Daily thoughts and experiences from my mind and life.
Devotions/Studies
What God is teaching and speaking to me.
Time To Get Serious: Better Than Gold
Sep 26th
Psalm 19:7-14, we need God’s Word. This passage in the Psalms is telling us what the Word of God can do for us: 1.) it’s comprehensive; and can change your whole person, 2.) it teaches you how to live; and gives wisdom, 3.) shows you the true path; you can’t see life as it really is without it, 4.) the Word is pure and perfect without fault.
The reading also talks about how so many things in the world today take away from being in God’s Word, and holding it more valuable. The reading also got me thinking about the difference in reading a Biblical-based study, and just reading the Bible straight-up. I had the pleasure of talking with my families old neighbor over the weekend. She was telling me about the solid Bible teaching that was preached at her church. God’s Word was presented and studied verse-by-verse. There was a period in High School when myself and another youth and a youth leader did this on a weekly basis in the mornings. The amount of learning that came through that time was like none other. I think about now, and sure I’m doing this study which involved first reading a passage then reading a devotion text about it. I’m also going through LifeShapes. The thing that I’m not apart of right now is delving only into the Word, and letting God speak to me directly and not through someone else’s words. So to actually put LifeShapes into practice, I now need to come up with a plan for this. I will need to think about this today. Something I should finish the day with.
Time To Get Serious: Our God is “Heavy”
Sep 22nd
Matthew 17:1-8, Jesus and the mount of transfiguration. When Jesus took a few of the Disciples up to the mountain top, I see two things that happened. One, is that He revealed His glory as God. It has me thinking about all the ways that God reveals Himself to us, whether through His Word, through others, or through things that happen. We have many opportunities to see God in the world.
The second thing that happened, was that the disciples wanted to pitch tents and stay there experiencing this great event. However, Jesus said no. He didn’t want what happened to stay there, but wanted the Disciples to share what happened with others. We can sometimes take the times & things that God reveals to us, and keep them to ourselves. This does tie into the challenge the study gives. How can we share God’s glory with others? When it happens that God reveals Himself to us, we need to use the Learning Circle approach I think. We need to reflect on it and discuss it with others, and really for it to have the greatest impact we need to come up with a plan and take action on it. Not all things can necessarily be acted upon, however when God reveals Himself to us there has to be some impact on us. I think that He does this so that we can have a closer relationship with Him.
Time To Get Serious: God’s Got The Power
Sep 21st
Job 38:1-7, God is omnipotent, I think God does a lot of laughing as He watches us struggle with things that He can take care of with a simple thought. It can be so easy for us to forget about God in even the small details. When we begin to think that “we can do it” we can leave God by the way-side. Man has made many accomplishments, but none of it would have happened without God allowing it. It’s important for use to bring all things to God for His guidance. I thinking about when I have problems with a computer and struggle through a solution. I’ve found myself not even considering bringing it to God. If I would simply take the time to realize that God can take care of this, and go to Him, the solution might come about much quicker. We can see from what happened to Job that God does test us. When kairos moments happen and we begin the learning circle it’s important to not forget God in each part of the circle. We need to remember that God needs to be first in all things. We have no ability on our own, without God.
Time To Get Serious: He’s Everywhere
Sep 20th
Isaiah 43:1-7, God is omnipresent, today’s reading is talking about how God is everywhere and cannot be contained. However, it talks about two different kinds of being present. One is His essence and being everywhere in His fullness, the other is His presence in His relationship to us. When Jesus was on the cross, God the Father was there, but Christ called out “My God! Was have You forsaken Me”, so there was a lack of God Father’s relationship being there. This passage in Isaiah is talking about how God has a special presence with His children, which is not there with those that aren’t His children. As Christians, God is not only around us but with us every step on our walk. This reminds me of the “Footprints in the Sand” story/peom. God is always there for us whether we know it or not, or think about it. He is not only omnipresent in the world/universe but omnipresent in our lives. I praise and thank God for that!