1 Peter 5:8 "Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour."
Peter warns his readers that the Devil is a very real and very dangerous enemy. He compares the Devil to a lion prowling the earth looking for a "victim to devour." Wow. Peter is very descriptive and blunt. This verse shouldn't be read to children before bedtime! But it should be read and remembered by us. The Devil is a lion. Lions stalk, hunt, and attack their prey with force and violence. There is no mercy in a lion's den. So Peter says "Be careful!" and "watch out."
I'll be honest. I'm not usually on the lookout for lions. Living in Minnesota they are not on my radar. I'm on the lookout for spring, a good deal, and a free lunch, but not lions. I'm also rarely ever on the lookout for the devil. Maybe it's my 21st century self that puts the devil and demons into some rear compartment in my brain where I never think about them, but I rarely do. Peter says I should. According to Peter (and Jesus) the Devil is stalking me. He's after me. So what can I do about it? Peter writes to "watch out." And maybe that's the whole point? Just watch out. Be alert. Be ready. How can I be ready and watch out today? How can I look for signs that the enemy is after me and my family? How can I be ready to resist him today. Is my faith strong enough to help me guard against an attack?
Dear Jesus, please defend me from the lion today. Amen.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Cry
Psalm 18:6 "But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears."
Psalm 18 was written by David after the Lord rescued him from King Saul. Saul had been hunting him down in an attempt to kill David. David was literally running for his life from the most powerful man in the kingdom. David composes and sings this beautiful song in which he claims that God heard his cries for help.
God sometimes feels far away and distant. He especially feels distant in moments of distress and pain. I have this image of him sitting in some golden throne riding in the clouds a million miles away. I sometimes feel like praying to him or crying out to him is of no use. He's not listening! He's not near! He can't hear me! But he heard David. And if he could hear David in one of David's darkest hours, he certainly can and will hear me. I must not be timid or shy or hesitant to call out to him. In good times and in bad, God is listening. And he wants me to cry to him. He wants me to shout out to him. He wants me to pray to him. What do I need to cry out to him about today? What does he need to hear from me today? I must trust that he is there and he is listening.
Dear Jesus, thank you for hearing me. Amen.
Psalm 18 was written by David after the Lord rescued him from King Saul. Saul had been hunting him down in an attempt to kill David. David was literally running for his life from the most powerful man in the kingdom. David composes and sings this beautiful song in which he claims that God heard his cries for help.
God sometimes feels far away and distant. He especially feels distant in moments of distress and pain. I have this image of him sitting in some golden throne riding in the clouds a million miles away. I sometimes feel like praying to him or crying out to him is of no use. He's not listening! He's not near! He can't hear me! But he heard David. And if he could hear David in one of David's darkest hours, he certainly can and will hear me. I must not be timid or shy or hesitant to call out to him. In good times and in bad, God is listening. And he wants me to cry to him. He wants me to shout out to him. He wants me to pray to him. What do I need to cry out to him about today? What does he need to hear from me today? I must trust that he is there and he is listening.
Dear Jesus, thank you for hearing me. Amen.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Be Strong
Haggai 2:4 "But now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land..."
The Jews have returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. The Lord tells them to be strong. He states it three times in this one verse. As he told Joshua entering the promised land to be strong, he now tells these men and women to be strong. The same God who helped Joshua will now help them.
God wants me to be strong. Amid the stress and anxiety of everyday life I am to be strong. When Satan and his army attack, I am to be strong. Thankfully I do not have to be strong on my own. My strength comes from the Lord. My help comes from him. I do not have to be strong on my own. God will give me the strength I need each day. Today, I need that strength.
Dear Jesus, give me the strength today that you provided so long ago for God's people. Amen.
The Jews have returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. The Lord tells them to be strong. He states it three times in this one verse. As he told Joshua entering the promised land to be strong, he now tells these men and women to be strong. The same God who helped Joshua will now help them.
God wants me to be strong. Amid the stress and anxiety of everyday life I am to be strong. When Satan and his army attack, I am to be strong. Thankfully I do not have to be strong on my own. My strength comes from the Lord. My help comes from him. I do not have to be strong on my own. God will give me the strength I need each day. Today, I need that strength.
Dear Jesus, give me the strength today that you provided so long ago for God's people. Amen.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Mighty to Save
Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save."
Zephaniah like many of his colleagues, paints a gloomy future for the world. Complete destruction and annihilation await all of those who have turned away from God. Yet at the end of his short, three chapter prophecy, comes a mention of hope. A remnant will be saved. The faithful will flourish. And all of this is because the Lord is "mighty to save."
I sing this song often. Thanks to Chris Tomlin this verse is stuck in my head forever! But do I believe it? Do I trust that God can and will save me? Is he really mighty? Some days I wonder. Today I want to be confident of this. I want to trust that my God indeed is mighty to save. That requires that I hand over to him all of my cares and burdens, from small to great. Not until I do that will I begin to believe he truly is mighty to save.
Dear Jesus, please take all my cares and concerns today. I trust them to you. Amen.
Zephaniah like many of his colleagues, paints a gloomy future for the world. Complete destruction and annihilation await all of those who have turned away from God. Yet at the end of his short, three chapter prophecy, comes a mention of hope. A remnant will be saved. The faithful will flourish. And all of this is because the Lord is "mighty to save."
I sing this song often. Thanks to Chris Tomlin this verse is stuck in my head forever! But do I believe it? Do I trust that God can and will save me? Is he really mighty? Some days I wonder. Today I want to be confident of this. I want to trust that my God indeed is mighty to save. That requires that I hand over to him all of my cares and burdens, from small to great. Not until I do that will I begin to believe he truly is mighty to save.
Dear Jesus, please take all my cares and concerns today. I trust them to you. Amen.
Friday, March 08, 2013
Me and Paul
1 Timothy 1:15 "This is a true saying, and everyone should believe it: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners -- and I was the worst of them all."
Paul is recounting how he once persecuted Christians, hunted them down, and had them arrested. In certain cases, men like him had followers of Jesus killed. Yet, Jesus saved Paul. Jesus turned him into a new creation and completely changed his life. Paul reflects on this and points out that this was the very reason Jesus came-"to save sinners."
Paul says he is the worst sinner of all. He hasn't met me! If I'm really honest I'm just as much of a sinner as Paul. And yet the beautiful thing is, Jesus came and hung on a cross for Paul and for me, in spite of our sin. In fact he did this because of our sin, and for our sin. And if Jesus saved Paul, the "worst of them all" than he can save anybody. His salvation is for everyone willing to hear it and accept it. That is good news. That is Jesus. I must remember to tell everyone I know, no matter how sinful I think they are (and I know some good sinners!) that Jesus is for them. He loves them and he came for them.
Dear Jesus, thank you for coming to earth for me and Paul. Help me share your good news with someone today. Amen.
Paul is recounting how he once persecuted Christians, hunted them down, and had them arrested. In certain cases, men like him had followers of Jesus killed. Yet, Jesus saved Paul. Jesus turned him into a new creation and completely changed his life. Paul reflects on this and points out that this was the very reason Jesus came-"to save sinners."
Paul says he is the worst sinner of all. He hasn't met me! If I'm really honest I'm just as much of a sinner as Paul. And yet the beautiful thing is, Jesus came and hung on a cross for Paul and for me, in spite of our sin. In fact he did this because of our sin, and for our sin. And if Jesus saved Paul, the "worst of them all" than he can save anybody. His salvation is for everyone willing to hear it and accept it. That is good news. That is Jesus. I must remember to tell everyone I know, no matter how sinful I think they are (and I know some good sinners!) that Jesus is for them. He loves them and he came for them.
Dear Jesus, thank you for coming to earth for me and Paul. Help me share your good news with someone today. Amen.
Thursday, March 07, 2013
No Place Like Home
Zephaniah 3:20 "At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes."
Zephaniah has given his prophecy of doom and destruction for the Israelites, the Ammonites, the Assyrians and basically everyone else in the middle east! But at the end of his book, there is this picture of hope. In the end, God will gather his people and restore all things.
I love how God promises he will bring them home. There truly is no place like home. After a long hard day, I love to go home. I love to throw on my comfortable clothes, grab a soda from my fridge, plop down on the couch, and be with my family. I love home. And God has a home for me. And one day he will bring me home. That is not something to fear and be anxious about. It will be a day of joy, comfort and celebration. God's story has a great ending. He wins. Love wins. Justice wins. And we get to go home! Awesome.
Dear Jesus, thank you for saving me. Please help me find my hope in you. Help me be patient for home. Amen.
Zephaniah has given his prophecy of doom and destruction for the Israelites, the Ammonites, the Assyrians and basically everyone else in the middle east! But at the end of his book, there is this picture of hope. In the end, God will gather his people and restore all things.
I love how God promises he will bring them home. There truly is no place like home. After a long hard day, I love to go home. I love to throw on my comfortable clothes, grab a soda from my fridge, plop down on the couch, and be with my family. I love home. And God has a home for me. And one day he will bring me home. That is not something to fear and be anxious about. It will be a day of joy, comfort and celebration. God's story has a great ending. He wins. Love wins. Justice wins. And we get to go home! Awesome.
Dear Jesus, thank you for saving me. Please help me find my hope in you. Help me be patient for home. Amen.
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
No Figs, No Problem!
Habakkuk 3:17-18 "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."
Habakkuk is told of the impending invasion of Babylon. Life is about to get very difficult for God's people. Yet even in the calamity Habakkuk will still rejoice in the Lord.
I am so spoiled. One thing goes wrong and it ruins my day. I like my nice spoiled, easy, and convenient life. It's easy for me to praise God when things are going well. But God wants me to praise him all the time, regardless of circumstances. He wants my heart in all seasons. God wants me to love him, trust him, and rejoice in him in feast and famine. Today, no matter what goes well or what goes wrong, I need to rejoice in who he is and what he has already done for me.
Dear Jesus, thank you for your blessings and goodness. Amen.
Habakkuk is told of the impending invasion of Babylon. Life is about to get very difficult for God's people. Yet even in the calamity Habakkuk will still rejoice in the Lord.
I am so spoiled. One thing goes wrong and it ruins my day. I like my nice spoiled, easy, and convenient life. It's easy for me to praise God when things are going well. But God wants me to praise him all the time, regardless of circumstances. He wants my heart in all seasons. God wants me to love him, trust him, and rejoice in him in feast and famine. Today, no matter what goes well or what goes wrong, I need to rejoice in who he is and what he has already done for me.
Dear Jesus, thank you for your blessings and goodness. Amen.
Friday, March 01, 2013
Hunted Down
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 "We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going."
Paul writes to the followers of Jesus in Corinth and gives them a dose of reality. He tells them that following Jesus is difficult. They will have their hardships, persecutions and sufferings. But, they can withstand it all because Jesus is with them. Paul says "God never abandons us."
Life is tough. Following Jesus can be tough. There are days I do feel crushed, perplexed, hunted, and knocked down! But Paul gives me this promise. He gives us this hope. While we are being pressed, crushed, perplexed, hunted and knocked down, we can keep going. We will not be broken, we will not give up, and we will not quit because we have Jesus on our side. He gives us the strength to keep going. We don't have that strength on our own but Jesus himself provides that. Where we are weak, he is strong. So where I am weak today? In what ways am I being pressed, crushed and hunted? I need to give that away to Jesus today. He can handle it. I'll just keep going and follow him.
Dear Jesus, thank you for always being with me. Help me keep up the good fight. Amen.
Paul writes to the followers of Jesus in Corinth and gives them a dose of reality. He tells them that following Jesus is difficult. They will have their hardships, persecutions and sufferings. But, they can withstand it all because Jesus is with them. Paul says "God never abandons us."
Life is tough. Following Jesus can be tough. There are days I do feel crushed, perplexed, hunted, and knocked down! But Paul gives me this promise. He gives us this hope. While we are being pressed, crushed, perplexed, hunted and knocked down, we can keep going. We will not be broken, we will not give up, and we will not quit because we have Jesus on our side. He gives us the strength to keep going. We don't have that strength on our own but Jesus himself provides that. Where we are weak, he is strong. So where I am weak today? In what ways am I being pressed, crushed and hunted? I need to give that away to Jesus today. He can handle it. I'll just keep going and follow him.
Dear Jesus, thank you for always being with me. Help me keep up the good fight. Amen.
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