I would love for you to jump in and join me in reading! For more on this Everyday Reading Project click here.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Ecclesiastes 7-12
Is it just me, or does Solomon really seem to be struggling in his own thoughts?
God has blessed Solomon with a beautiful life and wisdom, and Solomon keeps searching for "more."
The word "meaningless" comes up again and again as he discusses day to day life. And, every time I read it, it stirs something deep inside me.
Solomon's mind has taken him to a low, it seems.
"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher.
"Everything is meaningless!"
All of us encounter times like these when life takes us to hard and "meaningless" seasons, times when the world doesn't make sense to us. "Things" can pile on until we can't breathe.
When we are discouraged and run down by busy schedules, difficult circumstances, financial pressure, health issues, and relationships that need our attention (to name a few), we have to get out of our own heads and let the Holy Spirit take over.
I cling to the fact that God's purposes for us are so much bigger and better than any problems weighing us down.
God is our sustaining "more" in life, here and for eternity.
In praying to God about everything, we find His transforming grace and powerful love the fills us with joy, refreshes our souls, and directs our steps.
As Solomon concludes, knowing God and living out His will, obeying Him, is where all of us find purpose and everlasting meaning in life.
Now all has been heard
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God, and keep his commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind.
A prayer for today-
Dear God,
Thank You for making me with Your own hands and giving me life. Thank You for my strengths and my weaknesses, my experiences (failures and successes), my skills and my resources.
Forgive me for all the times and ways I take Your gifts for granted. Forgive me for letting my circumstances overwhelm me, distract me, and weigh me down instead of trusting You.
Help me keep my focus on Your great and specially designed purposes for me.
Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, Lord and Your joy. Refresh my soul that is so prone to growing weary.
Keep my eyes and my heart open to Your constant presence and transforming love. Strengthen my hands, especially when I am weak.
I pray for all those who are struggling to know the fullness of Your love and find Your purpose and meaning for their lives. You know them by name, and You know the details of their struggles. Work Your grace and power in their hearts, please Lord.
You are our Rock and our Redeemer.
In Jesus' name I pray,
Amen
In Christ's love,
Friday, July 18, 2014
Ecclesiastes 1-6
Solomon was a guy who truly had it all. He had wisdom and knowledge, wealth and prosperity, health, popularity, a huge family, an entire kingdom at his fingertips, and lots of pleasure. What more could a man want?
And yet, Solomon takes us through his realization that everything, separate from God, is meaningless. All the stuff we work to accumulate on our own will never be enough. God is the source of the good life we all desperately want AND need.
Our relationship with God breathes meaning and joy into the life God Himself has designed especially for us, no matter what season we are in.
He has made everything beautiful in its time.
He has also set eternity in the human heart;
yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Finding that sweet spot, where our efforts and passions align with God's great purposes for us, is where we realize the greatest blessings.
That's huge, right? But, Solomon also offers this awesome advice for finding our Godly sweet spots.
Go near [to God] to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know what they do wrong.
Do not be quick with your mouth,
do not be hasty in your heart
to utter anything before God.
God is in Heaven and you are on earth,
so let your words be few.
Go to God. Slow down. Talk less. Listen more.
A prayer for today-
Dear God,
Thank You for making everything beautiful in Your time and for placing eternity in my heart. I thank You for all the beautiful things in my life ________________________.
Forgive me, Lord, for being too quick with my mouth and hasty in my heart.
I want to hear Your voice in my life. Speak to me, Lord. Tell me how and what and when to pray. Fill me with Your presence.
[Spend some time listening to God]
I pray for all those people and circumstances (near and far) that You have placed in my heart today.
You are Lord and Savior, our Redeemer, and the wonderful Counselor all of us need to live life to the fullest.
In Jesus' holy name I pray,
Amen
Blessings,
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Proverbs 29-31
Proverbs 29-31 marks the end of this Godly book of wisdom.
Yesterday in our reading, quarrelsome wives were being compared to leaky roofs. Today, good and faithful wives are "worth far more than rubies (Proverbs 31)." Now, that is more like it. That's the kind of woman I want to be...
In Proverbs 31, we get to read through this beautiful reflection on "The Wife of Noble Character."
And here's the thing, even if you aren't a wife or a woman, this scripture is full of inspiration for Godly character and living a life full of God's grace.
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
11
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
12
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
13
She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
14
She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
15
She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
16
She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17
She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
18
She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
19
In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20
She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
21
When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22
She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23
Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24
She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25
She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
26
She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28
Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29
“Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
30
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31
Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
I started thinking about what these NOBLE CHARACTERISTICS look like for a woman today. They certainly transcend time.
A woman of noble and Godly character today may or may not be wife, but she...
...is still worth far more than rubies
...brings good, not harm
...works with eager hands and strong arms
...plants seeds of faith wherever she goes
...vigorously sets about God's purpose for her life
...opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy
...is clothed with strength and dignity
...can laugh at the days to come
...speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue
...watches over the affairs of her household
...does not eat the bread of idleness
...is called blessed
...is a woman who knows the LORD
A prayer for today-
Dear God,
Thank You for Your love, Your mercy, and Your grace that transforms my character.
Forgive me when I fall short of the person You have made me to be.
I pray that You will strengthen my heart, my mind, my soul, and my hands to live for You. Guide me by Your Holy Spirit and use me to love, encourage, and support others.
Make me a person of noble character in Christ.
Fill me with Your hope and laughter in the days to come.
I pray also for ______________ today. I pray You will pour out your presence and power into the lives of these people and situations.
Our souls cling to You, Lord. Your right hand upholds us.
In Jesus' name I pray,
Amen
Grace and peace of Christ,
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Proverbs 25-28
What stands out to you and speaks to your heart? What grabs your attention and makes you stop and think?
For me, two topics jumped off the page: wives and our lives. At first, I wasn't making the connection between the two. I was about to pick one verse, one topic, and start writing. And then, I didn't...
If you have been reading through Proverbs with me, Solomon's words about argumentative wives are blunt, to say the least. He compares them to roofs and dripping water again and again.
Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping
of a leaky roof in a rainstorm;
Regardless of whether you are a man or a woman, these words demand attention and make you think. For one, this day in time, you just don't hear men compare women to inanimate objects and it go over very well!
So, I started thinking about myself as a wife. My husband, because of the very nature of his profession, argues for a living. And I am an opinionated woman (not argumentative).... Well, maybe on occasion, when necessary, I have been known to argue.
I certainly hope my husband would rather be with me, in our home, than out in the elements on the corner of a roof. And I definitely don't want to be as annoying as a leaky roof.
Here are my thoughts... "What are you trying to tell me in these words, God? Are these words for real or should I brush them aside? How do these words apply to me, my "wifey" self, and my marriage? I know it's something more than, 'Don't quarrel with your husband.'"
After all, we have a good marriage.
I was stuck and then the other verse I was contemplating, one about water and life, comes to mind.
As water reflects the face,
so one's life reflects the heart.
These words make me realize that God is working on a bigger picture than I can see. Everything in life (including my marriage) is connected to my relationship with God and my love for Him.
God reminds me that the way I talk to my husband, the way I spend my time with him (or without him), the way I approach him every single day, the way I respond to him, all my choices as a wife are a reflection of the love that's in my heart for both my husband and for God.
I love my husband with all my heart. He's a true gift. He needs to know that by the way I live every single day (good day or bad, peaceful day or argumentative one).
When the roof has a leak or two, then we have a heart problem that needs fixing. That's where God and His Word for our lives comes in. He's the best handy-man around.
A prayer for marriages today-
Dear God,
Thank You for my husband. Thank You for making Him in Your image and filling Him with Your purpose. Thank You for the love He brings to my life.
Forgive me, Lord, for being a "leaky roof" in my marriage at times and taking my husband for granted.
I pray for our marriage today.
I pray that You will keep our hearts humble and open to all the ways we need to love each other and honor You. Guide our words and our deeds day to day. Give us the eyes to see each other through the lenses of Your grace. Help our lives reflect our deep and everlasting love for You and for each other.
Repair all the "leaks" in our relationship and renew our marriage with Your joy and peace, Lord.
In Jesus' name I pray,
Amen
Love of Christ,
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Proverbs 21-24
The truth that keeps coming out again and again is that God is full of wisdom and His ways lead to life, true love, unshakeable joy, and the blessings that come from His grace that is at work in us. All of that is available to us right now, every single day.
God's grace is more amazing than I even realize...
A person may think their own ways are right,
but the Lord weighs the heart.
We search. We try again and again, in our own artificial and exhausting ways, to create and give ourselves the good life we so desperately want and need.
But, even our best efforts and highest moments are temporary, superficial, and dull in comparison to the power of God's grace that is already in us.
God has my heart in His hands. I am thankful that He weighs my heart because that's the beginnings of His life-giving work in me...work that leads to eternal life, real love, and pure joy. All of us need that. We need God.
As believers, we are all made new in Christ.
So, I say, "Lord, weigh my heart and make me new."
A prayer for today-
Dear God,
Thank You for giving me life, for helping me know true love, for giving me unshakeable joy, and for blessing me with Your grace through Jesus, my Savior.
My heart is in Your hands, Lord.
Weigh my heart today, and fill me with Your wisdom. Change me. Shape me. Lead me in the places You need me to go. I am the clay and You are the potter.
I have so many things on my heart right now...
[Spend some time talking about things on your heart.]
Show me what to do. I want to follow You. Hear my prayers, Lord, and use me. Grab me by the hand, please Lord, and empower me. Keep me from standing still and staying the same when I need to be moving and changing and helping others for You.
I pray for Your love, Your joy, and the blessings of Your grace to fill the lives of _________________ today and always.
In the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit I pray,
Amen
*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project. Click here to read more.
Monday, July 14, 2014
Proverbs 17-20
And so that's where my head is pulling me as I read...to the things I don't do.
Sure there are a million things we could do each day, and it's easy for us to get overwhelmed and bogged down in not doing "enough." At least, that's one of my real struggles. But even the things we don't do are purposeful for God. Just read this verse,
Many are the plans in a person's heart,
but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.
This is the verse I need to remember when I start struggling with my "to-do" and "not-to-do" lists.
God's grace that is alive and well in our lives, thanks to the blood of Christ, is more than enough.
Living for God isn't about condemning ourselves day in and day out with our "do and don't-do" lists at all.
Life with God in control is so much better than that and so much more than that.
Honoring God is about listening to His "still small voice" that keeps speaking to us, right where we are (1 Kings 19:11-12). We have the direction and transforming power of the Holy Spirit working in us and helping us.
God loves us. He is using each one of us for His purpose. He has big plans for us.
A prayer for today-
Dear God,
Thank You for Your love that fills my life with grace and joy.
Forgive me for all the ways I miss Your "still small voice" in my day to day moments.
I pray that You will open my eyes to the needs around me and my heart to Your Holy Spirit that empowers me and guides me. Make Your will my passion and life mission.
I ask that You also open ________________'s heart to Your presence, Your power, Your great love, and Your perfect purpose for his/her life. He/she really needs to know You and Your grace.
You are Lord of my life, my Savior, and the lamp that lights my way.
In Jesus' name I pray,
Amen
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Everyday Reading Project: Week of July 13-19
I would love for you to jump in and join me in reading! For more on this Everyday Reading Project click here.
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Proverbs 13-16
Man, am I human. I get caught up in the day, reacting to things as they come with my own intelligence instead of relying on God's grace that is a work in me.
I had one of "those days" this week with my kids who are out of school for the summer and apparently think that's an excuse to be my three crazy hoodlums.
The more I fought for control, the less I had. And by the time my husband got home from work, well, I am pretty sure he was wishing he could go back to work.
I just couldn't get things right. By bedtime, I felt completed drained and defeated. If only, I would learn to give it all up (to God) sooner...
And so, this morning, I am breathing in God's correction, His instruction, and His encouragement because I know I need it as much as my kids.
Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,
and blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD.
The wise in heart are called discerning,
and gracious words promote instruction.
The good news is that Jesus brings us a new and better life than we have on our own, every single day. Today is a new day. He doesn't ever give up on us, but we have to be still and listen for His voice, even in the middle of our day to day crazy moments.
A prayer for today-
Dear God,
Thank You for Your guidance and grace at work in my life.
Forgive me for being so quick to react instead of relying on You. And forgive me for hurting those around me with my reactions.
I pray for Your instruction. Fill my heart with discernment and patience and my mouth with gracious words. Help my ways, especially the way I _____________, be a reflection of Your love and grace. Transform our imperfections as a family and use them for Your glory.
Thank you for the new life we have in Christ.
You are my Rock and my Redeemer.
In Jesus' name I pray,
Amen
*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project. Click here to read more.
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