Thursday, May 31, 2012

Commit your plans to the Lord

Commit your plans to the Lord

S - Prov 16:1-3 (NAB)
The plans of the heart belong to man,
But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight,
But the Lord weighs the [a]motives.
[b] Commit your works to the Lord
And your plans will be established.

O - What tension there lies between the creator and the created.   It seems to me that the man's tendency to want to act like God comes from the fact that we are created in his image, and are creative beings ourselves.  The wisdom Solomon departs on us here is that man's thoughts and motives are subject to incorrect thoughts and motives, and that the partnership with God is what is required to ensure you are aligned with your creator.   Whenever we separate ourselves from God in our own creation process we are subject to misalignment.   


A - The application for me is to recognize how often I have separated myself from God in the creative process of making plans for the future,  or placing dreams in my heart.   The words of my mouth, and passion of my heart are all in, especially in the moment of creation of the ideas, however in retrospect down the line I begin to see where my will and God's will or wisdom had departed.   Many times I have had to die to a dream that I planted in my heart because it made sense to my head, but was not rooted in the Lord.  It may not have even been neccesarily sin, evil, or bad, but just not aligned with the Father's plans.  The end in mind is to ensure I continue to express my creative gifting but ensure my words are inspired from the Lord,  ensure my motives are clean, and that in the end I commit all that I do to the Lord.


P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's lesson, may it be sealed to my heart. I pray Lord that you would examine my motives for plans I am still engaged in, and reveal to me any unpure motiuves.  I pray that plans for work I have in play now with would be committed to you.  I honestly am not sure I to ensure this is the case, but I dedicate all my work, home, and ministry to you, may it please you, and furthe the works of the kingdom here on earth.   I pray all this in Jesus name, amen.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Words of discipline and correction

Words of discipline and correction
S-

Prov 13:30
He who withholds his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.

Prov 15:1

gentle answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.

4

soothing tongue is a tree of life,
But perversion in it crushes the spirit.

O - Raising children is the by far the hardest leadership challenge I have faced.   While my experience in the world with regard to leading people is not small, my ability to shape and influence my daughters, values, and behavior has proven to be one of my biggest growing experiences.  Solomon speaks to this leadership of our children.  First off the idea that discipline is necessary to raise up a child but when the rod is used it should be used gently as to guide and not to instill fear.    When speaking to our children we should gently answer their questions, when we yell at them it can only stir up fear and anger in them.   Lastly we must be sure that our words bring life and crush the spirit of our children.  


A -  The application for me is is the mere reflection that I often fall short in these three standards of conduct and must do better if I am to raise my girls to be unhindered by my own disobedience to God's word.  I must take courage and continue to recognize it is my role to discipline, I must not avoid it because I want to appease the girls and make them happy.  On the other hand I must not hold back discipline until I can't stand it anymore and then explode with a heavy rod of discipline that crushes them.   I must recognize my capacity for harsh words, and must not use these as tools o shape the girls behavior, but when teaching or correcting,  I must strive to speaks words of truth and life into them.  


P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's devotion, may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord that you would help transform through your holy spirit, my heart, head, and ultimately my actions when it comes to raising Ashlyn and Chloe.  Help me to be a good father who lovingly disciplines, uses my words to lift them up and not tear them down, and ultimately causes them to blossom to be the women of God you are calling them to be.



Tuesday, May 29, 2012

The wisdom of humbleness

The wisdom of humbleness
 S -  Prov 10,11 (NASB)
Prov 10

When pride comes, then comes dishonor,
But with the humble is wisdom.

Prov 11
He who trusts in his riches will fall,
But the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.


O - Two basic tenets of the Christian life are to live humbly in spirit, trust in the Lords provision for your life.   What is amazing is these words, though God inspired, come from Solomon, the riches of Israel's king to ever live.   This supports the wisdom of this because who if not the King could be prideful, and who if not Solomon understands the trappings of riches.  


A -  The application for me is to continue to stave off some of the internal cravings I have that are flared up now and again, pride and concern for wealth.  The lesson I have learned in my life is that both have a very temporary satisfaction and are often followed by a valley of regret, sorrow and emptiness.  The truth of walking in humbleness (of who I am and who God is) and trusting in his perfect provision while at times is not easy but is wholly more satisfying.


P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's lesson, may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord that you continue to reveal in me any proud ways, and that you would releave me of any false worries about money and your provision for my life.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen. 

Monday, May 28, 2012

Teachable - a key trait to wisdom

Teachable -  a key trait to wisdom
S - Prov 9:8-10 (NASB)

Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you,
Reprove a wise man and he will love you.
Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser,
Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

O -  I can imagine King Solomon penning these words as he had attained such great wisdom early on in his kingship that he had a great many people coming to him for advice and judgement as King.   This proverb was likely confirmed through experience of giving advice to those who scoffed at him and hated him. It most likely helped him determine where he would invest his time.  Rather than try and correct and corral those who disagreed with him he could focus on finding those who posed a degree of wisdom already and were teachable, and secondly had a healthy fear of the Lord.

A - The application for me is to understand first, I must be man who fears the Lord and seeks to know God.  Second I must maintain a teachable heart, no matter how experienced I become  I must be willing to accept correction and wisdom when poured into my life.  The third revelation is that I must seek to mentor and equip those whom are the same.   Investing time and energy to poor out wisdom onto someone who is not open, teachable, and reverent of God and his truth may proved to be less than fruitful.

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's lesson, may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord that you keep in me a teachable heart, and that you enable me to have a one that is fearful of who you are.   I pray for wisdom in discern who to invest your wisdom into.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen. 



Sunday, May 27, 2012

God the great strategist

God the great strategist


S - Romans 8:28-40 (NASB)

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He alsoglorified.
31  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, orpersecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written,
“ For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.






O - Paul here in these passages givse a sermon of which makes you want to stand up and say AMEN!   Romans in many ways is a letter of teaching and encouragement to a young church that is likely facing the same difficulties that cause us even today to become discouraged or even stray from our calling and lack confidence in the promises of God.    The theology (I am guessing at this definition) is made clear here that God is in control and for those who love him and are called by him will be supported.  Paul helps us to understand that though we will face trials and sufferings,  we cannot be separated from God who is good and faithful to us.  God's is truly a love that will never be changed.  So we are to walk in confidence that He is with us, confident of His love, and His knowledge, and His power.


A - The application for me is receive Paul's words of truth regarding God's promises and faithfulness.  The most encouraging of these is the confidence I can never be separated again from the love of God.  My validation and confirmation in Him is all I need to walk in confidence and joy in this world.   The reminder that the spirit of God just gave me is that I must remember he works all things together for good, and that though at times situations will not seem good,  I am to have confidence God is working,   his wisdom and timing and plan are better than my best thoughts and plans.  


P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for your ways, and your good plan, and for your faithfulness.  May your word continue to be a lamp unto my feet, showing me your good way.   Thank you for these words of encouragement from the Apostle Paul, I pray for the courage and faith to walk in confidence of all that is written.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen. 

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Seeking wise counsel

Seeking wise counsel

 S  - Prov 1: 2-7 (NASB)

To know wisdom and instruction,
To discern the sayings of understanding,
To receive instruction in wise behavior,
Righteousness, justice and equity;
To give prudence to the naive,
To the youth knowledge and discretion,
A wise man will hear and increase in learning,
And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
To understand a proverb and a figure,
The words of the wise and their riddles.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.


O  - Solomon as King played an important role in Israel and our future.  To him wisdom was imparted from God as he had prayed for this at the start of his rule.   As a result his mantle was not only to build the temple in Jerusalem but also to "give prudence to the naive, to the youth knowledge and discretion".   Recognizing that the wisdom imparted to Solomon was from God we can confidently review it and apply it to our our lives and understanding.  Although he may have not ended well,  we can take these early words of Solomon and understand where wisdom start from:  as he says in verse 7 "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge"

A - The application to my own life is two recognize two truths.   I am to love and seek knowledge and wisdom for the many roles I will play in my own life: father, husband, leaders, teacher, mentor.   I am to remain teachable, because when wisdom begins to take away my dependence or fear of the Lord I will likely stumble in my own arrogance or wandering from the Lords will in my life.  Solomon says that even a wisdom man, a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, and so I  must always be able to seek and receive wise counsel from others.

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's wisdom and knowledge you have imparted on me.  Please seal this lesson to my head and heart that I may have a healthy fear of you all the days of my life.  I pray this in Jesus name, Amen. 

Friday, May 25, 2012

Freed from sin, a slave to Christ

Freed from sin, a slave to Christ
S -  Romans 6:3=7, 22-23 (NASB)
Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk innewness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our oldself was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.
...
22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.


O - Even slaves have a freedom of sorts,  the freedom to chose to obey their masters and be obedient to their commands.  It is the same with God, who has offered us freedom from sin which results in death, in exchange for slavery in Christ, which offers eternal life.   Following a benevolent God who cares for us deeply is not like being a slave of an evil landowner who takes advantage of their slaves, and treats them as less than.  Following God leads us in His righteousness and protects us from our own misgivings.   Paul writes to us these reminders of what it means to to be a follower of Christ, because he understands that even after understanding and accepting Christ, we will face temptations and fall short, and even at times turn away from God, but Paul reminds us of our hope.  First off in this new covenant we belong to God, we are his slaves, and only He can release, as long a he is our master,  sin may never be.   Second, we are going to be sanctified along the way to eternal life, meaning,  the closer we walk with God, following his directions to us, the closer we will be to leading a life that is simply not possible without God.


A - The application for me is to recognize that I am not to be discouraged even in seasons where I allow other, but especially myself to make me feel not worthy of eternal life, or make me question my own salvation and commitment to following God.   I am to embrace the fact that I am a slave to Christ, and that if I will be a good slave and follow his commands and prompting, he is good a faithful to lead me in ways of eternal life.  I must trust in his perfect leadership of my surrendered life.   


P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for your daily faithfulness to leading me in my own sanctification process.  I trust in you, to lead me, and pray that you remind me and strengthen me when I fall short of hearing your guidance, and obeying it.  Help me to repent and correct back toward you, and to do so with the joyful heart that comes from knowing you care for me and have my best in mind.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Hope in trials

Hope in trials
S - Romans 5:3-5 (NASB)
 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.


O - Paul's words of perseverance and encouragement during trials in our lives is one that gives hope and spirit of victory to those who chose to follow Christ.  The journey of a trial is one of purpose and when we understand this as Paul understood, we can begin to rejoice in the good work God is doing in us.   Tribulations are the work out - where we grow in our trust in God by persevering circumstances, and as we act with a grace and godly character we begin to hope, not in ourselves, but in the truth that God is with us, and he is sufficient.


A- The application for me is a reminder of daily perseverance during times of tribulation, for it is this perseverance often over a long period of time, that develops the character neccesary to follow God closely in this world.   Without this proven character I will easily fall away in circumstances that are not favorable.  


P - Dear heavenly Father, thank your for today's lesson, may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray God that you would help me to persevere this current season, and come out on the other end full of joy and increased faith in you and your ways.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Repentance - our promise to God, restoration - God's promise to us

Repentance -  our promise to God,  restoration - God's promise to us
S  -  2 Chron 6
24 “If Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and they return to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this house, 25 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You have given to them and to their fathers.


36 “When they sin against You ( for there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and deliver them to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to a land far off or near, 37 if they take thought in the land where they are taken captive, and repent and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have committed iniquity and have acted wickedly’; 38  if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been taken captive, and pray toward their land which You have given to their fathers and the city which You have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for Your name, 39 then hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place, their prayer and supplications, and maintain their cause and forgive Your people who have sinned against You.


2 Chron 7 (the Lord's reply)
13  If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, 14  and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 




O - Solomon's prayer and God's response to him after completing the temple is  a great conversation to reflect upon.  We see Solomon who was given such wisdom, say he understands the people will sin and stray from God, both individually and collectively as a chosen people, so his prayer is that God would respond favorably if in their sin, they turn, repent that God would hear their prayer, forgive their sin, and heal the results of their transgression.   God responds favorably to Solomon by acknowledging that he will keep his ear open for the prayers of those that are seeking him, and his ways and will respond as Solomon described. Though this describes an old testament concept (priests conducting sacrifices and approaching the lord in the Temple where he dwells in the Holy of Holies,  it applies today for us, where Jesus now dwells in us, and acts on our behalf to intercede when we sin, and subsequently repent.


A -  The application for me is to live in the truth that I am a sinner, in need of a savior.  That I worship and forgiving and righteous God.   The fact that I have committed my life to following Jesus makes me no less likely to fall short of his righteousness, it just means He will always be there for me if I turn to Him.  In this season I am now, I know I must search my own soul and make sure I have no disobedience in me and that I have not in anyway turned away from Him, or allowed sin to cause me to stray.   


P - Dear heavenly Father, I pray that you would search my soul and reveal in me any unrighteousness or sin.   I repent now for what I don't know, but will soon be revealed.  I pray for strength to walk in your ways and be restored to your glory and righteousness in your plans for me.



Tuesday, May 22, 2012


S -  Romans 3

21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, beingwitnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faithin Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace throughthe redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as apropitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness,because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and theuncircumcised through faith is one.
31 Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.


O - 

God will have the great work of the justification and salvation of sinners carried on from first to last, so as to shut out boasting. Now, if we were saved by our own works, boasting would not be excluded. But the way of justification by faith for ever shuts out boasting. Yet believers are not left to be lawless; faith is a law, it is a working grace, wherever it is in truth. By faith, not in this matter an act of obedience, or a good work, but forming the relation between Christ and the sinner, which renders it proper that the believer should be pardoned and justified for the sake of the Saviour, and that the unbeliever who is not thus united or related to him, should remain under condemnation. The law is still of use to convince us of what is past, and to direct us for the future. Though we cannot be saved by it as a covenant, yet we own and submit to it, as a rule in the hand of the Mediator.
—Matthew Henry Concise


2) Righteousness Attained by Faith, Not by Legalistic Works. 3:21-31.
If man has failed to attain righteousness, and if righteousness is necessary before God, then how is a man to attain righteousness? How can God be righteous when he acquits a man and declares him righteous? Paul has just made the problem more acute by showing that all men are sinners. So if God declares any man righteous, he is declaring one to be righteous who is unrighteous. Paul's answer shows God's wisdom and involvement in the matter of human sin.
21. The righteousness of God. Paul means the righteousness bestowed by God. Such a righteousness is apart from the law in the sense that it is not a righteousness deserved or achieved by keeping the Law. Apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been revealed. Here is righteousness sent by God and revealed by God. Though distinct from any righteousness sought by keeping the Law, it is testified to by the law and the prophets. The latter phrase means the whole OT (Mt 5:17; 7:12; 11:13; 22:40; Lk 16:16; Acts 13:15; 24:14; 28:23). That God would reckon faith as righteousness is not foreign to the OT (see Rom 4).
22-24. If righteousness is bestowed, upon whom is it bestowed? This righteousness is realized through the efficient cause—faith, which has for its object, Christ. It is a righteousness to all those in the process of trusting. The present participle makes it clear that this is a lifelong committal to Christ seen in the day-by-day response of trust (see on 1:16). It is trust and only trust that is required. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile so far as sin is concerned (3:23). Because all sinned (see 2:12). This sin refers to the involvement of all men—both Jew and Gentile—in transgression. The tense brings together the individual personal transgressions into a collective whole.
All men manifest their involvement in Adam's departure from right by constantly falling short of the glory of God. Falling short means to lack or to be without. What is it that men fall short of and lack? The glory of God includes the splendor or radiance of God—the outward manifestation of what God is. Majesty and sublimity are also part of the glory of God. Majesty involves power. Sublimity involves a superior and elevated position—that of the One who is supreme. Yet the glory of God is not only to be seen by those who believe (Jn 11:40), but it is received and made a part of those who believe (2 Cor 3:18) and is their destiny (1 Thess 2:12; 2 Thess 2:14). It is not only ascribed to God by the great multitude in heaven because of his victory over sin (Rev 19:1), but it also characterizes the Holy City, the eternal dwelling place of God with his people (Rev 21:11, 23). Men are constantly lacking God's glory because the continual practice of sin denies all that the glory of God means.
The righteousness of God which has been revealed, and which God bestows upon all those who are believing or trusting means that these are acquitted or freely pronounced righteous (Rom 3:24). How can this be? It is by means of God's grace. God is favorably disposed to do this, not because of any merit in men but because he is gracious and chooses to manifest his grace towards men. But can God do this simply by a decision of his will without any objective action on his part? Paul would answer, "No." Therefore, he adds the phrase, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Men can be acquitted (pronounced righteous) because God has acted. He has provided redemption. Originally the word meant the buying back of a slave or captive, the making him free by the payment of a ransom (Arndt, apolytrōsis, p. 95). Here redemption refers to the release provided by Christ from sin and its consequences. This redemption or release is in Christ Jesus. To be in Christ is to belong to him and to be a part of all that he has done and brought into being through his redemptive work. Paul now proceeds to show just what this work involved.
25, 26. This work is an objective transaction, a particular act of God which involved the person of his Son. It was a necessary act. The necessity was not imposed upon God from without, for then he would not have been God. It was imposed upon him from within, by virtue of his own nature. Whom (Christ Jesus) God displayed publicly as a means of propitiation in his blood through faith. Here Paul brings together God and Christ, the work accomplished, and man's response to this work. God publicly displayed Christ as a means of propitiation in or by his blood. The death of Christ was a fact to be observed by all. But the atoning aspect—that which propitiates sin—was the giving up of his life. This is seen in the fact that his blood was shed or poured out. These details are given not to arouse sympathy but to show the reality of this death. God was the offerer. Christ was the sacrifice. Human sin was covered, i.e., blotted out forever. Yet for this propitiation to be effective in the life of the individual, faith must be present. The faith or trust is in God, first of all, but it also involves what he has done. He took sin into his his own being (2 Cor 5:21), dealt with it there objectively, and by doing this gave proof of his righteousness. But did God let go unpunished the sins which happened before Christ's death? The objective, public death of Christ at Calvary proves that the Lord did not let these sins go unpunished. We know that he was dealing with human sin there—with the past sins of mankind as well as with those presently being carried out, and those yet to be committed—because he declared it through his apostles and prophets. These past sins were done in the sphere of God's forbearance (Rom 3:25). The Lord did not forget these sins, although he did not deal with them immediately.
God's action in the cross was more than a vindication of himself in regard to past human history. It was also the proof of his righteousness in the present (3:26). The Lord must be just or righteous now as he declares righteous the one who believes in Jesus. He did not pass a law that he who believes in Jesus would be declared righteous simply because He said so. Rather, He acted. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit entered into the arena of human sin. The Almighty laid the basis upon which he could forgive sin, and upon which he could declare sinners righteous and still himself be righteous.
27-31. Now Paul proceeds to the results of God's saving work in Christ at the cross. He contends that boasting is eliminated. How? By what kind of a law? By what kind of system, principle, code, or norm could boasting be eliminated? By a system of works? Oh, no. Such a system engenders pride. Rather, it is by a faith kind of system. A work-centered life is a self-centered life. But the law or code of faith brings about a God-centered life. Christianity is regarded here as a new law—a code of life with faith at its center. This idea of the word law is found in Rom 3:27; 8:2; Jas 1:25; 2:8, 9; 2:12. The essence of the law of faith is that a man is declared righteous by means of faith apart from the works of the law (Rom 3:28). The Lord is the one who declares men righteous. He is the God both of the Jews and of the Gentiles (v. 29). He declares the Jews to be righteous because of (ek) faith, the Gentiles through or by (dia) faith. In both instances faith is the cause of God's declaration. So both Jew and Gentile find acceptance with God in the same way—through a personal committal to him, a personal trust in him. This fact does not mean that the Law is nullified. Rather, the law is confirmed or made valid. It is confirmed in its role of making men conscious of sin (v. 20). The law confronts men not only with their sin but with the Lawgiver as well. When men trust God, the Law-giver, they are at the place where law was meant to bring them.
—Wycliffe Bible Commentary, The

Sunday, May 20, 2012

God's presence with us always

God's presence with us always

S - 1 Kings 6
12 Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all My commandments by walking in them, then I will carry out My word with you which I spoke to David your father. 13  I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.”


Romans 1 
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealedfrom faith to faith; as it is written, “ But the righteous man shall live by faith.”


O - The word of God is alive and speaks to us today.  The context of the two scriptures may be somewhat different but today they are ministering to me.   The first comes from Solomon's building of the temple for the Lord.  He is given the privileged of being the first King to give God a permanent home rather than a moving tabernacle.  He is given peace on all sides of him so that his efforts focused on God can be used to give God the honor he deserves. His promise is that if we carry out his word he will always be with us.  In the second scripture, Paul describes not a building or even the commandments that we are to be obedient to, but in a different manner we are to receive the truth of what God has revealed to us through Christ,  the good news of our salvation, revealed through faith in Christ.   Both truth's revealed are important to our understanding of who our God is, who we are, and how we are to live in relationship to God.


A -  The application for me is to recognize the truth that now the holy spirit resides in my,  I am the temple, and how I build my house and behave matters.  God is telling me that if I will simply walk in obedience to what He has revealed to me through his word, and through the holy spirits prompting, He will be with me always, through all situations I will face.   Secondly Paul is reminding me that all of this is done through faith, and the more I walk in faith the more God will reveal himself and the more confident I will walk in this faith in God and not in myself.   Salvation through Christ is an act of faith, which when followed by the act of faith of following the holy spirit leads to a life that is lead by God and fullfilled by God.


P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for continuing to release the baggage that I carry.  The more I learn to walk in faith of what you are doing and trust in you , the more of the old me I see falling away, and the more of you I see revealed.  I thank you Lord and pray that you would continue to strip away the old Joe, show me your ways so that I might know you better, and live a life led by you always.  In Jesus name, I pray.