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God’s love as my guide…. (devo reflection)

Proverbs 26:4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him.
Take a moment and read verses 4 and 5. They are directly contradictory to each other. But they bring to mind for me Hebrews 4:12: “…for the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edge sword….”
Proverbs 26:5 Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.
Like most things, these proverbs must be pondered and applied with the love, mercy, and compassion of Jesus. They aren’t one-size-fits-all. They are blind commands. (For the record, the command is to love each other as Jesus loves us—fiercely, compassionately, mercifully, through our mistakes and missteps, offering love instead of judgement. John 15:12) To be successful, I must use God’s love as my guide everyday.
Proverbs 26:6 Sending a message by the hands of a fool is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the example of Christ. Help me, daily, to love others as You love me—even through my foolishness and messes. Help me to draw closer to You and to shine Your light for all. Amen.
Proverbs 26:7 Like the useless legs of one who is lame is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
Have a blessed day.
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Sacrifice of praise…. (devo reflection)

Psalm 116:17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to You and call on the name of the LORD. (NIV)

Let’s be honest. Sometimes life stinks. Plans change. Dreams change. People change. It can be tough. Yet what I hear most throughout Psalm 116 is the call to praise God anyway, to praise Him in the storm, in the turmoil, in the change. That’s hard, at least for me, but I am trying to make it a life goal, my sacrifice of praise.

Psalm 116:17 I will offer You a sacrifice to show how grateful I am, and I will pray. (CEV)

Hebrews 13:15 comes strongly to mind when I think of Psalm 116:17: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess His name.” When life is crashing down around me, praise instead of despair becomes sacrifice, choosing to give glory to God instead of lament the losses, is sacrifice. And while I still have so far to go in this practice, I know that God draws me closer each time I reach out to Him in a sacrifice of praise.

Psalm 116:17 I will bring a song of thanksgiving to You as a sacrifice. I will call on the name of the LORD. (GWT)

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the ability to offer You a sacrifice of praise, even when it feels like my world is falling apart. Thank You for being my center, for holding me together, for drawing me closer. Always. Amen.

Psalm 116:1 I love the LORD, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy.

Have a blessed day.

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From everlasting to everlasting…. (devo reflection)

Psalm 110:1 The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”

Lord, It is shockingly easy for me to think that life today is so different that You might be surprised at the mayhem and mischief. Nothing surprises You, Lord. From everlasting to everlasting You are God (Psalm 90:2), You are sovereign, You are in control. Thank You.

Psalm 110:2 The LORD will extend Your mighty scepter from Zion….

Lord, Sometimes everything seems to be shifting and changing so quickly that it is hard to keep up and so, so easy to feel off-kilter. But You, Lord, are the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb 13:8). I can—and should—cling to You always as my constant and my rock. Thank You.

Psalm 110:4a The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind….

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for Your sovereignty and consistency especially in this ever-changing world. Thank You that I can cling to You, turn to You, trust You. Always. Draw me closer. Amen.

Psalm 110:4b …”You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

Have a blessed day. I love you.

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Justification…. (devo reflection)

Job 39:1 “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?”

In previous readings of this chapter, I have always envisioned an angry God, interrogating Job, the phrase “Well, do ya, punk?” implied after every question. This reading, however, is different. I don’t feel God’s wrath at Job. I feel a desire for Job to understand that there are things he just cannot understand.

Job 39:9 “Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will it stay by your manger at night?”

Yesterday’s sermon was on the ways we justify ourselves and our actions, which has me pondering whether I am justifying a loving, compassionate God because that is the type of God I want. But I don’t think so. If “…faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen….” (Heb 11:1), then I have total faith in a Savior who loves me despite my fears, doubts, and questions.

Job 39:19 “Do you give the horse its strength or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?”

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the faith that I have in Your love and sovereignty, Your compassion and grace. Draw me closer with every breath. Amen.

Job 39:26 “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread its wings toward the south?”

Have a blessed day.

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Our gracious God…. (devo reflection)

2 Chron 3:8a He built the Most Holy Place, its length corresponding to the width of the temple—twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide. 
I have a hard time wrapping my head around the significant changes in worship because of Jesus Christ. These passages remind me of the very specific boundaries between God and man, boundaries that could only be crossed by certain officials and only once a year.
2 Chron 3:8b-9 He overlaid the inside with six hundred talents of fine gold. The gold nails weighed fifty shekels. He also overlaid the upper parts with gold. 
I am so incredibly thankful for my Savior, because of whom, I have the ability to “…come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Heb 4:16). I am so thankful for the privilege, and I am so guilty of taking that privilege for granted at times.
2 Chron 3:10 For the Most Holy Place he made a pair of sculptured cherubim and overlaid them with gold.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that because of Your Son, I have the privilege of approaching Your throne. Help me to never lose sight of what a privilege and honor that is. Draw me closer. Amen.
2 Chron 3:14 He made the curtain of blue, purple and crimson yarn and fine linen, with cherubim worked into it.
Have a blessed day.

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But God…. (devo reflection)

1 Samuel 5:2 Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon.
The end of 1 Samuel 4 is pretty rough. The Israelites brought in the ark of the covenant as their good luck charm, though their hearts were far away from God, and they were soundly defeated by the Philistines, who took the ark and place it beside their god. Things definitely didn’t look too good, but God….
1 Samuel 5:3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! They took Dagon and put him back in his place.
What powerful words “but God….” We see defeat, but God sees victory. We see ashes, but God sees the glory that is to come. We see our personal hopes, dreams, and desires, but God sees how He can use us in His kingdom work if we allow. We see loss, but God sees the rest of the story.
1 Samuel 5:4 But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the hope that can only come from You. Thank You for continuing to whisper to my heart that no matter how desperate or disappointing a situation looks, You are in control, already making a way, working things for our good and Your glory. Thank You for Your love, Your grace, and Your mercy. Draw us closer. Amen.
Hebrews 10:23 Let is hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who Promised is faithful.
Have a blessed day.

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Be Bold…. (devo reflection)

Joshua 14:12a “Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day….”
Commentary about this section says: “We should imitate Caleb’s boldness in asking for what God Promised him….God appreciates this kind of boldness.” And Hebrews 4:16 says: “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.” But when I think of myself in God’s presence, bold is not the word that comes to mind.
Joshua 14:12b “…You yourself heard them that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”
I want to dismiss this passage, somehow rationalize it and therefore neutralize it by saying times were different then, God doesn’t speak quite as directly to us anymore. But even as I type the words, they feel like a cop out. Help me, Jesus.
Joshua 14:13 Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for calling me to be bold in You. I do not in any way see myself as bold, Lord, but You created me, and I trust You know what I’m capable of, so help me to be like Caleb, boldly approaching Your throne, boldly claiming Your promises for me. Your will, Lord, not my own. Draw me closer. Amen.
Joshua 14:14 So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the LORD, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly.
Have a blessed day.

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The condition of our hearts…. (devo reflection)

Deut 22:22 If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die….
Deuteronomy is all about rules, and I am a rule follower, but one thing I’ve noticed about rules is that it can easily become about others. If I am making sure you follow the rules, I’m concerned with your behavior and not my own.
John 8:3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery….
Reading Deut 22 brought to mind John 8. There is a sharp contrast here. Deut is about rules and laws, necessary, especially given the Israelites’ behavior in the wilderness. Jesus brings us grace, mercy, and compassion. He cares about rules, but He cares more about people.
John 8:4-5 ….they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do You say?”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your grace, mercy, and compassion. Thank You that people are more important than strict letter of the law and that You care more about the condition of our hearts than about us policing each other’s behavior. Help us to never lose sight of what’s truly important. Draw us closer to You. Amen.
Hebrews 4:16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Have a blessed day.

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An interesting opportunity during this pandemic…. (devo reflection)

Deut 17:1 Do not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep that had any defect or flaw in it, for that would be detestable to Him.
A sacrifice is not a sacrifice if it doesn’t cost you anything on a personal level. If I am cleaning out and giving things to charity, then my giving them to you instead does not constitute sacrifice. God wants our best. It’s got to cost us something to be a worthy sacrifice.
Mark 12:41-42 …Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
I think we are afforded an interesting opportunity during this pandemic to offer to God a sacrifice of praise (Heb 13:15). Times are tough, there is no disputing that fact. So to earnestly praise God, to rejoice in Him in the midst of the chaos and confusion, that is a worthy sacrifice. 
Mark 12:43 Calling His disciples to Him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that You don’t want our excesses, You want our best, our first fruits, and You are so worthy, Lord. Help us, especially now, to offer You a sacrifice of praise. Draw us closer. Amen.
Mark 12:44 “They gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
Have a blessed day.

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A sacrifice of praise…. (devo reflection)

Numbers 28:4 “Offer one lamb in the morning and the other at twilight….”
This chapter brought to mind Hebrews 13:15: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess His name.” While we do not offer sacrifices in the manner of the Old Testament, sacrifices of praise can definitely be offered. But what does that look like in today’s climate?
Numbers 28:9 “On the Sabbath day, make an offering….”
The fruit of the Spirit, according to Galatians 6:22-23, is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I think any time we respond with one of these traits instead of giving in to fear, selfishness, anger, bitterness, then we are offering a sacrifice of praise. 
Numbers 28:11 “On the first of every month, present to the LORD a burnt offering….”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that we can offer a sacrifice of praise to Your holy name so easily in today’s time. Thank You that so many are so cognizant of the need to focus on You instead of giving in to despair during this uncertain time. Thank You for Your deep, fierce love for us, for Your sovereignty, for Your grace and mercy. Draw us closer with every breath. Help us to shine Your light. Amen.
Numbers 28:16 “On the fourteenth day of the first month the LORD’s Passover is to be held.”
Have a blessed day.