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The simplicity of rhythm together.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭46‬-‭47‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Yes, the beginning of the Church started with a big event! The powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit and Peter finding his voice and the converging of his purpose brought thousands to believe in Jesus as the Messiah, the Savior. Then the Church got to work doing what? Running outreach events and evangelistic campaigns? No, the Church got down to creating simple rhythms of gathering together and doing life together. Of course there will always be opportunities for big events where hundreds, maybe thousands come to follow Jesus. But the Church’s most powerful witness is found in the members being like Jesus and living in unity.

In the very next chapter, Luke shows us that Peter and the other Apostles began doing the same miraculous works that Jesus did. And, the Church continued to meet in simplicity.

The Church today finds itself in a disruptive, disunited state. Trust in all sectors of society has plummeted and the Church is no different. People have lost confidence in leaders because of too many lies, too many broken promises and too much social news-spin to make reality and themselves look to good to be true. And with that the Church has lost its foundational simplicity of gathering to worship, meeting in homes for communion and meals and being in the Word of God together.

God is still at work to bring about the same endgame that Peter spoke of verses 17-21. Today, we too must be at work to return to what is healthy for us as followers of Jesus. To be resilient in our faith, restorative in our reconciliation with one another and un-offendable to focus on Jesus and not our faults.

Prayer

Dad,
Wow! What a day that must have been. Amidst all the social and political chaos of those days, your Word went out in power and transformed people’s lives as you launched the Church. We have similar local and global problems today. And we need you to pour out your Spirit on all people once again. But we also need help, as your Church, to be who we were destined to be; your bride without spot or wrinkle. Help us come home, returning to the original plan of simple gatherings and doing life together.

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Why does God have rules?

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors.” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

God’s rules were never about keeping us from having fun, enjoying life or just to be a kill-joy. It’s all about living and thriving in this relationship with Him. Who knows better than God who built us and the entire system of how the world works. Moses records the truth about all the rules, lessons, hardships and detours, “Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

There’s reason behind the rules? God makes them for OUR benefit! Yep. A big lie is the bad-rap, stereotype that God is some old mean man in the sky. Oh please, that’s ridiculous! That makes us sound like toddlers squabbling to get our own way. God is not old, not a man and not mean!

In these verses it reminds me of everything God wants for us in terms of our basic wants and needs in life. Moses writes, “For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills.” I see a couple things here: One, God wants to bring blessing of abundance. For example the idea of milk and honey. These staples and sweets of life are for our enjoyment as much as they are for our health. Two, God put iron & copper in the hills for building infrastructure, for our homes and tools. Notice the difference? One comes with sowing and reaping, just caring for the land and reaping the delicious results. Ah, but the other, the minerals and ore’s, they have to be mined! It is much harder work to dig and mine those resources. It’s just pure work!

After all this, God’s instructions comes back to remembering Him, remembering His rules, His ways. Why? Because when abundance comes, our relationships, both with God and one another, tend to fade into the background. God states a difficult truth about our human nature, when we become too rich, we forget. “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful!”

Prayer

Dad,
I am comforted and embarrassed that you know us so well. I know I get distracted so easily when things are going super good. When it comes to having wealth or abundant resources, I believe your antidote is generosity. Giving away the abundance, the extra, helps me focus on something other than just storing up more for myself. Plus, It’s fun. So when I buy a two-pack of milk at Costco, I can think of these verses and remember to give one away 😀.

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Lens check.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.” Proverbs‬ ‭15‬:‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

I went to get my eyes checked because I thought something might be wrong with my eyes. It was getting harder to read small print up close, without adequate lighting. I thought, “oh, here we go, my eyes are going bad!” My optometrist checked my eyes and gave me the news. I braced for the worst. He said, “there is nothing wrong with your eyes.” I retorted in disbelief, “but I can’t see as clearly as I used to.” He replied, “yeah, your old and your eyes ability to focus get a little weaker, you just need some help with reading glasses.” I wasn’t going blind, I was just getting old!

Is it possible that our perspective, our mental, emotional lenses can effect what we see happening around us? The wisdom writers confirm, it can and it does. The ESV translation is accurate in giving us the original Hebrew version, “all the days of the afflicted (ani: poor, afflicted) are evil (ra’: adversity).” The perspective from those who are poor, physically and/or spiritually is ALWAYS tainted with adversity. From their lens, their daily picture of what life is and what life gives, is all hardship and trouble.

I see people, I talk with people who live this way. Even though they may not actually be physically or spiritually poor, their lens only sees bleakness and doom. I spend a few minutes with them and I’m depressed just listening to their litany of tragedy. I can’t talk them out of it, I only listen and grieve with them. It’s always the same perspective of misery.

Proverbs contrasts this lens with another view. The one who’s heart is happy. Isn’t that interesting. A happy heart is the corrective lens that is able to see differently. The cheerful (towb: beautiful, pleasant, agreeable) heart sees a whole different life. This heart sees a feast (mishteh: a feast), a party filled with friends, food and laughter. I also talk with people like this! They are usually upbeat and are so excited to tell me about all the good things that are happening in their life. How strange! The contrast and comparison is wildly different. Can I be honest? I don’t enjoy being around forever negative people. I feel it is my Biblical responsibility and pastoral duty to do so.

The miserable are ALWAYS miserable and the cheerful are ALWAYS cheerful? We know that can’t be true. There must be some good things that come to the despondent heart. And, conversely, there must be some bad things that come to the cheerful heart. But the lens, the perspective, seems to be radically different.

When I start seeing everything as trouble and adversarial, I need to get my heart lens checked. I will find that my heart is not broken, it just gets tired and overwhelmed. I need to get some “spiritual readers,” to help me focus and get clarity on what I see. My heart is the lens of my soul’s view of life! I need to tend to correcting its focus! God’s Word, the Holy Spirit and close friends are my corrective lenses. They help me focus my heart to get a Godly perspective of reality.

Prayer

Dad,
Who can know my heart, my thoughts, my motives better than you. When my heart is sad, my perspective is dark and blurry. But when I spend time with you, especially in Your Word and prayer, you comfort my heart, you lift my soul from despair. As I have learned from the Psalmists, I can be completely open and honest with my feelings, but ultimately I need help tweaking my lenses to see what is true, right and good. Thank you for tending to my heart which dictates my view of everything around me.

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Division is demonic!

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn’t speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see. The crowd was amazed and asked, “Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?” But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What did the Pharisees know about Beelzebub?

Not enough! This demonic confrontation was unusual because there’s a clash of demonology and theology among the Pharisees. Who knew more about both, Jesus or the religious leaders? The Pharisees may have just tossed out a simple rebuke and rebuff by casually, almost jokingly saying, “yeah, this guy obviously works for Satan!” They were all rilled up because the people were asking if Jesus could be the Messiah. Jesus didn’t think it was funny.

Jesus used the misinformation and verbal distraction to correct and teach truth on the subject. Just think about this, the Pharisees dropped the “official” title of the chief liar and slander – Beelzebub! It was used 8 times in the New Testament and it comes from an ancient combination of two words, Baal and Zebub, literally lord of the flies! In this story is the technical name of Satan, the chief of evil spirits. Well, that settles the argument about where flies come from, right? 😁

Jesus lays out some common sense truth. How or why would Satan cast out Satan? The sad observation that the demon inside this man was doing an excellent job of torturing him and keeping him bound and enslaved by being blind and mute. Why would Satan kick himself out? Jesus makes such a strong case, not only about how evil works, but why it is so effective still today. Jesus says, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart. And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is divided and fighting against himself. His own kingdom will not survive.”

Ah, it’s not just satan’s kingdom that wouldn’t survive, it’s our towns and families that won’t either. Truth boom 💥 – division is a demonic weapon. Division is just more lies from the lord of flies. Jesus zeroes in on the real issue. It’s not just mis-identifying the work of God as demonic. It’s flat out telling the Pharisees – you’re on the wrong team brothers! They said they worked for God, but Jesus being God, says “nope, they are not working for me.”

When folks start calling freedom and deliverance satanic, it makes me wonder who’s team they’re on. As believers we MUST be unified under the banner of Christ! We need to stop gossiping and heresy-hunting about every preacher, leader we just don’t agree with. We need to stop the denominational divisions and nitpicking of preferences and polity within THE CHURCH. We are all one whether some admit it or not. Like the warning to the religious leaders then, we need to quit falling prey to the ploys of Beelzebub. Get on team Jesus and behave like a united family!

Prayer

Dad,
I need to be reminded that you are coming back for the bride of Christ, the one without spot or wrinkle. I feel like we’ve got a lot of spots and wrinkle and I’m looking for the day we, as Your Church, not just look good, but behave good! Help us Oh God! We need you to judge us, purify us, prepare us for your return. Maybe that’s really what’s going on right now. As so many are exciting the Church and many are walking away from their faith, maybe this is exactly what you want to happen. I still pray, in hope, that you will pour your Spirit capturing the hearts and minds of those who have fallen for the lies and save them.

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Wonder and sustainability in how we care for the planet.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭65‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Written towards the end of David’s life is this deep appreciation for the way God cares for earth. David’s observation; how fortunate it must be for those who live on “the ends” where the sun rises and falls. Which we know is anyone who just walks outside with a clear view of the east and west!

What a joy it is to burst into singing to God as the sun rises or sit in silence as it sets. I love both! Whether I’m walking, or hiking (when I was younger) or driving directly into the morning sunrise – it is always invigorating and spectacular. Our family has a ritual, once a year on our getaway to Tahoe, to walk down to the lakeshore and watch the sun set over the western hills of the lake. It’s so peaceful and quiet. It’s breathtaking. The day begins and ends in a spectacular array of color and bursts of light across the skies.

David’s reflection of God’s wonder go on in verses 9-13. He details God’s care and sustaining work in keeping the earth healthy in its ecosystem. When I read this psalm it reminds me of two things: One, David’s son Solomon must have gotten his deep appreciation for nature from his Dad. Solomon, in all his wisdom knew everything about botany and zoology. Two, those who love God, who follow Jesus should be the best environmentalists – but not the political use of that word!

We believe God not only created the world, but he put humans in charge of managing it. Christians should be at the forefront of caring for and sustaining the wonder and beauty of the earth. Not to the point of valuing plant and animal life above humans, but to keep a better balance of how we care for the air we breath, the water we drink, the forests we use to build our homes and the way we care for the land and animals we need for food. We should recognize our outpaced obsessions and addictions that harm our planet. We should be better at curbing our wants and desires to be the best caretakers we can be. David did his best to live by God’s own environmental laws, in care of the ecosystem, to honor God. I for one, love clean air, water and food sources!

Prayer

Dad,
You have created and designed such a beautiful place for us to live and enjoy the wonder of this big blue planet. And the spectacular array of light and color from the Sun is beyond words to describe it. Thank you for this wonderful place. Help us God, to be better caretakers of what you have given for us to enjoy. This place may not be our permanent home, but we should leave it better than we arrived here!

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Wisdom as a living legacy.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore. In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Egypt.” ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭4‬:‭29‬-‭30‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There have been many men and women who have become famous for their writings, ideologies and philosophies AFTER they were dead. Solomon’s fame rose quickly and spread rapidly across the known world. It is estimated that Solomon died at 60 years old, and he reigned as King for some 40 years. So for the author to write this is astounding! “He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite and the sons of Mahol—Heman, Calcol, and Darda. His fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations. He composed some 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs. He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall. He could also speak about animals, birds, small creatures, and fish. And kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon.”

Can you imagine that kind of impact within your lifetime? What a mind! And, of course, that great wisdom is balanced by Solomon’s own struggles in moral or Godly decisions. You can’t have a 1,000 wives (political marriages or not) and not have issues in relationships. Just think about all those ladies influences (idols and beliefs) in the capital and the nation. Plus, the Bible doesn’t say exactly, but I just bet the dude was handsome as well 🥴. Reading about Solomon does make me reflect on my life. Who I am. Where and what I have come from. And, most importantly, what I have done with what God has given me. I enjoy wanting to be useful in the Kingdom of God. To whom much is given, much is required.

Prayer

Dad,
You have been so good to me. And, I have seen your blessings and favor all throughout my life. I did not deserve any of it and it has been quite unexpected how everything has turned out thus far. I am oh so grateful. From the moment I began to understand the massive changes you were making in me, I wanted to make something good out of my life. I wanted to be more than just useful, but effective at leveraging my life and story for others to see how great you are. I want others to be encouraged and inspired to believe and know what is in store for those who love you. I may not have the wisdom of Solomon, but I am still thrilled to make myself available to be busy in your Kingdom.

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Solving human dilemmas.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Some time later two prostitutes came to the king to have an argument settled. “Please, my Lord,” one of them began, “this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was with me in the house. Three days later this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there were only two of us in the house. “But her baby died during the night when she rolled over on it. Then she got up in the night and took my son from beside me while I was asleep. She laid her dead child in my arms and took mine to sleep beside her. And in the morning when I tried to nurse my son, he was dead! But when I looked more closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t my son at all.” ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Most often, when I think about wisdom, I imagine the problems and situations regarding finances, major life decisions and discerning God’s purpose for my life. You’ll notice that all of those are self focused. Of course we need wisdom to make decisions on who we might marry or stepping up to rent a more accommodating and expensive living situation. Or, even major health decisions over us or our children. These decisions alone are hard and we feel a sense of desperation. I recently spoke with a couple facing a major medical decision. The doctor only presented two options: stop taking these life saving medications or lose a major organ! Both were horrible options. They needed wisdom!

Here in Kings, this story follows the supernatural interaction between God and Solomon. Kings records that Solomon loved the Lord and kept all his father’s (David’s) decrees – plus Solomon gave offerings to the Lord… 1,000 of them! God was pleased with Solomon and offered him anything he wanted. Fame, riches, long life or death to his enemies – just name it and God would give it to him. Solomon asked for wisdom. Can I pause and tell you, every parent wants their child to do better, be better than themselves. Great parents want their child to seek good things, not selfish pursuits. God gave Solomon what he asked for PLUS all the things he didn’t ask for.

This story here is the first recorded story of the results of that wisdom. I see two amazing things in these verses. One: the first cases Solomon would hear as a judge would be from a woman (really both) who was an outlier, a sex worker in ancient times! This tells me that everyone rich or poor, good or bad reputations, had access to justice in this new court. Two: the case tells me that wisdom is not only for personal insight, but can and should be applied when helping others solve their most difficult decisions or resolve their conflicts.

Only one woman was telling the truth, but with no other witnesses available, it would be impossible to know which one. The point that leaps out at me, as a leader and dealing with people problems.; I need Godly wisdom to help resolve human dilemmas! This sad and messy issue would not resolve itself, it required someone outside of the two women’s lives and situation to bring a judgment and allow justice to be served. One child has died and the two mothers are fighting to keep the living one! I also notice there is no mention of a father in this child’s life! So, whatever happens, one woman will be raising the child alone.

As a pastor, I come across these kinds of modern human dilemmas all the time. People asking for prayer, asking for outside help on making difficult decisions. We all need wisdom, but oftentimes the situation calls for the necessity of Godly wisdom. The New Testament is helpful when James writes in 1:5, “If anyone lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously!”

Prayer

Dad,
We get ourselves into such a mess! And, yes, sometimes messes, conflicts and issues just come our way. We find ourselves so desperate to want to make the right decision, even if we have caused our own pain. That’s when we call out to you to ask for wisdom. I have total confidence that you will answer because you have done so in my life many times over. It becomes a really tricky part of faith! Faith to ask, faith to listen and faith to be patience and still while you work things out on our behalf. I am so very grateful for your wisdom. And, that you give it freely to those who ask.

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God sees and God knows.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭15‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Did your mother ever tell you, “God is always watching”? It is true. What may seem inescapable as a child can also be comforting. It also gets quite convicting as a teen. I couldn’t explain it as a child, but I did have a sense that someone, somewhere was watching over me and watching out for me. It was a benevolent, secure feeling when I was growing up. I did not have a sense that an ominous being was hovering about watching and waiting for me to do wrong and send punishments from above. I could only understand kindness.

This was helpful when I was fifteen and a nonverbal voice spoke to me and offered me life and a promise. God offered to be my Dad if I gave Him my life. The reason I recognized this voice, this feeling, was directly connected to the idea that someone had kept me from great harm while going through a traumatic and chaotic childhood. I wasn’t necessarily a good boy or even an evil boy. It was much simpler than that. I was invisible and lost. The Lord who keeps watch over the invisible was the only one who really saw me.

If you feel invisible or lost, I can assure you – God sees you. And, He knows you, from before you began and throughout eternity. David in the Psalms wrote, “If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.” So it is both comforting and convicting to know that God sees us in our evil choices as well as good ones. I think it’s best to keep our attention on just us, not focusing on others. It does no good to compare our own evils or good with others. That comparison is detrimental to us and the person we are comparing to. Knowing that God sees all, even to the level of our thoughts and motivations, we should just concern ourselves with how God feels about us – ignoring what everyone may think.

When we are good, or obedient to what God wants, of course He is pleased. And when we are evil, or disobedient, He is not pleased with our choices or behavior. However, His love and mercy are always towards us and He disciplines those He loves. There are natural consequences to our choices and behaviors as well as God’s supernatural intervention to bring us or keep us to the narrow path of salvation.

Without knowing anyone’s story, or their past. Without knowing their struggles and pains. It is impossible to judge or compare our lives to each other. This makes God’s justice and judgement perfect to each and every human soul. God sees and knows us individually and intimately.

Prayer

Dad,
I love that this Proverb captures the truth and it is all I have ever known. When I do good, you see. It does not matter if anyone else sees it. And, conversely, when I do evil, you also see, but I would definitely not want anyone else to see! Even knowing you see me, has not prevented me from evil, selfish choices. That really bothers me and it’s puzzling to figure out why I still choose to do it. There is no good nor evil that can be hidden from you. I love for you to see my good choices and loath to think of you watching my evil choices. I have cursed my own humanity to be in that bind. I am constantly in need of your grace and mercy. It is helpful, but humbling to know that you see me through the work of Christ and His payment for my sins. Yet, I must believe or be crushed by the disappointment I bring before You when I chosen to do evil. Thank you for your gift of undeserved favor!

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Who is still plotting to kill Jesus?

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus.” Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I know it sounds absurd! Weren’t the Pharisees the good guys? Didn’t the religious leaders work for God? How could things get so turned around to the point where they believed that Jesus (God in flesh) was the enemy of God?

For sure, the silence of heaven, when God did not speak for 400 hundred years, was difficult. The Jewish religious experts knew about this because the Talmud teaches, “After the last prophets Chaggai, Zechariah, and Malachi died, the Divine Spirit of prophetic revelation departed from the Jewish people.” And the last book in the Old Testament, Malachi, is the only prophetic book that ends not in deliverance but judgment; in fact, it ends with the word curse, Mal 4:5. One: God was not happy with the stubbornness of His people. Two: the promise to keep their end of the covenant would not be fulfilled.

In short, after 400 years, the Pharisees no longer remembered what God was like! And, the transition from protecting the ways of God to controlling people blinded them from seeing who God was. Jesus did not come in a cloud by day or fire by night. He came as an innocent, helpless baby, born in the most common circumstances of that day.

This is why some religious leaders are still plotting to kill today. They don’t recognize God working! They don’t understand what God is doing among us, so they desire to return to old, extracurricular practices and religious structures to protect what was once cherished, clear and simple. It was never Biblical, but it was an easy interpretation of the “law” or rules that suited the times of change.

The Pharisees were holding the line on certain Old Testament rules. This one was about rules regarding the sabbath. They wanted the people to stay within their designated boundaries and return to the “law” as they interpreted it. This new rabbi Jesus was a rebel! This lawbreaker would be treated like many traitors of God before him! This rabbi didn’t just break their rules, he encouraged others to join him. They must eliminate this rebellion against God! Matthew recorded this in 12:15, “But Jesus knew what they were planning. So he left that area, and many people followed him. He healed all the sick among them,”

Problem is, Jesus is God. What they called rebellion was in fact freedom. Who they saw as an enemy of God was in fact God’s son. What they called an insurrection would later be a resurrection!

Religion, religious practices and rules in addition to God’s principles are still used to control people and attempt to crush rebellion by using the Bible as the stick of correction. Jesus used this phrase so often, “you have heard it said,” referring to the strict, legal application of the Old Testament laws. But then Jesus, giving us the very character and heart of God, said, “but I say…”

We still have enemies of our soul within the community of faith and from without. God will do His work, bringing salvation and redemption to all humans. We should recognize His work, His character and stop plotting to kill the work of those who are being Jesus to our broken world. I know that no one would think they are outright plotting to kill Jesus today. But I do wonder about the motivations and movements of our spiritual and denominational leaders of the Church. Has God been silent and therefore they feel that they need to speak and act more vehemently against culture to protect God, His Church or His people? I don’t want to thwart God’s plans and ways of accomplishing His will by going backwards or religiously restricting us back to rules, rhythms and rituals that didn’t really work in the past. I want to hear God and move with Him.

Prayer

Dad,
I certainly do not want to be someone who knows you and kind of works for you (at least in the church community) yet becomes disconnected from you. I don’t want discouragement and frustration to fog or blur your purpose and plans for your Kingdom. I want to see your Spirit thrive and revive, heal and restore broken souls. I want to be a part of the revolution not try to constrain you working among us. Help us God, pour our your Holy Spirit once again.

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Consider God’s thoughts.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭15‬-‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The most spectacular verses written by David. David records this prayer after being made king over all Israel in 1 Chronicles 13. The celebration was huge! But more than that, David made his first kingly decree, “It is time to bring back the Ark of our God, for we neglected it during the reign of Saul.” David invites the physical presence of God, represented in the Ark of the Covenant. It’s within the context of this moment, filled with joy and overwhelming emotions and the culmination of years of promise that led to that moment. It’s in those moments David writes this beautiful prayer.

The span of our human life – God sees it, saw it all before time even began. This is powerfully sacred! Have you thought about how God knows each one of us? How God sees us, individually? And what are God’s thoughts towards us, towards you? David is love-struck knowing that God’s thoughts towards him are precious and numerous. How can this be? How does that work? How is it possible? Never mind the mysterious details! Just grab that idea for a moment. God’s thoughts for you are precious and innumerable. Read Psalm 139:1-6.

We only have capacity to review our past and ponder our history. When and where we were born, thinking about our parents and our circumstances of growing up. We can only remember up to yesterday or the moment before this one. God’s thoughts, go out ahead of our life, beyond today. His thoughts go out to tomorrow and beyond the end of our life. God knows when and how we will come to the end of our life here! But even then, His thoughts continue towards us on throughout eternity. We have to admit along with David, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!” Yes, too great to understand. Yet we can know that it is true and God is trustworthy!

Prayer

Dad,
Thinking about you, thinking about me is wonderfully overwhelming! How could I possibly grasp all that means? I can believe it. I can accept it as true. And, like David and trillions of other souls that exist, I can reflect on that fact that you know me intimately and love me completely.