ALL – Psalm 136:1-26
ALL – Proverbs 30:7-9
OT – Nahum 1:1-3:19
NT – Revelation 8:1-13
Interesting passage for the day: And the perfume of the incense mixed with prayers ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out. Then the angel filled the censer with fire from the altar and threw it down upon the earth; and thunder crashed and rumbled, lightning flashed, and there was a terrible earthquake. – Revelation 8:4-5, The Living Bible
Thought: Often when I wake up in the morning, part of my prayers to God include these lines from the Lord’s (or disciples’) prayer: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Those prayers are beginning to be answered. In the hearts, souls, minds and strength of thousands upon thousands and even millions upon millions of people, our Father’s name has begun to be reverenced, His kingdom has come, and His will is being done.
But when will these prayers be answered fully? Why are some of our prayers going unanswered? Why do men and women get away with wickedness and evil? Where are all our prayers (and I’m talking about the godly ones, not the foolish and selfish prayers) going?
In Revelation, we see that they are being stored up to be poured out before God’s throne, mixed with incense. Our prayers for God’s righteousness to overwhelm the wickedness around us and finally reign supreme will be brought before God and presented as an offering that pleases Him. And in imagery that cannot help but communicate the connection between our prayers and God’s wrath on our rebellious world, the very censer that was once the container of our prayers, now emptied before God, becomes the tool by which fire from heaven is poured down upon this sinful earth in wrath.
Our prayers matter. God hears them. He sees our suffering. He knows our misery. He hears our sobs. He hates the injustice, oppression and wickedness that we endure. As we cry out to Him through His pure and wonderful Son Jesus Christ, God is preparing to act. He will save us completely and finally from the pains of this life, and His answer to our prayers will be a wrath against sin that makes us wonder why we ever doubted that God cares about our troubles. He cares, and in His love for us, He will respond to our prayers in His wrath.
Question: Instead of asking what you pray for, I’d like to ask: What do you pray against? Have you grown impatient because God hasn’t dealt with it the way you wanted Him to deal with it yet? When you read Revelation 8 and see the results of your prayers, are you willing to wait for God’s timing?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Showing posts with label patience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label patience. Show all posts
Friday, December 17, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Squirming Out of Patience
ALL – Psalm 116:1-19
ALL – Proverbs 27:23-27
OT – Ezekiel 35:1-36:38
NT – James 1:1-18
Interesting passage for the day: …for when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow. So let it grow, and don’t try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete. – James 1:3-4, The Living Bible
Thought: We do try to squirm out of our problems, don’t we? And I guess it’s not a bad thing to work to solve our problems, but sometimes we try to squirm out of our problems in less-than-helpful ways. When facing problems head-on and trying to overcome them in honest, upfront ways fails, and we realize we’re trapped, then comes the squirming. The problem with squirming and trying to weasel our way out of our problems is that it leaves our patience muscles undeveloped.
Sometimes life is just tough. And there’s no honest way to get around what’s tough. There’s crime. There’s apathy. There’s playing dead. But none of these helps. What helps is realizing that we’re not just waiting on circumstances to change, but on God to care for us…and that He’s trustworthy. Because He’s trustworthy, I can be patient, and if I can be patient, I can be ready for anything. I know that God is with me.
And it will be obvious to others soon enough.
Question: Can you be patient when others pressure you to rush? Can you wait on God when others say there’s no point to waiting on Him? Will you be patient even though it hurts?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 27:23-27
OT – Ezekiel 35:1-36:38
NT – James 1:1-18
Interesting passage for the day: …for when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow. So let it grow, and don’t try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete. – James 1:3-4, The Living Bible
Thought: We do try to squirm out of our problems, don’t we? And I guess it’s not a bad thing to work to solve our problems, but sometimes we try to squirm out of our problems in less-than-helpful ways. When facing problems head-on and trying to overcome them in honest, upfront ways fails, and we realize we’re trapped, then comes the squirming. The problem with squirming and trying to weasel our way out of our problems is that it leaves our patience muscles undeveloped.
Sometimes life is just tough. And there’s no honest way to get around what’s tough. There’s crime. There’s apathy. There’s playing dead. But none of these helps. What helps is realizing that we’re not just waiting on circumstances to change, but on God to care for us…and that He’s trustworthy. Because He’s trustworthy, I can be patient, and if I can be patient, I can be ready for anything. I know that God is with me.
And it will be obvious to others soon enough.
Question: Can you be patient when others pressure you to rush? Can you wait on God when others say there’s no point to waiting on Him? Will you be patient even though it hurts?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Fulfilled Bones
ALL – Psalm 111:1-10
ALL – Proverbs 27:15-16
OT – Ezekiel 27:1-28:26
NT – Hebrews 11:17-31
Interesting passage for the day: And it was by faith that Joseph, as he neared the end of his life, confidently spoke of God bringing the people of Israel out of Egypt; and he was so sure of it that he made them promise to carry his bones with them when they left! – Hebrews 11:22, The Living Bible
Thought: “If you’re not going to fulfill your promise while I’m alive, what’s the use?”
Most of us have a hard time waiting for people to fulfill their promises. We have a hard time waiting a week or a month, let alone any longer time frames. If we’re hoping to get a new iPod for Christmas, but Christmas is still three months away, sometimes we’re so impatient that we’ll go ahead and buy what we’re hoping for even if someone promises to get it for us and takes away our fear that we won’t get it.
Joseph trusted in God’s promise to give Abraham’s descendants the land He had promised to them. For that promise to be fulfilled, the Hebrews had to leave Egypt—so in Joseph’s mind, the day was coming. They would leave Egypt. And even though he would be dead, Joseph still wanted to be part of it. He wanted to “see” God’s promise fulfilled. God’s promise was for him, too. So he made the other Hebrews promise to carry his bones out of Egypt and to bury them in the promised land. And four hundred years later, when they finally left, they carried his bones around the desert with them for 40 years until they were finally able to lay them at rest. Though dead, Joseph came home to the place God had promised.
It’s been a long time since Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, promising to come back and take us home. Many believers have died through the years—through the centuries. But that doesn’t make His promise worthless. It’s going to happen. And when He comes, it won’t be just our bones that benefit. He’s going to raise us to life again. It might be a long time coming, but let’s live for that promise.
Question: What pleasures in this life make you forget the promises of God and live as though it’s not worth waiting for them? What trials make your life feel so overwhelming that you would rather sin and dishonor your Savior than wait for Him to return and make things right?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 27:15-16
OT – Ezekiel 27:1-28:26
NT – Hebrews 11:17-31
Interesting passage for the day: And it was by faith that Joseph, as he neared the end of his life, confidently spoke of God bringing the people of Israel out of Egypt; and he was so sure of it that he made them promise to carry his bones with them when they left! – Hebrews 11:22, The Living Bible
Thought: “If you’re not going to fulfill your promise while I’m alive, what’s the use?”
Most of us have a hard time waiting for people to fulfill their promises. We have a hard time waiting a week or a month, let alone any longer time frames. If we’re hoping to get a new iPod for Christmas, but Christmas is still three months away, sometimes we’re so impatient that we’ll go ahead and buy what we’re hoping for even if someone promises to get it for us and takes away our fear that we won’t get it.
Joseph trusted in God’s promise to give Abraham’s descendants the land He had promised to them. For that promise to be fulfilled, the Hebrews had to leave Egypt—so in Joseph’s mind, the day was coming. They would leave Egypt. And even though he would be dead, Joseph still wanted to be part of it. He wanted to “see” God’s promise fulfilled. God’s promise was for him, too. So he made the other Hebrews promise to carry his bones out of Egypt and to bury them in the promised land. And four hundred years later, when they finally left, they carried his bones around the desert with them for 40 years until they were finally able to lay them at rest. Though dead, Joseph came home to the place God had promised.
It’s been a long time since Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, promising to come back and take us home. Many believers have died through the years—through the centuries. But that doesn’t make His promise worthless. It’s going to happen. And when He comes, it won’t be just our bones that benefit. He’s going to raise us to life again. It might be a long time coming, but let’s live for that promise.
Question: What pleasures in this life make you forget the promises of God and live as though it’s not worth waiting for them? What trials make your life feel so overwhelming that you would rather sin and dishonor your Savior than wait for Him to return and make things right?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
You’re Not Really Sorry!
ALL – Psalm 83:1-18
ALL – Proverbs 13:4
OT – Joshua 9:3-10:43
NT – Luke 16:19-17:10
Have you ever had someone hurt you frequently enough that you just began to expect he/she would hurt you? Have you had a person like that say sorry? Over and over and over, saying sorry and asking for forgiveness, but never changing?
At some point you just want to scream, “You’re not really sorry!”
When people aren’t sorry enough to change, sorry enough for repentance that goes deeper than the words, “I’m sorry,” it becomes really hard to forgive. Why? Because we begin to expect more pain, more frustration, more sin. We just know it’s coming.
But Jesus still calls us to forgive those who claim to be repentant:
Rebuke your brother if he sins, and forgive him if he is sorry. Even if he wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns and asks forgiveness, forgive him. – Luke 17:3b-4, The Living Bible
We are to be quick to forgive, quick to show mercy, quick to reconcile. Even with the most habitual offenders.
How have you shown forgiveness recently?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
The rest of this week's readings are:
April 15th, 2010
ALL – Psalm 84:1-12
ALL – Proverbs 13:5-6
OT – Joshua 11:1-12:24
NT – Luke 17:11-37
April 16th, 2010
ALL – Psalm 85:1-13
ALL – Proverbs 13:7-8
OT – Joshua 13:1-14:15
NT – Luke 18:1-17
April 17th, 2010
ALL – Psalm 86:1-17
ALL – Proverbs 13:9-10
OT – Joshua 15:1-63
NT – Luke 18:18-43
April 18th, 2010
ALL – Psalm 87:1-7
ALL – Proverbs 13:11
OT – Joshua 16:1-18:28
NT – Luke 19:1-27
ALL – Proverbs 13:4
OT – Joshua 9:3-10:43
NT – Luke 16:19-17:10
Have you ever had someone hurt you frequently enough that you just began to expect he/she would hurt you? Have you had a person like that say sorry? Over and over and over, saying sorry and asking for forgiveness, but never changing?
At some point you just want to scream, “You’re not really sorry!”
When people aren’t sorry enough to change, sorry enough for repentance that goes deeper than the words, “I’m sorry,” it becomes really hard to forgive. Why? Because we begin to expect more pain, more frustration, more sin. We just know it’s coming.
But Jesus still calls us to forgive those who claim to be repentant:
Rebuke your brother if he sins, and forgive him if he is sorry. Even if he wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns and asks forgiveness, forgive him. – Luke 17:3b-4, The Living Bible
We are to be quick to forgive, quick to show mercy, quick to reconcile. Even with the most habitual offenders.
How have you shown forgiveness recently?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
The rest of this week's readings are:
April 15th, 2010
ALL – Psalm 84:1-12
ALL – Proverbs 13:5-6
OT – Joshua 11:1-12:24
NT – Luke 17:11-37
April 16th, 2010
ALL – Psalm 85:1-13
ALL – Proverbs 13:7-8
OT – Joshua 13:1-14:15
NT – Luke 18:1-17
April 17th, 2010
ALL – Psalm 86:1-17
ALL – Proverbs 13:9-10
OT – Joshua 15:1-63
NT – Luke 18:18-43
April 18th, 2010
ALL – Psalm 87:1-7
ALL – Proverbs 13:11
OT – Joshua 16:1-18:28
NT – Luke 19:1-27
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