We need to pray!

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Joshua 19:1–20:9 
Luke 19:28-48 
Psalm 88:1-18 
Proverbs 13:12-14 

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Luke 19:45-46 (CSB) "He went into the temple and began to throw out those who were selling, and he said 'It is written, my house will be a house or prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves!'"

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Life is lived at breakneck speed in our generation. All of the technology that was intended to make life easier has only increased the pace. A former pastor of mine used to say that there are many folks who have been reduced to roadkill on the information superhighway.

So, with our minds almost constantly pulled in so many different directions, the call to prayer is probably a little more difficult than it has been in previous generations. When we are praying, we are thinking about a multitude of other things that we need to be doing.

In our reading this morning, we came across Luke 19:45-46 where Jesus entered the temple days before He was crucified. He saw all of the chaos of buying and selling taking place. The scene created such a distraction that an attitude of prayer was virtually impossible.

So, He cleaned house! He went ballistic! As He turned over tables and ran non-worshipers out of the temple, He said:

"...'It is written, my house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.'" (Luke 19:46)

They were thieves. But, who were they stealing from? Well, the merchants were probably taking advantage of the convenience they were providing to worshipers so they jacked up the prices for sacrificial animals. They were stealing from worshipers.

But, they were also stealing from God! The Lord had called for the temple to be a place where He met with His people. They called out to Him in prayer and He blessed them there. But, the chaos was robbing God of those prayers.

So, Jesus cleaned house!

Do you know where the temple is now? First Corinthians 6:19 tells us that our bodies are now the temple, the place where God's Holy Spirit resides.

Do you know what that means? Our bodies are now the place of prayer! Whatever else happens in our bodies, it should be a place where communion with God is the norm.

However, if you are like me, you realize that far too often, there are distractions. The craziness of our lives create chaos in our minds and hearts. Those things would rob God of the prayers that He desires to hear from us.

So, let me end this post by giving a few ideas for cleaning house:

• Get up early to pray. (I get up around 5AM so that I am not distracted by phone calls, family members, or anything else.)
• Have a paper and pen close by. (If something comes to mind that you need to do, just write it down and then get back to praying.)
• Have a prayer list or prayer cards. (Having a list before you of the things you will pray for can help you stay focused.)
• Play some quiet music in the background. (I listen to www.solopianoradio.com when I am reading God's Word and praying. It quiets my mind.)

A Know-So Salvation

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Joshua 16:1-18:28
Luke 19:1-27
Psalm 87:1-7
Proverbs 13:1

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Luke 19:9-10 (CSB) "'Today salvation has come to this house,' Jesus told him, 'because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.'"

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

In Luke 19:1-10, we read about Zaccheaus, 'the wee, little man, and a wee, little man was he' (talk about being politically incorrect! HA).

In this story, we come to see that he had a heart change. He was saved from his sins and God's wrath. That's what Jesus said: "Today salvation has come to this house."

Being saved happens in the realm of our mind and heart. But, since it happens there, it tends to be subjective.

By that, I mean that it may seem difficult to understand if we are truly saved. After all, how can we KNOW that we are saved? Wouldn't it be wonderful if God sent down a spiritual birth certificate from Heaven?

Well, first and foremost, we need to investigate whether we have placed our trust in Jesus to make us right in God's eyes. His finished work on the cross on our behalf is the object of our faith. There needs to be a time in our life when we stopped trusting ourselves and our own perceived self-righteousness and, instead, placed our trust in Jesus to forgive us and save us (see John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9).

For the purposes of salvation, that's it. That's all that is required. When we trust in Jesus, we enter into relationship with God and will one day spend eternity with Him.

But, how do we KNOW we are saved?

The story of Zacchaeus is one of the multitude of stories and principles in Scripture that tell us. It's a change in our behaviors. Jesus noted that Zacchaeus was going to give half of his possessions to the poor and was going to pay back fourfold those he had defrauded.

These actions didn't save Zacchaeus. They simply demonstrated that he had really been saved. His new heart was demonstrated in God-glorifying actions.

So, are you saved? Have you placed your trust in Jesus to make you right in God's eyes?

If so, fantastic! But, here's another question: Can others see Jesus in you? Do your actions reveal that you really are a child of God?

Because someone who claims to be a child of God and yet is not becoming progressively more like Jesus and less like the world needs to read the sobering warning given by Jesus in Matthew 7:21-23.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?' Then I will announce to them, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!'" (Matthew 7:21-23 CSB)

The humility to listen and learn

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Joshua 15:1-63
Luke 18:18-43
Psalm 86:1-17
Proverbs 13:9-10

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Proverbs 13:10 (CSB) "Arrogance leads to nothing but strife, but wisdom is gained by those who take advice."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

What is it that causes so many of us to bristle when others give us advice? Maybe we're insecure? Maybe we want to seem like we've got it all together? Maybe we've got a pride problem?

Maybe it's a teenager that doesn't want to listen to their parents. Maybe it's a husband who is in the driver's seat and refuses to stop and ask for directions. Maybe it's a church member who doesn't want a fellow member to tell them how to fix one of their problems.

Whatever the surface reason might be, we don't like it when others give us advice because we are arrogant. It's that simple. We don't like it when others appear to know something that we don't. We are under the impression that this makes us look bad and our pride doesn't like it.

And when that sin problem rests within our heart, I've seen it create strife over and over. "I know! I know! You don't have to tell me!" Whether we say it audibly or yell it silently in the hallways of our mind, those words put wedges between people, not draw them together.

But, we aren't going to gain more knowledge and wisdom unless we listen to others.  Whether it's a book or conversation, we need to listen to others to get the wisdom we need to live this one life God has given to us. And that's going to take humility. But, if we can humble ourselves enough to listen and learn, we are all the better for it.

Proverbs 13:10 (CSB) "Arrogance leads to nothing but strife, but wisdom is gained by those who take advice."

A story of passion and conquest

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Joshua 13:1-14:15
Luke 18:1-17
Psalm 85:1-13
Proverbs 13:7-8

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Joshua 14:12 (CSB) "Now give me this hill country the Lord promised me on that day, because you heard then that the Anakim are there, as well as large fortified cities. Perhaps the Lord will be with me and I will drive them out as the Lord promised."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

I have some 'favorite' Bible stories and Joshua 14:6-15 is definitely one of them!

In it, we see in our mind's eye an 85-year-old man step into Joshua's presence. These two men were special. They were the only 2 spies (out of the 12 that Moses sent into the Promised Land) who came back with a positive, faith-filled report. The other 10 expressed doubt that they could take the Land but Joshua and Caleb resolutely believed that God could be counted on to do what He promised (see Numbers 13:26-33).

The Israelites believed the 10 faithless spies and rejected Joshua and Caleb's words. That one act doomed the nation of Israel to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. 

Now, in Joshua 14, Joshua and Caleb are the oldest of all the Israelites and they have seen God conquer most of the Promised Land through them just like He said he would.

But, there's one particular area that was still a splinter in Israel's eye. It hadn't been conquered yet. It was the area where the Anakim lived - the people who were so tall that they made the Israelites feel like 'grasshoppers' (see Numbers 13:28-29, 33; Joshua 14:12). The 10 spies used those particular people as the excuse to doubt God's promise.

Well, for 45 years, that act of faithlessness had turned Caleb's stomach. He knew God would have given the Israelites victory but they doubted and were, therefore, put on the shelf of 'do-nothing' until they learned their lesson.

So on this day, Caleb approaches Joshua and asks specifically for the land where the Anakim still lived. He wanted to kick some Anakim booty to vindicate God's name. He believed that God's glory was diminished among the Israelites when they doubted that He would and could do what He said He would do. So, Caleb wanted to show that an 85-year-old man with a promise from God could do what a whole Israelite army didn't think He could do.

Well, did Caleb succeed? Did he let the Anakim know that the God in Heaven could do whatever He pleased?

Knowing that Caleb had fire in his eyes, was jealous for God's glory, and wasn't going to back down from the fight, all we need to do is read the last sentence of this story...

"...After this, the land had rest from war." (Joshua 14:15)

I can picture Caleb sitting under a shade tree drinking a cold glass of tea and, with a broad smile and a twinkle in his eye, saying under his breath: "I knew God could do it!"

Are you a person filled with faith and passion? All you need to do is ask God to develop within you a jealousy for His glory. Find some precious promises of God that He has given to you. And then engage in the spiritual warfare against our satanic foe.

We NEED people like Caleb in our spiritually apathetic days!

The source of happiness

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Joshua 11:1-12:24
Luke 17:11-37
Psalm 84:1-12
Proverbs 13:5-6

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Psalm 84:10-12 (CSB) "Better a day in your courts than a thousand anywhere else. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than live in the tents of wicked people. For the Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord grants favor and honor; he does not withhold the good from those who live with integrity. Happy is the person who trusts in you, Lord of Armies!"

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

The verses that I have chosen for today are incredible! To keep our focus on them, I will only add two very short insights:

1. The Psalmist acknowledges over and over in this Psalm that our craving for happiness can be met in the Lord. (Christianity is not merely a religion, it is a relationship.)

2. Regardless of what "bad" things happen to us and around us, if we recognize that our God is good and that our craving for happiness can be met in Him, then we are in a much better position to deal with the trials that come our way.

The one necessary ingredient of decision-making

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Joshua 9:3-10:43
Luke 16:19-17:10
Psalm 83:1-18
Proverbs 13:4

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Joshua 9:14 (HCSB) "Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but did not seek the LORD’s counsel."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

The story recounted for us in Joshua 9 is intriguing. The Israelites had just conquered Jericho and Ai. Their victories terrified the people in the Promised Land.

So, the people of Gibeon determined to do something. They sent a delegation to Israel. That group of men went to great lengths to make it look like they had been on a very long journey when in reality they were only a few miles from where Israel was camped.

The delegation asked the Israelites to make a pact not to harm them since they "lived so far away" from Israel.

That's where our verse for today comes in:

Joshua 9:14 (HCSB) "Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but did not seek the LORD’s counsel."

There were facts outside the knowledge of the Israelites that kept them from making a wise decision. We are led to believe that if they had prayed before making the decision, the Lord could have provided them wisdom (without the necessary knowledge) to come to a right conclusion on the matter.

But, they didn't pray.

And they made a bad decision.

And they suffered the consequences.

Do you pray before you make decisions? There will always be information outside our range of knowledge. How are we to come to a right conclusion without all the facts? We've got to pray and seek the Lord's will.

He won't write out His will and send it down from Heaven. But, after much prayer (and other biblical steps of right decision making), we can proceed with peace and confidence knowing that God will guide us.

(If you want to learn more about how to make decisions God's way, read my book review on "Decision Making By the Book by clicking here.)

Serving God wholeheartedly

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Joshua 7:16-9:2
Luke 16:1-18
Psalm 82:1-8
Proverbs 13:2-3

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Luke 16:13 "No servant can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

In Americanized Christianity, we tend to think of our relationship with God as a segment of our life in which there are many other segments. There is church time, work time, family time, me time, etc.

While we wouldn't audibly agree with the fact that we compartmentalize our relationship with Jesus each day, our schedules tell us differently.

When we look at how too many of us spend too little time in God's Word and prayer each day and how rarely we speak of our Lord to others or offer up sporadic prayers throughout the day, but how much time we spend doing other things of no eternal value, we are reminded that our relationship with our God hasn't adequately permeated the moments of our days.

When we look at our verse for the day, we are reminded that God wants all of us, not just a part of us.

The language of our verse of the day tells us that Jesus says it is impossible to serve God as we should and yet also serve other things, too. There is no room for a segmented, compartmentalized life. We are either serving God as our master or we aren't.

Does that mean we must quit our jobs, leave our families, and give up our hobbies so that we can join a monastery to serve Jesus every moment of our day? Of course not!

Jesus wants us to experience the joy of serving Him while we go about the various activities of our day.

1 Corinthians 10:31 "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God."

Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

So, as you live out the moments of your day, live with a conscience awareness of Jesus' presence with you in each of those moments. Let prayers flow from your lips during the moments of your days, especially when you need something from Him (e.g. wisdom for a decision, courage, peace, etc.). Consider writing a "verse for the day" down on an index card each morning so that you can meditate on it during the day.

Whatever it takes, strive to serve the Lord wholeheartedly while you live the moments of your day. Because, each follower of Jesus longs to one day hear Him say: "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21).