Scripture: Psalm 102
Where do you turn when you are trouble? To whom do you look? We all face trouble from time to time. We face distressing situations throughout life. Often times those circumstances are so distressing they make us “sick” to our stomach. They cause us to loose sleep at night. They make us loose our appetite. They bring us to tears. They make us feel deserted and alone. The Psalmist felt this way as he describes in detail the depths of his distress. But where does he turn? He turns to the Lord – the one who “sits on the throne forever.” In our times of deep distress we can look to God and know that He hears our prayers. He is the one to whom we can cry out. He is the one to whom we can turn. He is the one who created the universe and has the power to deliver us from our distress. He will bring peace in the midst of the storm. Turn to Him.
Prayer: Dear God, in my times of distress help me to always look to You. Though I may feel alone, afraid, depressed, or distraught, help me to remember that you have an immense love for me and you care about the circumstances that I face in life. Bring peace in my distress.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Be Careful What You Ask For!
Scripture: I Samuel 8:1-22
For generations the children of Israel had been ruled by judges…representatives of God before the people. But the time had come when the people no longer wanted to be under their rule. They wanted a king. They wanted to be like the other nations – the neighboring pagan kingdoms. God heard their request but warned them that what they asked for was not as grand as they thought. Through the prophet Samuel, He warned them that the king would demand the best of all their spoils. He would demand their sons to serve in the army. He would demand the best of their animals and harvests and they would be his subjects—his slaves. But despite the warning, the people still demanded a king because they wanted to “be like the nations around [them].” But what we don’t read in this passage is that God’s warning came true, and the peoples’ decision to have a king caused problems for many generations to come. We need to be careful what we ask God for. God knows best and won’t lead us astray. Sometimes we can want something so badly that we fail to heed the warning signs that are right in front of our face. Sometimes God will allow us to make bad decisions, in spite of the warning signs He has put in front of us. We, too, might regret our decision if we fail to heed His warning.
For generations the children of Israel had been ruled by judges…representatives of God before the people. But the time had come when the people no longer wanted to be under their rule. They wanted a king. They wanted to be like the other nations – the neighboring pagan kingdoms. God heard their request but warned them that what they asked for was not as grand as they thought. Through the prophet Samuel, He warned them that the king would demand the best of all their spoils. He would demand their sons to serve in the army. He would demand the best of their animals and harvests and they would be his subjects—his slaves. But despite the warning, the people still demanded a king because they wanted to “be like the nations around [them].” But what we don’t read in this passage is that God’s warning came true, and the peoples’ decision to have a king caused problems for many generations to come. We need to be careful what we ask God for. God knows best and won’t lead us astray. Sometimes we can want something so badly that we fail to heed the warning signs that are right in front of our face. Sometimes God will allow us to make bad decisions, in spite of the warning signs He has put in front of us. We, too, might regret our decision if we fail to heed His warning.
Prayer: God, help me to be in tune to the warnings you place in my life. Help me not to ignore your warnings when I am faced with a decision that could lead me astray. When I am tempted to do things that will make me like “the crowd,” help me to realize that I should desire to be like You! Help me to determine what your desire for my life is.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Sunday: A "Mini" Easter?
Scripture: Luke 22:14-23
Each week when the early church came together to worship, it essentially was a “mini” Easter celebration. What do I mean by that? They celebrated the resurrection of Jesus every week. It was the primary focus of their celebration. Not only did they celebrate his resurrection, but they also remembered his death as they celebrated the Lord’s Supper together. Also known as Eucharist or communion, the broke the bread and drank of the cup in memory of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross. It wasn’t a sad time, but rather a joyful celebration with the knowledge of what came after: His resurrection. Do we look at our worship service each week as a “mini-Easter” celebration? Is it a joyful time or is our worship stale? In his last few hours, Jesus demonstrated to the disciples the need to remember Him by breaking bread and drinking the cup. The events that followed may have brought sorrow to His followers, but that sorrow was soon replaced with joy when they realized that he was no longer in the grave! Let’s be joyful as we celebrate the resurrection of Christ each week.
Prayer: Lord, help me to understand the significance of communion in worship. Help me to view worship as a time of celebration each week. Please help my worship to be vibrant and exciting, rather than stale and stoic. I thank you for your sacrifice for my sins and that you are alive today and in control of our world. I love you, Jesus!
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