Category: Good Life Journal

Scripture:  

“May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You!  May those who love Your salvation say evermore ‘God is Great!’
But…I am poor and needy; hasten to me O God!  You are my help and deliverer; O Lord do not delay!

For you are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth.  Upon you I have leaned from before my birth; You are He who took me from my mother’s womb….Do not cast me off in the time of my old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent…those who watch for my life consult together and say ‘God has forsaken him—pursue and seize him for there is none to deliver him…”  (Excerpts from Ps 70:4-5 and Ps 71:5-11)

“My mouth is filled with your praise and with your glory all the day.  (Ps 71:8)

Observation:  

Christians are faced with a dichotomy every day: Remembering that God is Good but our days can be not so good to downright bad.  Are the bad things to be ignored in some sort of “positive thinking” exercise?

Application:  

Quickly now and read: the above question is a resounding NO if I want to be a card carrying Disciple of Christ.

Why is that?  God is Good, isn’t He?  God is love and He loves me, right?  Romans 8:28 says that “..all things work together for good…”, right?  Shouldn’t I expect good all my days?

It all depends on how “Good” is defined from God’s POV.  So what is Good from His POV?

Good from my POV is peace.  Also lack of conflict, leisure, comfortableness, freedom to do what I want to do without challenge, and financial stability.  There is also satisfaction of (fill in the blank here as many things as can be thought of), being thought very well of, having the Rays win the World Series…and so many more things.  Oh, yeah: I don’t want to forget having God as a genie providing all my wants—oops, my needs (although I get to define my needs, right?)…

Good from God’s POV?  Scripture is succinct and clear: “For those He foreknew He predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…” (Ro 8:29)

To be conformed is describing a process of change—and it is something both to experience AND to long for.

David is writing about two things in these Psalms: 1) He is keeping his head on straight about who deserves all the adulations I can generate in my mind, heart, and most importantly, my mouth.  David also recognizes that bad things happen and need to be shouted out to God—without diminishing or lowering any volume of praise because of the bad things.

What is the summary here?  God should be and deserves all adoration because of who He is and what He has done at the Cross.  Heaven knows I didn’t and don’t deserve it. Besides, because He didn’t buy me a Mercedes Benz, should I tone down my praise until He does?

Prayer:  

Almighty God: Forgive me every moment I diminish You in my sight.  I continually construct a favorable outcome of what my next steps ought to be and what the results of any effort of mine would be satisfactory in my sight.

What a knucklehead I can be—thinking that any plans I have or can concoct for my life would be better than any plan You have.  Help me to surrender to You.  AMEN.

Scripture:

Psalm 68:19-20 – Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation.  Our God is a God of salvation, and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.

Observation:

The Lord is to be honored in worship.  The Lord gives us strength and sustains us every day.  Our God is our savior and He has delivered us from death.  

Application:

God is our savior and through His grace, He sent Jesus to pay for our sins.  So instead of the death we deserve, we can place our faith and trust in Jesus to repent from our sin, be reconciled and have a relationship with the Father God.  God does not only work in us during our salvation, He is with us daily to carry the weight of what we can’t do on our own. Out of response to the love of Christ, I need to praise God and honor Him with my life.

Prayer:

Father,

Thank you for being our savior and protector.  Help me to realize how you sustain and provide for me daily.  Let me love you and others in response to your love.

Scripture:

66:5-6
5 Come and see what God has done:
he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
6 He turned the sea into dry land;
they passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him

Observation:

-David is not only inviting his audience to remember the works of the Lord, he’s urging his very own soul.
-Exodus 14:10 says “And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.”
This was it. I can imagine grown men looking at their wives and children without any hope to give them, weeping as they realized they have minutes left with one another. As Pharaoh pinned the people of God along the shores of the Red Sea, death seemed inevitable.

But God.

Listen to the words of Moses:
Exodus 14:13 “And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today.”

This is what David wants himself and God’s people to remember. The salvation work of the Lord their God. That HE will bring it about, He will be faithful to complete it.

Application:

Command your soul to “come and see” the saving work of God through Jesus Christ. How amazingly powerful and intense was the saving work of Yahweh departing the Red Sea? I would argue only a fraction of the saving work on the cross.

David had a rough life, what was his practical action step by coping with the struggles of life? To urge his soul to remember the goodness of God.

As we step into another hectic week, incline your soul to remember God’s faithfulness to His children. Thank Him for the salvation that He accomplished for us!

Prayer:

Lord thank you for the saving work of the cross. God as we step into another week let us be intentional on reminding ourselves of your faithfulness. Help us to see you as the treasure that you are.
Amen.


Scripture:  

“O God, you are my God—earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for you, my flesh yearns for You as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.  (Ps 63:1) 

Hear my voice, O God… (Ps 64:1a)

Blessed is the one You choose and bring near to dwell in your courts!  We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, the holiness of Your temple. (Ps 65:4)

Observation:  

What do these references have in common?  They are intense and earnest cries to God; they are modeling EARNEST prayer.

Application:  

There is an unexplored region of communication concerning God that I fail at (and perhaps most of these readers do as well) and that is that murky area between Praise and Asking/Supplication (asking for stuff to happen).

When was the last moment I spent time in this “murky area” of prayer—acknowledging Him and His magnificence, His majesty, His Mercy, Grace, Omniscience, etc.—all of His Attributes and how they affect me?  How much time do I give in prayer about how merciful He is to me, an undeserving wretch of a person compared to Him? 

A lot of folks get offended when I speak like this.  I don’t know why.  If I read the Scriptures it is pretty clear the extent of His Mercy and Grace is given to Man (who is undeserved of his Mercy and Grace).  I have a value before God because He chose to value me, not that I have inherent value—after all, I am a traitor, from a long line of traitors beginning with GGG’dad Adam.

So why wouldn’t I earnestly seek Him with emphasis on the earnestly?  Why wouldn’t I call blessed the One who chose to bring me near?  Why wouldn’t I call on God to hear my voice when He, because He is Almighty God, doesn’t have to unless He chose to hear me?

Why wouldn’t I hang my head in shame when I consider that the God of all Creation, the One who is Holy and Perfect, no fault in Him whatsoever, was humiliated, beaten, disrespected, and gave His life for me—a guy who doubtless would have been in the crowd calling for His death?  And I probably act like that every day in multiple ways even today.

So what do I need to change?  Candidly I need these changes (no in any particular order): 

I need to cultivate a frank honesty about myself before God.  How do I do that?  I could give a number of “christian” or “religious” words but here is a suggestion: figure out how shameful I am towards God and humbly give thanks—if approaching God like this doesn’t prompt me to shed a tear or two at times, is my heart becoming hard?  I think so…

Earnest prayer also needs to be cultivated.  “Earnest” isn’t something I usually exhibit.  Lackadaisical, lazy, superficial has been more my style lately. 

Paul told Timothy to let folks see his progress in the faith.  Fair enough.  But if my prayers in public are more demonstrative and intense than my prayers in private something is wrong, very wrong.  Be aware.

By the way: avoid fakey.  Doesn’t do anyone good.

Prayer:  

Considering all the turmoil that has been happening lately, Lord, I am surprised I could even write this.  When either protecting myself by drawing inward or lashing out in any degree of anger being transparent is a difficult exercise to do.  I appreciate the grace You give to open me up like a can of worms.  Have mercy on me O God.  Have mercy on the situation that You are well aware of.  AMEN

Scripture:

For God alone my soul waits in silence from him comes my salvation. 62:1

Observation:

God alone.
God alone.

Alone.

There is nothing else that his soul waits for or hopes in. That is the place we all need to be in, that I want to be in. The place where I look to nothing else but God alone to give me hope. Complete trust. Complete hope in nothing else, but God.

Application:

Give up hoping in anything else. We need to remember this, we need to realize that the only true hope we have, the only thing to rest in, the only thing we can trust in is our God in Jesus.

Give up on all the other hopes.

Prayer:

Lord, do this in me! Do this in us. We need you and only you!

Scripture:

[7] Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. [8] You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Observation:

Using the illustration of a farmer patiently waiting for proper rain to plow his fields and then again for rain to grow his crops, James writes that a person must have patience.  Patience for the coming of the Lord and the judgement to follow.  While ACTIVELY waiting patiently, they were told to establish their hearts.

Application:

Good things don’t normally come to us without some action on our part, nor do they come to us immediately, so we need patience.  The ultimate “good thing” we are expecting is the coming of Christ Jesus.  What a glorious day that will be!

We know that “..the coming of the Lord is at hand.” and just as they felt in James’ day that the glorious day may be very soon, we believe the same.  It may be today, it may be next year, it may be in 100 years.  In any event, while we wait expectantly there are actions we should be taking.  We cannot waste that time.  We should be allowing the Lord to use us to accomplish his work and most of all, we should be focused on Jesus, getting our hearts right with Him.

Prayer:

Lord I love You.  I look forward to the day You come and how glorious it will be.  Until that day comes or I am called to You, Lord, use me as you will.  Help me prepare for that day, keeping my heart right with You and my focus on You.  In Jesus mighty name I pray, Amen.

Scripture:  

“What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?  Is it not this: that your passions are at war within you?

• You desire and do not have so you murder.
• You covet and cannot obtain so you fight and quarrel.
• You do not have because you do not ask.
• You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly—to spend it on your passions.

…He yearns jealously over the spirit that He has made to dwell in us…But He gives more grace.  Therefore it says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble…”” (Excerpts from James 4:1-3, vs. 5b-6)

Observation:  

Conflict is necessary, even beneficial.  Conflict also sucks.  It can bring out the best in me and the worst in me.  A lot of the time it is because I am so conflicted in what to do.  Should I be bold?  Should I be meek?  What does being wise look like?  What does humility look like?

How do I keep from being a double minded man, unstable in all his ways? (James 1:8)

Application:  

Reader: I can candidly say I have a very large problem right here.  If I had a list of all the faults in my Walk, resolving conflict would be right towards the top most days.

Why is that?  Hanging out my heart for all to see the first word that comes to mind is: Chicken.

I would like to wallow in self-righteousness by saying I am “searching my heart”, “confessing selfishness or covetousness”, “wanting to be found humble instead of prideful.”  Facts are that I could legitimately be doing all of the above—except most times it winds up for me being the easiest thing—doing nothing.

The bluntness of James is right here: Quarrels?  Fights?  Why: Because my passions (desires) are at war within me.  I want and do not have; this lights the fire of quarrels and a quarreling heart.

But is wanting or having desires a bad thing?  Nope.  But the scripture here is clear: If I want something I should make sure that I am asking for something God wants to give me.  That would be a Yes!  Something I am not sure about?  That would be a Maybe.  Something that my pride is dictating to want?  That would be a No.

If I want to be a disciple then when I seek God and get an answer I am uncomfortable with, I can’t send it back for a second opinion.  Boldness starts at the house of God surrounded by folks we know, not by strangers out in the world.

I don’t want to end this posting with anyone thinking I have it all together with some so spiritual sentence.  I don’t have it all together; I am struggling with a particular situation and relationship that is causing turbulence in my soul—and it is mostly because I am chicken and cannot see a favorable outcome.  Doesn’t matter: As a disciple I am called to obedience to do what He would have me do—not to obtain a particular outcome.  Outcomes, good or bad, belong to our God alone. 

Prayer:  

Father, my heart is quivering within my chest.  If it were up to me I would kick the conflict to the side of the road and wait it out.  I still don’t know if that is the right thing to do only because it would suit my sensibilities first and foremost—is it your direction to do that?  My chicken fear rings in my ears too loudly for me to hear.  Therefore, I must be obedient to Your Word and in faith step out in confidence.  Have mercy on me O God.  AMEN.

Scripture:

James 3:16 – 18 –   For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.  But, the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.  And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Observation:

After teaching about the dangers of the tongue, James is counseling the believers about true wisdom.  James compares and contrasts wisdom from above with our own ambition/desires. Jealousy, selfishness, boasting are all traits of our own wants desires which lead chaos and evil.  Humility, peaceful, gentleness full or mercy are from the Spirit which lead to a harvest of righteousness.

Application:

As important as it is to guard my tongue, I must equally be sure of where my thoughts and intentions are derived.  In order to do this, I must be in the word and in prayer asking God for wisdom and discernment in my actions, decisions.  My motives should not be boastful or point to me otherwise this is from the flesh. Rather, I need to be humble, gentle, seek God in my actions and have the Spirit guide me to make sure the glory belongs to Him.  This is timely as we embark on a venture that is bigger than anyone or anything with the ultimate goal to make Him known among the nations.

Prayer:

Father,

Thank you for your love, grace and mercy.  May I seek you in word and prayer to have the power of the Holy Spirit guide me in wisdom and discernment that honors you.  Don’t let me rely on my own selfish ambition of the flesh.

Scripture:

James 2:26 “For just as the body dead without breath so also faith is dead without works”

Observation:

James is addressing the issue on true vs counterfeit faith. This chapter should be a call to do, but that doing is not good works, it is examining. We must examine our lives, test ourselves, is my faith true faith? Am I becoming any more like Christ? If faith is the body and breath is the works, we can’t tell the dead body to try harder to breathe. We must place all of our hope in the one that can make a dead body alive. In the one that can place breathe back into a dead corpse.

Application:

We are not saved by faith + works, we are saved by faith in Christ alone. James wants us to examine ourselves, be real and honest with yourself. Forget what works you did or didn’t do over the weekend, while there is physical breathe in your lungs Christ is able to make you alive spiritually.

When we pursue good works we don’t pursue them so we can gain eternal security, we pursue works because we want others to see the one, and only one, who can give us eternal security.

Matthew 5:16 says “Let your light shine before men, that. they may see your good works, and. glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

That is why we pursue good works. Make Jesus known in your life this week.

Prayer:

Lord thank you for your grace and mercy. Father help us rest on the promise that you whole began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it. May we rest in that. May we show others, through our good works, the promise of your son as a free gift!

Amen.

Scripture:  

“Count it all joy my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds—for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  (And) Let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial—for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life…

But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.  For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.”  (Excerpts from James 1:2-4, v12, and vs. 22-24)

Observation:  

Trials, testing and being steadfast and blessed: What is the connection between these?  And what relationship does this have with being doers of the word? 

Application:  

In my mind James is the blunt Apostle.  If he was a baseball pitcher there would be no wind up, no time between pitches—get the ball and throw—and a lot of chin music simulating trials/testing.

I have been thinking for some time that “testing and trials” has more to do with evaluating myself rather than God evaluating me.  Here’s why:

• Simply: God is eternally omniscient, that is, He already knows if I succeed or fail.  So God testing me to see what I would do doesn’t make logical sense.
• If that is the case why would I need trials/testing?  I think that the trials/testing is for me…so that I can be a “doer of the word” and to not deceive myself.

Soooo, reflecting on this that is why we can “Count it all joy” because God is providing a practice field (testing/trial) so that I can look in the mirror, evaluate myself, confess and repent as appropriate and/or necessary, and rejoice (Count it all joy) in that God cares for my growth in Him—He wants me to be a fruitful disciple STEADFASTLY pursuing Him.

So (I ask myself) what is God’s objective here?  I have been taught/told for many years to “be doers of the Word” like being a “hearer” is somehow wrong, shortsighted, or suboptimal.  What does that get?  I think that it gets enthusiastic but untrained folks trying to do things in the Name of Christ, perhaps when they have barely learned the foundations of the Faith.

Still, the above is a part of the objective but not the objective of this section of scripture.  The objective is being STEADFAST in full effect with the end being perfect and complete in Him.  And how does that happen?  Not by reading being steadfast as a clinched jaw in the face of opposition or some such—but taking what has been experienced to the mirror and intently asking myself: “What just happened here, Lord?  Did I honor You, did I do what the Word of God told me to do?  Did my passion overcome obedience?”

Tough thinking through stuff like this—but it is necessary for every wannabee Disciple to do.

Prayer:  

Father, You know that this rings in my spirit, causes a prick in my heart, for I don’t what to be (and folks around me) a Recruit Soldier but a Trained Soldier for the Kingdom.  Help me work through being an apprentice to one day becomes a journeyman.  I want to be patient through the work You are doing in me, and let steadfastness upon the Rock of my Soul, the solid Foundation of Your Word to be complete.  AMEN

Scripture:

¹⁷ I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. ¹⁸ For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

Observation:

Paul is closing out the letter of Romans and sends his greetings to them generally and personally. Then he ends it with this phrase. Of all the things he could write to end the letter, he writes this.

He is adamant and appealing to them to watch out for those who cause divisions by preaching doctrine that is opposite to true biblical doctrine. These “teachers” preach false doctrine through flattery and smooth talk and they deceive the hearts of the naive.

Application:

This is as true, if not more true, today.

In the age of mega pastor & famous, smooth talking & fancy preachers, this is just as true. Our application: be careful. Be vigilant. Not everyone out there is preaching true doctrine. If that were true, Paul wouldn’t have written this. He wouldn’t have appealed to them. Pleaded with them.

Paul tells them to AVOID them. We must do the same.

Who are these people? These slippery, smooth talking teachers, who are they? They are among us. They are all over. We will know them by their teaching and more importantly we will know them by truly knowing the word.

Learn what true doctrine is so that you can know what false doctrine is.

Prayer:

Lord, give our body eyes to see. That we would be vigilant against slippery, smooth talking lies. That they would not appeal to us, but only true doctrine, your Word, would.

Scripture:

1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself …

4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Observation:

Paul acknowledges we are not all in the same status or positions in our walk and faith. Some are strong and some are weak. The strong have an “obligation” to “bear with the failings” of the weak.

After acknowledging our differences, Paul encourages us all to “live in harmony” and with “one voice”. Why? That we may “glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

How can we do this? Because God “fills us with all joy and peace in believing”.

Application:

Paul has the whole Trinity here working together on my/the church’s behalf!
The example of Jesus … “He did not please Himself”.
The grace of God … “may God grant you” and “may God fill you”.
The power of the Holy Spirit … “by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope”.

There is a lot I am called on to do by Paul in this chapter …
“Bear with failings” … “build up my neighbor” … “not please myself” … and “live in harmony”.
This would seem impossible and the opposite of what I may see around me and how I would ordinarily want to live my day.
But Paul doesn’t simply list a bunch of orders for me to follow.

Paul gives encouragement by pointing also to the characteristics of God and the word of God.
“Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction”.
And what we are called to “be” is what God is the “God of”.

We are told to have “endurance” and “encouragement” and “hope” because God is the “God is endurance” and “God of encouragement” and “God of hope”.

And Paul says I can live all of this out “filled with all joy and peace”!
This is an amazing description of a dream life!

But how can life be so amazing if I’m “bearing weaknesses” and “not pleasing myself” and “enduring”?
Because the joy and peace comes from “believing”! Knowing and grasping and understanding the Good News of Jesus and receiving the power of the Holy Spirit enables a life of “joy & peace” and “harmony & hope” that would otherwise be impossible!

Prayer:

God of endurance …
God of encouragement …
God of hope …
Help me live out your words written in the former days for my instruction.

Help me look to the example of Jesus.

Help me Holy Spirit with your power glorify God!
Amen

Scripture:  

“Owe no one anything except to love each other for the one who loves another has fulfilled the Law… 

Besides this you know the time; that the hour has come to wake from sleep—for salvation is nearer to use now that when we first believed…Let us walk properly as in the daytime…

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”  (Excerpts from Rom 13:8-14)

Observation:  

What I see in Romans 13 is Paul clarifying and explaining what godly conduct looks like.  It would do well for me to catalog these and put effort into remembering AND doing them. 

Application:  

Salvation through faith in the Grace of God vs. faith in works: I think I understand intellectually the difference but there are times where I am confused functionally. 

Earlier in the Letter to the Romans Paul is thorough in explaining that salvation does not come by works, either by the Law or by any effort of Man.  Then here in chapter 13 Paul talks about doing stuff; stuff that should be done by those calling in faith upon Christ Jesus.  

I think this is the Human Responsibility side of the principle describing God’s Sovereignty vs. Human Responsibility:  I learn responsibly and then I am responsible to do. 

What is easier to do: Learning or Doing?  Answer: “Doing” for the most part.  But what am I required to do?  Both, of course, except I think this: If I have not learned why to do something then do I trust in my works to please God or have I “renewed my mind to prove what the Will of God is?”  How much do I do that I do in the Name but not really knowing what the Will of God is?  Probably tons.

I think Discipleship can be considered as Biblical Self-maintenance at times.  If I read Paul a lot I can see a lot of instructions in these Categories: “Get your head on straight”, “Get your act together”, or “Come on: Let’s get serious here.”  There is a lot to take from Romans 13 to tell the man in the mirror first and foremost.  My tendency is to want to tell someone else how to respond (lord it over them or “do as I say, not as I do).

My goal is to press into Christ in such a way so I can say “Follow me as I follow Christ” knowing that adamantly, passionately, and fiercely pressing into Christ Jesus with my warts and all may be the only thing I can offer someone to follow. 

Prayer:  

Lord God, thank you for helping my continual learning of this principle.  I fail a lot—that is the lot of a Disciple I think so that I can learn about Grace.  Pushing forward, even if just a half a step, is still pushing forward.  Help me to increase in being fierce in pursuing You.  AMEN.