PILES OF POSSESSIONS

Today's reading: Zechariah 11-14

"Watch, for the day of the Lord is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front of you!" Zechariah 14:1 NLT

There is coming a day when all you have accumulated will be gone.

All you lean upon will vanish.

All you trust in will be non-existent.

All you have worked so hard for will be given to another.

All you thought you needed will be of no use.

Your possessions will serve no purpose, hold no value, bring you no comfort, give you no solace and provide you no security.

It will be you...and God.

Just you and God.

SEEDS

Today's reading: Zechariah 6-10

"For I am planting seeds of peace and prosperity among you. The grapevines will be heavy with fruit. The earth will produce its crops, and the sky will release the dew. Once more I will make the remnant in Judah and Israel heirs of these blessings." Zechariah 8:12 NLT

The thing about seeds? They are small.

Really.

In comparison to their fully-grown fruit, seeds are minute in size.

So they require a large amount of imagination--and a whole lot of faith.

Christianity is like that.

The seeds of living a godly life are very small some days.

Doing what's right.

Being kind.

Checking in on the neighbor or the shut-in.

Holding one's tongue.

Letting go of a grudge.

Choosing not to fall back into an old not-good-for-your-walk habit.

Getting into the Word.

Bowing one's head in prayer.

Making the effort to get into God's presence on a daily basis.

Small seeds, minor efforts, tiny steps of faith--which will always, in God's way and in God's time produce a harvest of blessing will be worth it.

Because He sends the rain when needed. He shines down on our attempts when necessary to germinate our efforts. He will allow our seeds to sprout when He will get the most glory.

We can trust Him with our seeds--we just need to keep planting them!

BY HIS SPIRIT

Today's reading: Zechariah 1-5

"...It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty." Zechariah 4:6 NLT

I don't know what it is you might be needing to get through today, but depend upon God to do it.

Don't try to muscle your way through.

Don't depend upon your sheer grit and determination.

Do not, no matter what, try to do it all upon your own strengths.

Do it all in the power of the Holy Spirit working in you, through you, with you and around you.

A SIGNET RING

Today's reading: Haggai

"...I will treat you like a signet ring on my finger, says the Lord, for I have specially chosen you. I, the Lord Almighty, have spoken!" Haggai 2:23 NLT

What a difference it will make on our days and our tasks when we see each and every opportunity as ones where we are 'stamping God's imprint' on the circumstances He has us in.

His touch on our workplace.

His impression on our homes.

His fingerprint on our houses of worship.

His residue on our conversations.

His shadow on our efforts.

Imagine yourself His signet ring and today the soft wax He is allowing you to impress...

THAT DAY

Today's reading: Zephaniah

"On that day I will gather you together and bring you home again. I will give you a good name, a name of distinction among all the nations of the earth. They will praise you as I restore your fortunes before their very eyes. I, the Lord, have spoken!" Zephaniah 3:20 NLT

If you are anything like me, 'that day' personally translates--intimately translates--comfortably translates--most conveniently translates--into today.

Right now.

Before I say 'amen' at the end of any prayer where I ask anything of God.

But He knows best.

He knows when will work most suitably for His plans.

He knows what I need to learn, how much I need to grow and how much of God's faithfulness I need to see before 'that day' arrives.

So, while we wait for 'that day', be very much excited for what is to come!

NOT IN THE LEAST

Today's reading: Habakkuk

"...But his power is not diminished in the least!" Habakkuk 3:6 NLT

As many things have been changed, re-worked, completely up-ended and totally messed up by current events, isn't it reassuring to know God has not!

No disease has changed Him.

No amount of time has changed Him.

No political power, no statistical report, no court ruling, no public displays--or the tearing down of them, have changed Him.

He remains the same.

In a day when nothing seems to stay the same from one news broadcast to the next, that is nice to know.

HE KNOWS, DO YOU?

Today's reading: Nahum 

"The Lord is good. When trouble comes, he is a strong refuge. And he knows everyone who trusts in him." Nahum 1:7 NLT

I don't doubt that God knows those who trust Him. He is God, after all. The Knower-Of-All-Things.

He is fully aware if our acknowledgement of Him is that of a Sunday School nature, could pick Him out of a line-up of historical pictures--or do we 'know' Him in a deeply personal sense.

He knows that.

So?

You, knew I would have to ask--do you know Him?

As your Lord and Savior?

As your Redeemer and Sin-Forgiver?

Do you know Him as the One who hold your future and your eternity?

 

 WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED

Today's reading: Micah 5-7

"Don't you remember, my people, how King Balak of Moab tries to have you cursed and how Balaam son of Beor blessed you instead? And remember your journey from Acacia to Gilgal, when I, the Lord, did everything I could to teach you about my faithfulness?" Micah 6:5 NLT

Acacia to Gilgal were more hearts apart than miles apart.

Acacia is where the Israelites sold themselves over to Moabite idols and ways.

Gilgal was the worship headquarters for the conquest of Canaan.

And between the two? A whole lot of lessons about God and His faithfulness.

The world would have us believe life is about leaving all there is to learn about ourselves.  Wrong!

All there is to learn about us can be summed up quickly and with a whole lot of let down...we are frail and incapable of onmich.

But God?

Oh, what a lifetime we can fill learning about Him!!.

BECAUSE OF SIN

Today's reading: Micah 1-4

"In that day your enemies will make fun of you by singing this song of despair about your experience:

    We are finished, completely ruined!

    God has confiscated our land, taking it from us.

    He has given our fields to those who betrayed us.

Others will set your boundaries then, and the Lord's people will have no say in how the land is divided." Micah 2:4-5 NLT

Isn't that just how sin works?

You think you're dipping your toe into it, just for a test-run.

You think you're in complete control.

You believe you can determine how far, how deep, how long you will be in it...or if it will touch anyone else.

And before you realize it--it has full control over you. And infects relationships.

It's setting new boundaries for you.

Because of sin, so many of us are tied down, tethered, held back or reduced to feeling like 90-pound weaklings in the face of needed change.

God can help us. God wants to help us. God is the help we need!

Take your sins to Him.

Let Him release you.

JUST PRAY

Today's reading: Jonah 

"Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish." Jonah 2:1 NLT

Jonah didn't wait until Sunday to pray.

Or until a more pristine place.

He didn't wait for a bevvy of believing friends to accompany him.

Jonah prayed.

Right. Where. He. Was.

In. The. Condition. He. Was. In.

A lesson for us all!

We are never too far gone.

Too deep in sin.

Too used up.

Too bruised by the world's batterings.

Too dirtied by our choices.

Too small to be heard.

Too far gone.

We can call on the Lord from where we are with all we have going on and He will always hear us.

Go ahead, try it.

HUMILITY

Today's reading: Obadiah

My Life Application Bible puts it this way:

"The Edomites were proud of their city carved right into the rock. Today Sela, or Petra, is considered one of the marvels of the ancient world, but only as a tourist attraction."

As sure as the Edomites were of their defenses, the Edomites fell--and fell hard because their hope was in other than the One True God.

It will always happen that way.

Anything but God will disappoint eventually.

Oh, it might hold us up for a while.

It might keep us afloat for a good long time.

We might rest on our laurels a nice lengthy lifetime--but know this, there will come a time when knowing God will be the litmus test of out lives.

Is your life built upon Him?

Are your hopes resting on Him?

Is your future secure in Him?

Is your eternity bound in Him?

Is your salvation held by Him?

All else is sinking sand.

WHY ARE YOU?

Today's reading: Amos 5-9

"Was it to me you were bringing sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, Israel? No, your real interest was in your pagan gods--Sakkuth your king god and Kaiwan your star god--the images you yourselves made." Amos 5:25-26 NLT

Before you lay out your Sunday best, dust off your Bible from last week's trek to the Lord's house or lay out to thaw the pot roast that will be eaten after your return from worship, let me ask you this--why are you attending at all?

Are you going out of habit or ritual or tradition?

Are you going to look good among Christian friends, your Sunday School circle or to get your spouse off your back?

Are you attending to mark something off your to-do list?

As a positive addendum to your resume?

Are you planning on attending church only because you have obligations in the nursery, on a committee, to pass the offering plate, to work in the children's ministries--or, gulp, behind the pulpit?

As He did with the children of Israel, He knows the real reason you are going. The REAL reason.

So today, a full day ahead of 'His Day', ask Him to give you the right motives. The right reasons. The right desire for worship. The right heart for coming into His presence.

WHO HE IS

Today's reading: Amos 1-4

"For the Lord is the one who shaped the mountains, stirs up the winds and reveals his every thought. He turns the light of dawn into darkness and treads the mountains under his feet. The Lord Almighty is his name!" Amos 4:13 NLT

Just in case you needed the reminder of just who it is you are serving.

Or who it is you are trusting.

Or who it is you are waiting on.

It is the Lord.

The Lord Almighty is his name! 

AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE

Today's reading: Joel 1-3

"...Surely the Lord has done great things! Don't be afraid, my people! Be glad now and rejoice because the Lord has done great things." Joel 2:20-21 NLT

Right at the top of my Bible page...

After detailed descriptions of a locust plague, an army attack and parched wastelands...

Right before locusts are mentioned again, defeated cities are listed and slavery is foretold...

I am reminded of God's goodness--with exclamation points!

I needed it after yesterday.

It might very well be I will need that knowledge going in to today, too.

Right there, at the top of my Bible page!

No matter what else happens. No matter what else.

IN GOOD TIMES

Today's reading: Hosea 10-14

"How prosperous Israel is--a luxuriant vine loaded with fruit! But the more wealth the people got, the more they poured it on the altars of their foreign gods. The richer the harvests they brought in, the more beautiful the statues and idols they built." Hosea 10:1 NLT

If things are going well for you, great! Honestly, I am so thrilled to hear it.

But if things are going well for you, and take with this with all the sincerity I can send in these typed words, please check your spiritual walk.

In the easy times we can become lazy in our faith disciplines--our prayer times, our moments in the Bible, our church attendance, our worship and fellowship with believers.

There is something to be said about hard times--they keep us grounded and right where we need to be, completely and utterly dependent upon God. But easy times? As Hosea writes, easy times sometimes allow us to let our guards down. To try it on our own. To rest on our laurels. To let things coast.

So stay close to the Lord--in good times and in bad.

RIGHT WHERE THEY LEFT HIM

Today's reading: Hosea 5-9

"Then I will return to my place until they admit their guilt and look to me for help. For as soon as trouble comes, they will search for me." Hosea 5:15 NLT

Wouldn't you say that at some point in every person's life, they have a moment in which they scramble to wonder where it is they left God?

When the last time was they talked with Him...

When the last time was they heard from Him and listened...

When the last time was they has close communion with Him...

When they last felt His presence...

When they felt His hand on them...

When they last knew His love was surrounding them...

As much as God is everywhere, and He is, there are too many moments in time when we step away from Him. From what He asks of us. From what He demands of us. From what He requests of us. From what we 'want Him to see us doing'.

And then we have to go looking for Him.

That's when He is found right where He always was. Unchanged in His position. Unmoved in His stance. Unwavering in His desires for us. 

His loved for us unmarred by our choices.

IDOL WORSHIP

Today's reading: Hosea 1-4

"...Longing after idols has made them foolish." Hosea 4:12 NLT

Hosea was called to prophesy to Israel during a dark time in their history when they had walked away from God and sought after idols of every sort--hoping to find all God had offered them.

And their pursuit had left them high and dry, empty, alone, more desperate, worse off than ever.

But when one is idol worshipping, one doesn't realize it.

It's fun at first. It's an adventure. It's something new and exciting. Something different. Something maybe easier. Something possibly more to one's natural bent.

Then it becomes more entangling. Requires more effort. More thought. More time. More of one's self.

Then it begins to strangle. Choke. Control. Rein. Master. Lord over you. 

That's the point at which you realize what you thought was serving you well is not--but having you serve it.

Idol worship makes us look foolish.

Take a prayerful, God-led look at what's leading you. What's filling your thoughts. What's consuming your mind. It just might be an idol setting itself up on a shelf in your life for worship...

BLESSED ASSURANCE

Today's reading: Daniel 9-12

"Then he said, Don't be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before God, your request has been heard in heaven..." Daniel 10:12 NLT

I don't know about you, but when I'm not seeing answer to prayer, the next best thing is knowing--without a doubt that--that my prayers are being heard.

By God.

In heavenly realms.

That they are going higher than the ceiling.

That they are making more sense than the mumbling attempts I am uttering.

That the Holy Spirit is unjumbling the words and needs I have and presenting them as a sweet smelling fragrance to my Savior.

And in knowing that, I can wait for Him to act--or for Him to rework me and change my needs.

FINE TOOTHED COMBS

Today's reading: Daniel 6-8

"Then the other administrators and princes began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling his affairs, but they couldn't find anything to criticize. So they concluded, Our only chance of finding ground for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the requirements of his religion." Daniel 6:4-5 NLT

Imagine...

Imagine living in such a God-honoring way that the only area folks can find to scrutinize you is in the area of how you honor God!

How whole-heartedly you love Him.

How willingly you serve Him.

How unabashedly you proclaim Him.

How desperately you cling to Him.

How unswervingly you trust Him.

How far you'll go to seek Him.

How much you know you need to spend time in His presence.

That is searching through your life with a fine toothed comb!

May we all live lives that would require that deep a look.

HE HAS THE POWER

Today's reading: Daniel 4-5

"All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He has the power to do as he pleases among the angels of heaven and with those who live on earth. No one can stop him or challenge him, saying, What do you mean by doing these things?" Daniel 4:35 NLT

There comes a point in time when you don't understand what's going on...

When you don't see any possible way out...

When you don't see how any good at all can come from any tidbit of it...

When circumstances seem too far gone, hearts seem too hardened, ways seem too set and hurts seem to have left scars too deep to ever heal over...

That you have to trust God.

That He is who He is.

That He can do what He can do.

That He is over all He is over.

That He reigns in ways only He can reign.

That He knows more than we will ever know.

That He works in ways only He can work.

That He doesn't have to pre-approve anything with you, let you in on anything He is planning, fill you in on all the details or even include you.

He doesn't even have to answer any of our questions.

Just trust Him.

DETERMINED

Today's reading: Daniel 1-3

"When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, came to kill them, Daniel handled the situation with wisdom and discretion." Daniel 2:14 NLT

How in the world did Daniel do it?

How, when looking down the tip of a sword, did he maintain composure? Retain his godliness? Make wise choices? Not, in 2020 terms, lose it?

It all boils down to what he did in chapter 1...

"But Daniel made up his mind..." Daniel 1:8 NLT

He made up his mind that no matter where the enemy army took him, no matter what they did to him, no matter what was forced upon him, no matter what, he was God's and he was going to trust God with the outcome.

Exactly what we need to do with today, friends.

With this crazy, wack-a-doodle year we're living in.

With whatever God-filtered circumstance you are currently finding yourself in.

Make up your mind to trust God and to react in ways, and only in ways, that honor Him.

Go ahead, make up your mind now--there make not be time to decide later!

 RIVER OF HEALING

Today's reading: Ezekiel 47-48

In reading about the healing river flowing out of the Temple, I can't help but mentally make note of all the things I would like to dip into that river...

Relationships.

The wandering hearts of loved ones.

The broken bodies of those close to me.

My beautiful nation.

Myself on days when I feel infected by the circumstances of this world.

The very thought of a healing river makes me want to pack a picnic lunch and camp out beside it's banks.

HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE HIM?

Today's reading: Ezekiel 44-46

"So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: No foreigners, including those who live among the people of Israel, will enter my sanctuary if they have not been circumcised and do not love the Lord." Ezekiel 44:9 NLT

What if there were a machine of sorts that detected your love for the Lord at the door of the church?

A sensor. A test. A scan.

Would it do a computer check of your bank records to see how you've spent the money He has allotted you?

Would it do a quick review of all the interactions you've had with all the other 'made in His image' folks the previous week?

Would be a bug planted in your vehicle that recorded the conversations on your way to His house of worship?

Would it be an attitude-ometer that determined the reason and excitement you were experiencing upon approaching His presence?

Would you pass the test for loving the Lord?

THE BASIC LAW

Today's reading: Ezekiel 41-43

"And this is the basic law of the Temple: absolute holiness!.." Ezekiel 43:12 NLT

If we were to team up today's verse with this verse...

"Or don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was give to you by God?.." 1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT

...would it make a difference in our lives?

Would our days run more smoothly?

Would our prayer times be filled more with praise than petitions for forgiveness?

Would we be spending more time living for Jesus than for ourselves?

Imagine waking up each and every day with our main focus being striving for absolute holiness in each action, word, deed, reaction (ouch) and emotion (yes, we are responsible for those, too).

Absolute holiness, friends. It's a goal. An attainable goal with Christ in us!

NONE

Today's reading: Ezekiel 39-40

"So now the Sovereign Lord says:...I will leave none of my people behind." Ezekiel 39:25-28 NLT

I don't know what that liar of an enemy is saying to you this morning.

About unanswered prayer requests...

Or recurring sins in your life...

Or prodigals who haven't seen the porch light left on for them...

Or the growth you haven't seen in your walk with the Lord...

Or the slip-ups in your talk...

Or the ups and down of your faith journey...

Know this, friend and fellow believer, God Himself says, He will not leave any of His people behind.

We may not progress at the same stage.

Or carry within us the same amount of Biblical knowledge.

Or have written about our lives the same testimonies.

But not one of us claiming His Son as Savior will be left alone to do this life.

I will not be the first one left behind.

You will not be the first one left behind.

OH, THE INCONVENIENCE

Today's reading: Ezekiel 36-38

"And I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give a new, obedient heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so you will obey my laws and do whatever I command." Ezekiel 36:26-27 NLT

The 30 minute home improvement shows have done a huge disservice to the small town lumberyards like the one I work at.

In a short viewing segment, with commercials, I might add, a complete room, and sometimes home remodel, can be accomplished to the satisfaction of all involved--the homeowner, the contractor, the banker and the salesperson at the lumberyard sales counter.

The truth? It seldom happens without a glitch. It rarely comes off without a hitch. It almost never occurs without something being mis-cut, forgotten or getting broken. And let's not even talk about the budget. Or the inconvenience--oh, the inconvenience!

Those things are exactly what came to my mind when I re-read these verses this morning.

I have a tendency to believe that when God does a work in my heart, replacing sinful desires with godly ones, it will be a piece of cake.

Oh, it can be. He could do it that way. He could cause me to wake up one morning and all the old things I liked to do be completely gone from my heart and mind. But let's be honest, He allows me to build some sweat equity into the remodeling process.

Friend, let Him do His work in your heart.

Allow Him to finish His complete overhaul of your mind.

Give Him artistic license with His plans for your life from this day forward.

His budget is endless. His ways are above our own. His plans encompass far more than we could ever dream. The finished product He has in mind far surpasses anything we could dream up in our finite minds.

Endure the process. Do all He asks of you!

He allows a little inconvenience on my part in order that I might more appreciate the finished product.

MY PRAYER

Today's reading: Ezekiel 33-35

"When I have ruined the land because of their disgusting sins, then they will know that I am the Lord." Ezekiel 33:29 NLT

Lord,

Before I can begin to pray for my country...my nation...my homeland...I must bow before you on behalf of my own personal sins.

The ones that make me guilty before you.

The ones that make me tolerant to the stench of indecency, ungodliness, immorality and downright wrong things.

Because, truth be told, personal sins are what have led our country to the mess its in.

The whole lot of us as citizens have piled our own sins, one on top of another, before you, like the tower of Babel.

A wreaking, smelly pile of transgressions against your Word.

And maybe, just maybe, when we, as individuals, begin to be repentantly sorry for individual sins, then our nation can begin to heal. From the inside out. From the only place true healing can come from --the soul.

I know this land won't be fixed with another election, a different political party, a change in officer or an upheaval in any law, it's only going to be changed when our hearts change. When our sins are put under the forgiving blood of our Savior.

I'm sorry God for the condition I've allowed my heart to get into, and for how it has infected my land.

Amen

SOVEREIGN

Today's reading: Ezekiel 31-32

"...I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!" Ezekiel 31:18, 32:8, 32:16, 32:32 NLT

Sovereign means to have or hold supreme power. To be unlimited in extent. To have no one in authority above.

In reading this phrase over and over this morning in regards to Ezekiel's proclamations over Egypt, I am reminded of the authority with which my God speaks.

He doesn't have to ask permission of anyone.

He doesn't have to clear His ideas with someone over Him.

He needn't get approval from another.

That excites me in regards to the things He has planned for my life! The things I see in the works--and more importantly the things I don't even see set into motion as of yet.

My Sovereign Lord has spoken great words of power over my present and my future--yours, too!

PERSONAL TRAGEDIES

Today's reading: Ezekiel 28-30

"You defiled your sanctuaries with your many sins and your dishonest trade. So I brought fire from within you, and it consumed you. I let it burn you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching." Ezekiel 28:18 NLT

Have you ever had the greatest, probably most godly, of intentions consume you?

Take over your heart and mind and life?

Have you ever started out gun-ho, filled with prayer, led by the Holy Spirit, attune to God's leading--only to take the reins into your own hands when things weren't progressing as you thought they should? Or not producing the outcome you had hoped to see? Or not reaching the masses you had dreamed your idea/ministry would reach?

Was it because of a bad idea? Probably not.

Was it because you were the wrong person for the job? More than likely, no.

Was it that the fire inside you began to burn brighter for success than it did for God? That, dear friend, is a huge probability.

Ezekiel speaks to the same problem.

And Ezekiel speaks to the outcome--a subsequent crash and burn in front of the very audience you were hoping to impress.

So right now, before there is a personal, or public, tragedy, get back on your knees. Recommit to it being God's project, not yours. Determine to see where God is at work and join Him there. Hand it back over to the One who placed the desire in your heart to begin with.

And I'll do the same.

CAN YOU SWIM?

Today's reading: Ezekiel 25-27

Maybe our enemy is whispering to you, Give up. It's not worth it.

He may have posed the question to you, Is it worth all this faith stuff?

Let me share with you a verse that hopped off the page of my Bible and landed full in my heart this morning.

"For the Sovereign Lord says: I will make Tyre an uninhabited ruin. You will sink beneath the terrible waves of enemy attack. Great waves will swallow you." Ezekiel 26:19 NLT

Maybe you are unaware of Tyre's history and background. Maybe you haven't even a clue as to where they might be located on a map.  Allow me to sum it up for you: they were enemies of God.

That's why He imposed judgement  on them.

Think about being told God would allow you to sink beneath the waves of your enemy.

Thought about it? The hopelessness? The impending doom? The darkness?

Now, child of God, read this...

"He reached down from heaven and rescued me; He drew me out of deep waters. He delivered me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. They attacked me at the moment when I was weakest, but the Lord upheld me. He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because He delights in me." Psalm 18:16-19 NLT

These verses refer to what God does for those who seek Him, love Him, serve Him, follow Him and stay the course with Him.

Is it worth it to keep following Him? YES!

Is it worth it to continue keeping His commands? YES!

Is He our only hope? YES!

No matter how well you can swim, you need the Lord.