SOAP 04/03/2015; Matthew 21:18-19

Today's reading: Matthew 21

S) "¹⁸ Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. ¹⁹ Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He *said to it, 'No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.' And at once the fig tree withered."

Matthew 21:18-19 (NASB)

O) Let me preface by saying, I don't know this to be true, but the thoughts occurred to me today while reading this chapter, and I will explore this a little. Jesus used many, many parables. No small number of those parables had to do with trees bearing fruit. Farming was certainly a large industry during the first century, and the people would have had an easy time relating to parables about farming. The same is true for shepherding, which Jesus used a lot as well. In this particular passage, the actions of Jesus, followed by the words in vv. 21-22, appear to be about faith. So again, I don't want to take things out of context, but this makes for an interesting thought, I think... there were a great many physical miracles Jesus could point to, revealing the power of faith in His name. So, why would He curse the fig tree? The words say it: He was looking for fruit and found none. This tree had no fruit, Jesus spoke His judgment, His righteous judgment, and the tree was immediately dead. Is it possible, given the way Jesus spoke about bearing fruit, and judgment, that this was not only an example of faith in His name, but also a parable about bearing fruit? Reading Matthew 3:10, 7:19, and Luke 3:9; there will be a judgment for unfruitful trees.


A) The thing that alarmed me the most about this passage, was the suddenness of the approach, judgment, and execution. Jesus made it clear in several places, that His coming judgment would be swift. Somehow, seeing Him judge this fig tree so quickly, so decisively, really drove the point home. Just as the fig tree had no more opportunity to plead its case, I must understand that on judgment day, I will have no argument. There will be no excuses. I don't think God requires a full harvest of fruit. I also don't think that it's possible to not bear fruit, so long as Jesus is my vine, and I am His branches. Even small or sparse fruit, is better than bad or no fruit at all. Jesus is the source. I cannot have a fruitful life apart from Him. I have no fear, as long as I am with Him, and He with me. I am assured of that. Nevertheless, this verse is a good reminder, a good picture, of just how swift His righteous judgment is.


P) Father, You are holy, righteous, and just. Apart from You I was wretched, guilty, and just plain evil. In Your grace, You have uprooted me, and replanted me in Your kingdom. I know that You are not done pruning my branches, Lord. I know that it is sometimes painful. But God, when Jesus approaches me, I pray He finds all the fruit He could ever want! Help me to be obedient, and diligent. I want to be a good steward of every branch You have given me. Let Your will be done, Father. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 04/02/2015; Matthew 8:23-27

Today's reading: Matthew 8

S) "²³ When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. ²⁴ And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. ²⁵ And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, 'Save us, Lord; we are perishing!' ²⁶ He *said to them, 'Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?' Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. ²⁷ The men were amazed, and said, 'What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?'"

Matthew 8:23-27 (NASB)

O) There are several notable things about this story. Some more depth can be gleaned when reading from the books of Mark and Luke, also. One of the biggest points about this, though, is that Jesus didn't rebuke the disciples for waking Him. That is, Jesus didn't rebuke them for overreacting or misjudging the severity of the storm. It's not like Jesus waved them off, rolled over, and went back to sleep. This storm was indeed severe. This storm could have been lethal, but it was not. This storm was not lethal, though, because their salvation was at hand. The storm was nothing to fear, because they were all in the same boat. If they had awakened Jesus by saying something like, "Um, Master? Sorry to wake You. This storm is severe, will You please save us? You can go back to sleep afterward. Thanks." I imagine Jesus would have had a much different response. It's all about approach.

A) Jesus never promised an easy life when following Him. In fact, quite the opposite. He never promised a "safe" life following Him. In fact, quite the opposite. There will be dangers and trials. But, can I say that following Jesus is really dangerous, when He is my security? Were the lives of the disciples ever really at risk on that boat? Even supposing I end up a martyr for Jesus, was that really dangerous? Martyrs don't truly die, do they? Why should I ever be afraid while following Jesus? Indeed, as dangerous as things ever might seem, He wins in the end. As long as I'm in the same boat as Jesus, I have no reason to be afraid. My approach to hard times should reflect my position relative to Jesus. My positional righteousness is secured by the grace of God, alone. I have nothing to fear indeed.

P) Father, thank You for the boat! Thank You for Your grace and lovingkindness, that I may be counted among Your children! How blessed I am to know that I have nothing to fear! I confess that fears sometimes creep in, though. Forgive me for my unbelief, Lord. Increase my faith, to face every situation in life with the same resolve: that You are with me, so who can be against me?! You are for me, so what shall I fear? As my fears decrease, may Your glory increase. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 04/01/2015; Matthew 4:21-22

Today's reading: Matthew 4

S) "²¹ Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. ²² Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him."

Matthew 4:21-22 (NASB)

O) What really struck me about this passage, was that these brothers left their father. When this same story is recorded in Luke's gospel, he noted the the timeline a little more closely (see Luke 5). James and John followed right after Simon Peter and Andrew, just after the miraculous catch of fish they'd witnessed. In Mark's gospel, he noted that Zebedee also had hired servants with him. When we put these accounts all together, we get a clear picture that this decision to follow Jesus, while quick, was not capricious. We don't know how much their father protested, but neither is there mention of him following. Much later, we see the mother of the sons of Zebedee (i.e., the wife of Zebedee) approach Jesus, so it is easy to figure she was a follower, but Zebedee does not appear to follow (at least, during earthly ministry of Jesus).

A) Initially, I read this passage and imagined the perspective of James and John, but as I really tried to immerse myself in it, I found myself relating to the father. As a dad, even with my kids being young, I must humble myself enough to know that they can still teach me. It would be a painful sorrow, if these mighty men of the Bible (James and John), never saw their dad saved. In the end, though, Zebedee saw the same miracles they did. He watched as Simon Peter, then Andrew, then his own sons dropped everything in faith to follow Jesus. At this stage in my life, my children need my leadership. Even if I can learn things from them, the scales are drastically tipped toward me doing the vast majority of the teaching. However, there will come a day when those scales will begin to even out more and more. To be sure, it's totally possible that Zebedee became a believer, and fully supported his sons and the ministry of Jesus (and their ministries, after the Resurrection). I pray that I am always able to guide and counsel my kids, especially in the ways of God. I'm committed to supporting them as they chase God with everything they have. Just as importantly, I always want to be teachable, even if that means following their examples in the way they are following Jesus.

P) Father, You are perfect in Your fatherhood. You never make mistakes, never have to be taught anything. You discipline perfectly and are always willing to lead and teach. I am gravely flawed in my fatherhood. I desperately need Your direction, grace, and mercy in the raising of my children. I have let my pride and arrogance blind me at times. Please forgive me of that sin, that haughtiness, Lord. Help me to be humble, especially when leading my wife and my kids. Rebuke me when I miss the ways You want to use them to teach me. Open my eyes and ears, to understand Your ways more clearly, even through my children. I pray that they grow up to follow You fully, whole-heartedly, without reservation. Help me to support them in whatever ministries they may take up. Be glorified in my life, and theirs. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/31/2015; Matthew 2:22-23

Today's reading: Matthew 2

S) "²² But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee, ²³ and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: 'He shall be called a Nazarene.'"

Matthew 2:22-23 (NASB)

O) What a mighty man of God, Joseph was! This is at least the third time that Scripture tells us Joseph heard from God in his dreams. First, he was told not to break his engagement to Mary. Second, he was warned about Herod seeking the life of Jesus. Third, here he was warned and he left for Nazareth. In the end, all of this served the purposes of God, to fulfill holy prophecies about Jesus Christ. In these moments, though, I don't think Joseph was necessarily even aware of that. The reason I focused on the verses above (instead of the verses about fleeing to Egypt), was because of the preface, "he was afraid to go there." Joseph was afraid to return to Judea, then he was warned by God. It seems Joseph was simply trying to steward the wonderful life of Jesus. He was simply trying to protect the boy God had entrusted to him.

A) Sometimes fear can be a powerful tool in the hands of the Almighty God. When I am afraid, what will my response be? Joseph had heard from God in his dreams on two occasions, before fearing his return to Judea. It seems likely to me, that Joseph must have been doing some praying, when he was leaving Egypt. He knew God had sovereignly given him his wife and step-Son. He knew God had sovereignly protected them from Herod, and kept them in Egypt. So, when fear struck again, where else would he turn, except to seek the LORD and hope He would speak to him again in a dream. I have no doubt that God can still speak through dreams. I think He may do it less than some would claim, but more than others will recognize. On the other hand, I surely have the Holy Bible to give me revelation and direction. When fear grips my heart, I must return to the source that I know shows me the will and character of the Author of my salvation. However else I might sense that the Holy Spirit is leading me, Scripture is the final authority. I may have had God speak to me in dreams, but I know He has spoken to me through His Word. To His Word I will return, when fear grips me.

P) Father, You are omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. You will be glorified for the salvation You have authored. Fear sometimes still grips me, as a mortal with obscured vision. I only pray that when I am afraid, that I am drawn back to Your holy words, which I know to be pure truth. Open my eyes and ears, to learn from Your words. Guide me by them, through the Holy Spirit. Let Your will be done. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/30/2015; Deuteronomy 33:26

Today's reading: Deuteronomy 33

S) "²⁶ There is none like the God of Jeshurun,
Who rides the heavens to your help,
And through the skies in His majesty."

Deuteronomy 33:26 (NASB)

O) These words come at the end of the prayer of Moses, when he prayed and blessed the twelve tribes of Israel. This last paragraph was to all of the nation of Israel, and so this verse also belongs to them all. Moses reminds us that there is no help like the help of the LORD. The image painted by these words is almost like a superhero, soaring through the skies, seeking to stop crimes, right wrongs, and enforce justice. There is no place God cannot go, there is nothing He cannot see. It is a powerful thing to remember that God isn't flying around aimlessly, either. He rides the heavens to our help. God is purposeful in His availability to us. But, it isn't just for our own benefit, but for His glory. He soars through the skies in His majesty. His power is on display for anyone who will humble themselves enough, to look up and behold Him in wonder.

A) Lois Lane is the safest person in Metropolis. Despite being captured constantly, is she ever really at risk, since Superman always has his attention on saving her? Supposing Metropolis were a real place, would I want to live there? I think I would. As one might argue that moving there would be dangerous because of all the super-villainous bad guys, it's also where Superman lives. Danger is present everywhere, but Superman is not (despite being ultra-fast). While there is no true comparison between comic book super heroes and real life, where the power of God is truly on display to anyone willing to look, these sorts of thought experiments can sometimes help me think about my relationship with God more clearly. Sometimes, it can seem like following God is difficult. It can seem like life is no easier, for being a child of God. In fact, Jesus all but promised a harder life when following Him. But, the truth is that life is always going to be hard, only being apart from God means that I'm fighting alone. In His Kingdom there is true life, and I would rather live there, even if it means there is a target on my back. Because after all, why would I fear a target on my back, when the One who can save me always has His attention on me? Now, I just need to get people to look up, when I point to His glory flying by.

P) Father, comic books are fun, but nothing really compares to Your majesty, power, grace, or love. Sometimes, these types of illustrations help me to digest who You are, because the vastness of Your character can be overwhelming. Fill me with true awe, Lord, at the power and grace You display in Your lovingkindness toward me. You have been so faithful to watch over me, throughout my life, even when I tried to move away from Your presence. Your goodness drew me to repentance, just as You promised it would. Be glorified in my life, Lord. Let Your majesty be on display in the heavens above, for all to see, and let me be bold when I raise my hands to the skies. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/29/2019; Deuteronomy 29:29

Today's reading: Deuteronomy 29

S) "²⁹ The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law."

Deuteronomy 29:29 (NASB)

O) Here the Israelites were in Moab, about to enter the Promised Land. God had given them a new covenant, that would stand along with the one they received at Horeb (see v.1). The people were reminded of how far they've come, and the great miracles God has done for them. They were reminded of the glory of the LORD that had been revealed to them. Then they were reminded, almost like a command, that there are mysteries about God, about what He does and why, that were going to remain a secret. The people were encouraged to take comfort in what they do know, in what was revealed. They were to cherish those experiences, that knowledge of who God is and what He had done. They were encouraged that the things God has revealed were sufficient. They don't need to know every secret. They don't need to solve every mystery.

A) This verse has immediate implications in my life. So often, I look around my life and I want answers. I want to know why, I want to know how. There are several scriptures in the New Testament, though, that directly align with the verse above. For example, 1 Corinthians 2:11-13 shows us that we only know of God the things He chooses to reveal. Also, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 shows us the sufficiency of Scripture (there are others on both accounts). The most important thing for me, is to remain humble and know that my life is lived on a need-to-know basis. If God determines that I don't need to know something, then I will not know it. The world without God, searches in vain for ultimate truth. If I am not careful, I will fall into the same trap, searching for more and more knowledge. Ultimately, God does not ask us to solve every mystery. Rather than chasing down answers to every hypothetical question, I should only seek to answer one: Here I am, Lord; what would You have Your servant do?

P) Father, I don't ever want to overstep my bounds. You have permitted me knowledge. You have given me a mind that keeps learning. I want to know more and more of You, Father, but not only for the sake of knowledge. I don't want to be a man who knows every answer, and solves no problems. I want to walk in obedience to You, Lord, and accomplish the purposes You have called me to do. I don't want to be full of information and empty of deeds. Help me be a doer, not just a talker. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/28/2015; Deuteronomy 27:15

Today's reading: Deuteronomy 27

S) “’¹⁵ Cursed is the man who makes an idol or molten image, an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen’”

Deuteronomy 27:15 (NASB)

O) The people were very close to the Promised Land, here. Moses is giving them last-minute reminders about how they are to live, according to the laws that have been spoken. In this chapter, he listed 12 curses for various behaviors, and the first among them was the verse above. Everything stems from idolatry. In this instance, Moses is mentioning physical idols, the work of craftsmen, molten images. But, it’s important to remember that an idol is anything we try to use to replace the Lord our GOD. That can be money, other people or relationships (family, marriage, etc.), it can be work, videogames, anything. The most noteworthy word in the entire verse above, though, might be the word, “secret.” It could even be said that, although Moses was talking about tangible idols, the secret nature of them might even translate better to the idols we see in our culture today.

A) Secrets are very destructive. The most damaging secrets, are secret sins. The most fatal of them, is secret idolatry. Many, many things can become idols in the hearts of people. I have, myself, struggled with various things becoming idols to me. The very first step in tearing down these idols, is and always will be, to expose them for what they are. Satan will always try to isolate me, in order to keep me enamored with a sin, especially an idol in my heart. The very fastest, most effective destruction of that idol, is to expose it to the Truth of God’s words, and the light of Jesus. Then, through confession and prayer (see James 5:16), I can find healing. In submission to God (i.e., submitted to Him alone, faithfully, without idolatry), I have the strength to resist any temptation (see James 4:7).

P) Father, You alone are worthy of praise. You alone are worthy of my worship. I have been secretly idolatrous. Please forgive me, God. Help me to seek (and find) brothers who will help me tear down the secret idols I have erected in my heart. Open my eyes and ears, to know Your voice alone, to know where in my heart I have erected idols. I want You alone to be glorified in my heart, Lord. Let Your will be done in my life. Sow Your words deep in my heart, bind them in my heart, that I may not sin against You, just as the Psalmist wrote. Let Your will be done in my life. In Jesus’s name I pray, amen.