Sixty-six books in a year

Ps 7,8; John 7:28-53

jmitch1 — Tue, 22 May 2012 09:00:12 +0000

This past weekend I enjoyed several amazing fellowship encounters. While several of the folks I had fellowship with aren’t believers, we were all engaged in the act of service and support of our fellow humans. And that, I believe, is what God intends for us to do while in fellowship. Perhaps He intends to use my life in a way that will influence a non-believer in those situations. I’m not sure if that is actually the case, but it could be, so I have to be cognizant of that and not waste the opportunity. I need to live my life so it is worthy of the gift fellowship. Here’s the real key though – God wants us to be in fellowship with Him more than anything else. Why that is, I’m not sure. I’m a very flawed human being. I feel like David felt:

what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them? Ps 8:4

But then I read Jesus’ words and while it’s still somewhat a mystery, I’m lifted by this:

“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. ³⁸Whoever believes in me, asthe Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” John 7: 33b-38

He wants fellowship with us because He knows that it will bring us Life! And He wants us to live. He is desperate for us to walk in the Light with Him (1 John 1:7). As the lyrics to one of the songs Allen posted last week go, “He is jealous for me…” Still hard to fathom, but, it truly brings me hope.

God, teach me your kind of fellowship. Teach me to walk in the Light. May my life be worthy of your fellowship. Amen

Jim (jmitch1)

Psalm 4, 5, 6; John 7:1-27

juliet2912 — Mon, 21 May 2012 09:13:46 +0000

I used to be one of those believers who went around thinking ‘now that I know Jesus nothing will ever go wrong again.’ I have come to realize in the journey of my Christian walk that, in many ways, life has actually become more difficult. Now, I have an enemy who seeks to destroy me like a roaring lion every moment of every day (1 Peter 5:8). Even though Christ won the battle at Calvary over 2000 years ago, the enemy still wants me spiritually dead – walking in sin – and even physically dead.

Because he wants me out of his way, I go through many trials that could completely break me, physically, emotionally, spiritually. I believe that God uses those circumstances to grow me and test me, to make me better tomorrow than I am today. I also believe that he uses that which the enemy intended for evil, for His good and the furthering of His Kingdom, not only in my heart but also within the world (Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28).

I am not alone. Neither are you. There are countless examples of men and women of God who experienced trial and tribulation in the Bible: Joseph, Job, Esther, Ruth, Paul, to name a few. David is another. He was the anointed King of Israel and yet, before he was fully given the throne, he was forced to run for his life, live as a fugitive for many years, and hide from King Saul who wanted him dead for fear of losing the crown.

Many of the Psalms were written while David was in exile, a wrongly pursued man. These Psalms help remind me of where my focus needs to remain while I am in the midst of what seems like never-ending ordeals.

Be angry – but don’t sin. (Psalm 4:4)
Meditate and be still in the Lord. (Psalm 4:4)
Offer myself as a sacrifice of righteousness. (Psalm 4:5; Romans 12:1)
Trust in the Lord – He has heard my weeping, my supplication, and my prayer. (Psalm 4:5; 6:8-9)
Evoke gratitude – remember the goodness in God: His countenance upon me, gladness of heart, increase out of season, peace, sleep, safety (Psalm 4:6-8)

Psalms five and six also encourage me to cry out to God and know that He will heed me. He will hear my prayers and meditations, lead me, open my eyes to understand and see His direction, return to me, deliver me, save me, and have mercy on me.

“Use your head—and heart!—to discern what is right, to test what is authentically right.” John 7:24 (MSG)

When in the midst of hardships, I have a habit of becoming very emotional, before settling down and thinking about things rationally or even looking to God for the answers or help. But He gave me Holy Spirit to walk with me and support me. As I trust Him and lean not on my own understanding, I am then able to discern the right path to walk on to walk me right through the trial (Proverbs 3:5-6)

It may sound a little cliché, but if I focus on Jesus, the mountain of problems I have will become a mole hill…if I am given lemons, I can always make lemonade…I can look at the glass half empty or half full. That doesn’t mean I can’t cry, or shout, or feel sorry for myself, but I need to get over it quick and put my focus back on God.

Yesappa, help me keep my focus on You during trials and tribulations, small or big. Help me to be overcome by Your presence, not overwhelmed by troubles. Help me to cast my cares upon you and lay my burdens at your feet. Help me walk in the garments of my salvation and to always rejoice in the Lord in good times and bad. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Blessings – Julie, Vadipatti, India

II Samuel 23, 24; John 6:41-71

klueh — Sun, 20 May 2012 09:00:03 +0000

As a therapist, I know the feel of flesh and bone, tendon and ligament, nerves and blood vessels. Hurting people come and trust me to care for them and take part in their healing. I feel their bodies change and heal under my hands. Scar tissue is released, muscles start working again, edema leaves and pain becomes a memory. The thought of bodies and lives being broken and maimed is repugnant. Jesus’ statement is harsh to my ears, and he was well aware that it was going to stir up trouble:

I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. John 4:53

To me it smacks of cannibalism, but rings true. The reality of his physical body and blood crushed for me is the very thing that my life depends on. As much as I love and am loved by family and friends, they can not save my life. All the riches, pleasures and knowledge in the world can not save me. It is only by his grace, his body broken for me, his blood shed for me that I get to truly live. Too often, my life does not reflect what I know deep down, but oh, how I want it to. Like David, I can laugh a little at the obvious logic of my life’s dependency:

For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? II Sam 22:24

With Peter, I can recognize the futility of looking anywhere else for salvation:

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God. John 6:68-69.

Lord, words fail to describe the depth and beauty of your fierce love for me. How is it that I am the recipient of such wonder filled grace? How is it that I grow distracted and lose sight of this? Anchor my heart solidly in the reality of your love so that I am not prone drift. Keep me in the palm of your hand and may the thoughts in my head, the words of my mouth and my actions come from a life that is grateful and does not wander. Thank you.

2 Samuel 21, 22; Psalms 18; John 6:22-40

jansuwilkinson — Sat, 19 May 2012 10:00:17 +0000

The Oxford English Dictionary defines the term “to deliver someone” as an act to save, rescue, or set someone or something free. Christians are usually aware of their need to be delivered from sin and its death grip. Some may even experience deliverance from demonic activity, strongholds, or generational troubles. What is interesting and worth meditating on, I think, is how King David rejoices when he is delivered from his enemies. He writes a really long song about how God delights in him, how he is blameless, righteous, pure, and humble. Just when you think King David has an unhealthy dose of grandiosity, he says, “And He [God] makes my way perfect” (2 Sam 22:33). David goes on to say that it is God who strengthens him, sets him in a safe place, and gives him the wisdom and skill to successfully wage war and reign. David gets it. He understands that he has been delivered, so he sings. How often are we so miserable in our sin that we cannot understand why God would care enough about us to deliver us from the enemies to home and health and sanity? Why do we suffer condemnation for what has come under the blood of Christ? Why is it so hard to hear Christ’s message of deliverance when He says, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out?” I’ve wallowed a little too long in the sludge of sin beating, and I know how to sing!

Janet

Psalm 64, 70; John 6:1-21

allen4myfamily — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:00:11 +0000

“It is I; do not be afraid.” John 6:20 b NKJV

Sometimes in the midst of circumstances, both good and bad, we miss God. He is always there, working for our good. There was a lot of great things in these passages, but I honestly couldn’t get this verse out of my mind. So instead of trying to get past it, I thought maybe we could just rest on it. Think about how He moves in your life. I found a few songs that I felt would help.

2 Samuel 19, 20; John 5:25-47

gueston66books — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:55:36 +0000

So thankful that my eternity rests in the hands of a just, loving God. I know His judgment will be fair.

Jesus expressed His ability to judge fairly in this way, “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.”

In this verse in John 5:30 I find peace and hope about my eventual judgment, but I also find a challenge for how I judge others.

Look at how Jesus judges — as he hears. Not thwarted by bigotry or grudges. He calls ‘em as he sees ‘em.

Of course, easier said than done, but I love that he gives us a little hint as to how we can move toward that unbiased format for judging as well — by seeking God’s will and not our own.

Jesus doesn’t pass judgment for his own glory or reputation, but purely for the will of the Father.

I need to remove myself from the picture and see as God sees. Love as He loves.

Lord, Help me to see as you do and to view others as you have created them. Remove my personal filter of insecurity, past hurts, or stereotypes from my thinking to love as You love. ~In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Erin (5intow)

Originally published December 15, 2011.

2 Samuel 16-18; John 5:1-24

heatherpotts5 — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:00:10 +0000

“Do you want to get well?” ~ John 5:6

It seems like such a silly question with such a simple answer. Oddly enough, the answer isn’t always a resounding, “Yes, Lord, heal me.” Far too often when asked a simple question that should have a simple response, we respond to our Lord with all the excuses of why we’re not already well. God doesn’t ask us for our reasons why we’re not already better or have a better situation, etc. God asks us if we want it and do we trust Him to supply it for us.

My husband and I are feeling a little bit of financial tightness at the moment. We’re trying to live daily, but also plan for life with the baby. We’re trying to make everything work—work, meetings, church, etc.—on one car with no a/c, and we’ve got a few other things going on. For a little over a month, we’ve worked and tried to figure it out and finally this past weekend we came to an agreement: We’re done spinning our wheels trying to do it all on our own. Our Lord has said to trust Him to supply all our needs and we’ve finally agreed, we will. We sat down on Sunday night and made a list of everything we are believing God to provide, we prayed over it, and hung it on our refrigerator as a reminder that we don’t have to try to figure out how to make it work, but that God’s already taken care of it. We simply need to say, “Yes Lord, I want what you have to offer me.”

The next time God ask, “Do you want to get well,” will you give Him all the excuses why you aren’t already well or will you simply say, “Yes, Lord, heal me”?

HeatherPotts5

2 Samuel 15; John 4:27-54; Psalm 3, 69

edsorrell — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:00:57 +0000

2 Samuel

²⁵Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again. ²⁶But if he says, ‘I am not pleased with you,’ then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him. ”

Psalm 3

A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.

⁵I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. ⁶I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.

David is on the run from his own son, Absalom. He is living out the calamity that God had stated, through the prophet Nathan, would be the wages of his sin with Bathsheba. Sin is a nasty animal, rearing the results of its ugly head long after the moment is dead and gone. Sin can be forgiven but it always leaves a price to be paid in its wake. Even with this turn of events we see David looking to God for help. David did not cast blame to God nor turn away. He owned his actions and waited for God to help him. As the story unfolds, I can see the hand of God acting through his loyal followers. God has placed these people in strategic positions to use, as necessary, to control the outcome of the story.

How freeing it must be, to have enough faith in God, that you can own up to your sins and trust Him to ensure that the outcome is exactly what it is supposed to be. King David was ready to face any challenge that arose, because he knew that nothing was beyond the control of his God. I struggle with my own story. It often seams that I can’t possibly be on the path that God would have me walk. David has given me hope that even when I don’t see the logic behind or the reasons for my story, I can have faith that this is my story, and God will make it have the outcome that He wants it to have. I need to stop resisting my story and embrace what God has written for me.

Heavenly Father, Thank you for your son! Thank you for the blessing of writing Jesus into my story. I ask you to continue to change me. Help me to follow Jesus and continue to give me faith in your abilities to control my story. I give You complete control of my story and my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

2 Samuel13,14; John 4:1-26

66books365 — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:29:08 +0000

An heir to the kingdom, taboo desire, violence, disgrace, revenge. Sin plays out a devastating story that leaves a woman broken, a son murdered, and a family fractured and mourning. Sin does that. It destroys. Despite what anyone may try to reason in the midst of a transgression, it never affects only one person.

It seemed a mere 39 verses in a very big book, but spanned a number of years. I read the chapter several times, gripped by how a life and a choice can go so desperately wrong. Amnon, a king’s son and heir to the throne, may not have been so reckless ordinarily, yet he orchestrated events that would wreck lives–including his own. The beginnings of sin, right there at the start of the chapter:

In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David. 2 Samuel 13:1

In the course of time, these thoughts led to action and dire consequences. He was consumed, so much so that others noticed. How can a life and a choice go so desperately wrong? Big things (rape, infidelity, addiction, anger, eating disorders), don’t they start with little things–a thought left untamed, a feeling unchecked? Unhappiness, emptiness, frustration, boredom or even curiosity? A mind wanders, meandering at first, down a path best left untraveled. A very Principle of the Path lesson. In the course of time, thoughts lead somewhere. A reminder to me that wherever I set my feet (and thoughts), I will surely reach (some kind of) a destination.

Courtney (66books365)

From the archives … originally published September 17, 2010.

Psalm 32 & 51; John 3:16-36

dmbaldwin — Sun, 13 May 2012 09:27:49 +0000

Scripture:

John 3:16&17, 16 ”For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Psalm 51: 1&2, 1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin (ESV)!

Observation:

According to John 3:16 & 17 salvation in Christ is a free gift given through belief in Jesus. It’s not going forward at a meeting. It’s not raising our hand. It’s simple belief. However it is not easy believism. That’s where passages like Psalm 51:1&2 come into play. Once we accept Jesus we realize what sinners we have been and our need for His salvation. Not that all of the Christian life is repentance and difficulties, but we do see our fair share come our way. If all we do is believe and get into heaven without doing much else, we’ll have eternal life through the love and blood of Jesus, but we won’t much be prepared for the world to come.

Application:

I wish that it could at times be as easy as it was in the beginning. I came to Christ as a young child. Those days were good and exciting. These days are too, but I am more in touch with how I can wander from God and need his transforming work done again and again in my life (not salvation, that’s once & for all). I look forward to the day when there will be no more sin or disappointment or struggle. When the promise of John 3:16 & 17 is total reality.

Prayer:

Father God I’m sorry for the wrong I do each day. Some of it is volitional sin, some is by inaction, but I sin and need Your forgiveness. Thank You that Your salvation comes by belief in what Jesus has done for me. In Jesus Name, Amen!

dmbaldwin