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Be my strength…. (devo reflection)

1 Corinthians 1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes….

I find myself these days in a perpetual state of overwhelm. There’s not enough of me to do all that needs to be done—to plan, teach, grade, reteach, encourage and cajole those struggling, etc etc.

1 Corinthians 1:2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours….

But commentary on today’s scripture showed me the problem and the solution: “In these first 10 verses, Paul refers to Jesus in every verse, for a total of 11 times. In this emphasis on Jesus, Paul promotes the sure cure for the problems of the Corinthians: getting your eyes off self and on Jesus.” And so it is with me.

1 Corinthians 1:3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord, Forgive me for trying to do life in my own strength. I can’t. Thank You for the reminder that it’s not about me—my ability or strength—it’s about You, through You, for You. Help me to focus on You alone. Be my strength. Amen.

1 Corinthians 1:4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.

Have a blessed day.

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The danger of depending on my own strength…. (devo reflection)

Hosea 10:12a Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground…

Stasis—defined as a period or state of inactivity or equilibrium—isn’t terribly productive or useful, but it sure is comfortable. There’s no sowing or reaping in stasis, no breaking up unplowed ground. All those things are messy and disruptive. Unpredictable things can happen when you sow, reap, plow. Such are the thoughts when I depend on my own strength (v13). But God….

Hosea 10:12b …for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.

But God says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9). While He’s a master in all mediums and He can, will, and does work in stasis IF we allow Him to, He’s especially skilled at bringing beauty from ashes, specifically the ashes of chaos and disruption. These truths are hard to see when I depend on my own strength.

Hosea 10:13a But you have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception….

Lord, Forgive me for my love of stasis, comfort, predictability. My strength is not very strong and prefers to lean on the familiar. Help me to push past my limits, to sow, reap, and plow, knowing that You will bring beauty from the chaos of construction and change. Your power is perfected in my weakness, Lord. Help me not to be afraid. Amen.

Hosea 10:13b …Because you have depended on your own strength and on your many warriors….

Have a blessed day. I love you.

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According to plan…. (devo reflection)

Ezekiel 42:1 Then the man led me northward into the outer court and brought me to the rooms opposite the temple courtyard and opposite the outer wall on the north side.

We are still measuring the temple in this chapter, and it would be easy to brush it off as irrelevant, but I think God’s always speaking to us if we listen. What caught my attention in this chapter was the end of verse 11 when it says “all their exits and entrances were according to plan.”

Ezekiel 42:10 On the south side along the length of the wall of the outer court, adjoining the temple courtyard and opposite the outer wall, were rooms.

It’s not so much the entrances and exits that piqued my interest but the mention of a plan. The Israelites are dealing with generations of sin and idolatry, destruction and exile. I would have a hard time seeing the plan in all of that. But I “see through a glass, darkly” (1 Cor 13:12). My Savior, however, sees the bigger picture. He has a plan to give His people a hope and a future (Jer 29:11). No detail is too trivial for Him. Thank You, Jesus.

Ezekiel 42:11 There was a walk in front of them also, and their appearance was like the chambers which were toward the north; they were as long and as wide as the others, and all their exits and entrances were according to plan.

Lord, Thank You for meeting me here each morning. Thank You for helping me see more of You as I study Your word. Thank You that even when life seems chaotic, You have a plan, down to the tiniest detail. Help me to trust You. Always. Amen.

Ezekiel 42:15 When he had finished measuring what was inside the temple area, he led me out by the east gate and measured the area all around.

Have a blessed day.

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Crossing a line…. (devo reflection)

Nehemiah 5:10 “I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest!”

There is a saying, “Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.” The corresponding scripture is 1 Cor 10:23 “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is edifying. We certainly see that philosophy at work in this chapter. The nobles and officials weren’t technically doing anything outside the scope of their power with their taxes and interest rates, but morally, they were certainly crossing a line.

Nehemiah 5:11 “Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest you are charging them—one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.”

Commentary points out that there is no mention of work on the wall in this chapter. They are so busy dealing with the fallout of exorbitant fees that they could not focus on the real work that needed to be done—God’s work. Nehemiah understands that the money issues—greed and poverty, excess and want—are taking them away from the what is important—God’s work.

Nehemiah 5;12 “We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.” Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for understanding that there are so many things that get in the way of the work You would have us to do. Help us to stay focused on You and Your kingdom work. Help us not to take advantage of others just because it is possible for us to do so. Help us to work together to shine Your light and continue Your work. Draw us closer. Amen.

Nehemiah 5:16 …I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land.

Have a blessed day.

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God keeps His promises…. (devo reflection)

2 Chron 6:17 Now, O LORD, the God of Israel, let your word that You promised Your servant David come true. (NIV)
Commentary says about this verse:  “Solomon called upon God to keep the promises that He made. This is the great secret to power in prayer—to take God’s promises to heart in faith, and then boldly and reverently call upon Him to fulfill the promises.”  This whole section put me in mind of gift cards—cards from certain retailers, usually, paid for by others and given as gifts. CNBC says that annually, up to $3 billion in gift cards goes unused. The money has been paid. The card has been given. And it languishes in a drawer.
2 Chron 6:17 Now, O LORD, God of Israel, fulfill this promise to Your servant David. (NLT)
God’s promises are all over the Bible. His Son paid the debt. And still we are guilty of letting the promises languish on a shelf, unclaimed, unused. I wonder if that makes God sad—to know He has given us these resources, to know we are not availing ourselves of them?
2 Chron 6:17 Please keep this promise You made to Your servant David. (CEV)
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the abundance of Your promises and the gift of Your Son. Help us to claim these promises, Lord, so that we may live more fully and abundantly in You. Draw us closer. Amen.
1 Cor 1:9 God faithfully keeps His promises…. (GWT)
Have a blessed day.

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Interwoven and interconnected…. (devo reflection)

1 Chron 26:12 These divisions of the gatekeepers, through their leaders, had duties for ministering in the temple of the LORD, just as their relatives had.
Many, many years ago, we had a shortage of custodians at our school. Things piled up. Each teacher became responsible for his or her own daily trash. I remember being surprised at all the little things I didn’t realize custodians took care of, and I have never since overlooked the contribution of even the smallest acts and how they work together towards the larger goal.
1 Chron 26:13 Lots were cast for each gate, according to their families, young and old alike.
Today’s chapter again brought to mind the passage in 1 Corinthians about many parts but one body. We truly are all in this together. We are interwoven and interconnected in ways that we don’t even fully realize. And we all have our roles, big and small, that work together for the greater good.
1 Chron 26:16 …Guard was alongside of guard….
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder of our interconnectedness. We aren’t climbing to the top on the backs of each other. We are all doing our individual part for the collective whole. Help us never to lose sight of that connectedness. Draw us closer. Amen.
1 Chron 26:19 These were the divisions of the gatekeepers who were descendants of Korah and Merari.
Have a blessed day.

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Created for a purpose…. (devo reflection)

1 Chron 23:28 The duty of the Levites was to help Aaron’s descendants in the service of the temple of the LORD: to be in charge of the courtyards, the side rooms, the purification of all sacred things and the performance of other duties at the house of God.
Two thoughts went through my head as I read this section. One was: I wonder if the Levites were upset to be playing a supporting role. Did they want to be in the spotlight? The other was verses from 1 Corinthians 12 about many parts, each with its own function and role, but one body. We need stars and supports, all the individual parts, to make life work.
1 Chron 23:29 They were in charge of the bread set out on the table, the special flour for the grain offerings, the thin loaves made without yeast, the baking and the mixing, and all the measurements of quantity and size.
And of course that put me in mind if my own role. Do I see it as a lot I’m relegated to, bitter that I am not more prominent or do I relish the supporting, encouraging role I get to play for so many? 
1 Chron 23:30a They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD….
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that every role is important and unique and that the whole only works because the individual parts do their job. You created me for a purpose. Help me to fulfill that purpose with a joyful heart. Always. Draw me closer. Amen.
1 Chron 23:30b …They were to do the same in the evening….
Have a blessed day

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Rule over us…. (devo reflection)

Judges 8:22 The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”
Today’s reading and the Israelites behavior brought to mind 1 Cor 10:23 “You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’—but not everything is good for you. You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’—but not everything is beneficial.” It feels like the Israelites want someone to rule over them so that they don’t have to figure out for themselves what is good and beneficial for them. With someone to rule over then, that someone would make those decisions and all the Israelites would need to do is follow.
Judges 8:23 But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you.”
That puts me in mind of behaviors I sometimes see in my job—people who desperately want to fit in, people trying to push boundaries in an attempt to establish what boundaries are arbitrary and can be crossed without consequence and what boundaries are there for their good or the good of society. It can be a tricky balance, but ultimately, we have to decide for ourselves using our own moral compass, developed through pushing and testing, developed through our relationship with Christ.
Judges 8:33a No sooner had Gideon died then the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that we need to push and test boundaries to develop our moral compass in You. Help us not to seek outside forces to rule over us. Help us to draw closer to You, to seek more of You, always. Amen.
Judges 8:33b-34 …They set up Baal-Berith as their god and did not remember the LORD their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side.
Have a blessed day.

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Little by little…. (devo reflection)

Deut 7:22 The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you.
Patience is a virtue that I have a tremendously hard time with. I don’t mind being patient as long as it can happen right now. But that’s not how God works. He often works little by little, bringing us slowly to changes and understandings for our good and His glory.
Exodus 23:29 I will not drive them out before you in a single year….
Sometimes, like in Deut 7:22, He tells why His way, little by little, is the best way. More often, He just asks us to trust that He knows what He’s doing, even if we don’t understand.
Exodus 23:30 Little by little I will drive them out ahead of you, until you become fruitful and possess the land.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that You see the bigger picture, that You have a plan, that You know what You are doing, even if we don’t understand. Help us to keep walking in faith, Lord, even when we are uncertain or afraid. Help us to trust and obey, to know that You are making a way, little by little. Draw us closer. Amen.
1 Cor 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
Have a blessed day.

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Each with a purpose…. (devo reflection)

Numbers 4:5 When the camp is to move, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the shielding curtain and put it over the covenant law.
Numbers 4 puts me in mind of both 1 Cor 12:12 and Romans 12:4-5. 1 Cor 12:12 says: For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. Romans 12:4-5 reads: For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Numbers 4:31 As part of all their service at the tent, they are to carry the frames of the tabernacle, it’s crossbars, posts and bases….
Numbers 4 talks about the different tribes and their responsibilities when moving the camp. Everyone has a specific job. No job is more or less valuable than another. Everyone must do his or her part to keep the whole working. This is the way of life, too. No matter your place, your job, it’s important to the whole. Without you to do your part, the process would begin to break down. What you do, daily, is important. YOU are important.
Numbers 4:32b …Assign to each man the specific things he is to carry.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this walk through Your word. Thank You for the knowledge and insight I am gaining. Thank You for the way You designed us—each with a purpose that only we can fulfill. Help us never to forget our role in Your plan. Draw us closer. Amen.
Numbers 4:49 At the LORD’s command through Moses, each was assigned his work and told what to carry….
Have a blessed day.