With My Own Eyes

Three weeks in the books for 2012.  Great work everybody.  If you get behind, just pick up where we are today.  Whatever you do, don’t quit.  God has too much blessing in store for you.

Here is today’s Bible reading:  Genesis 42:18-43:34; Matthew 13:47-14:12; Psalm 18:16-36; Proverbs 4:7-10.

Genesis 43:8-10 (NIV)
Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die. [9] I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. [10] As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice.”

I appreciate Judah’s initiative and sense of personal responsibility.  He didn’t wait for someone else to step up.  He took it upon himself.  In this instance, he demonstrated some solid leadership qualities.

It is cloudy today, temps in the low ’60s, and rain in the forecast for tomorrow.  Will winter ever end?

Here is today’s Bible Reading:  Genesis 41:17-42:17; Matthew 13:24-46; Psalm 18:1-15; Proverbs 4:1-6

Proverbs 4:6 (NIV)
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
love her, and she will watch over you.

Who is the wisest person you know?  What makes them wise?  It has been said more than once that our culture is rich in knowledge and poor in wisdom.  How can we turn that tide?  How can we raise wise children and not just kids who know a bunch of stuff?

There is a guy here at the church today looking for some financial assistance.  He volunteered to help with chores or anything we might need help with and is working crazy hard on cleaning up some leaves.  His work ethic has ministered to me today.

Here is today’s Bible reading:  Genesis 39:1-41:16; Matthew 12:46-13:23; Psalm 17:1-15; Proverbs 3:33-35.

Genesis 39:2-4 (NIV)
The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. [3] When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, [4] Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.

Joseph had “it.”  “It” was not great intelligence, great physical prowess, or great wealth (Joseph was a slave after all).  “It” was the Presence of God.  The Presence of God made such a tangible difference in the life of Joseph that people recognized that there was something special about him.  Do people see it in me?  Do they see it in you?  May the Presence of God fill our lives to overflowing.

I am the chapel speaker at the Christian school next Wednesday.  I don’t think I will be speaking on the story of Judah and Tamar in Gen. 38.  Yikes!  I love the brutal honesty of the Bible.  If it were a made-up book, you wouldn’t include a story like that.  The Bible tells the true story of real people with real sin.  Fortunately, there is a real God with real grace.

Here is today’s Bible reading:  Genesis 37:1-38:30; Matthew 12:22-45; Psalm 16:1-11; Proverbs 3:27-32.

Psalm 16 is very encouraging to me today:

Psalm 16:7-11 (NIV)
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
[8] I have set the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.

[9] Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
[10] because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
[11] You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

So thankful to be able to work with my wife each day.  She is a blessing from God.

Here is today’s Bible reading:  Genesis 35:1-36:43; Matthew 12:1-21; Psalm 15:1-5
Proverbs 3:21-26.

I appreciate Psalm 15 so much.  It paints a picture for us of what a holy life looks like.  It challenges us to raise the bar of morality in our lives and not settle for what the world says is “OK.”  After all, the desired destination is the presence of a holy God and not the approval of a sinful world.  In what area is God challenging you to live according to a higher standard?

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  Where are the courageous leaders today?

Here is today’s Bible reading: Genesis 32:13-34:31; Matthew 11:7-30; Psalm 14:1-7; Proverbs 3:19-20

Genesis 32:26 (NIV) 
    Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
    But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

There is so much I don’t understand about Jacob’s wrestling match.  But what I do know is that Jacob was a tenacious seeker of God’s blessing.  He is a great example of Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV): “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”  It is so easy to go through the motions of having a devotional time so we can check it off the “to do” list.  It is a completely different thing to wrestle with God until we receive His blessing.  Wrestling takes time and energy.  Are you willing to wrestle?

We were so blessed today at First Baptist by Brandy’s baptism and Evan’s mission testimony.  Jesus is alive!

Here is today’s Bible reading: Genesis 31:17-32:12; Matthew 10:24-11:6; Psalm 13:1-6; Proverbs 3:16-18.

Matthew 10:38-39 (NIV) 
    and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. [39] Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

This life is not about me, though I constantly battle to make it about me.  Peace will come when I finally and completely surrender.  When I die to myself I will discover what it is to truly live.

Josh had ratings for baseball today.  Bring on baseball!

Here is today’s Bible Reading:  Genesis 30:1-31:16; Matthew 10:1-23; Psalm 12:1-8; Proverbs 3:13-15.

Matthew 10:19-20 (NIV)
But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, [20] for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Have you ever had that experience?  Not the arresting part, but the Holy Spirit speaking through you?  Incredible.  I think of those occasions where I talk a while and then ask myself “Did I really just say that?”  It wasn’t me.  It was something supernatural.  I believe that God longs to speak through us more than He does, but we are too busy getting our own 2 cents in.  What if we really just paused and breathed a prayer asking that the next words out of our mouths be from Him and not ourselves?  Speak through us, Holy Spirit.

20 years ago I was in college at Olivet Nazarene University.  Can you guess what letter I am?  No.  I am not the “G” and I don’t know why his hand is where it is.  Our buddy Torg was on the basketball team, not seeing much playing time, and in need of encouragement.  The Torg fan club was born.  Yes, I was every bit as cool as I appear in the picture. 

I’m way over my monthly text limit.  Don’t text me.  Unless you have really good news. 

Here is today’s Bible reading: Genesis 28:1-29:35; Matthew 9:18-38; Psalm 11:1-7; Proverbs 3:11-12

Proverbs 3:11-12 (NIV) 
    My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline
        and do not resent his rebuke,
    [12] because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
        as a father the son he delights in.

James tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from above.  We are quick to equate God’s good gifts with the things we want:  material things, success, prosperity, comfort, and security.  But what about God’s discipline?  Could there be any better gift than our lovingly heavenly Father doing whatever it takes in our lives to bring about holiness?  Yet, so often we don’t recognize or embrace His discipline.  In fact, we despise it.  Discipline by nature hurts.  Yet, it is ultimately for our good.  

How is God disciplining you?  Are you embracing it, or despising it?  Are you learning or tantruming?