Wondrous WorldEarth

Ecclesiastes 11:5—Just as you do not know how the breath comes to the bones in the mother’s womb, so you do not know the work of God, who makes everything.

So much of our world remains a mystery, even with the scientific discoveries and advances we have made since the dawn of time.  I love to see how perfectly God has hidden the secrets of His Creation.  I imagine He takes great delight in seeing us discover some of His ways.  It amazes me how science proves such complexity of life and interconnectivity that, to my mind, it really couldn’t have all just been random.  There’s too perfect an order in the randomness.  There’s too much coincidence for it all to just be coincidence.  God’s reveals His presence all around us – we need only listen and observe to feel His presence within us, too.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God as Creator.  Welcome the Holy Spirit into you and ask God to make His presence known.  Look at the world around you with new eyes.  Breathe in the freshness of Spring and rejoice in the gift of life within and around you.

Judge Not

Matthew 7:1-2—Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. 2 For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.

One of the greatest keys to happiness is realizing that we are not responsible for anyone’s decisions but our own.  Repeatedly, the Bible admonishes us not to judge others.  It’s not our job to point out the flaws and sin in other people.  Our only responsibility is to deal with our own choices, our own flaws, our own sin.  We are called to be kind and to act lovingly toward one another. But neither of those callings requires us to agree with the other person or to even like the other person.  Sometimes the greatest peace comes when we can set aside our own emotional responses and choose to love someone who may be acting in an unlovable way.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God as the God of love. Pray that the Holy Spirit would fill you with God’s love that you might set aside all personal proclivities and love others free from judgment.

Living in Unity

Psalm 133—How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!

During our time here on Earth, God has given us the opportunity to live in relationship one with another.  At times, those relationships are forced – most of us can’t choose our family.  Once we are older, we have more freedom to decided who we consider kindred.  There’s probably not a single family out there that gets along all the time.  We all have our own issues that sometimes lead to judgment and exclusion of even those we love.  But in Christ Jesus, we are not called to judge our kindred.  NO!  We are called to love as Christ has loved us.  We are loved unconditionally in our perfect imperfection.  We are loved despite being incapable of returning that love as we receive it.  We are accepted and acceptable to Christ.  And when we love others in our lives, we ought not judge or push them away because they aren’t living into our own expectations.  We must love completely and wholly as Christ has loved us, encouraging them all the while to live completely into the persons they were created to be.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for His uniqueness in creation.  He has created no two things exactly alike.  Prayerfully consider if you impose your will on others and pray that you would begin to honor, cherish, and love those in your life as Christ has loved you.  Ask the Holy Spirit to impress upon your spirit God’s Will in your life that you would model Christ’s love at all times.

Who is Your Hero?

Romans 3:23—All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

My favorite hero of the Bible is Esther.  At least once a year I take the time to sit down and read the book of Esther from cover to cover just to reconnect with her.  Each time I read her story, I see her in a new light, through new filters of my own experience, and I understand her and God’s use of her in new ways.  My obsession with Esther started off quite simply – I read the book because I share her name (my middle name is Esther).  But in reading her story, I became fascinated with how God used her and with what God had even called her to do.  I identified with her trepidation, her fears, her anxiety and her desire to put all that aside to live into her calling.  If we look at any hero of the Bible, we see that God uses imperfect people.  He takes our doubts and turns them into our strengths. He calls us to do inexplicable tasks – at least inexplicable to most of the world around us.  Connecting with a Biblical hero can help us grow and mature in our spiritual lives.  It is a reminder that God doesn’t expect perfection from us because we all sin, we all fall short.  No one could possibly ever do it alone.  Connecting with a hero shows us how we can seek and hear God in any circumstance. So, who is your hero?

Today as you pray and meditate on God’s Word, thank Him for the gift of example through others.  Praise Him as the God of grace and mercy.  Rejoice that He does not expect perfection from His Creation.  Devote yourself to Him anew and seek out a hero connection in His Word.

Rejoice in the Lord Always

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18—Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

God never intended for us to be worried and filled with angst.  Yet, daily many of us suffer from anxiety, depression, and worry.  So often, we forget about all the things that we ought to be thankful for.  Even when we remember those blessings, so often we think we have produced those all on our own by our own hard work.  Sometimes, it is hard for us as humans to understand how truly feeble and weak we are.  Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, comes from our own doing.  We don’t have that power or control.  What God has in store for us cannot be done by human power alone.  But He won’t act until we get out of the way.  When we lean in to Him and begin focusing on praising Him, rejoicing in Him, seeking His will, praying and talking to Him, and truly giving thanks for ALL our circumstances – that is when we will see the power of God in our lives. 

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for His Power.  Consider all the blessings in your life and make a gratitude list of all the things for which you give thanks.  Talk to God about what is on your mind and thank Him for the circumstances of your life, both the good and the bad.  Rejoice and show gratitude to the Lord.

It's a Beautiful Day!

Psalm 118:24—This is the day the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

The wonder and splendor of God’s creation unfolds anew each and every day.  Sometimes, though, I think it is easy to become desensitized to it.  We become preoccupied with other responsibilities and consumed with things like school, jobs, and taking care of others.  It is important to pause and take time each and every day to marvel at His Creation.  It is a precious gift that reminds us of God’s power and perfect creativity.  We can see and feel the Holy Spirit as we stare at a bed of roses or watch the shifting shapes of clouds. God’s peace comes from understanding we are part of something greater than ourselves, and appreciating His Creation helps us to see a glimpse of this bigger picture.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God as Creator.  Take a look around you and focus on one beautiful aspect of nature – the sunrise, a flower, a landscape – and just be silent.  Ask the Holy Spirit to make His presence known and to fill you with peace. Thank God for the gift of His Creation.

More Alike than Different

Ephesians 4:1-3—I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

We live in a culture that celebrates individuality in ways that point out differences and separate us one from another.  When we are very young, it can be easy to buy into the myth that if we just work hard enough, we can do it all ourselves.  We can accomplish anything if we just work hard enough and pull up on our bootstraps enough.  The reality, though, is that we are all connected.  Our spirits inhabit our earthly bodies for only a finite period of time, and we have specific and unique purposes while here on Earth.  As followers of Christ, we are called to unify and focus on our similarities to build mutual respect for our differences.  Because it is true that we are each uniquely and wonderfully made.  But we share in common that God loves each one of us.  We share in common that we are all sinners.  And we share in common that we are all forgiven.  The same way that God is patient with us, we must be patient with others.  Seeking peace and loving wholly and vulnerably we grow in Christ.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God as the God of peace.  Prayerfully consider your heart and spirit and challenge yourself to set aside any differences, any walls, that are distancing you from others in your life.  Pray that the Holy Spirit would fill you up with love and peace so that you might overcome adversity and bond with your fellow man.  Live humbly and gently with others so that Jesus’ light radiates from your spirit.

What's the Plan?

Jeremiah 29:11—For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.

There is no doubt that God created us individually and with loving care.  He knows us by name, and He knows everything about us, even down to the number of hairs on our head.  He loves us!  So there is no way that He would plot evil against us. There is no way that He would plan ill for us.  He has plans for us, and they are for our welfare.  We have a future in Him.  Now, He never promised an easy road because (let’s be honest) the easy way is not usually going to grow you into your future.  At best, it might help you tread water and maintain the status quo of your life.  But it won’t grow you.  Growth is painful.  Sometimes, adversity will fall upon us. That is part of the human experience.  But what God promises is to use ALL things for good.  He doesn’t rain down adversity – adversity exists, it happens, on Earth.  God simply takes that negative and uses it for good.  He takes that loss and fills it up with something better than we could have imagined.  He takes our worries and provides.  He takes our anxieties and calms our spirits.  He takes our hurts and eases them.  We need only open our hearts and minds to see Him at work in every moment of every day.  It is not ours to understand every detail of His plan – we need only trust that He sees differently than we do, and everything is working for good.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for His perfect plan for your life.  Thank Him for the His infinite power to take all things and work them for good.  Praise Him for the blessing of growth in the Holy Spirit.  Cry out to Him with your pain, your fears, your worries, and your angst.  Ask Him to comfort you, welcome Him as your provider, and pray that He would open your heart to see the work of the Holy Spirit.  

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

Matthew 5:4—Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Mourning is the natural human reaction to loss, particularly to the permanent loss caused by death.  The human spirit cannot help but feel the physical loss when someone is no longer there.  We need time to adjust to the absence of that physical presence.  As Christians, we also have a great comfort in the Holy Spirit who sweeps in to fill some of those gaps.  We have hope in knowing that our spirits are immortal and part of something ever so much greater than what we know of this Earth.  We have peace in that God will never place on us a burden bigger than we can carry.  We know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that no matter how difficult, how sad, or how challenging a circumstance, God will use all things for good.  His grand design, His purpose, is greater than any one person, yet He cares intimately for each and every person.  Our individual journeys are as important as the whole. And we can take great comfort in trusting God to be in control.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God as your comforter. Consider all those who are suffering loss around you, from those in your own church families to those in Baltimore, to those in Nepal.  Our fellow man endures great suffering, yet God is providing great comfort to all those who mourn. Pray that the Holy Spirit would make His presence known and that he would envelop the mourning in His loving grace.

Spiritual GPS

Luke 19:10—For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.

There is great comfort in knowing where you are going.  In our technologically advanced age, just about everyone has access to electronic GPS services.  As long as you are within range of a signal, you can figure out where you are and where you are going.  Gone are the days of flipping through a road atlas to find your way—now, you can just plug in an address and Siri will guide your way.  Just like we trust Siri to show us the way, we can trust God to show us the way.  He sent us His Son to seek us out because we are all lost.  And He wants to save us, to show us how to reconnect with the Holy Spirit.  Sometimes in life, we might feel like we know where we are going spiritually.  We might not feel lost at all, even.  Maybe it’s because we have life experiences that have taught us great lessons.  Or maybe we feel like we are spiritually aware.  But the truth is, the minute we start trusting in ourselves instead of God, we get lost again.  We can spend a lifetime driving around in circles, or we can let go of control and fall into Jesus’ saving arms.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for the gift of salvation.  Thank Him for wanting to save not only you, but every lost soul. Pray that you would feel the Holy Spirit come alive in you and ask God to save your spirit.  

The Gift of Joy

Psalm 126:5—May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.

Faith in the Lord gives us the great gift of contentment and stability in a chaotic and fluctuating world.  There are no guarantees that life will be easy or that you will avoid hardship.  Just take a look at every major Biblical figure – not a one escaped adversity!  What we are guaranteed is the fruit of the spirit, including joy.  Certainly there are times when we will feel sadness, loss, tragedy, anxiety, and a host of other negative emotions.  But when we have faith, we understand that God is always in control even when the world seems to be spinning out of control.  We can find peace in His perfection and joy in the harmony of the universe. 

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for the gift of joy.  Pray that the Holy Spirit would fill you up and overflow you with the fruit of the spirit. Notice the joyous song of nature all around you, and thank God for His Perfect Plan in your life.

A Kingdom of Love

Luke 17:21—Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is within you.”

The Holy Spirit has breathed life into each and every human being, and His Holy Spirit dwells both among us and within us. God is love, so it stands to reason that His kingdom is love.  When His kingdom comes, it will not be hailed with gold and treasures, for the treasures of God are far more spiritual.  We have the ability to welcome in the kingdom of God every day when we choose to live by Jesus’ example.  When we choose to love and forgive instead of hating and judging.  When we love others, the kingdom of God comes alive.  When we forgive others, the kingdom of God comes alive.  The only power that can overcome evil is love because love is the only thing evil does not have.  So, if we want to see the kingdom of God, all we have to do is open our hearts and minds to love and forgiveness.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for His unending love and mercy.  Consider your heart and release any negative feelings and resentments you’ve been holding onto.  Pray that you find the ability to forgive others who have hurt you, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in living love toward others.  Pray that God’s light would shine forth in you and through you so that others might see the kingdom of God, too.

To Give, To Believe

Luke 21:1:4—He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.

This passage always puts a mirror up for me to evaluate where in my life I am holding back.  It is so easy to give out of our abundance – whether that abundance is time, money, hospitality, or something else.  It is much harder, however, to give sacrificially.  Have you ever truly put another’s needs above your own?  Have you ever done something for another person that put you at a disadvantage?  There is something wildly liberating about putting another’s needs above our own.  It forces us to confront our fears about not having enough, it forces us to give up control, and most importantly it forces us to have faith in God.  It’s easy to say that we know God provides, but it is quite another to really trust that and behave as if we really believe it.  The truth is, no one is really in control of anything in our lives—control is an illusion we have come to believe is reality.  When we push ourselves, when we stop holding back and we help our fellow man, we live out our faith.  And God does provide.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God as your Provider.  Consider those areas of your life where you may be holding back, where you could give more.  Pray that you would live into your faith every moment of every day. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you into opportunities to give sacrificially, just as the poor widow. 

It Takes God Power to Love Your Enemy

Matthew 5:44-45—But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.

One of the hardest things to do is show compassion and love toward someone who is not being nice to us.  Our emotions get in the way and we focus on how terrible that person has made us feel.  Those negative emotions seem to take over and shadow out the love that God has placed in our souls.  We must be diligent about protecting and growing that gift of love.  Love is an action, it is a choice.  It is not often an easy choice, but it is a choice nevertheless.  We must keep in mind that God created all of us, and he sent His Son to die for all of us, and that He loves all of us – even those who don’t hear, see, or believe in Him.  It is not our job to declare who is a child of God or who is getting into Heaven – Jesus said He came to save us all, and He asked His Father to forgive us all.  Even Jesus reserved passing judgment by saying only His Father in heaven could do that. He chose to love, and He left us such a perfect example of how to love.  Perhaps the only way for some people to see God is when we love despite our own instinct to run away and hide.  This gift of love, it’s not meant to be hidden, it cannot be extinguished – but it must be nurtured so that it may grow and shine out.  After all, it is easy to love someone who loves you back – it takes God-power to love your enemy.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God as the God of Love.  Thank Him for filling you with His Holy Spirit and His perfect love.  Pray that you would be a worthy vessel to shine His Love into this world.  Pray that He would guide you in choosing to love those who hurt you.  Ask Him for strength and wisdom as you nurture His gift of love.

Good Friday, Good God

Hebrews 12:3-4—Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

We call today Good Friday, which seems somewhat paradoxical since today is the day we observe the crucifixion death of Jesus Christ.  Death by crucifixion is one of the most painful and tortuous ways a person can be put to death.  To make matters worse, Jesus was an innocent man who was put to death.  He was even eligible for a pardon, and the people cried out against Him – the very people who cheered for Him just days earlier.  To me, one of the most amazing attributes of God is that He asks nothing of us that He is not willing to endure Himself.  He did not have to come to Earth at all.  When He came, He did not have to fight for us.  He did not have to die for us.  He gave up Himself for us, a people who consistently failed to see Him for all He truly was and is.  He died to save people who refused to believe in Him.  He died to save mercurial people who wavered in their devotion to Him.  He died to save people who turned their back on Him.  When we see what He was willing to do for us, we know that there is nothing in our lives that He can’t understand.  He has literally walked in our shoes.  He has endured what we endure, under far worse circumstances even.  So, how can we ever lose heart? How can we ever grow weary?  Looking to Him, we can renew our spirits, revive our bodies, and persevere.  That is what makes today Good Friday.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for His Love, Mercy, and Devotion.  Pray for His Holy Spirit to fill you with strength and courage to persevere.  Worship God for the enduring sacrifice He made to connect with us, His Creation.  Thank Him for continual strength and renewal of spirit.

Be More than the Person Everybody Thought You Were

Matthew 14:54-58—He came to his hometown and began to teach the people in their synagogue, so that they were astounded and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these deeds of power? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?” And they took offense to him.  But Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor except in their own country and in their own house.” And he did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief.

Do you ever feel like living life is more about overcoming the expectations others have of you than really living into God’s purpose for you? One of my favorite songs begins with these lyrics: “I tried to so hard to be the person everybody thought I was/I pushed myself, and everyone, almost over the edge.”  So often, we confuse the voices of our family and friends for God’s voice and leadership.  Of course, that is not to say that God never speaks through family and friends, but often, our family and friends are far more limited in how they see us and what they expect of us.  God has a great plan in store—we only need courage to trust His infinite wisdom.  Jesus went through essentially the same thing during His time here on Earth—in fact, the main purpose of Him coming to Earth was to experience life as a human with all the same challenges, fears, and emotions we all do while at the same time preserving His deity.  In this passage, we see that Jesus, too, came from a community with expectations, and those expectations shaped the work He did there.  Like Jesus, we sometimes must heed the call to leave our homes so that we can do God’s work.  Sometimes, we must leave the comfort of what we know to fulfill our great purpose. Perhaps the very challenge of the change is what prepares us for the challenges of new experiences.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for His steadfastness in the midst of a chaotic world.  Pray for wisdom and insight as He prepares you for the continual changes life presents.  Open your heart to His call and prepare yourself as a vessel of His Will.  Ask God to lead you in making every moment, even the most challenging ones, count.

Clean the Inside First

Matthew 23:26—You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.

On the Tuesday of Holy Week, the Bible records Jesus’ rebuke to the Pharisees.  The Pharisees were religious leaders of the time who hid behind the law as a shield.  They persecuted those who they perceived as unrighteous or less holy than they were.  During Holy Week, Jesus called them out as hypocrites.  You see, the Pharisees pretended to be perfect, holy, and righteous on the outside.  But inside, their hearts were hard, they were uncompassionate, and they did not protect and defend the oppressed.  This day and age, I see so much behavior that reminds me of the Pharisees.  You know the person who is quick to condemn another without taking a moment to help or lift up?  Perhaps we are all prone to a little bit of that kind of judgment, but when we work on the inside, when our heart is right and full of love for others, then our outside actions fall in line.  We don’t need to follow a bunch of rules that get in the way of relationship – we need to build relationships, and then our behavior will comport with the rules we have been taught for how to treat one another.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, prayerfully consider your heart.  Praise God for His Compassion and Mercy.  Pray that He would fill your spirit with compassion and mercy toward others.  Ask Him to guide you in loving others the way they need to experience love.  Offer yourself as a vessel to be used for His Purposes, that the world might see His Light in you.

Speak Up

Proverbs 31:8—Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute.

There is no doubt that God has created each and every one of us with a unique and special purpose, but there are some who suffer circumstances that prevent them from living into that purpose.  Even in the most advanced nation in the world, hundreds of people (including our own citizens) are destitute.  So many cannot speak for themselves.  It is imperative, therefore, for us to cry out for them.  The failure to speak up makes us just as bad as the oppressors – perhaps even worse because we know we could speak, and we choose not to.  Those of us who have the power, knowledge, and wisdom to rise up on behalf of the oppressed must do so.  Take a look at your community – what strikes a fire within your soul? What can you do to make it better?  The Holy Spirit is powerful to lead you into the opportunity to lift others from their oppression. 

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God as the revealer.  Ask Him to show you where you are called to defend the poor and destitute.  Pray for wisdom and discernment in fighting the cause of those who cannot fight for themselves.  Commit to fulfilling the purpose to which He has called.

Hold the Mirror Up

Proverbs 26:19—Just as water reflects the face, so one human heart reflects another.

God breathed life into man – His Breath is the very core of our human form. We are created in His Image.  We are called to love one another and shine His Light in this world. Of course, it is normal to question whether anyone else sees our light, or whether it is even shining at all.  But we can figure that out by being in relationship with one another.  The thing about relationships is that we not only learn the heart of another, but our heart reflects in them.  Our relationships hold up a mirror to us so we can see who we really are.  We must critically consider our hearts when we catch glimpses of ourselves so that we can constantly grow and mature.  We must also be careful who we build relationships with.  Their hearts will also reflect in us, and we must guard our hearts from influences that would harm us.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God as the God of relationships.  Give thanks for the friends, family, and other relationships in your life.  Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in seeing your heart reflected in others.  Pray that you would be a worthy mirror to reflect others’ hearts, too.  Worship God today by letting your light shine.

Discover God

Proverbs 25:2—It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.

What a marvelously creative God we serve.  When I look around this world, the colors of Spring, the magnificent perfection of the seasons, the tides, the sun, moon, and stars – it is impossible not to see the perfection of God.  And how marvelous it is that He wants us to seek Him out and wonder at this world He created for us.  How He must delight at our discoveries.  How it must please Him when we appreciate the beauty and splendor of all He has given to us.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for His creativity.  Pray that He would fill you with wonder and love for His magnificent creation.  Worship Him through song by listening to Indescribable by Chris Tomlin.

Choose Your Words

Proverbs 24:28—Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.

When I was a little girl, I learned that if I had nothing nice to say, I just shouldn’t say anything at all.  It seems, though, the older we get the less people remember this lesson.  There are some people out there that only feel self-worth when they tear down others around them.  When we speak out against others, we wield great power against their Spirits.  God has breathed life into each and every one of us, and we know He sent His Son to die for each and every one of us—who are we to use our words to harm a person God cherishes and holds dear?  When dealing with others and speaking about others, not only must we carefully examine our motivations, but we must constantly guard what we choose to manifest in words.  Our choices and actions ought to guard our relationships and protect our fellow man from the potentially devastating effects of our words.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, worship God as the Breath of Life.  Praise Him for being the Word and giving us His Word.  Pray that your heart and spirit would be pure and that the Holy Spirit would guide your every thought and word to build up others around you.  Ask God to protect you from the negative words of others and to shine His Light through you that you might be a guide for peace in this world.

A Measure of Success

Proverbs 23:4—Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to desist.

How do you define success in life?  Is it based on how much money you earn, your status, or your recognition?  It’s tempting to seek monetary wealth, particularly living in a westernized culture that places great value on the acquisition of tangible things.  So, why would the Bible tell us to back away from the acquisition of riches?  Is money really so bad?  When you start to think about it, money has the power to insulate us from some very common life problems.  To be sure, money may bring its own set of problems.  But once a person begins acquiring money, some of the common every problems others suffer (like what to eat, what to wear, where to sleep) no longer exist.  And the further removed from these types of problems, the easier it becomes to judge those who are still poverty-stricken.  It’s easy to believe that someone is still poor because of bad choices or because that person just doesn’t work hard enough.  The ability to be compassionate toward others who aren’t as financially secure diminishes.  Money helps us to create walls of disconnection from others, which is the antithesis of our purpose here on Earth.  We were created to be in relationship with each other, and by loving each other loving our Creator ever more profoundly. So challenge yourself to define/redefine the meaning of success in your life – make it about how many lives you touch and meaningful relationships you cultivate in this short time we have on Earth.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God as the Great Provider.  Examine your heart and ask yourself how you define success.  Pray that God would take away any desires in you to seek riches for riches sake.  Ask God to infuse you with compassion for those who have less financial and economic resources on which to live.  Rejoice in the provisions God has given to you and pray that you would have a giving spirit to connect and help your fellow man.

The Oppressed

Monday:  Proverbs 22:16—Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself, and giving to the rich, will lead only to loss.

In our modern culture, the wealth gap seems to be ever increasing.  Today, a greater number of people suffer in poverty, and the poverty line is lower than it has ever been historically.  In other words, the poor are poorer than they have ever been.  Did you know that today’s middle class has roughly the same earning capacity of a poverty-stricken person 60 years ago?  So, even our middle class is more akin to our poor and further removed from the wealthy than ever before.  There are lots of complicated reasons why this has occurred, but today I’d like to focus on what God has said about this type of wealth distribution.  In Proverbs, we learn that the oppression of the poor and the related giving to the rich will lead to loss.  In Western culture, the diversion of wealth to the rich and away from the needs of the poor is manifest.  This phenomenon ought to cause grave concern because the infrastructure is unsustainable long-term.  Just remember back to the housing market crash in 2008—that kind of crash can and will occur again as the .01% gets richer while the rest of the world gets poorer.  As Christians we must pray for our leaders and educate ourselves so that we can advocate for the implementation of policies that will protect the poor and lead to long-term sustainable financial security of our economy.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for His Wisdom.  Pray for our nation’s leaders and policy-makers that they might be infused with wisdom and knowledge.  Ask God for insight to be an agent of change to protect our nation and advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Silence is Golden

Proverbs 11:12—Whoever belittles another lacks sense, but an intelligent person remains silent.

Have you ever noticed that the letters of the word “silent” can be rearranged to spell the word “listen”?  In our new age of social media, I sometimes wonder if we have lost (or are beginning to lose) our ability to remain silent and just listen.  We are so used to pumping out our own opinions on things we may not even know much about that we tend to make judgments based on incomplete information. Knowing when to be quiet, though, is one of the hallmarks of a wise and intelligent person.  As I read this verse today, I thought about my grandfather.  He was a wise man who always seemed to know the right thing to do, even when the right thing seemed controversial to others.  He always found a way to lift others up.  I never heard him say negative things about anyone else, and I never heard him gossip.  He had mastered the art of remaining silent and listening.  To be sure, there is a time to speak—but we ought to listen and be silent far more than we speak.  Remember, just because we have words to say does not mean that we ought to speak them into existence.  Words are powerful, and we must use them responsibly. 

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, thank God for the gift of words.  Pray that you would learn to be silent and listen with patience.  Ask God for wisdom and insight on when and how to release words into existence.  

Integrity

Proverbs 10:9—Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever follows perverse ways will be found out.

The dictionary defines integrity in two ways: 1. “The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles”; and 2. “the state of being whole and undivided.”  When I think about a person with integrity, I think about those people who treat others well and put the interests’ of the whole above their own selfish desires.  A person with integrity tells the truth, thoughtfully considers other perspectives, but never wavers from doing the right thing even if that means personal loss. In this proverb, integrity is juxtaposed against the word “perverse.”  In this context, perverse simply refers to those behaviors that are against society. When we act out of selfish desire, we place our individual interests above the interests of others.  We don’t even think to contemplate the consequences of our actions or how we might be hurting someone else. Integrity provides pathways of trust and understanding.  When we deal with people with integrity, it is easier to manage our expectations.  God created us to be in relationship with Him and one another, and in order for relationships to work, people must act with integrity. 

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for His Integrity.  Pray that He would fill you with integrity that you might have insight and act honestly and morally in all areas of your life.  Give thanks for His Guiding Spirit and invite Him to enter ever more deeply into your heart.

Scoffers Amongst Us

Proverbs 9:8-9—A scoffer who is rebuked will only hate you; the wise, when rebuked will love you. Give instruction to the wise, and they will become wiser still; teach the righteous and they will gain in learning.

When I entered academia, one of the first lessons I learned was that in order to teach, I had to be willing to learn.  Teachers must continually re-evaluate their knowledge in light of newly gained information.  Our understanding of the world around us naturally evolves and matures based on the experiences we have.  What is more, in order to be credible in the eyes of our students, we must show a fervor and passion for learning ourselves.  The same is true in our Christian walk – we should never be complacent thinking that we have it all figured out.  We must show a fervor and passion for maturing in knowledge and wisdom.  The other lesson I learned was that, in order to teach, I had to sometimes overcome great skepticism of the student.  Yes, some students come into a classroom believing they have nothing new to learn.  Some think obtaining a degree is a mere technicality, so their willingness to receive new information and knowledge is limited.  They come across as arrogant and self-absorbed—they scoff at new teachings.  It is true that rebuking a scoffer generally causes that person to simply hate you.  But that doesn’t mean a scoffer cannot be taught.  The key is to understand the scoffer’s motivations and trigger their buy-in to whatever it is you are trying to teach them.  In my experience, most people who are arrogant and self-absorbed simply haven’t had enough life-experience to teach them humility.  Usually, exposing them to new experiences provides an appropriate perspective enabling them to break down some of their walls and begin receiving new knowledge.  Perhaps the most important lesson I learned, though, is that a scoffer should never just be discarded.  To be sure, it takes a lot more effort to teach a scoffer.  Sometimes it can be downright unpleasant.  But in the end, there is great reward on both sides.  And, of course, we must also remember that Our Great Teacher never pushes any of us away, not even the greatest scoffers among us. 

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for His infinite patience with us who so often think we already know it all.  Pray that you would be open to acknowledging those areas where you really have so much to learn.  Ask for patience when you are both teacher and student. Rejoice in the gifts of knowledge, wisdom, and insight, and commit yourself to pursuing them diligently.

Wisdom Treasure

Proverbs 8:11—for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

As we grow and mature, hopefully one of the lessons we learn is that money and earthly treasures are not the most valuable things we can possess.  Money earned can be easily lost, but true knowledge, wisdom, and insight are gifts that endure even beyond this lifetime.  Wisdom is a treasure that can be passed from generation to generation.  What is more, the pursuit of earthly treasures can also interfere with our pursuit of wisdom and insight because the acquisition of jewels and riches is an inward-looking act.  When we acquire wealth, we feel empowered.  It feeds the ego that the human is self-sustaining and in control.  Wisdom reminds us that no human is really in control of anything.  Wisdom tempers us and provides us the insight we need to survive when the world begins to crumble around us. It forces us to look outside of ourselves, beyond our own personal experiences, and contemplate a perspective greater than any one person.  Wisdom endures forever.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for gifting us with wisdom and insight. Consider your priorities and ask God to fill you with the desire to seek wisdom and insight above all else.  Give thanks for the many blessings, both physical and spiritual, that have been bestowed upon you.

Be Intimate with God

Proverbs 5:12—For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths.

How wonderful to know that we are created by a God who loves us so much that He would examine all our ways.  He wants to be intimate with us, and He cares about what is happening in our lives.  And His love is so great, that He gives us the free will to choose the lives we will lead even though He desperately desires us to choose intimacy with Him over all else

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God as the God of Intimacy.  Rejoice in the personal relationship He desires to have with you.  Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with desire to fall in love with God over and over again.

Knowledge, Wisdom, Insight

Proverbs 4:7—The beginning of wisdom is this: get wisdom, and whatever else you get, get insight.

First comes knowledge, then comes wisdom, then comes insight.  Knowledge is the essential building block of wisdom, but knowledge alone can be dangerous.  Knowledge can be used for ill—it is a weapon that can be wielded to hurt others.  Wisdom is required to harness knowledge for good.  Wisdom is a deep-seated understanding of right and wrong beyond what society says is the right thing.  Wisdom acts as a compass guiding us in how to show mercy and impart discipline.  Insight is an even deeper dimension of wisdom.  Insight informs us as to why the right thing is right in a given circumstance.  Consider for a moment the incident where Jesus saved the adulteress from being stoned.  The Pharisees and Sadducees were testing Jesus to see if He would do the “right” thing and follow the Mosaic law that required the woman to be stoned.  Jesus, in His infinite wisdom, contemplated the crowd and ultimately responded with His famed statement, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”  Jesus was knowledgeable of the law, but He refused to use it for evil as the Jewish leaders urged Him to do.  He was wise in choosing mercy over punishment for this lady.  And He had insight as to why showing her mercy was the right thing – because love is greater than any law.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for His Wisdom and Insight.  Pray that He would fill you with the Holy Spirit’s wisdom and insight so that you discern right from wrong and live into His Perfect Will for your life.

A Necklace of Faith and Loyalty

Proverbs 3:3—Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.

Our first duty of loyalty and faithfulness is to the Lord.  God has created each of us uniquely for a special purpose, and we demonstrate our loyalty and faithfulness when we live into that purpose.  As Christians, we should strive to be known for our faithfulness and loyalty – for our dependability.  Are you the kind of person others can trust?  Are you reliable? Do you follow through on your word?  These qualities reflect the traits of faithfulness and loyalty, and they are hallmarks of a wise person.  Faithfulness and loyalty should be obvious and seen by the outside world.  Just like anyone would be able to see a beautiful necklace worn around your neck, these traits are ones that glimmer and shine—they should never be kept hidden away in secret.  And they are nurtured and grown through faithful study of God’s Word.  Only by studying His Word can we write the lessons of faithfulness and loyalty on our hearts.  Memorizing scripture is essential to developing into a faithful and loyal person.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for His steadfastness and faithfulness to you.  Challenge yourself to begin memorizing scripture, and begin with this scripture for today, Proverbs 3:3.  Envision faithfulness and loyalty in action and commit to living into those characteristics in your daily life.  Pray that God would fill you with courage, strength, and wisdom to live faithfully and loyally to Him.

Paths of Justice

Proverbs 2:20—Therefore walk in the way of the good, and keep to the paths of the just. 

What does it mean to walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the just? Does it mean to judge others who we perceive as disobedient?  Does it include ranking sins from insignificant to really bad?  Goodness and justice aren’t so much about following a set of rules, though rules do help us to figure out the difference between right and wrong.  Rather, keeping to goodness and justice is about how we treat others.  Daily, we ought to lift others up.  We should strive to show empathy, love, and respect for others.  We walk in goodness when we honor our connection with others. 

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, pray that God would reveal what is good and just in every life circumstance.  Pray for wisdom in discerning right from wrong.  Rejoice in the Lord, for He is good all the time.  Praise Him in song by singing O Give Thanks Unto the Lord.

Seek Wisdom

Monday:  Proverbs 1:32-33—For waywardness kills the simple, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but those who listen to me will be secure and will live at ease, without dread of disaster.

Each day I am struck by the assured self-righteousness of so many people around me.  A quick glance at Facebook reveals how quickly so many of us jump to declare what is “right” and what is “wrong.”  So many are quick to judge and condemn.  Such comments reek of foolishness.  They are made from a position of false security, a place where people gain self-import by drawing lines and pushing away others who “don’t count” to them.  Such simplistic ways of viewing the world are foolhardy.  When we listen to the wisdom God has infused throughout the universe, we begin to see ourselves connected to one another and God’s creation.  We cease to desire separation and exclusion from one another.  We see how our words have the power to impart pain upon others, and we gain wisdom to use our words for good and healing.  Wisdom does not arrive passively—it must be actively sought.  It is never withheld from anyone who seeks it with a pure heart.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for the wisdom He has gifted to His Creation.  Pray that you heart would be made pure and that your spirit would be willing to grow in His Wisdom.  Worship God today through song by listening to Perfect Wisdom of Our God, by Keith and Kristen Getty.

Love in Truth and Action

1 John 3:18—Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.

My boss likes to say, “Turn down the volume, and watch where the feet go.”  This advice has become invaluable in navigating all the relationships in my life.  When it comes to personal relationships, I have found that it’s not so difficult for a person to speak—the hard part arises in the follow-through.  I recently had an experience where a friend promised to help on a project.  It was an important project with a strict deadline.  And the friend just didn’t show up.  I felt so disappointed, but I also learned a great lesson that despite my friend’s best intentions, she couldn’t follow through with the actions. Fortunately, I do have a couple of people in my life who are reliable, who do show up, and who remind me of the type of friend I want to be.  We must also remember that God follows through on His promises to us.  He is not a God of just words, but one of truth and action. Our challenge in this earthly realm is to live in truth and action, not just in word or speech.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for His truth and action.  Prayerfully consider the way you love, and pray that God would lead you in fulfilling that love through truth and action.  Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with courage and energy that your word and deeds match the full love of Christ Jesus which is in you.

A Season for All Things

Ecclesiastes 3:1-14—For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.

The unfolding of our lives is a curious thing rife with emotions.  So often as one chapter ends, we are saddened, perhaps even grieving, at the end of an era while simultaneously feeling anticipation and maybe even joy at the new opportunities that unfold before us.  Life rarely turns out the way we have expected or according to our own plans, and it almost never obeys the timelines we have set.  But life always happens exactly as it should, and the emotions it prompts are intended to be felt.  We must lean into the grief with equal zeal as we lean into the joy. We need never fear our feelings because God is there with us, He lifts us, and He carries us through this experience called life. His Plan is perfect even when we cannot understand the perfection in a given moment.  Faith means we trust His Perfection despite our human inability to comprehend it.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, give thanks for the timing of God’s perfect plan.  Pray that God would make His Presence known to you and that you would have the courage to feel utterly and completely as He has willed.

Learning to Ride a Bike

Deuteronomy 31:6—Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.

The first time I learned to ride a bicycle without training wheels was a Christmas morning when I was about 4 years old.  Santa had left me the most wonderful pink Huffy—my sister and I got identical ones.  All the presents were barely opened before we scrambled out the door to hop on those bikes.  But it wasn’t long before my sister and I realized that we couldn’t ride those bikes without some help.  That fear of having to balance on two wheels rose up from deep inside despite all my father’s assurances that he wouldn’t let me fall.  My legs were timid and refused to turn those pedals with boldness.  Eventually though, I started to trust my dad.  I started to believe that no matter what happened, he would be there to catch me.  And then a wonderful thing happened—I started riding that bike!  The fear had caused me wobble and pedal timidly, which made it a lot more likely that I would fall over.  But when I pedaled with confidence knowing my father was nearby, I could find the balance on that bike.  Our lives are a lot like that learning to ride a bike experience.  We must act strongly and boldly because we are filled with faith and courage in the Lord.  Timidity and nervousness can make us waver, vacillate, and even fall down.  When we believe God is with us, though, we can step strongly and boldly into each moment of life with the assurance that we will continually rise up and never fall. 

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for His unwavering presence.  Rejoice in the courage He fills you with.  Pray that in every moment you would act strongly and boldly according to His Will.  Ask Him for courage to overcome timidity and nervousness as you grow in your faith devotion to Him.

Are You a Planner?

Jeremiah 29:11-13—For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart.

Do you ever just feel weary?  Even the most faithful person can grow tired of navigating the world.  It’s not easy to be the salt of the Earth.  It’s challenging to let Jesus’ light shine in a world that can’t or won’t receive Him.  But in all things, we can rest assured that God is working for good, not evil.  Evil may occur – in fact, it surely will.  But God knows the plans He has for us.  In all things He works for good, for our growth, for our development, and yes, even for our discipline.  We don’t have to understand the big picture to trust God’s plan.  We need only call on Him, and He will infuse us with a peace that passes all understanding no matter our circumstance.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, thank God for His Plan for you.  Praise Him for His steadfast presence and guidance.  Pray that He would fill you with strength and endurance.  Ask His Holy Spirit to guide you and lead you in wisdom, love, and service to Him.

Good and Evil

Proverbs 14:22—Do they not err that plan evil? Those who plan good find loyalty and faithfulness.

In all things, we should seek to live into God’s will for our lives.  It is true that we may be attacked and that others may act with bad intentions against us.  But that is not reason enough for us plot evil ourselves.  At the end of the day, we have to be able to lie down with ourselves at night.  I am the only one who has to live with my own conscience, and evildoers will endure the consequences of their actions.  And God has promised to take all that is intended for evil and work it for good.  That is His nature. 

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for His Righteousness.  Pray that He would continue to illuminate your path and guide you into His Will.  Ask Him to cloak you in His Protective Spirit and to work all things for the good of His Kingdom.  Declare your desire to be His willing servant.