SOAP 10/04/2014; Psalm 150:3-5

Today's reading: Esther 1, 2; Psalm 150; Luke 17

S) "³ Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with harp and lyre.
⁴ Praise Him with timbrel and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.
⁵ Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with resounding cymbals."

Psalm 150:3-5 (NASB)

O) What a perfectly fitting final Psalm! This short song is a declaration of the LORD's praise worthiness, and an encouragement praise Him without reservation. This section is all about the instruments used to praise God, but it isn't an exhaustive list, and neither is it exclusive. But, this section really drives home the idea, the sense, that every available instrument is used for His praise. Particularly, in verse 5, the writer is almost being redundant to drive home the boisterous nature of this praise.

A) Sometimes, in certain circumstances, I feel like I need to hold back in my praise. Whether it's on the bus to work, or in a reserved worship service, I sometimes feel the weight of peer pressure. Certainly, there are appropriate times to be considerate of others. It does not glorify the LORD to be obnoxious. So, instead, I think I need to take every opportunity I have to praise the LORD with exuberance. I need to praise with great joy and volume, forsaking dignity in favor of unabashed, honest, exultations.

P) Father, I never want to pass up an opportunity to be loud for You! Sometimes, my thankfulness, or simply Your manifested presence, overwhelms me with joy! I know there is an orderly and considerate way to praise and worship You, especially in a corporate setting, but I also want to be bold and hold nothing back in my adoration and thanksgiving. May Your Spirit make me sensitive to the emotions and postures of my brothers and sisters as they join me in song, and lead me in being a compassionate witness to Your name when I am in public. But, when I have the chance, when You have arranged the place and people perfectly, let me praise You with every noisy expression of joy that I have! Be exalted in my praise! May it be pleasing to Your ears, Father God. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 10/03/2014; Psalm 138:3

Today's reading: Ezra 5, 6; Psalm 138; Luke 16

S) "³ On the day I called, You answered me;
You made me bold with strength in my soul."

Psalm 138:3 (NASB)

O) This is a psalm of thanksgiving, by David, for the LORD's favor. The whole thing is encouraging, but this verse stood out especially. David's boldness for praise and worship is pretty well known, and it borders on notorious (see 2 Samuel 6:12-23). But, this verse sheds light on why he was so bold. On the day he called, the LORD answered him! King David was not a theologian. He was not trying to defend his God with rationale or debate. His faith in God, his boldness, was based on one simple fact: his own experience. His life showed this pattern: he called, God answered; he called, God answered; he called, God answered. He was bold and his soul was strong because he learned by experience that when he called, God answered.

A) Lately, I've been feeling a particular call to be bold in my witness for my Lord. Honestly, it makes me a little bit anxious to think of becoming more confrontational about my faith - at least with certain people. I want more boldness. So, what is my solution? There is a model here, but there is also a foundation. The foundational understanding, is that the strength David had was still given to him. He said "You made me bold..." not, "I made myself bold..." or even, "So I became bold..." There is still an important, unmistakable element of grace here. From that foundation, how do I obtain a model of call/answer that David saw? Well, I have to start calling. My faith cannot grow without being tested. I cannot expect Him to answer, if I am not calling. David put himself in harms way, first as a shepherd, then as a young warrior, then as a king. He started with the foundational understanding that the LORD is powerful, sovereign, and good. Then, he progressively got more and more bold with strength in his soul. Relative to my call to witness, maybe this means I start small, as a shepherd, being bold in my witness toward lesser opponents, before I take on my Goliath, or even a king.

P) Father, I want to develop this kind of relationship with You, God. I have already seen Your faithfulness to me in countless areas in my life. I believe You are faithful to answer me when I call out to You in my need, relative to being a bold witness to Your glory. So, embolden me, to give You opportunities to prove Your words as truth. Help me to grow in my faith, by testing it. Help me to grow in my boldness as a witness, and strengthen my soul, as I step out in that faith to call upon You. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 10/02/2014; Zechariah 13:8-9

Today's reading: Zechariah 13, 14; Psalm 147; Luke 15

S) "^8 'It will come about in all the land,'
Declares the Lord,
'That two parts in it will be cut off and perish;
But the third will be left in it.
^9 'And I will bring the third part through the fire,
Refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them;
I will say, "They are My people,"
And they will say, "The Lord is my God."'"

Zechariah 13:8-9 (NASB)

O) This is a very interesting passage to me. The chapter begins with Zechariah prophesying against the false prophets to come (vv.1-6). Then, in verse 7, the LORD declares that His Shepherd with be struck, that the sheep may be scattered. This is a prophecy about the Messiah, Jesus Christ (see Mark 14:27), and that makes the verses above much more significant. While there was, at that time, also existing prophecy about 2/3 of the people being destroyed (see Isaiah 6:13, Ezekiel 5:2-4, 12), this clearly has relevance to the time of Jesus, and even beyond. When Jesus gave the parable of the seed scattered on various soils (see Matthew 13), what were the outcomes of the seeds? In 13:4, He says some of the seed never reaches soil - this means that the Word wasn't actually received by people into their hearts (as Jesus explains in chapter 13). But, what are the other examples? Well, first we see that some seed falls on rocky soil, and it springs up a quick crop that dies quickly (vv.13:5-6). Then second we see that some seed falls among thorns, so it brings a crop that is choked out (v.13:7). Then, third we see some seed that falls into good soil, yielding a healthy crop. Two out of three crops fail and fall away. They received the Word but failed to bear fruit. Back to verse 9, above, there is a testing that happens through life, and being refined by the LORD, going through those fires, only one out of three makes it, to respond to Him, "The LORD is my God."

A) First, there is always the humble acknowledgment of His grace at work in my faith. I am part of the one third, only because His compassion and lovingkindness pierced my hard heart, and gave me a heart of flesh. So, starting with thanksgiving and praise, I then press on through the fiery testing that I encounter. I rest in assurance that He is refining me. I hold fast to my faith in His goodness, His faithfulness, His holiness. Through that, I rejoice, as painful as the refinement might be. I rejoice, knowing that through that trial, He is purifying me into the silver, the gold He intended me to be.

P) Father, thank You God, for saving me. You chose me, and through grace, You changed my heart to be - I'll say - soil that is better than it was. I know what it looks like, to receive the seed of Your words joyfully, but without deep enough roots, and see the fruit in my life dry up. I know the pain and anguish that comes with the worries of this world, struggling to bear fruit on my own. But, through grace, You fertilized my roots, and revived me in Your love and patience. So now, let me rest in my Savior Lord, to whether the storms of life, to bear good fruit in and out of season, according to the seed of Your words, and the waters of Your Spirit. Let me persevere according to Your will, to be refined as You want me until the perfection of Your glory. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 10/01/2014; Zechariah 10:12

Today's reading: Zechariah 10, 11, 12; Psalm 126; Luke 14

S) "^12 'And I will strengthen them in the Lord,
And in His name they will walk,' declares the Lord."

Zechariah 10:12 (NASB)

O) This entire chapter is about the gracious compassion of the LORD, restoring His people. He makes it clear, throughout the chapter, that this is about His grace, and not because the people have somehow earned His favor. In verse 2, God declares that the leadership has gone horribly wrong, but throughout the chapter He says that He will provide, lead, strengthen, gather, protect, and redeem His people. This verse shows us the root of that reconciliation. There is a strengthening that will happen, an inner changing, so that the people will follow Him. That comes from His will, His doing, within His people.

A) The loving, eyes-opened, heart-softened response to grace, is repentance and a desire for change toward more obedience (see Romans 2:4). This verse is a reminder that my ability to obey, my ability to even recognize my need for Him, is all based on the grace of His will. So, I ask the LORD for this kind of change to continue within my own life. When we taste and see that the LORD is good, it creates in us a desire for continued fellowship with Him. As I desire to walk in His name, in more obedience and faithfulness, I ask for Him to strengthen me each day to that end, to the glory of His name.

P) Father, it is only because You are gracious, that I am called by Your name. You strengthened me from the start, that I could ever follow You in the first place. My desire is to be more like Your Son, to be faithful and obedient in all things. I know that it depends fully on the strength You give me. Thank You for the grace You have already shown me. Let me glorify Your name, by the way I walk out my life in the name of the LORD, according to Your will. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 09/30/2014; Zechariah 7:5

Today's reading: Zechariah 7, 8, 9; Luke 13

S) "⁵ Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted?'"

Zechariah 7:5 (NASB)

O) There were some men who came to Zechariah from Bethel. They were inquiring of the LORD, as to whether or not they should continue fasting, as they had been doing so, now that the exile was over (see v.2-4). Then God gives His answer to Zechariah, but He challenges their fasting as it was, regardless of whether or not it continues. Again, the LORD cut to the real issue, the heart issue. The people wanted to know if their behavior should continue, but their Father God was much more concerned with the posture of their hearts.

A) Certainly, this passage is brings conviction about how I am to fast. However, limiting this passage, by applying it to fasting alone, would be a mistake. Any act of devotion or worship, without a genuine and humbled heart, is just that: an act. God is not interested in religious rites. He wants sincere hearts. He is not interested in circumcised flesh, but circumcised hearts, and this is not a new issue by any means (see Deuteronomy 10:15-17). Particular to fasting, this means that my fasting is useless if, while I am fasting in the flesh, my heart and mind and strength are still spent on myself, devoted to things other than my Lord's will, serving things that have nothing to do with my reasons for fasting in the first place. God is asking, with this passage, for me to examine my own motives, and to repent if necessary, so that I am not profaning a holy discipline.

P) Father, it is such a blessing to have a God who ordains and prescribes methods for relationship with You. Through grace alone, You reached out to a rebellious people, to me a rebel of rebels, in order that I might learn how to be Your adopted son. You give me the tools and disciplines for growth in our relationship, teaching me how to know You better, how to communicate with You more effectively, all the while You change my heart within me to love You more deeply and completely. What a joy, to take part in that gracious change! Let me not waste even a single breath, going through motions and following by rote. Open my eyes to see, and carefully consider, every act of devotion. Help me examine my own heart, to prayerfully understand the motives of my worship. Prepare my heart, each day, to receive Your words as I study them, so that I am bearing fruit according to Your will. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 09/29/2014; Zechariah 4:6

Today's reading: Zechariah 4, 5, 6; Luke 12

S) "⁶ Then he said to me, 'This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit," says the Lord of hosts.'"

Zechariah 4:6 (NASB)

O) Zerubbabel was beginning work, trying to rebuild the temple of the LORD and the city of Jerusalem, after the return from exile. The people faced political and military opposition to this mission. Zechariah received this word for Zerubbabel, which is indeed a great encouragement.

A) Opposition will come, but it is not up to me to have the strength, intelligence, or power to overcome that opposition. I will not find victory by myself, in those attributes. My victory will come by His Spirit. I can rest in that beautiful promise of the very nature of our Lord. He does not require me to handle it all, He just requires that I am submitted and obedient to Him.

P) Father, the grace I have in You is beyond measure or even knowledge. Because of the Holy Spirit, by Your word, I have every victory I need. Let me rest in the assurance that You are sovereign, and that my might and power mean nothing, in light of Your Spirit in my life. Let Your will be done, in the face of every adversity and all opposition. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 09/28/2014; Zechariah 2:4-5

Today's reading: Zechariah 1, 2, 3; Luke 11

S) " ⁴ and said to him, 'Run, speak to that young man, saying, "Jerusalem will be inhabited without walls because of the multitude of men and cattle within it. ⁵ For I," declares the Lord, "will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst."'"

Zechariah 2:4-5 (NASB)

O) Zechariah saw a vision of an angel with a measuring line, taking measurements of Jerusalem. Another angel stopped him with this message for Zechariah. This is obviously a specific word for a specific people at a specific time - but this is revealing the nature of the LORD, again. His ways are not our ways, but the Israelites would sometimes chase ideals they gained from surrounding nations, about what it means for their nation (or city, in this case) to be considered prosperous. Immediately having a city wall (especially with the military background of Jerusalem) would seem like a no-brainer. However, God had another plan, a different time-line for things.

A) Lately, I've taken to ending all of my prayers - all - with the caveat for His will to be done. Ultimately, I am realizing more and more, that His will is just always going to be best. His will is sometimes unclear, or even unknowable. There are things that make sense to me. There are processes, possessions, and ideals that seem proven and worthwhile and wise. But I concede that I just don't know. I never want to be building a wall, trying to force it to happen, while God is trying to keep my city open so He can stuff other blessings into it. I will trust the LORD to give me what is good, and to provide what I need. I will ask and pray, I will build and proceed, but I will seek His will and direction above all else.

P) Father, Your ways are perfect, and Your timing never fails. You are sovereign, omniscient, and good. Let Your will be done, above anything I ever ask for, or pray. Open my eyes to see and ears to hear, so that I can perceive Your will in my life. Let me not be paralyzed by uncertainty, but to be lead in grace and peace by the Holy Spirit. Let Your will be done. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.