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Strong relationships…. (devo reflection)

Psalm 2:4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the LORD scoffs at them. 

I’m not a fan of a view of God that includes praising Him out of fear for how He will respond if I don’t. Strong relationships are not built on fear; they are built on trust, on love, on knowing each other and sharing and drawing closer. They are built on communication and respect and time spent together.

Psalm 2:5 He rebukes them in His anger and terrifies them in His wrath, saying….

Commentary says of verse 12, “The Psalmist leaves the choice with everyone: Broken or blessed?” That’s not much of a choice. That sounds dangerously close to, “Either you do things my way or I WILL make you pay.” I don’t believe in a God who wants to strong arm me into a relationship. That’s not how my God works. He wants a relationship with me. He absolutely could force my reverence, but He wants me to do the choosing.

Psalm 2:6 …”I have installed My king on Zion, My holy mountain.”

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the faith that You are a God of relationship, a God of love. I want to draw closer to You with every breath. Thank You that fear is not my motivation. Thank You for the foundation of love and respect that I have for You. Draw me closer. Always. Amen. 

Psalm 2:12b …Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.

Have a blessed day.

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Delighting in and meditating on the Psalms (devo reflection)

Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers….

I have been exposed to the book of Psalms for most of my life. It feels very familiar, and at 150 poems, it’s the second longest book in the Bible. My instinct is to double or triple up on what I read each day and move on through this one.

Psalm 1:2 …but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on His law day and night.

But Psalm one seems to encourage me to linger, to sink my roots deeper, to allow my understanding of this book to grow and mature so that the fruits of my faith can be fully ripened. I am encouraged to delight in and meditate on these poems, to take my time as I read.

Psalm 1:3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for allowing me to linger in Your word, drawing closer to You. Help me, as I read through the Psalms, to grow and mature in my faith. Help me to shine Your light and praise Your name. Amen.

Psalm 1:6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

Have a blessed day.

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On God’s behalf…. (devo reflection)

Job 36:1-2 Elihu continued: “Bear with me a little longer and I will show you that there is more to be said in God’s behalf.”

Today’s chapter, Elihu’s words and actions, brings Proverbs 26:12 to mind: “Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” This verse seems the epitome of the man described here. He feels like he accurately understands Job’s misfortune, and he thinks he is just the right man to defend God’s integrity, honor, and sovereignty.

Job 36:4 “Be assured that my words are not false; one who has perfect knowledge is with you.”

When I think about my role in God’s kingdom work, defending His honor, integrity, and sovereignty don’t factor in. I don’t see that as the work He places before me. Instead of defending His honor, He calls me to show His love. Instead of insisting on His integrity, He calls me to show His compassion. Instead of justifying His sovereignty, He calls me to show His mercy. He will leave the 99 to save the 1. He’s not interested in justification.

Job 36:5 “God is mighty, but despises no one; He is mighty, and firm in His purpose.”

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that our job here is not to defend You but to remind people of Your fierce and unconditional love, no matter what. Help me never to forget what You call me to do. Draw me closer. Amen. 

Job 36:11-12 “If they obey and serve Him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment. But if they do not listen, they will perish by the sword and die without knowledge.”

Have a blessed day.

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God is love…. (devo reflection)

Job 12:13 “To God belong wisdom and power; council and understanding are His.”

I was taught from an early age that God is love. The angry, vengeful God in the Old Testament is often baffling to me. And yet, in Job 12, I am able to see some powerful truths about the Almighty. Verse 13 highlights His sovereign nature. He is all knowing, all powerful. This brings to mind Isaiah 55:8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.”

Job 12:22 “He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light.”

Verse 22 reminds us that “… even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you” (Psalm 139:12). God knows our deepest, darkest, ugliest selves. And He loves us anyway. He doesn’t want to destroy us with our secrets. He wants to bring us into His light, wash us clean, and remind us that we are His. He loves us—deeply, fiercely, mercifully—simply because we are His.

Job 12:23 “He makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, and disperses them.”

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the ability to look at this chapter and see, not Your vengeance, but Your mercy. Help me to drag all my darkness into Your light so that You can wash me clean and draw me closer. Help me to shine Your light. Amen.

Job 12:25 “They grope in darkness with no light; He makes them stagger like drunkards.”

Have a blessed day.

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I will always have hope…. (devo reflection)

Job 7:6 “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and they come to an end without hope.”

The last line of commentary on this chapter I find profound: “We like to talk about ‘having the faith to be healed,’ but what about having the faith to be sick?” Up until now, Job’s faith has been tied to good things. He prays, even for his children and their potential transgressions, he is upright and blameless; therefore, his life is good. Now, however, through no actions of his own, life is no longer good. Can he still trust God, even when he doesn’t understand why he is suffering so?

Job 7:11 “Therefore I will not keep silent; I will speak out in anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.”

So many things come to mind here. One is a teenager when he feels he has been treated unfairly. Anger and frustration can easily dip into disrespect. Steven Curtis Chapman’s song “God is God” also comes to mind. We will never, on this side of the veil, fully understand God’s ways. And Psalm 71:14 comes to mind: “As for me, I will always have hope….” When we are troubled, when healing doesn’t come, when the blows just keep reigning down, we have to decide if we can trust God to be good and loving even when life is painful. 

Job 7:16 “I despise my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone; my days have no meaning.”

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. You don’t force us to love You, to trust You, but You invite us to do so, especially when times are hard. I don’t enjoy the painful times in this life, Lord, but I am so thankful that You draw me closer to You in the dark times than would ever be possible in the light. Help me to live, fully and daily, Psalm 71:14: “As for me, I will always have hope….” Draw me closer to You. Amen.

Job 7:17-18 “What is mankind that you make so much of them, that you give them so much attention, that you examine them every morning and test them every moment?”

Have a blessed day.

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Our deep need…. (devo reflection)

Nehemiah 13:6-7a But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked his permission and came back to Jerusalem….

Nehemiah was gone for 10-12 years, and when he returned, he realized all the progress he made before had been undone. I feel like the problem was that the people were fulfilling Nehemiah’s dream, so when he left, it was easy to let things slide, eventually sliding back near where they were before he started. They weren’t really that personally invested in his dream.

Nehemiah 13:7b …Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courts of the house of God.

I think that’s a chief reason for God’s focus on free will and relationships. He is the Creator of the universe. He could make us do anything He wanted. But He wants a partnership, not a dictatorship. He wants us to understand our deep need for Him, which can only come through relationship. 

Nehemiah 13:10 I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and musicians responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that You need me to partner with You for my own sake, so that I understand my deep need for You, so that Your dreams become my dreams, so I can live the life You planned for me. “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). Amen.

Nehemiah 13:23 Moreover, in those days I saw men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab.

Have a blessed day.

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Making a way…. (devo reflection)

Ezra 5:2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

Ezra 5:5 begins “But the eye of their God was watching over the elders and the Jews….” I suppose that could be viewed as creepy or intrusive, but to me, it is very comforting. It puts me in mind of Psalm 139, especially verses 7-12, which begin, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?” And in this Christmas season, it also puts me in mind of a babe born in a manger, “Immanuel (which means God with us”) (Matt 1:23).

Ezra 5:3 At that time Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates went to them and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?”

In the difficult times, when I am giving my all, when my sacrifice is simply showing up and doing my best even though I feel I have nothing left to give, God is with me. He sees my sacrifice. He knows my struggle. When I try to pray for those who bully and hate, instead of responding in kind, God is with me. When I shine His light as a beacon of hope for all who are struggling to take the next right step, God is with me, with all of us. He sees. He knows. He is making a way in the wilderness (Isaiah 43:19). Thank You, Jesus.

Ezra 5:4 They also asked, “What are the names of those who are constructing this building?” 

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that You are with us. Always. When we struggle, when we fear, when we doubt, when we respond to hate with love, when we face impossible odds, when we shine Your light for others, You are there. You see. You know. You are making a way. Thank You. Amen.

Ezra 5:5 But the eye of their God was watching over the elders and the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received.

Have a blessed day.

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A renewed heart…. (devo reflection)

Ezra 1:1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also put it in writing:

Your eyes are not deceiving you. The first three verses of Ezra are exactly the same as the end of 2 Chronicles. One might think that the theme of hope would be the same as well. That’s not what I’m finding. Commentary indicates that 1. Ezra and Nehemiah were originally written as one book and 2. They are about the need for a change of heart, a new heart within the people.

Ezra 1:2 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.’”

So what does all thus mean to me? After reconnecting me with hope during this increasingly stressful semester, what lesson can I learn? I need a new heart, a renewed heart. In order to keep from sliding back into the abyss, I’ve got to make changes. Jesus, Help me.

Ezra 1:3 “‘Any of His people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them.’”

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for hope and renewal that can only come from You. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 51:10). Amen.

Ezra 1:5 Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.

Have a blessed day.

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My heart belongs to God…. (devo reflection)

2 Samuel 23:2 “The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; His word was on my tongue.”
I struggle with David. He is called a man after God’s own heart, but he was so fallibly human, there are so any times when his flawed humanity showed through so clearly. But God knows his heart, and his heart belongs to God.
2 Samuel 23:3-4 …“When one rules over people in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning….”
I, too, struggle with my fallibility. Way too often, my flawed humanity shows through clearly. But my heart belongs to God as well. I long for Him and seek Him daily. Even when I fail, even when I mess up, in the quiet of my heart, I seek His presence.
2 Samuel 23:5 “If my house we’re not right with God, surely He would not have made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part….”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You that You know our hearts and that You treat us with mercy and grace. Help us to show Your mercy and grace to each other as well, Lord. Help us not to judge but only to love as You love us. Draw us closer. Amen.
Psalm 84:10 A single day in Your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house if my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.
Have a blessed day.

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Strength and encouragement…. (devo reflection)

2 Samuel 21:15 Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted.
Lord, I understand being exhausted. After a week of workdays, with the stress and anxiety of the unknown, and a fairly sleepless night, I am utterly exhausted and feeling entirely unprepared for this day. But I know that You are with me always (Matt 28:20). And I know that Your strength is perfected in my weakness (2 Cor 12:9). 
2 Samuel 21:17 But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him….
Lord, I know that I am not the only one feeling out of sorts today. The chaos of this world can be so loud. Thank You for the people You place in my path today to encourage me. Help me to be a source of light and encouragement to them as well so that we can build each other up (1 Thess 5:11). Help us to remember, no matter what we encounter today, that You are our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1).
2 Samuel 21:18 In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines….
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that we are not alone. Thank You for Your strength and encouragement and the strength and encouragement of those You place in my path. Draw us closer to You. Amen.
2 Samuel 21:22 …and they fell at the hands of Davis and his men.
Have a blessed day.