AUGUST 5, 2019

“Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.” 
― John Wooden

PSALM 75-77

1I cried out to God for help;

I cried out to God to hear me.

2When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;

at night I stretched out untiring hands,

and I would not be comforted.

3I remembered you, God, and I groaned;

I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.^b

4You kept my eyes from closing;

I was too troubled to speak.

5I thought about the former days,

the years of long ago;

6I remembered my songs in the night.

My heart meditated and my spirit asked:

7“Will the Lord reject forever?

Will he never show his favor again?

8Has his unfailing love vanished forever?

Has his promise failed for all time?

9Has God forgotten to be merciful?

Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”

10Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:

the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.

11I will remember the deeds of the Lord;

yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

12I will consider all your works

and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

13Your ways, God, are holy.

What god is as great as our God?

14You are the God who performs miracles;

you display your power among the peoples.

15With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,

the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.(77:1-15)

ROMANS 6

1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we^a have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we^b boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we^c also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (5:1-11)

JOURNAL 

The power of looking at the past is in seeing all the ways that I have been blessed to even be sitting here today. There are so many circumstances where had things gone differently I could easily cease to exist. When I think of that combined with all the ways that I truly failed to give my best and all the mistakes I carelessly made...it's a wonder that I sit here today with breath in my lungs, an amazing family, friends etc. This is truly a wonderful life and I fail to acknowledge it and it's blessings way too often. 

Thank you Father for the gift of today. Thank you for family, friends, community...all of these are priceless. I don't deserve the abundance of their blessings, yet you have given them anyway. More important is the gift of you, your word and your love that will never go away. 

 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in^b Christ Jesus our Lord.

ROMANS 6:22-23

AUGUST 4, 2019

“The dilemma of the Story is this: we don't know if we want to be rescued. We are so enamored with our small stories and our false gods, we are so bound up in our addictions and our self-centeredness and take-it-for-granted unbelief that we don't even know how to cry out for help.” 
― John Eldredge, EPIC

PSALM 73-74

 23Yet I am always with you;you hold me by my right hand.24You guide me with your counsel,and afterward you will take me into glory.25Whom have I in heaven but you?And earth has nothing I desire besides you.26My flesh and my heart may fail,but God is the strength of my heartand my portion forever. (73:23-26)

ROMANS 5

1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we^a have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we^b boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we^c also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

JOURNAL 

To see this lived out...to see the Gospel lived out in the Psalms, in the life of Christ, in the writings of Paul and the lives of all the disciples is such overwhelming proof that our hearts are in a quandary. There is constantly a battle going on within and that battle encompasses our lives.

We were created simply to live in full, intimate relationship with God. To seek him in all his goodness, to serve him without reservation and as a result to spill our lives out in love to the rest of God's creation. This is our purpose...this is our mission...yet we are engaged in a battle with our darker side. That side calls us to justify, manipulate, get revenge and to take the easy way out.  There is a part of me that longs to rebel...that longs to distance myself and seek to be my own God...yet in doing so God allows that to bring discontent and misery and thirst that can't be quenched. This is extreme grace and it is also an affirmation that it is not the will ultimately bring me joy.

23Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?

  LUKE 9:23-25

AUGUST 3, 2019

“The true story of every person in this world is not the story you see, the external story. The true story of each person is the journey of his or her heart.” 
― John Eldredge, The Sacred Romance: Drawing Closer to the Heart of God

PSALM 70-72

5For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since the youth6From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.I will ever praise you. (71:5-6)

ROMANS 4

1What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”^a

JOURNAL 

Paul lived his entire life under the accepted belief that your own actions are what made you righteous. His belief was steeped in scripture...yet what he did not understand was that it was faith in God...not pride in actions that created righteousness. God wants a relationship, God wants us to accept where we are, who we are and our circumstances. Righteousness can never be acquired, it is a byproduct of faith and acceptance that God is a good Father who created us to live this life, this moment in obedience to him and in love for our fellow man. 

When I really look at all that Paul is saying...it just makes so much sense. My purpose in this life is to accept all that God gave me and live each moment seeking his wisdom, seeking to know his ways and living my life dedicated to serving that single purpose. That means that every day will give me new opportunities to serve him and in turn serve and love those that are in my sphere. My family, friends, neighbors even and especially strangers brought by circumstance into my consciousness. 

It is a bit overwhelming to think about...but again that is where my job is not to fix other peoples lives...it is simply to obey God and love others as he commands. I am to trust God to handle everything else.

23Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? - 

LUKE 9:23-25

AUGUST 2, 2019

“Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.” 
― John Wooden

"Don't blink, just like that your six years old and you take a nap...trust me, friend, a hundred years goes faster than you think, so don't blink..."

- Kenny Chesney

PSALM 68-69

 32The poor will see and be glad—

you who seek God, may your hearts live!

33The Lord hears the needy and does not despise his captive people. (69:32-33)

ROMANS 3

5But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”^a 7To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11For God does not show favoritism.

JOURNAL 

Driving home from painting the field this morning, "Don't Blink" by Kenny Chesney was on the radio. I've heard this song countless times but today as I pulled into the driveway, it really hit me how time truly flies. I remember like yesterday summer days before school started, two-a-days and here I am 35 years later. Reality is that the next 10, 20 and 35 years will pass just as fast and hopefully I will get the gift of living them. 

In reading scripture it seems that God more than anything wants us to understand his gift of life. I think God wants us to live it authentically and in a way that brings love and goodness to all the moments our life touches. Man, my wish is to be able to always live with the reality that each moment is precious and is never to be wasted in fear or bitterness or jealousy or regret. I want each moment to have the best of me. I no longer want to let moments pass without the thought that these are moments that I will never get back. These are moments that I won't be able to change. 

And at the end of the day or 35 years from now...no matter what my record, the God of the universe will be there to welcome me with nothing but love and grace.  That's the beauty of the gospel and that's the wonder of this life we all get to live...

 16By their fruit you will recognize them. 

MATTHEW 7:16

AUGUST 1, 2019

“Only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes.” 
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

PSALM 65-67

 8Praise our God, all peoples,let the sound of his praise be heard;9he has preserved our livesand kept our feet from slipping.10For you, God, tested us;you refined us like silver.11You brought us into prisonand laid burdens on our backs.12You let people ride over our heads;we went through fire and water,but you brought us to a place of abundance.(66:8-12)

ROMANS 2

1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

JOURNAL 

Wow...this chapter is brutal. It makes the argument that we as human beings are not designed to play upon the powers of God. In essence we are not to use the power God gave us to condemn. Only God can condemn because man is flawed and operating outside of his purpose.

It is interesting comparing these verses to the psalms and realizing that they are both coming from the same place. David affirms that all that God put the Israelites through was for their good. It had an intent and a purpose. Therefore understanding that purpose and yielding to that is critical to the faith. It is essential to obedience. Judging and rebelling are really part of the same coin.

24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save their life^f will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 

MATTHEW 16:24-25