AUGUST 31, 2021

  “If we say, 'I believe in Jesus,' but it doesn't affect the way we live, the answer is not that now we need to add hard work to our faith so much as that we haven't truly understood or believed in Jesus at all.” 

― Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith

PSALM 145-147

10His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,

nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;

11the Lord delights in those who fear him,

who put their hope in his unfailing love. (Psalm 147:10-11)

1 CORINTHIANS 11:1-15

11Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.

JOURNAL 

Reading my devotion from 5 years ago...so glad I preserved this thought and truth...Yesterday I had a definite aha moment. I was in a private plane flying back from a meeting and was discussing with the pilot the problems of flying at night. So apparently every human being has a tendency to feel that they are falling left of center. Supposedly anyone can stand in a dark room and close their eyes and invariably will begin to feel that they are leaning to the left. Because of this feeling, the response will be to overcorrect to the right.

This creates a big problem if flying at night with cloud cover over terrain with no visible lights. When this happens a pilot has to trust his instruments, however what gets them in trouble is when they choose their feelings over their instruments. If they refuse to trust their instruments then they will continue to try and correct by turning right and eventually they will turn right into a spin and then turn right into the earth.

Wow...is this not the dilemma I face every day of my life? When things get cloudy and dark I tend to trust my feelings more than God. When that happens I turn myself right into bigger problems.  God loves us and created us to rely on him...he is our instrument, he is our trusted source for direction, for safety in order to arrive at our ultimate destination. We were created with a tendency to feel as if we are left of center. We need God to keep us from panicking in order to stay the course. It makes so much sense that God created us to need him...it's not a shameful thing...it is a wonderful thing because it forces us to rely on him and when we rely on him we live as he intended.

4For the word of the Lord is right and true;

he is faithful in all he does.

5The Lord loves righteousness and justice;

the earth is full of his unfailing love.

PSALM 33:4-5

AUGUST 30, 2021

 “You can avoid Jesus as Savior by keeping all the moral laws. If you do that, then you have “rights.” God owes you answered prayers, and a good life, and a ticket to heaven when you die. You don’t need a Savior who pardons you by free grace, for you are your own Savior.” 

― Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith

PSALM 142-144

7Answer me quickly, Lord;

my spirit fails.

Do not hide your face from me

or I will be like those who go down to the pit.

8Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,

for I have put my trust in you.

Show me the way I should go,

for to you I entrust my life.

9Rescue me from my enemies, Lord,

for I hide myself in you.

10Teach me to do your will,

for you are my God;

may your good Spirit

lead me on level ground. (143:7-10)

1 CORINTHIANS 10:14-33

31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

JOURNAL 

The core of what makes a great society, team, organization, family etc. is sacrifice, courage and ultimately love...for love is the ultimate expression in giving of yourself for the benefit of another. In scripture it is stated that God is love, so that if we serve God, we ultimately serve the concept of love. If we give of ourselves completely to God then we give of ourselves completely in love of God and others.

An individual, team, group, organization, community, nation and world that collectively serves a God of love becomes a world that truly exemplifies Heaven. This is the hope that we should aspire to realize. This is the Epic story that God has weaved into our mind and heart. This is the sacrifice of Christ and the guiding light of all of scripture.

Yet despite the power of this in our lives there lives a darker presence that draws us to seek immediate gratification of self. This darker force compels us to lie, cheat, manipulate and allow self to be more important than love. This darker force can be found at the core of abuse, addiction and all forms of selfishness. This is the daily battle fought in every human that lives upon the earth. This is why story and literature and history is so important...for it helps us to confront this battle for our own hearts and minds.

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.- 

1 JOHN 4:7-8

AUGUST 29, 2021

 “Masculinity grows not out of conquering the woman, but only out of conquering the man—and not another man, as in war, but oneself.” 

― Gordon Dalbey, Healing the Masculine Soul: God's Restoration of Men to Real Manhood

PSALM 139-141

1You have searched me, Lord,

and you know me.

2You know when I sit and when I rise;

you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3You discern my going out and my lying down;

you are familiar with all my ways.

4Before a word is on my tongue

you, Lord, know it completely.

5You hem me in behind and before,

and you lay your hand upon me.

6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too lofty for me to attain. (139:1-6)

1 CORINTHIANS 10:1-13

12So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13No temptation^c has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted^d beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,^e he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

JOURNAL 

What is the temptation in my life? What is it that I must be careful of and that will serve to pull me away from trusting God. I don't know that it is one in particular but I do know that overall the temptation is to go my own way, seek immediate gratification and not be disciplined to God's wisdom and commands.

This rebellion is subtle and many times is not detected outwardly, because it is an inward struggle. It is my private war...

I have faced many ways in which my plans and hopes have not panned out the way I wanted. Yet what resulted were blessings and experiences that were so much better than I had hoped or realized.  I can see God is caring for me and fulfilling my purpose far better than I would have arranged. It reminds me that the best I can do is to trust God everyday and not get carried away in visualizing and planning the future...especially when those plans become demands and expectations to fulfill me and my purpose. God gives that ability to visualize and plan but it must be kept in check ultimately with obedience and fully surrendering to God's will and commands. 

21Many are the plans in a person’s heart,

but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. 

PROVERBS 19:21

AUGUST 28, 2021

  “When Jesus promised that He would send the Holy Spirit to the believers as “the Helper,” the text uses the Greek word paraclete, which, as John Sandford has explained, is an ancient warrior’s term. Greek soldiers went to battle in pairs, so when the enemy attacked they could draw together back to back, covering each other’s blind side. Your battle partner was called your paraclete.6” 

― Gordon Dalbey, Healing the Masculine Soul: God's Restoration of Men to Real Manhood

PSALM 136-138

1Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.

2Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.

3Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.

4to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever.

5who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever.

6who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever.

7who made the great lights— His love endures forever.

8the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever.

9the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever. (136:1-9)

1 CORINTHIANS 9

24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

JOURNAL 

A thought came over me yesterday and then this morning. The gift of life is such a trivial thing to me and it is such a shame that I don't live in absolute wonder at my life. I don't mean from the worldly perspective...I mean simply from the reality that I have life, that I have a functioning body and a mind and an ability to think, contemplate and create. That is an amazing gift. That in and of itself is a miracle. Yet more often than not I dismiss this, more often than not I take all that for granted.

In taking it for granted, my mind wanders and drifts to things I don't have, ways I don't measure up, comparing and contrasting my life to others. While this ability is one of the gifts of being human, it actually can become a curse. Instead of using this ability to serve God and in obedience to him...it becomes a means by which I degrade myself and my life. It becomes a measuring stick that serves to shame me instead of encouraging me.

Here though is where God saves me. His word and scripture assure me that he loves me, will never leave me, forgives me and has gone to death to save me from myself. What a miracle, what comfort and joy.

I can rest in this because you have given me a spirit that calms my mind, that assures my worries and my anxiety. Thank you Father for life, for your word, for your spirit and for stripping away all the doubts, and pulling me close to your heart.

23Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

25“All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. 

JOHN 14:23-27

AUGUST 27, 2021

  “If we are deeply moved by the sight of his love for us, it detaches our hearts from other would-be saviors.” 

― Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope That Matters

PSALM 132-135

1How good and pleasant it is

when God’s people live together in unity!

2It is like precious oil poured on the head,

running down on the beard,

running down on Aaron’s beard,

down on the collar of his robe.

3It is as if the dew of Hermon

were falling on Mount Zion.

For there the Lord bestows his blessing,

even life forevermore.( 133 )

1 CORINTHIANS 8

We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. 2Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. 3But whoever loves God is known by God.^a

JOURNAL 

Love is the essence of God. Love is God's calling card, it is his chief defining characteristic. In all things throughout the Bible it is God's love that comes through in the end. Not his anger or his wrath...but his love.

When I think about this in my own life, I can see God moving and working but I can also see other things...fear, jealousy, anger, greed, sloth. It is in these things that brotherhood is sacrificed. It is here that I must repent. It is here that I surrender my pride and renew my hope in God and his love.

I am realizing more and more that love is given through intentional actions. Many times it is in the little things...not the big public ones. Putting my phone down to really listen to my boys. Turning the TV off and reaching out to someone. Getting off the couch and exercising and experiencing God's creation. Resisting the urge to wallow in self-pity and instead giving in sacrificial ways. This is when I feel God the closest...this is when his presence overwhelms me.

Father forgive me for my arrogance and selfishness and laziness. Forgive all the ways that I have run from you and then tried to justify myself and my actions. I realize that I have sought refuge in other people and things rather than in you. You are the one true God and obeying you is the only thing that will soothe my anxious soul.

9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. - 

2 CORINTHIANS 12:9-10

AUGUST 26, 2021

  “It is not enough to be industrious; so are the ants. What are you industrious about?” 

― Henry David Thoreau, Letters to Various Persons

PSALM 128-131

1My heart is not proud, Lord,

my eyes are not haughty;

I do not concern myself with great matters

or things too wonderful for me.

2But I have calmed and quieted myself,

I am like a weaned child with its mother;

like a weaned child I am content. (131:1-2)

1 CORINTHIANS 7:25-40

 I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. 26Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. 27Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife. 28But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.

JOURNAL 

Paul is writing from a place of being completely sold out to his mission.  This is why he makes it clear that these commands are suggestions from his own perspective

Soldiers in the midst of battle have completely sold out to their mission. They have to be or else they will cower, run, freeze or act irrationally. This does not happen overnight...it is months of training and breaking and wearing down their dependence on modern life. They also have to let go of any delusions of grandeur and be committed to following orders.

Reality is that it is much the same with us and following God. However the ultimate objective is not external, but rather internal. Referring back to the Psalms of "quieting the mind" and becoming "content".  That comes from a place of internal peace, when the external anxieties have stilled and the heart has rested in one single purpose...acceptance of God's love and seeking and following him in all things.

Then he gives us a mission...a role we were designed for and one that once embraced gives us a passion and purpose. This passion and purpose is what ultimately gives us joy, hope, endurance, courage and the perseverance to walk through the fires of life in a way that honors God. But in order to get this, understand it and fully embrace it...we have to be sold out to God and his story.

28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, whoⁱ have been called according to his purpose. 

ROMANS 8:28

AUGUST 25, 2021

 “Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones.” 

― Shannon L. Alder

PSALM 124-127

1Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,

which cannot be shaken but endures forever.

2As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

so the Lord surrounds his people

both now and forevermore. (125:1-2)

1 CORINTHIANS 7:1-24

21Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so. 22For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave. 23You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings. 24Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.

JOURNAL 

This weekend I was reminded again how so much of success in life is about how we respond to the unexpected. This is why movies are so compelling. I love movies...even the bad ones. The reason is that within a 2-hour window I am able to see a story resolve itself. Most movies fall more or less into the same pattern...Things were good, then they turned bad, an unlikely hero was called and through their sacrifice, the day was saved.

The problem is that my life is not tied up in a nice neat 2-hour window. My story stretches a lifetime and beyond and therefore it is easy to become discouraged when things don't go as planned. I often wish I could have a soundtrack playing in my head all the time. Because when I am connected to a story and understand my place, I tend to have much more courage. I am more focused and am able to make better decisions. However when I lose focus and flirt with the thoughts that life is purposeless, meaningless and random then it's easy to lose heart.

I believe that is why God has woven the power of story into our hearts. Story is what connects us as humans to the past, to the Bible, and ultimately to God. Because the drama that fills movie screens is the same that plays out in the hearts and minds of every human who has ever lived. It is this connection that helps us to find our place.

So how can I know and embrace my place in the story God is telling? I think it comes in the following ways...

1. Accept that God loves me and that I am a valuable part of the story
2. Embrace the gifts and talents that I possess 
3. Live the rest of my life devoted to the story and my place in it. 

6Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” 

DEUTERONOMY 31:6

AUGUST 24, 2021

  "Night and the spirit of life calling...

And the voice with the fear of a child answers...

Wait, there's no mountain too great

Hear these words and have faith

Have faith

He lives in you, he lives in me

He watches over everything we see

Into the waters, into the truth
In your reflection, he lives in you"

- THE LION KING

PSALM 120-123

1I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

where does my help come from?

2My help comes from the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth. (121:1-2)

1 CORINTHIANS 6

 19Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

JOURNAL 

I absolutely love "The Lion King"...the movie, the play, the soundtrack. I connect with the story on so many levels and as a result the soundtrack has a way of undoing me emotionally...especially the tract from the Broadway play "He lives in you".  I think it's because there are many times when I have experienced and felt the safety and warmth of God's spirit in the midst of circumstances that threatened to undo me.  To feel and know that "he lives in me" has calmed some of the stormiest seas in my mind and heart.

Life is a series of stormy seas...yet these moments are precious...these moments are what makes life meaningful. It's easy to get caught up in the desire to wish these times away. But that is precisely when we experience the power and love of God the most. God is in all things, from the greatest moments of triumph to the lowest moments of heartache and despair. God exists and his power and love are always shining through. It may not be in the way we would design but he never fails to love us...no matter the day, time, hour or circumstance. That is why he commands us to not be afraid...for he lives within us.

6Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” 

DEUTERONOMY 31:6

AUGUST 23, 2021

 “I think if I've learned anything about friendship, it's to hang in, stay connected, fight for them, and let them fight for you. Don't walk away, don't be distracted, don't be too busy or tired, don't take them for granted. Friends are part of the glue that holds life and faith together. Powerful stuff.” 

― Jon Katz

PSALM 119:105-176

145I call with all my heart; answer me, Lord,

and I will obey your decrees.

146I call out to you; save me

and I will keep your statutes.

147I rise before dawn and cry for help;

I have put my hope in your word.

148My eyes stay open through the watches of the night,

that I may meditate on your promises.

149Hear my voice in accordance with your love;

preserve my life, Lord, according to your laws.

150Those who devise wicked schemes are near,

but they are far from your law.

151Yet you are near, Lord,

and all your commands are true.

152Long ago I learned from your statutes

that you established them to last forever.

1 CORINTHIANS 5

6Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 7Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

JOURNAL 

One of the toughest things as a parent is to lovingly discipline. It is hard, and requires a disciplined dedicated response to really do it the right way. The worst thing I can do as a parent is to ignore my child...ignore destructive behavior, pretend it doesn't exist, live in denial and hope it goes away by itself.

I think this is what Paul is warning the church about. It has been said that the opposite of love is not hate...it is apathy.  To discipline is loving to ignore is the worst form of insult. It's all about communication. Paul is communicating to the church and he really gets into some tough subjects. His warning is about letting someone who is a believer continue in obvious outright sin. 

Paul could just as easily be speaking about true friendship. For this is what it really comes down to between friends and especially in a marriage. It is hard to fight for someone, to deal with their issues while also grappling with your own. Friendship, marriage, family...to really do it right is hard. 

These are the tough deep struggles of the Christian Life, yet they are also where we meet Christ, who loves us through all of the mud and mire and is willing to step in, wipe our eyes, and restore us to relationship with the God of the Universe. This is our story, this is our hope, this is our joy...and to wade into it all with others committed to the same God, honest in their same struggles and dedicated to the best in each other...this is the Kingdom come. 

17A friend loves at all times,

and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

- PROVERBS 17:17

AUGUST 22, 2021

 “Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.” 

― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

JEREMIAH 7-8

Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you. (7:23) 

1 TIMOTHY 2

1I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all people.

JOURNAL 

Today, right now, this moment. God is here with me...he is no longer in the past, he is in the present. This has been a difficult thing for me to let go of. I find that my mind often wanders to the past and thinks about how things could be different. The past is permanent, it cannot be changed, it is what it is. Yet God has given us a record of his involvement with man so that we may learn and live more fully in the present.

To live in wisdom and obedience to God, today, this moment, will be my greatest achievement. I am creating a permanent history each moment as it passes. I want that history to be one that was lived fully, passionately, in joy and in faith and obedience to God. The only way for me to do that is to stop obsessing over things that cannot be changed and live fully today in this moment. 

How amazing that scripture reinforces what is known to be psychologically healthy and good for human beings. Yet it just reinforces that God is God and his truth can never be altered. Just as my past can never be changed...but today, this moment...the possibilities are all there, God is here, he will not leave me. I have nothing to fear!

 9Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

DEUTERONOMY 7:9