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Turn and live…. (devo reflection)

Ezekiel 33:11 “Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’”

Commentary says of verse 11, “God is not sadistic and cruel, making repentance impossible because He loves to see humanity suffer.” I think that’s one of the most foundational understandings I’ve gotten from my three-year reading of the Old Testament. My child’s understanding of the Old Testament was that God was cruel and vengeful. You didn’t cross Him or He’d get you. My adult study has shown me again and again His love, patience, and compassion and man’s utter foolishness.

Ezekiel 33:17 “Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just.”

This revelation brings to mind Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is alive and active.” Why go back and study a text I learned as a child? Because I’m not the same person I was then and my capacity to understand God’s word has grown, too. Why do I need to sit down each morning and spend time in God’s word? Because I’m certain the specious idea of a vengeful God who delights in punishment isn’t the only thing I’ve gotten wrong over the years.

Ezekiel 33:18-19 “If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, they will die for it. And if a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and does what is just and right, they will live by doing so.”

Precious Savior, Thank You for helping me recognize and correct my misunderstandings of Your character. Thank You for Your word, which is active and alive. Thank You for the opportunity to know You more, to know You better, every day. Amen.

Ezekiel 33:20 “Yet you Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to your own ways.”

Have a blessed day.

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Even in the chaos…. (devo reflection)

Isaiah 54:7 “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back.”
I bristle at verse 7 because God has promised never to leave me nor forsake me (Heb 13:5), so what am I supposed to do with that verse? Commentary helps me to reconcile this by saying that God only allowed the Israelites to *feel* abandoned for a moment. He did not actually abandon them. That I can understand.
Isaiah 54:8 “In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord your Redeemer.
I have felt abandoned by the Lord before. Mostly, I think, it was me trying to reconcile all that was falling apart in my life with God’s promises to me. There was a lot of “Why, Lord? Why me? Why the people I love? Why are some healed here and some are taken to heaven? It’s not fair! I hate it! Where are You in all of this chaos?!? You promised!!!” Through this terrible, terrible time, through the chaos, the struggle, the loss, God taught me that He truly IS with me always. He IS making a way in my wilderness, even when I cannot yet perceive it. I can share this hope with others because I have lived it firsthand myself.
Isaiah 54:9 “To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again.”
Lord, Being Your beloved child does not mean that life will be easy. There is still heartache and pain. But You promise never to leave us nor forsake us. You promise to walk through the fire with us. You promise we will never have to go it without You by our side, AND YOU KEEP YOUR PROMISES. Always. Thank You. Help us to trust Your presence, even in our fear, anger, and bitterness. Even in the chaos, help us to trust that You are with us, drawing us closer. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.
Isaiah 54:10 Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
Have a blessed day.
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Faithfulness and praise…. (devo reflection)

Proverbs 27:21 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but people are tested by their praise. (NIV)
When I first read this verse, I thought it was a spin on “God knows the heart” (Acts 15:8), meaning God sees a person’s faithfulness by how they praise Him in both good times and bad. Something about that idea really resonated with me. That God can see my love and faithfulness even as I struggle through loss and grief, praising Him in the storms and choppy seas, that makes sense to me.
Proverbs 27:21 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold [to separate the impurities of the metal], And each is tested by the praise given to him [and his response to it, whether humble or proud]. (AB)
Of course, commentary says I’m utterly wrong. It says that a man’s estimation of himself can’t be trusted and that a true judgement can be better formed based on what others say about him (or on how he reacts to that praise—with hubris or humility). While I concede the truth of that idea, I still think my interpretation holds up. My faith can be tested/measured by the way I praise—imperfectly, sometimes shakily, but with a deep trust in the abiding love and sovereignty of my Savior. Thank You, Jesus.
Proverbs 27:21 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but a person is tested by being praised. (NLT)
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for Your word, which is “alive and active, sharper than any two-edge sword” (Heb 4:12). Thank You that I can see how my faith has strengthened and grown by looking at how I praise You. Always. Draw me closer. Amen.
Proverbs 27:21 A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but a man is tested by the praise accorded him. (BSB)
Have a blessed day.
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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.