Promise for Today - Be Intentional

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT

There are things we do without even thinking about it. Things that are necessary to stay alive. We breathe, we eat (although that might take some thought). We hydrate. We practice good hygiene. We sleep (and that might take some absence of thought). Some things, by the Grace of God, our bodies do for us. Our heart pumps the blood through our veins; liver, lungs, kidneys do their job. We blink without thinking.

However, we don't live our lives by rote. We are intentional about going to work. We have to be intentional about our relationships. We have to be intentional about taking care of the business of our lives.

We have to be intentional about walking with the Lord. We have to be intentional about our relationship with Him - talking to Him, listening to Him, praising Him, spending time in His presence, reading His Word... Not just on the day(s) we go to church. We can't survive, thrive or stay fully alive on once or twice a week.

Reading the Word of God is not just about information; it's about transformation. It's to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.

Let's do it intentionally.

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for giving us Your Living Word so we can fulfill Your purpose for our lives - to do every good work. Teach us, O God. Open our minds to understand. Give us wisdom, Father, and birth in us a renewed desire for more of You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today Favorite - Habitual Rituals

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 NKJV

Good habits - bad habits. How many things a day do we do out of habit? The so-called experts will tell you it only takes 21 days to form a habit... "Do this for 21 days and you will (fill in the blank)." I can't say that I've found that to be true.

What IS true, though, is that the things we do out of habit, we do without really thinking about them. We do them by rote, mechanically, and usually while multitasking. We're not fully engaged to the exclusion of everything else.

Today, as I was reading, I found myself thinking about other things or other people. I was supposed to be focused on the Lord. And the question rose in my spirit, 'How much of what I do is habitual and how much is intentional?' Oh, I got up with the intention of spending a full hour undivided before the Lord, but I slipped easily into the morning habitual rituals.

In Mark 12:30 (NKJV), Jesus says, "And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’This is the first commandment."

SHALL love...with ALL your heart, ALL your soul, ALL your mind, ALL your strength. You can't do that out of habit. It has to be intentional.

Prayer:

Father,
          Forgive us, O God, for habitual rituals. Cause every word, every deed, every thought to be 100% intentional. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Lent - Day Three - God Honors the Lowly

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2024

Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
John 1:45-46

Andrew, Peter, Philip, Nathaniel. These names sound so common and familiar to our ears that we can easily overlook what is happening here. After all, these individuals are the reason such names have become some of the most popular given to children over the centuries. We look upon these men with admiration and high honor. But these names should remind us of the humble beginnings of our Lord’s kingdom. 

Jesus doesn’t go to Jerusalem to find the rich and the powerful in order to begin the work of his kingdom, even though by the world’s wisdom (and our own) that might make the most sense. No, He starts with the lowly. Why? Is there no room in his kingdom for the rich and the powerful? Of course there is. Did he have to scrape the bottom of the barrel in order to find people crazy enough to follow him? Certainly not. This was an intentional choice. 

The wisdom of the world says that we can tell if God’s favor falls on us if we have earthly blessings: an easy life, wealth, power, influence, health. But with these first disciples, Jesus makes it abundantly clear to everyone that no one acquires God’s favor because of their gifts. His kingdom comes to us completely by grace alone.

Prayer: 

Lord, thank you for graciously extending your kingdom to me. Grant me the strength to follow you each day and to testify to others that you are my Savior, and the Savior of the world. Amen.

#CUILent

Further Reading: John 1:35-51

35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Be Careful Little Feet

This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.
Luke 8:11-15 NLT

Reading this, my thoughts went back to a song I learned as a little girl, Be Careful. It was being careful little eyes; little ears; little tongue; little hands; and little feet. As a child, it was all about staying out of trouble and away from bad things. As an adult, my perspective has changed. 

These days, I think of it more from the angle of being intentional about where I look. Is there someone God wants me to see as I go through my day? Intentional about what I hear - is what I listen to edifying? Will it build my faith? Am I hearing God's voice whisper in my ear? Intentional about what I say? Proverbs 25:11, A word fitly spoken... Oh, help me, Jesus! Are my words even fit to be spoken? Are my hands intentional to help others? Do my feet carry me to where I need to be? And that brings me to our Promise for Today.

The seed being sown is God's Word. It's always good. There's not one bad seed in it, and yet as we read this passage, so much of it does not produce to its full potential. It was all the same seed. Is there anything wrong with the seed? No, not at all! Given the right Light and good soil, it will grow and flourish and produce an incredible harvest. But if I'm not in the right place to receive it...

Prayer:

Father,
           We pray according to Your Word; Direct our footsteps according to Your word; let no sin rule over us. You brought us up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; Set our feet upon a rock making our footsteps firm. Your word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Guide our footsteps into Your paths of righteousness. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Intentional Seeds

Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened.

Genesis 1:11 NLT

My thoughts have already turned to Spring and wanting to plant some seeds, even though it's the coldest winter we've had in several years. 

Have you ever pondered seeds in a piece of fruit? For instance, we could count how many seeds are in a single apple. That's not difficult. However, can we count how many apples are in those seeds? Is there any way for us to know? One seed grows one tree, that in time produces apples. How many apples? And how many potential trees are in each of those apples? And how many years will that one tree produce apples? I know, what's my point?

I'm reminded of a friend who had a cookout at his house. They grilled food outside and ate ice-cold watermelon for dessert. One seed found its way into one of his rose beds, and he wound up with a watermelon patch from that one seed. 

As a child, I would grab an apple, maybe rub it on my shirt to clean it and just eat it, spitting out seeds as I went along. As an adult, I wash it and dry it, then slice it and carve the seeds out before eating it. I'm very intentional about it. 

Oh, that we would be as intentional when it comes to eating the fruit of life! Think about the ability of one seed to change the course or purpose of a life, just like that one seed did with the rose bed turned watermelon patch. I've been thinking about the potential of one seed. 

What if it's just one seed of doubt? One seed of resentment?  One seed of anger? Can we afford to nurse that one seed and its potential? We should be intentional about what seeds are allowed to grow. 

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for life in the seed. Help us to be ever mindful of the seeds we sow and allow to be sown, not only in our lives, but also in those around us. Indwell us, Holy Spirit, so that we produce Your fruit in our lives according to Galatians 5; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Cause us to be intentional in what we sow and reap. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Habitual

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12 NKJV

Good habits - bad habits. How many things a day do we do out of habit? The so-called experts will tell you it only takes 21 days to form a habit... "Do this for 21 days and you will (fill in the blank)." I can't say that I've found that to be true.

What IS true, though, is that the things we do out of habit, we do without really thinking about them. We do them by rote, mechanically, and usually while multi-tasking. We're not fully engaged to the exclusion of everything else.

Today, as I was reading, I found myself thinking about other things or other people. I was supposed to be focused on the Lord. And the question rose in my spirit, How much of what I do is habitual and how much is intentional?  Oh, I got up with the intention of spending a full hour undivided before the Lord, but I slipped easily into the morning habitual rituals.

In Mark 12:30 (NKJV), Jesus says, And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’This is the first commandment.

SHALL love...with ALL your heart, ALL your soul, ALL your mind, ALL your strength. You can't do that out of habit. It has to be intentional.

Prayer:

Father,

          Forgive us, O God, for habitual sinning. Cause every word, every deed, every thought to be 100% intentional. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Not a Random Act

Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

Micah 7:18-19 NIV

Part of my day job is to make sure all of my people are compliant with the appropriate drug consortium. To ensure continued compliance, there are random drug and alcohol screenings demanded by the consortium at their discretion. Once notified, the candidate has 30 minutes to get to the collection site. There isn't any rhyme or reason regarding who is chosen for them - which is why they're called random. Random is defined as without an identifiable pattern, plan, system, or connection.  

Probably the most well-known use of 'random' is "Random Act of Kindness". According to the Internet, there are some conflicts as to how it exactly started, but generally, it began as a way to encourage those in the world who normally wouldn't think to do something kind for someone else unless there was some kind of return or hope for return. As Christians, a Random Act of Kindness is oxymoronic, both by definition and by how we are called to live our lives.

As Christians, we are in this world, not of it (John 17). As Christians, we are residents in a city whose Builder and Maker is God (Hebrews 11). We are sojourners - in a place that is not home, defined as staying for a time that is longer than a vacation, but not permanent... As such, we are to be like Christ - who did what His Father did and who said what His Father said.  

There is nothing random about God. His way is the master plan, with built-in contingencies of forgiveness and mercy. His mercies are new every morning. Our text for today in The Message reads, ...mercy is your specialty. That's what you love most. The Amplified reads, He delights in mercy and loving-kindness.

Delights in them.

If He does, shouldn't we?

We may not want to do acts of kindnesses for some people, but if we have a so-called reason for not doing an act of kindness, then obviously, we're judging... (and we all know what the Word says about judging others - Judge not, lest ye be judged, right?) If we require further inspiration, let's go to James 2:13 NLT,  There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you. There is nothing random about God.

Mercy triumphs over judgment. There is an identifiable pattern, a definite plan, system, and a Cross connection. Our lives as followers of Christ should not be a random act. 

Prayer:

Father,

         We pray according to Your Word, Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should! I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Keeping Score

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

1st John 3:16a NIV

I've lived long enough to know and understand the rules of good sportsmanship, but I'll just tell you... I don't like to lose. When I play, I play to win. I don't go into a game to lose. (I won't cheat to win, even though I'm tempted... but don't worry, I AM an overcomer. LOL)

Worse than that, as much I dislike losing, I absolutely HATE it if someone lets me win. Where's the challenge in that? In my opinion, a win I didn't earn is a bigger loss than actually losing. [And all the conservative (albeit competitive) crowd just became pentecostals and shouted, Amen!] But the challenge in all of that is Christ. I can't earn my salvation and yet, that's the biggest win of all.

Have you ever found yourself keeping score on your life? I have. If you know me personally, you've heard me say something like, "I should get points for not smacking that person (when I really want to...)" "I should get points for not saying ___________(something smart alecky, I'm sure)." "I want points for not ripping their wagging tongue right outta their mouth and hanging them with it."   

In all reality, it's keeping score on the sin in my life. The more I keep score, the more I realize, it's a heart issue. And then I think, if Jesus laid down His life for us and that's how we know what love is (according to our text for today), then, in return, I should lay down my life for Him, right? After all, He died to save me. I can stop doing this or stop doing that. I can read my Bible, go to church, etc. Yeah, I can lay my life down for Him.  Sounds good...okay...but it's not Scriptural. We're instructed to lay it down for others... 

The entire verse of 1st John 3:16 reads, This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. Mark 12:28-31 reads, One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."  John 15:13 tells us, Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 

You wanna keep score? yeah...me, neither...

Prayer:

Father,

         Thank You for sending Your Son to die on the Cross for the remission of our sins. Help us to grow in love and when we are faced with those opportunities to love the unloveable, please help us to see them for what they are. An opportunity to show Your love through us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen