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Cannot see but set on being seen.

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road. When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening. They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was going by. So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” “Be quiet!” the people in front yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Luke‬ ‭18:35-39‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There is so much packed into this story Luke brings, highlighting Jesus’ compassion, attention to details, human needs as well as elements of faith. What I like is the triple surprise effect. The beggar, the BLIND beggar obviously had his spot at the gate. We’ve all seen the similar and consistent characters on our own neighborhood street corners. Surprise! That day wasn’t going to be normal at all. All the other days are mundane if not miserable, but this one – oh no – everything changed. Days can be like that for us, right? God can and often does surprise us.

The blind beggar man had lost his sight, but hadn’t lost his ears or voice. He had instincts, street-smarts and knew when something unusual was happening. I’m guessing he could sense trouble or the thrill of a crowd. What a great situational awareness skill! The crowd heard him, yet didn’t really see him. And, even though they themselves were excitedly talking, possibly even shouting, they did not feel the beggar needed to distract the miracle working Rabbi. Maybe the crowd had their own needs and we’re pressing in around Jesus, similar to the mob with the woman and her medical issue. Yet, the blind beggar would be heard.

There is something refreshing when someone has gumption, the nerve, the determined drive to be heard. Luke writes, “when Jesus heard.” The crowd had been listening, but Jesus was not yet close enough. Luke says “he stopped.” He told some of the people, bring him to me. You can feel the tension of the medical-powerball-lotto ticket numbers being read.

Surprise. Then Jesus does this thing I’ve only seen in one other situation. He asks the man, “what do you want me to do for you?” Now, before we might say, “isn’t it obvious!” I have to remind myself that “obvious” is only what WE see, not what God sees. The man that was paralyzed, you know where his friends lower him through Peter’s mother-in-law’s roof. It was obvious to everyone that he NEEDED to walk again. But Jesus knew he needed forgiveness! The paralyzed man by the pool of Bethesda only wanted a push into the miracle-stirred water. Yet Jesus asked him, “Do you want to be well?”

The blind man now SEEN by Jesus had an immediate response – “I want to see.” And surprise, Jesus says, “receive your sight!” Two miracles just like that. Being seen by Jesus, then seeing God! The first person his eyes would see was the only one he would ever really need to see!

Prayer

Dad,
How do I get the blind beggar skills without having to be blind myself? This guy was super-enabled! His grit and determination. And, his faith! Wow. I have great eyesight, yet there are so many times I do NOT see. I don’t see the needs of other. I don’t see your hand of grace and mercy. I don’t see Jesus nearly enough living in the mundane days. The blind beggar teaches me so many lessons. Thank you for these stories. Thank you for the surprises throughout the day. I am humbled.

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Seduced by another love.

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“How happy I was to meet some of your children and find them living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded.” 2 John‬ ‭1:4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

John, the elder, writes these letters decades after walking, talking and experiencing Christ, the son of man, son of God on earth. How interesting that he describes the Church as the eklektos: selected, elected, by implication – favorite LADY as well as her children. It explains the reason John adds this comment in verse 4. He was ecstatic to meet the children of the great lady, the Church!

One commentator put it this way, John “has reason to know that certain others of her children are not walking in truth. Through the elect lady’s too indiscriminate hospitality, some of her children have been seduced by the deceivers who have come to her bringing another doctrine than that of Christ being fully God and fully man.”

It was that word “seduced,” that caught my attention. This is the most effective tool of deception. It’s not just a lie. It’s a carefully constructed process that lures people, wanting to believe something so badly, they are carried away with it – thus seduced.

When generational transitions happen in this transfer of truth, some will believe and live it – others will not. Even with this extremely powerful word called love operating in our soul – it can happen. We can wander. We can be seduced by another. John uses the word “love” to make the point of what truth translates into… love. Then he gives a definition, “Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.” John defines an aspect of love as obedience to what God has commanded. One of those commandments came from Jesus himself – “love one another.” Love wasn’t spelled out specifically in the big 10 commandments list.

Back to truth and seduction. What happens when truth and real love is just not sexy enough to hold our attention? What if someone, something comes along and subtly suggests that God is not telling us everything, you know, keeping a few things from us? And this deceit comes along, convincing us and carrying us away with a “better” truth, somehow a more appealing kind of love. This deception is so smooth, so deep that it can even persuade the most spiritual person who for one moment takes their eyes off Jesus and turns to find out what this “real” truth, this other love looks like.

John gives us the very difficult and sad news, children of the great lady (the church) can be deceived. So John adds this, “Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked so hard to achieve. Be diligent so that you receive your full reward.” John uses a very strong word to describe this word lose. It’s the word “apollumi” – to utterly destroy. People wander. They can be seduced. And, they can lose what they had worked hard to achieve. I don’t know if this refers specifically to “salvation” he speaks of losing, because it wasn’t earned or worked for. What is he referring to? Spiritual maturity? Growth in Christ? That seems more likely. The truth traded in this example is that Jesus wasn’t really a human. But, there are other truths that we wander or are seduced away from. Currently, people have been seduced by other definitions of love, life, sexuality and even gender, even to the point of twisting God’s own Word and character.

Prayer

Dad,
These deceptions and seductions are no longer just prevalent in culture, which is to be expected. They are divisively, insidiously supplanted in the “Great Lady’s” gathering – the Church. Now we are finding ourselves fighting a spiritual war over the definition of love within and without the community of faith. This is far above our ability or understanding to resolve. We need you to supernaturally intervene with your mercy, grace and power. This is my prayer. Visit us once again. Pour out your spirit on our country, our communities.

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Sin is in fact infectious!

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says. Ask the priests this question about the law: ‘If one of you is carrying some meat from a holy sacrifice in his robes and his robe happens to brush against some bread or stew, wine or olive oil, or any other kind of food, will it also become holy?’” The priests replied, “No.” Then Haggai asked, “If someone becomes ceremonially unclean by touching a dead person and then touches any of these foods, will the food be defiled?” And the priests answered, “Yes.” Then Haggai responded, “That is how it is with this people and this nation, says the Lord. Everything they do and everything they offer is defiled by their sin.” Haggai‬ ‭2:11-14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I love it when God asks questions. Isn’t interesting? This one seems to be all about a food preparation object lesson.

These are ancient times and God has given Israel “laws” to help them in the proper way to handle food. He asks them if the “holy” meat makes other foods holy just by touching them together. The modern word for making meat holy is called Kosher and it most likely became the standard for all food preparation and handling.

We know so much more about handling food than we used to and yet, we still have warnings and about mishandling our food supply line today – especially with things like Salmonella!

Corruption and defilement only seem to go one way. Good can’t “defile,” or making something clean just by contact or touching. Holy meat cannot make anything holy simply by contact. God’s point… it’s different with corruption, disease or sickness. Bad can corrupt or defile good with a simple contact point. The Apostle Paul uses this analogy when he writes to the churches in Corinth, “bad company corrupts good morals.”

God’s illustration is touching a dead body, where corruption and death has begun breaking down the cells which used to be alive. In this very natural death process the body is experiencing corruption where bacteria and germs do their job to return the body to the earth where it began.

Scientists, healthcare workers and food handlers know this instinctively, death is dangerously infectious!

God’s boundaries, His laws for Israel taught them to not touch the dead without careful cleansing and mandatory isolation from others so disease doesn’t spread. This is well before they knew why death was so dangerous! Then God speaking through Haggai lands this mind-blowing concept to them – SIN = DEATH. Sin is corruption. Sin breaks down all living things and brings death. God explains to them, everything we do, everything we offer, CANNOT be holy, clean or free of death itself. We have sin. We ARE sin. Therefore, everything we “touch” will become corrupted and die. Sadly, this includes things we offer to God – ouch. Of course, post Christ’s death and resurrection, making the final and completely perfect sacrifice for the penalty of sin, our offerings as someone contraction-ally in good standing with God can, in faith, offer redemptive acts.

Prayer

Dad,
Sin is so dangerous! It is so infectious. We have so many social viruses spreading among us these days. These popular crowd-sourced and driven ideals are laced with death! These grand social experiences and experiments are ruthlessly effective to bring death in our relationships, families, and civil structures. It’s like we, as humans, take great joy in passing around a soul-virus, with zero care or precaution to their effects on our lives. Truth has been trampled and swapped out for lies! You said this would happen. You told us this is what the end looks like. We need your mercy Oh God. We need your supernatural intervention to stop this fast spreading disease called sin.

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Raising a bad seed.

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“It is painful to be the parent of a fool; there is no joy for the father of a rebel.” Proverbs‬ ‭17:21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Parenting is NOT easy. In fact, with the amount of change, social awareness and TOO MUCH information, it’s harder than ever. Parenting is now a crowdsourcing experience. And, if you fall trap to the loud, crass, “experts”, you’re always be swimming in a pool of “I’m not enough” for my child. The comparison game is like the book series, “The Hunger Games.” It’s high stakes – the world is watching competition for the smartest, most charming and stylish child award. Maybe we were better parents when we were dumb and unaware?

Knowledge of child raising techniques has only increased stress and a horrible pretense of control. Parents aren’t supposed to control their children, they are supposed to love them, parent them, teach them and protect them.

The wisdom writers give us these axioms, these principles for parenting. And, there are a bunch of them scattered throughout Proverbs. One truth: It is extremely painful to raise a fool. Let me remind you of the Hebrew word used here: Nabal: foolish, senseless. Nabal is one of four words used in Proverbs. There is Keciyl (49x), silly, simple or dumb. Pethiy (15x), unaware, seducible. ‘Eviyl, (19x), perverse, bent. Then there is Nabal (3x), wicked, purposely vile. Nabal may, in fact, be best described in the movie, “The Bad Seed.” You may say, “its impossible to have an evil child.” Thinking about the whole nature vs nurture argument. Think what you want. The job of a parent is to guide their children away from their pre-disposed character issues towards right, good and wise. Isn’t that our job?

Every parent knows, or should know, babies come out of the womb with enormous behavioral and individual characteristic qualities. There is no child that like any other child! Here in this Proverb we have the worst case scenario, the child is a fool and the pain must be carried by their parents. Notably, the Dad, but we know both parents suffer immensely when this happens. This verse does not help us nor warn us how NOT to raise or help this rebellious child. It only recognizes the grief, the lack of joy in having a child turn out this way. And, this child is powerfully capable of bringing pain and sorrow to the entire family tree. A child growing into adulthood can being great joy and healthy pride, or they can bring great grief.

Also remember if Proverbs was a curriculum for young Jewish men, these principles and pearls of wisdom would be taught to the young as a warning about critical areas necessary for their growing and maturity, and give them a sense of responsibility to their God-given family name. The time to learn about obedience, consequences and boundaries are when the child is young and a parent can clearly see patterns that will either be helpful or hurtful to their development into youth, young adult and adulthood.

This is when children often think of us as the “bad parent,” killing our free-spirited joy of chaos, tantrums or bursts of anger. Ah, but we know how important it is to be a parent of a young child, not a friend or a nanny. We should not be afraid of their willful tears or swayed by their get-my-way tricks. Momma & Daddy don’t want to raise no fool!

Prayer

Dad,
I worried and wondered what kind of Father I would be, not having a good role model myself. I wondered what kind of Mother Robin would be. My hope was that Robin instinctively knew all about parenting. We both learned a lot having and raising the three amazing children, now grown adults. I credit Robin and Your grace for our grown children not turning out to be fools. And, I am so thankful for their character. Now, full circle, a couple of them are raising their own little miracles! Watching them love and train our Grandgirls is such a treat, such a joy. Thank you for allowing us to experience this true joy of parenting!

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The priest and the politician.

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else:” Luke‬ ‭18:9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus told a lot of stories. And, they are eternally effective. No matter what character you may relate to, you’ll find the commonality of humanity in these stories. It would be a mistake to overly identify with one and not the other. At some point in our walk of faith, our journey, it is likely that we play BOTH roles, depending on the stages of our spiritual maturity. Hint, the more “mature” stages can be the most unaware.

Jesus aims his word crafting skills at those with great confidence in their own righteousness. The confident compare and contrast with these regimented, performance based behaviors – what I do. The humble also compare to things they’ve done in the past and recognize them as wrong. One character mentions (to God, btw) how they are nothing like those around him. The —cheaters, sinners, adulterers, and most certainly (glancing over at) the tax collector! It is said that the sins you recognize and rail against are likely your OWN sins and desires, mirrored back in another human being. Obviously, a lavished lifestyle based on taking financial advantage of others instead of earning it is frowned upon. If the stereotype fits…

Then for the Pharisee, the bonum officium, good duties, are mentioned only to mask what’s really in his heart – “I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’” The other character, also, not only prays, but his entire posture lends to contrition. He stands off, away from others. He doesn’t even “lift his eyes to heaven.” And as he reflects on his own sin and standing before a perfect God, he “beat his chest in sorrow.” Then he prays “‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’”

What’s tough here is that one dutifully fasts and prays, the other rips people off and that seems all wrong. Is God applauding bad behavior and criticizing well known spiritual practices? No, no no – Jesus is wanting his audience to compare and contrast, not to each other, but to God – actually himself.

Can we compare to Jesus in purity of heart and behavior? Both characters pale. Can performance of spiritual disciplines stink before God? Are the smells of sins of comparison and judging others EQUAL to the smell of sins of ill-gained wealth and usury? Aren’t both sins as seeing ourselves to be entitled and deserving of advantage? In the light of motivation isn’t cheating and adultery both sins of using people for our own pleasure? Can fasting and tithing for the purpose of recognition, and personal power over others be exactly the same? Jesus is just showing us two sides of the same coin.

Jesus did not, would not do anything for this self-motivated glory we so crave! Jesus did not play the pharisee nor the politician in this story. He played the role of God and demanded his audience compare to that perfection. What about our characters, what happened to each? One of them “returned home justified before God.” The other went home, sadly unchanged, and worse off, further from God than ever. “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Prayer

Dad,
When I compare to others, I may seem better than or worse, depending on my lens (wealth, spirituality, confidence, social standing). But when I compare myself in my thoughts and behaviors to you… well that’s just embarrassing! I must stop seeing others as less or more than me! We are ALL broken. We ALL fall short. We all fail at righteousness on our own. In this comparison game, I must remember not only who I WAS, but who I AM – a sinner saved by grace.

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Cave Prayers.

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“I cry out to the Lord; I plead for the Lord’s mercy. I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles. When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn. Wherever I go, my enemies have set traps for me. I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me.” Psalms‬ ‭142:1-4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This is David’s prayer as he’s running for his life, being hunted down and most of all hiding in caves. This guy eventually goes from caves to being King! These cave prayers capture his helplessness and hopelessness. He sees no path that reflects the fact that Samuel (Samuel 16:1) has anointed him as future king of Israel. The first part of these anguished prayers are filled with cathartic venting. The endings come around to recognize that God is still there and very much desired, “Then I pray to you, O Lord. I say, “You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life.”

How many times have told God, “you are really all I want, all I need in this life?” Oh I have. I certainly have prayed this way under duress and dark times. And, it’s true, God is all I need. In good times, times of blessing and favor, this prayer comes out as gratefulness. I experience these moments of remembering where I came from – in chaos and obscurity to where God has brought me – family and a good name.

Doesn’t everyone NEED some cave time, along with cave prayers? We would never invite it, but shouldn’t we welcome it when it comes along? Cave prayers reveal our dependency, our humanity and humility. Cave prayers position us in suffering and force us to recognize God in a way that courts, kingship and abundance cannot. Cave prayers reveal our hearts and intentions, showing us our surroundings and admitting our need for God’s presence. It takes a cave to flip our view of our future. Instead of seeing those who pursue us, we see God who surrounds us with His peace. Instead of seeing our own dreams and aspirations, we can only see God as He comforts us.

I am not currently in a cave, but I remember when I was. A few times in my life when I felt completely alone and crushed by the darkness of those cave moments. I felt like the life I had known was gone and I could not see anything ahead in my future. Yet, God was there with me, right-there-with-me.

Prayer

​Dad,
There is no way I can say that I liked my own cave time. I did not enjoy the loss of senses, direction or future. However, I did like the very cozy comfort of your presence, knowing that I was completely in your care, dependent on you in every way. And, like David, I realized that you were truly all I need.

I am enjoying gratitude much more than looking back than the dark desperation trying to look forward. I need a daily reminder of your presence, your will, and your ways. When I can get my heart and mind into that place of peace and assurance that you have all things under control and surrender to you, I can feel responsibilities, ToDo lists, even minutiae lift off my shoulders.

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Power prayers of Paul

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,” Ephesians‬ ‭1:15-16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Wow, I read Paul’s prayer for the folks in Ephesus and I think, “my prayers are so fluffy and weak comparatively! Here’s Paul’s prayer: “asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.”

Here I am asking God to give my friends peace and comfort and Paul is pushing for spiritual wisdom, GROWING in knowledge, flooded with light and confident in hope! Wait, there’s more… He also prays that they understand God’s power for US who believe (calling it resurrection power).

These are examples of continued TRANSFORMATION prayers. Paul writes of us, frail, broken humans being God’s rich and glorious inheritance. I think about that, we are God’s inheritance?

We are the outcome and expression of this epic battle of free will to choose Him, choose good over evil. Even after knowing and experiencing evil. Even after being lured by lies and falling for the bait every time. Even after carrying guilt, shame and natural consequences of our CHOICES! We can still chose God? He has provided the way back to himself.

How many times have you longed for the innocence and wonder you see in a child? When they were at a stage that they only knew of the safety and love of a good parent. Before they discovered bullies and lies. Before the fear of real monsters who prey on others. Before they even knew we, as parents, were not perfect! Oh, I know children aren’t completely innocent. But in terms of what they know of their world, remember how we feared the day they found out that not everyone and everything is good?

I have longed for that innocence and a future without politics, predators and pain. Paul prays that the church would know God, as He has always been and always will be – GOOD. But to also know God even in the midst of and surrounded by bad.

Prayer

Dad,
I want to know this wisdom, knowledge, hope and power now, when I need it the most. I pray for my family and friends to know these things now as well. Why wait, right? Why believe in in these eternal ideas and not live in such a way that reflects those truths now? I want them in my life and friend’s lives – now – because we so desperately need them now. Father, help us to remember to not just pray these words, but believe and live these words in our lives.

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Brain Ruts.

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.” Proverbs‬ ‭21:23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This one’s for me in the most unusual way. I am an over-sharer. I talk to much on a principle of connection and understanding those around me. Somewhere in there, I am trying to get and keep people connected. And, more than that, get people to know the real person underneath the shallow conversations we so often have. Sounds noble right? That’s the upside! The downside is I share the good and the shady. It’s the shady that drifts into gossip. I love input and interaction. I love a good dialog about deep things, hard questions and unsolvable mysteries. I promise it wears thin on my wife and adult children. I’m concerned that I’m developing the ruts so common in folks brains as they… (cough, cough) get older.

A rut is a well worn track that runs in the brain, an automatic neural response with words and ideas easily triggered by something we see or hear. I hear a friend talk about EV’s (electric vehicles) vs Oil/gas and my brain just starts lightning up, firing the well worn neutral path that looks like a bright-lit runway on a dark, moonless night. These ruts have deep memories and feel like a instant-ready playlist that auto starts and won’t stop until the last song is played. Plus, the conversational rut is happy to be running on auto, because our brains are the laziest organ in the human body.

As we age our brains are more than happy to set aside a few nodes and electrical bandwidth to keep us busy so it doesn’t overextend energy to learn NEW things. What does this have to do with this verse?

There is something incredibly addictive to enjoy connecting our rut-thoughts to our mouth! It’s like a powerful feedback loop. Our thoughts drift into these ruts, our mouth gladly picks up the ball and starts running a familiar script and we hear ourselves reinforcing those looped thoughts. Why do you think we tend to tell the same jokes as we age? Why do we “always” follow up with the same predictable responses? Ruts, Ruts, Ruts, that’s why.

Gossip and our wagging tongues are the worse use and example of these looped neural paths! I end up training my brain to hear juicy morsels of information about someone else and I store it in that precious “short-term” memory slot for quick access. Then, when I’m around friends, instead of listening to learn from or to encourage one another, my brain is listening for trigger words to allow me to jump to the remarkable recall of my playlist and start the track.

The wisdom of this proverb tells us to shut our mouths, effectively to stop the cycle and disrupt the process of starting the playlist. Having no verbal loop to make my rutted brain happy, it will finally release that rut, deleting the playlist. No, it’s not easy and no it does not happen quickly. But it does work. It is humorous that Proverbs says, “watch your tongue,” which is impossible while in a conversation, but we can bridle it – stopping it from prattling on and on.

Prayer

Dad,
Our mouths in direct connection to our thoughts is a wild combination! I know Proverbs says elsewhere that life and death is in the power of the tongue. And James describes it as the rudder of our life. It is so very powerful to build up but also tear down. Help me to keep my mouth healthy or help me keep my mouth shut.

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Check the expiration date.

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“I will gather the armies of the world into the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will judge them for harming my people, my special possession, for scattering my people among the nations, and for dividing up my land. They threw dice to decide which of my people would be their slaves. They traded boys to obtain prostitutes and sold girls for enough wine to get drunk.” Joel‬ ‭3:2-3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We have all sorts of foods, mostly spices, that made two or three “house moves” with us. My son in law pointed out that we have a lot of expired foods still stored in our kitchen. One, I had no idea spices even had an expiration date. Two, I though sealed cans and dry goods were, ya know, eternal. Everything here on earth has “best by” date on it.

Joel is the book of “final days,” when justice and judgment are fully realized on the earth. The people that have not only done their own thing and had their own way, but have done so in horrible, ways have an expiration date. Humans that ultimately pursue the darkest, dirtiest deeds to bring them pleasure through power over others, will come to an end.

It is a fact, humanity is not getting better, we just cycle in and out of horrendously selfish behavior. We are getting worse. In ancient times they had whole industries for abusing children for their own pleasures. Today we have local and global gangs and underground businesses that traffic children – human trafficking is more lucrative than drugs. It’s more sophisticated today, but runs as a constant sub-current of our society.

What would happen if all the vices of human pleasure were to suddenly be shut down? These are things we call “freedoms,” and personal rights. My body, my money, my right, my autonomy… my my my. Each one has alluring, even innocent edges. “It’s just gaming,” not gambling. It’s “recreational,” not additive, nor destructive to family, especially children. “It’s occasional,” infrequent, I can’t quit anytime I want. The worst lie we tell ourselves, “I’m not hurting anyone.”

Joel is speaking for God when he writes, “my people.” God is possessive, He is jealous over us. Many think that just goes for Israel, “God’s people.” It goes far beyond that. It extends to us, all of humanity. We were created in perfection, no vices, no sin, shame or regrets.

It was our choices to not trust God, thinking He was holding out on us, keeping us from truly knowing evil. What’s God hiding from us?, we thought. Obviously it’s something really good and God is just being mean and controlling by keeping it from us. Yeah, we STILL believe that lie, don’t we? We all have this little voice inside our head and it’s not just an American thought, “I want everything I’m due… all of it!” Joel affirms, “you can have it, but it will not end well.” Getting “all of it,” experiencing all of it, having, managing and keeping all of it – will never end well. Check the expiration date.

Prayer

Dad,
How can I ever give up this pursuit of evil and just go all in on pursuing good? The pursuit of evil, no matter how tasty it looks, always results in a bitter outcome. Cursed are these cycles we endure as humans. Maybe I ache for justice to finally and forever get that curse off my own back? I see the evils of our kind and have experienced the destruction it has caused in my life and so many others. I yearn for that final day when this world closes out and the new one is born.

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SA – Spiritual Awareness

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart.” Proverbs‬ ‭21:2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I don’t know if you follow this trend idea but emotional intelligence and self awareness are HUGE buzz words in leadership and engagement with teams. Emotional intelligence is the ability to “read the room.” That room may one person you said something offensive or insensitive to and didn’t even know it. That room may be filled with coworkers and you’ve told some old distasteful joke and everyone gets quiet, but you don’t notice. Self awareness is taking a read on your own words and behaviors. Both phrases have the ability to check yourself when you’ve gone verbally rabid. IF, you have a decent EQ score.

This wisdom proverb catches a layer of humanity that goes further, deeper into our soul. How many of us can be Spiritually intelligent or aware? Can we improve and get better at such things? I believe that followers of Jesus, who are soaked in the Spirit of God, can and will work on listening to the voice of God!

And do so not just to check ourselves but check the spiritual situational awareness around us as well. We MAY be correct in our perspective and rights, but to tap into what God is doing goes far beyond our own will and desires. There are so many Bible verses about how we humans look at each other. We judge by what we see. Of course, when it comes to others “seeing” us we want to be judged our past, our story, our reasons for what we said or did. However, in every interaction of relationship there’s a third party perspective- God himself. What does God see, what does God want? God always looks into and examines our hearts.

God looked into Cain’s heart, the firstborn son of Adam and Eve and saw his outward appearance, “Why do you look so dejected?” the Lord asked Cain. But God simultaneously looked into his heart and openly addressed it with Cain. God said, “Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” Genesis‬ ‭4:6-7‬ ‭NLT‬‬. Who better to peer into the mysterious areas of our own thoughts, feelings and attitudes but God? Of course our actions and behaviors are important and matter, both good and evil. But God sees the motivations behind our behaviors.

For me, Spiritual Awareness always starts with myself before I ever venture out to poke around in other people’s hearts. I always tell our family about situational awareness, knowing who and what is happening around them at all times while in public places. I need to balance that by also talking about our spiritual awareness of not just ourselves but also those around us.

Prayer

Dad,
As believers, I think we all need to increase our spiritual awareness. Not just to take a read on ourselves but also to read the room where others may be hurting. Can you help us remember that your always watching and always working?