father, forgive my unbelief and increase my faith! Remind me that I already have victory, because Jesus conquered sin and death! Give me confidence and perseverance to fight for what has already been purchased through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ! I don't want to ever give up on the areas of freedom and liberty You have already made for me. Open my eyes to see it, LORD, the areas I am in danger of losing. Revive a fighter's spirit in me, to claim those lands. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/26/2014 Joshua 23:15

Today's reading: Joshua 23, 24; Psalm 44; 1 Corinthians 11

S) "¹⁵ It shall come about that just as all the good words which the Lord your God spoke to you have come upon you, so the Lord will bring upon you all the threats, until He has destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God has given you. "

Joshua 23:15  (NASB)

O) God does not lie. He fulfills His promises and also His threats. He does what He says He will do, both good and bad, according to His wisdom, purpose, and will. If we are going to build our faith to believe His promises, we'd better build our faith to believe His threats.

A) I've shared, previously, that I sometimes struggle to fear God in a real way. Some of that is a byproduct of my personality; I am generally fearless. Part of it is the current trend and culture of the church today. The point I must remember, though, is that God hasn't changed. I need to pay sharp attention to every warning that the Bible gives, because those warnings will come to pass every time, just like the promises.

P) Father, forgive me for my arrogance and irreverence. You are holy, and I desire to be holy, just as You've called me to be. Discipline me to fear You, LORD, and obey You completely. Let me believe Your promises are true, and never once believe that Your threats are any less true. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/25/2014 Joshua 22:4-5

Today's reading: Joshua 21, 22; Psalm 47; 1 Corinthians 10

S) "⁴ And now the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers, as He spoke to them; therefore turn now and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan. ⁵ Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Joshua 22:4-5  (NASB)

O) The Reubenites, Gadites, and half of Manasseh are cleared to go back across the Jordan, back to where they determined to settle. They were commanded to fight with and for their brothers to possess the Promised Land, but now they've fulfilled that obligation. Joshua commands them again, to keep the commandments of the LORD and to hold fast to Him and to continue to serve Him. Specifically, to do all of this remotely, across the Jordan river, while they are away from the majority of the Israelites.

A) I can almost play this one out literally. Shortly after returning to the LORD as an adult, I moved back to California and started serving at a church with my brother. We were fighting side by side. He left that church to plant his own within that year, but still in the same area. We were in Redding for 5 years, fighting the good fight, serving next to one another - relatively speaking. Then, my family moved back home to Washington, leaving my brother and his family behind. The thing is, while I have something to fight - a target, if you will - it's very easy to serve God faithfully. With an enemy in front of me, it's easy to remember why I'm fighting, who I'm fighting, and what it takes to fight. In that regard, it's the times of peace that are the most dangerous. The truth is, there is never a time of peace, just a different fight. Since moving back to Washington, I haven't joined any church staff. I wouldn't say my salvation is in any kind of jeopardy, but identifying my target, my fight, has been a struggle at times. The specific command that speaks to me the loudest, is to hold fast to Him. I need to hold fast to Him with all my heart and with all my soul.

P) Father, I want to continue to be used by You. Show me the fight I should be fighting. I know my brother still needs my prayers, so let the Holy Spirit remind me to cover him in prayer. I know that I need to fight for my own family, for peace, provision, joy, and salvation, ultimately. But God, show me what else, if anything right now, I should be fighting for. I will wait if I should wait, but I don't want to be missed where I am truly needed. Thank You that the victory is Yours, though, Father. It is comforting to remember that the victory is Yours. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/24/2014 Joshua 19:9

Today's reading: Joshua 18, 19, 20; 1 Corinthians 9

S) "⁹ The inheritance of the sons of Simeon was taken from the portion of the sons of Judah, for the share of the sons of Judah was too large for them; so the sons of Simeon received an inheritance in the midst of Judah’s inheritance."

Joshua 19:9 (NASB)

O) Judah's inheritance, their land, was not assigned by lot, but they had previously claimed it. As 4 of the other tribes had already settled where they wanted, there were 7 tribes who had not received an inheritance, yet. So, Joshua sent out surveyors and, apparently, they observed that Judah had claimed more than they could handle. Considering some of the warnings and fears about the Promised Land, I wonder how the sons of Judah felt about having parts of their land redistributed. I can imagine how I'd feel.

A) There are a few things that make me immediately think of my dad. One of them is vanilla ice cream cones from McDonald's. I'm not sure how, or why, but whenever I think of them, I think of my dad. Generally speaking, that's with fondness, but then I also remember with some amount of childish disappointment, how my dad would ask a dreaded question, "Do you need help with that?" Part of the reason I didn't like that question, is because I didn't understand what a rhetorical question was. See, he'd ask, but it didn't really matter what my answer was. Him asking that question meant one thing, I had to relinquish my ice cream cone to him, and he was going to take some of it. Now that I'm a father, I will concede, there were probably times that I really did need that help. I have seen ice cream melt and drip straight down the knuckles of my own child. Not only did that upset me as a person responsible for cleaning them, it upset me as a person who doesn't want to see ice cream go to waste; this is much like my own dad.

     When it comes to the things of God, and more important things than ice cream, I think I have seen this happen in my own life. To use a specific example, I believe God opened doors and answered my prayers so I could move into an apartment. After some time, though, it became fairly apparent that moving into that apartment was a territory too expensive for my family. Thankfully, God provided a way to move out, after some months, and He was (as He always is) faithful to provide for us throughout the experience. It's hard to know if it can simply be called a mistake, though. It certainly seemed like providence at the time we moved into it. In the end, maybe it was like Judah. At the time of this example, my wife and I could clearly see that the territory we had claimed was overwhelming us. I don't think I'm always so clear-sighted, though. I need to be humble and remember that God always treats me with favor, whether or not I recognize it for what it is. If He takes something away from me, or takes me away from something, I need to submit that it is good.

P) Father, as an adult, I can easily see that ice cream is trivial. I think, though, that from Your perspective, the apartment I have might also be trivial. Let me remember, and humble myself, to know that You are good in all that You do. If I need to let something go, whether it's into the hands of another, or simply to let it go altogether; whether it's something physical, or just an idea of something, I will choose obedience and submission to Your will, LORD. I am unable to judge what is good for me and my family. Speak to me, open my eyes to see, and my ears to hear, so that I can choose obedience and the blessings You have for me. You are good when You add. You are good when You take away. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/23/2014 Joshua 15:13-14

Today's reading: Joshua 15, 16, 17; 1 Corinthians 8

S) "¹³ Now he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah, according to the command of the Lord to Joshua, namely, Kiriath-arba, Arba being the father of Anak (that is, Hebron). ¹⁴ Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak: Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, the children of Anak."

Joshua 15:13-14  (NASB)

O) Just call him, "Caleb the Giant Slayer!" In a lot of ways, Caleb reminds me of David. God tells him, back in the wanderings, to go into the Promised Land and spy it out. He goes with Joshua and ten others, and they see giants, fierce wildlife, and strong cities. It's scary, but, Caleb hears the Promise of the LORD with a capital "P" and chooses to believe it! He is promised the reward that, wherever his foot falls within the Promised Land, he will receive it as his own inheritance (Deut 1:36). So, what does he do? He goes and slays giants. He believes that God opened a door to give him those lands, so he goes and gets them. It's not simply that he received such a reward, but that he did something about it, something with the promise. He chose to believe it to, and his faith was proven by his actions.

A) This is who I want to be; I want to be a man of action. This is why I wanted to name my son after Caleb the son of Jephunneh. I'm not superstitious, like I'd believe that my son with become a Giant Slayer, because I named him so, but I hope that when my son reads the story of this Caleb, my son will easily be able to see himself as the Giant Slayer. In my own life, I cannot give up on the things God has promised me. His promises come in the face of giants, so they can just as easily be fulfilled in the face of more giants. I only have to take my belief and prove it as faith through my actions.

 P) Father, remind me of the promises I've heard. Stir the Holy Spirit inside me, until I cannot even choose to be inactive. I know there are promises that require me to move, to act, and I don't want to lose those promises because of laziness, or fear, or any other failure and sin. Show me again, the path on which You've put me, the way I am to go, and let me run headlong toward those giants, knowing full well that You have already defeated them. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.