Scripture:
1 Corinthians 6:9 “Don’t you know that those who do wrong will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who … are greedy … [will not] have a share in the Kingdom of God.”
Observation:
When I consider the blessings in my life, it is hard not to think I might be greedy. Paul says “I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point” (4:3).
Application:
Joe Lack reminded me the other day of the question Bill Hybels poses to himself and to God: Am I doing enough? I need to incorporate this into my life on a regular basis. I guess, in relation to yesterday’s message, I should probably evaluate this not just against my “treasure,” but also against my time and my talent. These are all resources I have and which I can be greedy with.
Prayer:
Lord, I want to be a good steward of the blessings you’ve given me, help me hear when you direct.
Scripture:
Psalm 70:4 “May all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, ‘God is great!’”
Observation:
Filled with joy and gladness. Not happiness, wealth, health, or so many of life’s other blessings and gifts, but joy and gladness. These other things are transitory – some people have them all their life, some come in and out of them, others are cast a hard lot and never see a single one. Joy and Gladness can be independent of every other life circumstance and these are what David requests of God for us – for me.
Application:
I do feel full of joy and gladness! So what does David say my reaction should be? Shout “God is great!” I want my reaction to every circumstance, every success, every failure, every blessing, every tragedy to be “God is great!” Not because of the transitory, but because of my joy in Christ. Beyond the internal shout – I have to remember loose it from my soul and release it in my speech. Good news ought to be shared.
Prayer:
Lord – thank you for the gifts of joy and gladness, let them continue to surround my life.
Scripture:
Psalm 118:24 “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Observation:
This verse follows half a dozen which describe struggle and hardship – still the author ends with thanks and praise.
Application:
I am a complainer. It’s something I struggle with. A situation isn’t fair, a person isn’t reasonable, logical, or consistent – blah blah blah. Even in the midst of complaining I’m aware I’m doing it, and I can’t stop myself. Though I tell myself “It’s not wrong to complain – I need to have an outlet, I need to talk this through,” I can feel it poisoning my spirit. It seeps in to every crevice of my life and, worse than just filling the cracks, it soaks into everything it touches until there’s “good reason” to complain about everything.
There are certainly laments throughout Scripture, but they are often peppered throughout with phrases like “but the Lord saved me,” and as often, or more, are solidly resolved in praise and thanksgiving. Whatever my situation, I get to make the decision to pour my complaint and discontentedness or God’s joy and gladness into it. God has given me his strength, and his resources to be able to say THIS is the day! God made TODAY and I choose to rejoice, and be glad. This is a problem of focus, not of circumstance.
Prayer:
Thank you God for today – let my focus be on you and on your blessings.
Scripture:
Proverbs 24:26 “It is an honor to receive an honest reply.”
Observation:
This subject continues to crop up. It’s hard for me to think of what it is that I give if it’s not “honest” … am I dishonest? Perhaps a good way to check whether “honest” is good is whether it is edifying – is what I hesitate to say going to build up a person, or tear them down. Sometimes that hesitancy comes from wondering whether a person would care, or perhaps whether I care. That hesitancy is also developed through concern (not from God) about how that person will then feel about me.
Application:
I think I ought to pause more before responding, and be more thoughtful in my reply. I don’t think “honest” is always “complete” – there are certainly truths that could be told that would result in discouragement rather than edification. Delivering lies from the side of my mouth does no good to the people I interact with, and it’s certainly no good for my soul. In addition to this, I don’t think this is a unique struggle to me – I need to be more intentional about seeking honest replies.
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for truth. I submit my responses to you – help me hear what you would say, and then say it.
Scripture:
1 Kings 8:29 “May you watch over this Temple both day and night, this place where you have said you would put your name. May you always hear the prayers I make toward this place.”
Observation:
The celebration, sacrifices, and pomp that went into the dedication of this temple is staggering – fourteen days of partying! It strikes me that since Christ’s sacrifice – I am that temple. I am the place where God has put His name. The honor with which people treated this temple – the reverence – even the privilege they were able to claim for being the city of the dwelling of God … Now every person who claims Christ has that same privilege, that same honor. Yet we (at least I) don’t really seem impressed by this. That the living God of the universe has made his dwelling in me – it reminds me of my May 19 entry and David’s prayer in Psalms 101 “I will place no worthless thing before me.” When you view your body with the same reverence as this temple, it (should) put a different spin on what is acceptable.
Prayer:
Lord, Thank you for dwelling in me – a deep honor. Help me lead my life in such a way that is honoring and reverent to your dwelling.
