Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”  The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:22-26

Sometimes when I do the reading for the day that I do the blog, I think that God picked all of the best scriptures just for me to write about. Here I am again blessed by the word. I am grateful today for simple reminders. I have been out of town and busy with the festivities of the Thanksgiving holiday, ect…all of these things are blessings, and I realize that I have missed my morning manna.

These scriptures today remind me that I need to seek the Lord early in the morning, to wait on him, set before him the agendas and plans, and be in the word. I think of the Israelites when they headed out in the desert ahead of the Lord. If they did not move when the cloud moved, they would be without His covering. I have had some pretty hot days in the desert, out on my own! I want to seek manna from God’s word in the morning and move out with his provision and His plan, His insight.

I missed my journaling group at Starbucks last Friday because I was out of town. It felt so strange not to check in, pray, seek the Lord, be in the word together… I miss my friends. I need to remember how the Lord must feel when I do not set the time aside to meet with Him in the mornings.

Lord, thank you for the new mercy every morning. Lord I am sorry that I have rushed out ahead of You…without seeking your word, without waiting on you. Thank You for all of times that you have provided for me, and I know that Your word is truth. Thank you for making the word come alive for each day, new provision.   

I want to thank India Tornell for her journal entry today, it is nice to hear from each of you and your responses.  Brett

Today’s reading is The Book of Philemon .  Philemon was a Believer whose slave, Onesimus, stole money from him and ran away to Rome. While in Rome, he met up with Paul and became a Christian. This book is a letter from Paul to Philemon, asking him to accept Onesimus back.

This letter triggered memories of conversions I’ve witnessed over the years.  Many of these new believers seemed instantly transformed. They dressed differently, their face looked more alive and receptive, they responded differently to their friends and family, their worldview changed.  I have an old audio tape labeled “Why Christianity?”  In this tape missionaries describe new believers living in grass hut villages and how they suddenly began cleaning and beautifying their huts, their village and their personal appearance. They knew without being told that their pagan practices were wrong.  Prior to listening to this tape, I thought “Christianity” was one of several religions and you could just check them out and choose the one you thought was the coolest.  Long ago, this precious little tape redirected me in that simple, but important understanding - the difference between receiving the Person of Christ and joining a religion. This, in turn, led me to understand the fallacy of  “losing your salvation”.  While I can easily comprehend leaving a religion, if we are, like Paul, truly a new creation, it is not possible to become a former new creation.

Paul understood what Onesimus now was. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.   And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:17-19).

Lord, remind me every minute if necessary, to remain available to you, so that you may accomplish Your work in and through me.

Titus 3:3-5a

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures.  We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.  But the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

—–

It is no secret that we live in a broken world.  Truly, all one has to do is look out the window or turn on the television to see the strangle-hold sin has on the population of this planet.  As believers, Christ calls us to die to our own worldly desires and follow him daily, electing to carry the cross rather than the burden of sin.  The idea that we are, as authors Stanley Hauerwas and William H. Willimon famously wrote, “Resident Aliens” of this broken world is a powerful and motivating notion.  Although we live here now, our eternal home is in heaven, where there will no longer be sin or even the hint of its temptation.  Although this is true, Paul writes that we should not forget that each believer came from this broken world and into the arms of the Father.

Perspective.  Paul warns Titus (as well as you and me) of the dangers of forgetting the past entirely.  If our fight against the world’s brokenness becomes so strong that we forget where we came from, we are in essence doing a disservice to the Lord by not recognizing his mercy and the power of his redemption in our lives.  Embracing our brokenness, both past and present, is the way we remember God’s good work of salvation in our lives – that we were not saved because of who we are and how we act in this world, but instead we were saved in spite of those things.  Keeping that in our minds and on our hearts will keep us in a state of constant recognition of the mercy of Christ and remind us that the only reason we can see the brokenness in this world is that on the cross Jesus freed us from the bondage of sin.  Perspective.

—–

Father, I ask for a renewed perspective of my life.  I pray that I would daily remember your redemption of my heart and not loose sight of how it is only through you that I have gained true life.  Humble me in this time as you remind me of your mercy and revive my heart into an instrument fine tuned to worship you.  I love you Lord and I thank you that your love for me is grander than anything I could ever comprehend.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Titus 2:7-8 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

I remember fifth grade. That was a tough school year. My family had moved to a new place which meant I was going to a new school and had to make new friends. Easier said than done.

For most of the year I did not have a single friend. During recess I was not the last one picked, I was not picked at all. I was told to go away and spent recesses out near the fence alone.

My parents were at a loss. You can’t make someone be your friend. So I went to school day after day trying to find a way to be accepted and liked by the other kids at school. Then one day, another student asked me if I wanted to play in the football game. They had an odd number of players and I would make he teams even (in numbers).

So I played. I didn’t complain about what position I played or how much (or little) action I saw. I simply played as hard as I could; playing to the best of my ability. I was excited to be asked back the next day and the next. Soon I was a regular on the field, and slowly my role grew with group that played. Eventually, I was considered a part of the gang and a regular member of the “football guys.”

When I look back on the experience I realize that it was a life lesson that reflected the verses in Titus. In the end it was my willingness to do good and a refusal to speak evil of others that eventually won my acceptance and a place where I would be included and even respected in the group.

God gives us both sides of the coin in these verses; do what is good and speak what is true. It is hard to not have respect for such a person, and that is exactly what I am called to be!

I’ve long been intrigued by the wise words of those who have been involved in service for many years. As I was preparing to embark on an adventure in full-time youth ministry, I sought advice from a man who had already been involved in Junior High for thirty-six years! He had run many miles in the race of service, and he had no doubt fought some good fights over the years. This was a man who was a pioneer in youth ministry and had amassed great wisdom as he ran the race. Our brief interchange left such a great impact on my life that I still quote this man at nearly every pre-camp staff meeting, reminding our crew to “memorize names and mark lives” for Christ. He was truly a follower Christ and a leader of people, leaving an eternal legacy.

As Paul writes to Timothy, with words of upmost importance, he is looking back over thirty years of  ministry. His words carry the weight of Godly wisdom from an experienced well-weathered servant of Christ. Paul’s challenge to his charge urges Timothy to be prepared to preach the Word both in season and out… both when it is well received and when it is vehemently refused… when it is safe and when it is dangerous. Timothy knows that Paul has lived through many changes of seasons in his lifetime. His message is laced with sobriety as he is aware of his impending death, knowing the importance of passing these words onto one who will carry on his legacy in ministry.

I was struck by the way Paul describes himself as being poured out like a drink offering. There is a difference between being sparingly sprinkled and being purposefully poured. Full-tilt. Leaving nothing to remain in the vessel. Poured out on the altar, giving one’s all for the sake of an offering to the Lord. Paul was filled by the Holy Spirit and overflowed with the passion and purpose of Christ. A follower Christ and a leader of people, leaving an eternal legacy.

In this change of season, Paul looks ahead to the blessing of the crown of righteousness, the eternal reward of a life in Christ well-lived and a fight well-fought.

2 Timothy 2:22 “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Follow anything that makes you want to do right. Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.”

God is directing and reminding me to focus on the things that are going to help my growth. I like the urgency and command of this passage. RUN!!! Get away from, don’t go near, anything that would present itself in a way that would cause lust to creep into my life. Run from anything negative and follow anything positive that makes you want to do right. My pursuits need to be things that will help my faith, that will encourage love and where I will experience peace. Fellowship plays a role in this. This verse is saying be around people who are following the Lord, people who have pure hearts, people who rely on the Lord and will encourage me to do the same.

Lord thank you for clear direction and a reminder of what you would desire for me to do. Help me Lord to run from things that are detrimental and to run toward things that will help me in my relationship with you.

Psalm 92:13-14a Planted in the house of the LORD, they (the righteous) will flourish in the courts of our God. They will bear fruit in old age.

Is it God’s sense of humor that I read this passage as I draw close to celebrating another year? Old age is mentioned, but, thankfully, in a positive way. This verse and those surrounding it are talking about the righteous. They say that the righteous will flourish like a palm and grow strong like a cedar, bearing fruit in old age. These are all good things.

It is when planted…roots growing deep into nourishment…that the righteous flourish and bear fruit, even as they age. Not only do they continue to produce fruit, but rather than drying and shriveling up they stay fresh and green ~useful and vital to those around them.

This passage causes me to contemplate how I want to live as the years pass by. I want to live righteously. The palm and cedar were used to build the temple of God. I want to be useful in building the body of believers, His church. The righteous will flourish as they are planted in the house of the Lord. It is important for me to stay in God’s word, take time in His presence and in fellowship with other believers. That should be where I plant myself. How thankful I am for the church body in which God has placed me! As the years pass, may I grow more righteous so that I can bear fruit and remain useful and vibrant, proclaiming the holiness of my God…proclaiming, “The LORD is upright and there is no wickedness in Him.”  I can also proclaim His dependability…”He is my rock.”

Though not spiritually based, I have to smile at the saying that fell out of a pile of “stuff” I had sitting around, a paper out of a cookie. It said, “You will have a new look that will do wonders.” May that new look be of a woman, a child of God, flourishing, bearing fruit, growing more righteous because of being planted in Him and looking more like Jesus. A look like that will do wonders in allowing me to bring Him more and more glory as the years pass.

Jeremiah 35—50

The Big Picture

Chapters 35-45 describe the siege and fall of Jerusalem, and chapters 46-50 look ahead to God’s future judgment against the enemy nations around Judah (the southern kingdom of Israel). In these judgments, we learn that 1) God is sovereign over all nations—He has power not only over His own people, but their enemies; 2) God is impartial—He judges all sin, whether the sins of His own people or the sins of those who reject Him. God does not play favorites with anyone.

What to Watch For

Note the great severity of Jeremiah’s warnings. He did not try to sugarcoat the extent of God’s coming judgment. God is serious about sin, and Jeremiah made sure his listeners knew that. God is still serious about sin today; we should always be careful to never take sin lightly.

Applications for Today

Jeremiah was unpopular because he proclaimed a message people did not want to hear. Fortunately, Jeremiah was more concerned about pleasing God rather than pleasing his fellow Jews. What about you? Are there times when you catch yourself trying to please people rather than please God? Ask the Lord to give you the courage to do what is right in any given situation.

2 Timothy

The Big Picture

This book reads like the apostle Paul’s last will and testament to Timothy—it’s a letter of encouragement for Timothy to remain faithful in His service to God even in the midst of persecution and opposition to the truth.

What to Watch for

All throughout 2 Timothy, look for and list Paul’s specific commands to Timothy for standing strong in the faith and carrying out the work of ministry. For example:

• “Retain the standard of sound words” (1:13)
• “Guard…the treasure which has been entrusted to you” (1:14)
• “The things which you have heard from me…entrust these to [others]” (2:2).

Applications for Today

When we consider all Paul’s commands and encouragements to Timothy, it should be clear to us that the Christian life is a disciplined life. How are you doing in disciplining yourself to “fight the good fight of faith” (4:7)? Look at the list you created in the “What to Watch For” section above. What one or two ways can you improve in your personal discipline so that you are more diligent in your service to the Lord?

I want to thank Jen Quinnelly for thisl journal entry today.

I Timothy 6:6-10

But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into this world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. It we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

These verses bring several thoughts to mind, one of which is something my mother once brought to my attention. It is true, as Paul says, that we can take nothing of material value out of this world with us. However, we can take to heaven those things that are of eternal value and valuable to God. I have to put aside my selfish mindset and values to ask the question: What is of value to God?

First of all, God values us. He loves us so much that He sent His perfect Son, Jesus, to die for our eternal redemption (John 3:16). He desires salvation for all mankind. 2 Peter 3:9 states, The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering towards us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. He desires an eternity with us. That’s amazing. How often do I share the gospel with others? They are dead and lost forever without Christ. Am I willing to sacrifice my pride, time, money, etc., for their eternity?

Secondly, God values His Word to us. It is by His words that we are able to know Him better. In the Psalms David says that God’s Word is hidden in his heart. Do I value God’s words enough to memorize them and live them?

Thirdly, God values our prayers and communication with Him. I love Paul’s encouragement to the Thessalonians: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (I Thess. 5:16-18) It is impossible to cultivate an intimate relationship without communication. Christ died so that we might have that one-on-one communication with the Father. How often do I take advantage of the opportunity to commune with the God of ALL?

Another aspect of this 1 Timothy passage that I’m drawn to is that of contentment. Stoic philosophers described a content person as one who was unmoved by external circumstances. Do I trust the Lord for my needs or am I moved to worry because of my circumstances? I realize that I have often chosen to ignore Jesus’ admonishment to his disciples in Luke 12:31,34 - But seek firs the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you…For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Note Brett’s sermon on ‘Materialism’) Of course that last verse is again a challenge to me as to what I treasure: God’s eternal values or my worthless and non-eternal treasures?

Psalm 89:33 but I will not take my love from him,
nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.

There was this time when we were visiting the home of some friends. It was a beautiful summer day. You know the kind, not too hot or humid. The sun was shining with the kind of warmth that brings comfort to your back and you can feel the peace of God expressed through His creation as a small breeze keeps the temperature just right.

The children went out into the yard to play and the adults settled in on the porch for relaxing fellowship and enjoyment of relaxing. Within minutes there came a yell for help as one of my girls had hurt herself while playing. She yelled for me because of her distress. She called out for the person who she knew cared and whom she believed could help her in her distress. I picked her up and carried her back to the porch where I held her until her distress passed. Then I held her for just a bit longer so she would know the depth and extent of my love for her.

What do we do when we are in distress? There are many things we try; working harder, “sucking it up”, finding comfort in friends and family. But what do we do when we are “over the edge?” When we get to that place we need to yell out the name of the person we know loves us, and the one who can make everything better, the one who can pick us up and carry us and give us comfort that no one else can.

I don’t know what that looks like for you, but don’t be afraid to yell. He loves you more than any Father ever could. He has every resource at His disposal and He can bring you comfort like no other. He will come running to pick you up and to carry you and to tell you He loves every step of the way.