Day 33 - Micah

What does God want from you?  This is very, very important.  I mean, what does God really want from you?  We have sort of made up our own list of things that we've decided God's wants from us in modern day Christianity.  We have boiled down faith to a series of behaviors that we (humans) have decided are what Christians do or don't do.  We think God wants us...

• to got to church
• to read our Bibles
• to pray
• to go to Sunday School
• to not cuss
• to not smoke
• to not drink
• to not use drugs
• to not listen to music with 'bad words'
• to not watch movies with 'bad words'
• to not have sex unless you're married
• to memorize the Lord's Prayer
• to wear nice things to church

It's not that those aren't necessarily things to consider.  In fact, many of them have been a part and are a part of my life of faith.  It's just that this list is not THE key things that God really wants.  That's what's disappointing.  We've tried to boil a life of faith down to behaviors, but we picked the wrong behaviors.  God spoke to Micah the prophet to explain the exact things He wants from us:

6 With what shall I come before the Lord



and bow down before the exalted God?


Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,


with calves a year old?


7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,


with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?


Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,


the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?


8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.


And what does the Lord require of you?


To act justly and to love mercy


and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:6-8)

It was the same story with the Israelites.  They had made following God all about these ritualistic behaviors.  They had made it about how big their sacrifice was.  It's not that sacrifice was not important, it's that sacrifice was supposed to be born out of a life of authentic faith.  What's God saying?  He's saying, "Hey, that's great that you're bringing sacrifices and all, but what I really want is for you to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly."  If you do that, all the rest will fall into place.  And that's the message for us, too.

If we simply live out these 'behaviors' that we've determined are Christian, but don't act justly, don't love mercy and don't walk humbly, then our faith is really just for show and it's a sham.  What really matters is how you treat people and how you carry yourself before others and God.  If you do that, then many of those behaviors will come naturally.  And, you'll be able to figure out through the Spirit which ones are from God and which one are just man-made - after all, I do wear blue jeans nearly every Sunday, so I'm not exactly down with the whole 'wear nice things to church' deal.  But they are nice jeans :).  That's what God really wants from you.  If you come to church but don't do those three things you've missed the point and are just an attender at a gathering.  If you don't cuss, but also don't do those three things, you're not really a person of faith, but you have clean language.  This is the core of faith.  People of faith act and live our justice, we shower others with mercy, and we walk humbly before God because we realize how much He's done for us.  Every other 'behavior' we do flows out from this.

Day 32 - Jonah

One of my favorite bands is Lady Antebellum, and one of their biggest hits is a song called "I Run to You".  It's a great song.  When I think about the word 'run', I often think of that song and the powerful words from the chorus, "I run to you, I run to you, yeah!"  I love that song.  I think of God when I hear it and how we run to Him.  The only problem is that we're often not running to God when the going gets tough, we're running from Him.

1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”


3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish . He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

Jonah ran, and though there are lots of things that speak to me about the story of Jonah, it is those first three verses that speak so loudly.  God called Jonah to the purpose for which he was created, and he ran.  I can't help but think:  are you running from God?  Am I running from God?  We run from God in many ways...

• We run from the responsibilities He's called us to as parents.
• We run from surrendering our finances to Him and His Church.
• We run from serving where and how He's calling us to serve.
• We run from relationships in which we know He wants us to invest.
• We run from greater commitment.
• We run from stepping into leadership.
• We run from the unknown future in God's will.
• We run from more responsibility
• We run from stopping unhealthy habits.
• We run from starting healthy habits.
• We simply run.

Why?  The times in my life that I've run from God it's been because, deep down, I'm lacking the faith that God will see me through.  Really, it's simply that I'm refusing to put my full trust in Jesus.  I'm trusting myself, so I'm running to what is familiar and comfortable.  God will always ask us to take a step out of our comfort zone, and the natural reaction is to run.

If we could just get it in our thick skulls that when we run from God we are running from our best life.  God is not asking us to a worse life, but to the best life we could ever imagine.  And when we run, we're running from our truest self, the self that we were created to be.  The cool thing, though, is that we can always stop, turn around and start running toward God.  Always.  Jonah finally did.  We can.  Turn-arounds are encouraged.  U-turns are permissible.  Isn't it time you sing a little Lady A to God.

Day 31 - Obadiah

Our sins do not happen in a vaccuum.  They affect others.  They affect us.  Namely, they put distance between us and God.  But, the biggest thing to remember is that they have eternal consequences.  Every sin we commit throws the world off the cosmos more and more.  More importantly, it throws our future off it's cosmos.  We can't be all God is creating us to be if we're not doing what He's calling us to do.  Simply, our sins thwart God's will and turn our lives in the wrong direction.  The prophet Obadiah said it this way...

"The day of the Lord is near for all nations.  As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head." -Obadiah 1:15

What we've done will come back on our own heads.  That's a scary thought.  But, the great thing about this passage is that this is a great promise from God.  This message in Obadiah was for Edom, the nation that sat and laughed as Jerusalem was ransacked.  This is a promise that vindication belongs to the Lord.  He will have His day, in this life or the next.  So, there are two perspectives to view this passage.  First, we must know that our sins can come back to haunt us.  There are ramifications for not following God's will.  Namely, we end up in a life out of God's will.  Sins are essentially about decisions.  This passage reminds us to make decisions that honor God.  Second, we can rest assurred that God will see the faithful through to the end.  God WILL judge the wicked.  God WILL bring vindication for the righteous.  Sometimes, we get frustrated because it seems like the bad guys alway win.  Obadiah teaches us that the good guys win.  We have to understand that we might not see the victory.  We might not experience the vindication that God offers on this side of eternity.  It might take a while for the reckoning to happen, but we need to know that God is watching.  God is seeing the faithful and working to bless them.  And God is watching the wicked, hoping they'll turn it around, but taking notes if they don't.  Our sins don't happen in a vaccuum.  They happen in the reality of God, and our just God deals with them according to His ways.  Let us be people that bless others, that do good, the speak uplifting words...because those deeds will return to our own head, too.  And that's a very good thing.

Day 30 - Amos

If you do anything long enough, it's easy to get complacent.  It's just the nature of the beast.  You start to feel like it's routine, even if it's amazing.  You can be doing the coolest thing in the world or have the most exciting job and you can be the best at it, but it's still easy to become complacent.  In fact, the more satisfied you are with what you've accomplished, the easier it is to become complacent.  It's really hard to not get complacent as a Christian if you've been a believer for decades.  Though it ought not to, it can began to feel like old hat.  This happened in Israel, and God wasn't too happy about it:

Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and do you who feel secure on Mount Samaria."  (Amos 6:1)

If you ever get to the point when you're satisfied with where you're at spiritually, complacency is starting to set in.  Now, don't misunderstand this.  This isn't about not being satisfied for all Christ has done in your life and being content.  No, I think here the Bible is talking about that complacency that sort of says "I've arrived" as a person of faith.  That's dangerous because when you become complacent like that, you kind of get the feeling like you don't really need to improve.  Now, I don't know about you, but I haven't arrived.  In fact, I've got lots of improving to do.  Lots.  I want to get better every day.  And by better, I mean more obedient, more faithful, more trusting, kinder and gentler.  The reason Israel struggled with this is revealed a few verses down:

"I abhor the pride of Jacob and detest his fortresses; I will deliver up the city and everything in it." (Amos 6:8)

God has a way He works with pride -- not very well.  He figures out a way to, uh, humble us.  It doesn't have to be this week.  We don't have to get prideful, which leads to complacency.  How do we combat it?  Humility.  Stay in God's Word to remind us that we are part of a bigger story.  Be thankful for all that God has blessed us with.  Regularly confess our shortcomings.  Remember that all we have that is good is because of God.  And keep keeping on.  Keep yearning to be better and relying on Him rather than your own strength, no matter how long you've been at this Christian thing.

Day 29 - Joel

Listen, I'm all for some tradition.  If you talk to me about college football, you'll find that I am an extreme traditionalist.  I like traditional uniforms, traditional rivalries, traditional offenses and traditional bowl games.  I also grew up in a traditional church and serve as a pastor in a pretty traditional  denomination.  Of course, Church of the Way is anything but traditional.  However, even rock-n-roll churches have traditions.   I mean, we still worship on Sundays, sit in rows and stand up to sing.  We still take Communion and pass an offering basket.  The problem with tradition is that we tend to end up thinking that it's what God wants most.  I think routine, ritual and tradition can be meaningful, but it's not what God desires most.  One of my favorite passages makes this clear in the book of Joel:

12 “Even now,” declares the Lord,



“return to me with all your heart,


with fasting and weeping and mourning.”


13 Rend your heart


and not your garments.


Return to the Lord your God,


for he is gracious and compassionate,


slow to anger and abounding in love,


and he relents from sending calamity.


14 Who knows? He may turn and relent


and leave behind a blessing —


grain offerings and drink offerings


for the Lord your God.

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion,


declare a holy fast,


call a sacred assembly.


16 Gather the people,


consecrate the assembly;


bring together the elders,


gather the children,


those nursing at the breast.


Let the bridegroom leave his room


and the bride her chamber.


17 Let the priests, who minister before the Lord,


weep between the portico and the altar.


Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord.


Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,


a byword among the nations.


Why should they say among the peoples,


‘Where is their God? ’” (Joel 2:12-17)

Going to church is hugely important, and there's nothing wrong with the rituals that remind of us of God's movement in our lives from ages past.  But, what God really wants is obedience, faithfulness, prayer, fasting, weeping, crying out to Him.  Sometimes we use our tradition and rituals as a cheap substitute for what God truly desires from us.  We use it as a crutch.

God wants to move in us, forgive us and show us something new.  God wants to speak to us.  But God needs us to truly open up, truly 'rend our hearts', to breath new life into us.  God loves it when we worship on Sundays, but God is equally concerned about what is happening Monday-Saturday.  If we can get this right, it will change the way our rituals feel.  They won't be a front, then, but a culmination of a life of faith.  Sundays feel different when they're part of a week that has been lived in obedience instead of a check off of our weekly to-do list.  Let us not just be people that worship God on Sundays, but worship God with our lives throughout the entire week.

Day 28 - Hosea

When I was in college, I read a book by Francine Rivers called "Redeeming Love."  It's a version of the book of Hosea staged in a wild west, with Michael Hosea as the main character.  It's a riveting read, and if you like an old romantic novel, it's worth a look.  That book got me interested in the real story of Hosea.  It's got to be one of the most fascinating books in the Bible.  God asked this man of God, Hosea, to marry a prostitute as an example of His love for his people.  And, though she continues down the road of prostitution and adultery, Hosea is called again and again to go back to her.

1 The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes. ”


2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley. 3 Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward you.” -Hosea 3:1-3

There are two really powerful lessons here:

1. God love his people, no matter what.  Over and over, God used the word 'adulterous' to describe the actions of His people.  That's how personal it was to God.  It was real and painful.  Our sins literally make God feel like a jilted lover.  And, yet, He forgives.  People often think that they've simply sinned too much for God to forgive them.  Or, they think that some big huge sin in their life was simply too large for grace to overcome.  In Hosea, God teaches us that there is grace upon grace available.  I love what He says to Hosea, "Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites."  The Lord loves His people unconditional, and you are His people.
2. Those who are forgiven are expected to forgive.  Hosea has been wronged and hurt in ways that few of us can imagine, yet God calls him to forgive.  Unforgiveness never works the way we intend it to.  It only hurts us, and it's not the way of God.  The fact is that God asks us to forgive others the way we have been forgiven.  Just think if God held all your sins against you.  I know I'd be in deep trouble.  He doesn't.  We shouldn't either.  When we forgive others, we begin to feel a little more like God.  And that just feels right.

Day 27 - Daniel

People.  Aren't they the problem.  Without people there'd be no drama, no deceit, no betrayal.  Of course, there would also be no love, hope and acceptance.  Still people cause problems.  And we're people, too, which causes a whole other set of problems because many of the messes we get into are the fault of our own.  If it's any consolation, people have been causing problems, and God has been working in the midst of them since the days of Daniel:

3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5 Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”



6 So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! 7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. 8 Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 9 So King Darius put the decree in writing.

10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. 12 So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?”

So, get used to it.  There will come times when people will try to find out a way to get you.  People will push your faith to the limit.  People look for ways to turn on you and turn you in.  People will scheme against you.  People will force you to come to a crossroad in your faith.  This should come as no surprise.  What IS the surprise is Daniel's response.  He didn't run in fear.  He didn't get angry.  He didn't even plead his case in righteous indignation.  He did what he always did -- he prayed.  Daniel's faith was such an organic part of his life that it made perfect sense to him to continue worshiping and praying.

The struggle, I think, is that our decision to follow God isn't always as cut and dry as Daniel's.  Often, we'll have to deal with the little inconveniences that people throw our way.  I mean, we'll be able to count on one hand the times in our lives that we're betrayed in a major way like Daniel has been in this passage.  However, people will throw small barbs our way every day.  People make mistakes.  Sometimes it's malicious, sometimes people do so inadverdently.  How will we respond?  It's not just about choosing God's way in the big 'when the chips are down' events, it's about choosing God's path in the everyday opportunities with others 'inconvenience' us.  That will be easier if we can be like Daniel.  Did you notice that prayer and worship were 'just as he'd done before'?  That's the secret.  When we make prayer, worship and faithfulness such a normal part of our lives, when the chips are down or when we come across a typical annoyance on a Tuesday, we'll respond in a way that honors God.  And that'll turn out to be the best decision we could ever make.

Day 26 - Ezekiel

"The the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim.  While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them.  They stopped at the entrance to the east gate of the Lord's house, and the glory of God of Israel was above them."  -Ezekiel 10:18-19

God is a gentleman.  Bottom line, He doesn't go where he's not welcome.  That's really the gist of this story in Ezekiel.  I love Ezekiel because it's full of just crazy stories.  Ezekiel sees wild visions and gets unbelievable words from God.  This is another wild vision to which he's privy.

God's glory leaves the temple.  They didn't want him there anyway.  I mean, Israel was acting pretty much opposite of the way God had designed them to.  They were practicing idolatry, worshiping other Gods, and pretty much turning their backs on God.  So He left.  Because He's a gentleman.  And he doesn't go where He's not wanted.

Now, before you get freaked out.  God promises to come back.  He promises that He'll keep reaching out to His people and draw them back to Him.  It will require them to go through some pretty rough stuff, but this isn't the end.  But, for right now, He's stepping out.

So, that leaves us with a pretty important question:  Is God welcome in us?  Now we are the temple.  The New Testament teaches that our bodies are the temple of God.  He dwells in people now.  So is He welcome in you?  Sometimes, I think God just needs to step away if He's not welcome in us.  And I think He does.  That doesn't mean God is giving up on us, it just means that he doesn't go where He's not welcome.  If God seems distant, it's probably because we haven't exactly rolled out the welcome mat for Him.  But it doesn't have to be that way.  We can make our heart to be a place that God wants to camp out.  We can make sure that our attitude reflects His Word.  We can make sure that there are no idols in our temple.  We can make sure that we have a heart that is totally committed to Him.  We can make it warm and welcoming.  He wants to live there.  Be sure you're temple is ready for a live in guest.

Day 25 - Lamentations

18 “The Lord is righteous,



yet I rebelled against his command.


Listen, all you peoples;


look on my suffering.


My young men and young women


have gone into exile.


19 “I called to my allies


but they betrayed me.


My priests and my elders


perished in the city


while they searched for food


to keep themselves alive.

20 “See, Lord, how distressed I am!


I am in torment within,


and in my heart I am disturbed,


for I have been most rebellious.


Outside, the sword bereaves;


inside, there is only death.


21 “People have heard my groaning,


but there is no one to comfort me.


All my enemies have heard of my distress;


they rejoice at what you have done.


May you bring the day you have announced


so they may become like me.

22 “Let all their wickedness come before you;


deal with them


as you have dealt with me


because of all my sins.


My groans are many


and my heart is faint.” (Lamentations 1:18-22)

Lamentations is a bunch of whining.  There's really no other way to say it.  I mean, it's called Lamentations for goodness sakes.  They are...laments.  For that reason, the book of Lamentations is encouraging to me.  God can handle our cries.  He can handle our laments.  He can handle our whining.

Sometimes we get to thinking that God has bigger things to worry about, bigger fish to fry.  We think that he doesn't care about our little problems because He's worried about things like world peace.  The message of Lamentations is that God DOES care about all of our problems.  Yes, He does have big problems like world peace to worry about, but He is deeply concerned about you, your family, your relationships, your career, your finances, your heartbreak...your problems.  Also, we think that if we are faithful, then we shouldn't be 'bothering' God with our problems.  In fact, we think that as people of faith, we shouldn't have all these 'problems.'  That's simply not true.  Life happens.  We have trouble sometimes.  And it's okay to speak those to our Creator.

Jeremiah teaches us in Lamentations that God wants us to pour our hearts out to Him.  He wants to hear our concerns.  He wants to know what's going on in our hearts.  And He can even handle a little whining.  So, lament away.  He's listening, and He cares.

Day 24 - Jeremiah

I'm not particularly fond of negative nancies - no offense if you're name is Nancy.  I'm sure you're a fine person.  But you know what I mean:  negatrons.  People who always see the worst in things, who never see the positives, who think things will never get better and they'll only get worse.  Jeremiah could be a bit of a negatron.

Now, he had good reason.  Things were looking rough in Jerusalem.  People all around simply couldn't see a better day ahead for God's City and People.  This was the end.  Babylon had ransacked their homes and their tribes, and they thought they would never recover.  But God doesn't give up on His People, and God keeps his promises, and God can bring beauty out of desolation.

6 “‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. 7 I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. 8 I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. 9 Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.’


10 “This is what the Lord says: ‘You say about this place, “It is a desolate waste, without people or animals.” Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more 11 the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord, saying,

“Give thanks to the Lord Almighty,


for the Lord is good;


his love endures forever.”


For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before, ’ says the Lord.

12 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In this place, desolate and without people or animals —in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks. 13 In the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand of the one who counts them,’ says the Lord.

14 “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.

15 “‘In those days and at that time


I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line;


he will do what is just and right in the land.


16 In those days Judah will be saved


and Jerusalem will live in safety.


This is the name by which it will be called:


The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’ (Jeremiah 33:6-16)

There is no such thing as a barren wasteland in your life.  God can and is prone to move in the midst of great desolation.  The thing I love about this passage is when God says, "You say about this place that it is a desolate waste, things will never grow here again, people will never be happy again," but I'll show you.

You may have areas in your life that seem desolate, perhaps a relationship, a career, maybe even your faith.  You may even have people spewing negative energy into your life, telling you that you'll never see fruit there again.  You don't have to believe that.  We serve a God that heals what is sick and makes whole what is broken.  We serve a God who returns laughter to streets that have been filled with mourning.  Of course, the story for Israel is that the ultimate victory over this desolation would be the fulfillment of God's promise of a Savior, Jesus.  The same is true for us.  We don't have a promise that everything will always work out the way we want, but we do have a promise that if we want Jesus to a part of a situation that is desolate and empty, that He will step right in there with us.  And sooner or later, we'll see better days one way or another.  Believe in a better day.

Day 23 - Isaiah

So, we're into the Major Prophets -- big books of major players in the story of God's people.  Isaiah is perhaps the most major of the major prophets.  Though it's summer, this passage always jumps out at me for it's word of hope and it's beauty:

1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—




2 The people walking in darkness


have seen a great light;


on those living in the land of deep darkness


a light has dawned.


3 You have enlarged the nation


and increased their joy;


they rejoice before you


as people rejoice at the harvest,


as warriors rejoice


when dividing the plunder.


4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,


you have shattered


the yoke that burdens them,


the bar across their shoulders,


the rod of their oppressor.


5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle


and every garment rolled in blood


will be destined for burning,


will be fuel for the fire.


6 For to us a child is born,


to us a son is given,


and the government will be on his shoulders.


And he will be called


Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,


Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.


7 Of the greatness of his government and peace


there will be no end.


He will reign on David’s throne


and over his kingdom,


establishing and upholding it


with justice and righteousness


from that time on and forever.


The zeal of the Lord Almighty


will accomplish this.

    -Isaiah 9:1-7

You hear those words read at Christmas a lot.  I believe they are a prophecy about the birth of Jesus.  The intro to John's gospel echos those words about light coming into the darkness.  Jesus will bring honor to this village of Galilee and arrive on the scene at just the right time, and he will be bringing some pretty awesome things with him.

• Hope.  That's what the light is about.  No matter how dark it's been in your life, you can trust that light is coming.  You don't have to wander around aimlessly anymore.  Those living in the shadow of death have hope because of Jesus.  He brings good news because in him is forgiveness for sins and grace for the journey.
• Peace.  In Christ, there is no conflict.  When Christ reigns in final victory, the boots used in battle will be destined for fire.  There's no need for weapons and war when the King reigns supreme.  And we can have that eternal peace living inside us, to calm the wars going on in our own hearts.
• Authority.  The government will rest on his shoulders.  He is the final authority.  We don't have to question who's in charge.  This is Jesus' world.  We are His people.  All authority in heaven and earth have been given to him.

Why is this important?  Isaiah lived a long time ago but might as well be speaking to us.  The enemy is going to try to fill you with lies that you are hopeless and that you will never win the war in your heart.  Most of all, he's going to tell you that the sin in your life has authority over you and you can't escape it's tyranny.  But we believe on that first Christmas that a child was born who has the ultimate authority and offers peace to the restless and hope in the darkness.  That's why the angels sang for joy that night.  That's why Isaiah proclaimed it years in advance.  It might be June, but Merry Christmas.

Day 22 - Song of Songs

Some call it the Song of Solomon, some the Song of Songs.  Either way, it's a different kind of book.  The Song of Songs is full of erotic and romantic language.  We see a different side of God in this book.  You can get a lot about romance from Song of Songs, but there is a verse that speaks to an important aspect to sexuality.

"Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and the does of the field:  Do not awaken love until it so desires." 
     -Song of Songs 2:7

That phrase is actually repeated in the book again.  It's that important.  It's a lesson to young people (and to parents).  Song of Songs is full of passion.  Passion is a good thing, born of God.  Our creator put our sexuality in us.  For years, the church has been too prudish to talk about sexuality, especially some of the explicit scenes described in the Song of Songs.  But this is a Godly relationship.  God blesses romance, passion and a sexual relationship between a husband and wife.  But this little passage speaks an important word to all of us.  When it comes to sexuality, there is a 'not now' element to it.

Our young people today are bombarded with sexuality in a way that I wasn't and certainly in a way that the generation before me wasn't.  There is a tendency to rush, which often leads down the wrong path.  What this passage is saying is:  "Wait.  It's okay to feel the way you're feeling.  It's a good thing, but wait.  Not no...just not now."  When young people or singles dive into sexuality before marriage, we do things out of God's order.  It's not that you're not supposed to want to.  We see the desire in the passages of Song of Songs.  It's that we abstain because God says 'not yet.'

There simply no other way to say:  God intended sexuality for the confines of marriage.  When we do things out of God's order, our lives get out of order.  Our bodies are making promises that we're not sure our hearts can keep.  Moreover, our bodies began to cloud our judgment.  In God's plan, we have decided to love someone and vowed to spend the rest of our lives with them before we even experience the joy of a sexual relationship.  It's the icing on the cake.  But the cake is important.  The foundation of love is the cake.  If all you don't let that foundation of love develop God's way and dive into a sexual relationship early, then all you end up with is the icing.  And, while icing is good, you eat enough of it without the cake and you'll get sick.  Young people, there's simply a better way.  I'm not saying it's easy, but it will be worth it.

I don't know a single couple that waited until they were married that regrets it.  To me, that's the testimony of God's blessing in doing things His way.

Day 21 - Ecclesiastes

"Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income."
     -Ecclesiastes 5:10

Money is not bad.  Some say it makes the world go round.  I'm not so sure about that, but it is important.  Sometimes the church has talked about money like it's this terrible thing.  It's not.  It's necessary in our culture.  You have to have it to pay bills, buy food, get educated, and be entertained.  And there's nothing wrong with making money, saving for your future and taking care of your family.  Perhaps the best thing about money is how it allows us to bless and encourage others.  We are able to give to others who need a helping hand and we are able to be a part of God's Kingdom work through His Church and other great organizations.

However, love of money is really bad.  Ecclesiastes speaks to many real issues, and I've found these words on finances to be true.  Money is the new idol.  We don't carve little statues or build altars to pagan gods, we marvel at our bank accounts and lust over the things that we don't have.  We yearn for someone else's fortune or salary.  If we have that attitude, we will never have enough.  Never.  If you're always complaining and bemoaning what you don't have or aren't getting, you'll never have enough.  You'll always feel like you deserve more.  You'll always be comparing yourself to others and feel like you're coming up short. And, I'm telling you, that kind of mindset is like a cancer.  It's so hard to get rid of once it starts creeping in.  You can always find others to agree with you and tell you that you should be getting paid more or that you deserve more.  The problem is that when we love it so deeply, no matter what we make or how much we have, we'll always feel like we could or should get more.  It becomes an obsession.  The problem is that we're supposed to be obsessed with the Gospel.  Often, our obsession with money can cloud our judgment from following the call God has on our lives and doing exactly what He wants us to do.

One of the most crucial things God has given us to help us keep our hearts in check is tithing -- giving 10% of our income to the work of God.  I have found that tithing reminds me that I'm connected to something bigger than me, that God has not given me the resources he's given me for me, but to bless others.  In tithing, I'm also reminded that God is my provider because it doesn't make sense.  It makes no sense that the believer is better off living off 90% of their income versus 100% of their income.  But I believe it to my core.  I believe we see God's provision in profound ways when we are faithful to invest in His mission.  And it feels so much better.  Personally, by tithing to my local church, the gifts God has blessed me with are used:

• In children's ministry to teach kids about Jesus
• to bless students through our student ministry
• to help pay our dedicated staff
• to fund outreach to the community
• to connect those that don't know Jesus through advertising
• to invest in global and denominational-wide missions including
• starting new churches
• helping to fund scholarships for young leaders
• supporting Africa University and raising up church leaders on that continent
• funding scholarships for seminary students
• supporting college campus ministries
• And a million more things.

Man, I'm so glad my money gets to do all those things that it could never do in my pocket.  At the end of my days, I want to know that I was thankful for what I had rather than bitter for what I didn't.  My attitude and actions will determine that.

Day 20 - Proverbs

Wow, it's almost impossible to pick a snippet of Proverbs to use for our 66 Days.  Proverbs is one of my favorite books of the Bible.  One of the things I pray for most is wisdom, and Proverbs is chock full of wisdom.  You can just about name an issue and Proverbs talks about it.  Nevertheless, there are some common themes in Proverbs that you keep seeing:  money, relationships, wisdom, and language.  Yet, there is a theme you see over and over that is so key to all of us.  It's the ever-present question about what destiny awaits the righteous and the evil.

"The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. 

The righteousness of the blameless makes a straight way for them, but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.

The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires."
     -Proverbs 11:3, 5-6

I believe these passages.  Now, this deliverance doesn't always come in this life.  We know that the ultimate victory for the righteous is found in eternity.  Sometimes, we don't see victory with our earthly eyes.  The believer has to accept that.  We don't live in a finite world, and God's maxims are not finite maxims.  They are eternal and carry eternal weight.

But...I think we often DO see the fruit of God's promises.  The temptation is to tire of living in righteousness.  That's because the key secret to the world's way of duplicity, wickedness and evil is shortcuts.  It always gets you there quicker.  The destination, though, is fool's gold.  It won't last because it's just not right.

I believe these promises from God because I have seen them in my own life.  I have seen that the fruit of wickedness in my own life is brokenness and emptiness.  I've seen that when I sow seeds of righteousness, they always reap contentment and peace.  They pay off.  The bottom line is that if we do wrong, it will catch up with us.  That's the lesson.  And, we have to keep on keeping on.  We have to keep digging in to do good.  We have to keep believing the promise and following Jesus.  We have to trust that righteousness is not just slightly better, but the only way to the life we've dreamt of having.  So keep keeping on.  Keep seeking Him.  And trust that deliverance comes for the faithful.

Day 19 - Psalms

The Psalms teach us about an intimacy with God.  And intimacy goes both ways.  We all want intimacy with God when things are going great.  It's when things aren't so good that intimacy with God is a little, ehh, well, we're unsure of it.  When all our mess is out in the open, we get a little scared of what God might think about it.  However, David teaches us in Psalm 51 that we can share our deepest darkest secrets with God.  We can let him inside the darkness and watch him fill it with his fantastic light.  Listen to what King David prays after his sin with Bathsheba has come to light:

1 Have mercy on me, O God,



according to your unfailing love;


according to your great compassion


blot out my transgressions.


2 Wash away all my iniquity


and cleanse me from my sin.






3 For I know my transgressions,


and my sin is always before me.


4 Against you, you only, have I sinned


and done what is evil in your sight;


so you are right in your verdict


and justified when you judge.


5 Surely I was sinful at birth,


sinful from the time my mother conceived me.


6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;


you taught me wisdom in that secret place.


7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;


wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.


8 Let me hear joy and gladness;


let the bones you have crushed rejoice.


9 Hide your face from my sins


and blot out all my iniquity.






10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,


and renew a steadfast spirit within me.


11 Do not cast me from your presence


or take your Holy Spirit from me.


12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation


and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.


13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,


so that sinners will turn back to you.


14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,


you who are God my Savior,


and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.


15 Open my lips, Lord,


and my mouth will declare your praise.


16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;


you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.


17 My sacrifice, O God, is[b] a broken spirit;


a broken and contrite heart


you, God, will not despise.

God wants to forgive you.  The great mistake we make is thinking that our sins are too big, too great and too many for God to forgive.  There is no such thing as too great, too big, too many or, simply, too sinful for God.  If we repent and seek His forgiveness, it is always there.  He is always ready to forgive us and give us a fresh start.  Usually, we're the ones that have the hang-up.  We come up with excuses why God couldn't possibly forgive us.  Often, it's that we can't forgive ourselves.  But if Almighty God can forgive you, don't you think you can forgive yourself?  If He believes in you, don't you think you can believe in yourself.

We also struggle sometimes to admit our mistakes.  Yet, God can't forgive us for sins we won't disclose and confess.  We wrongfully think we can hide things from God.  Of course, we can't.  We don't want to come to terms with our own mistakes.  We don't want to admit our shortcomings.  We'd rather ignore them and try to justify our behavior.  But there is no justification for our sins without God's grace.  Don't hold that sin in.  Don't try to ignore it or hide it.  God wants to forgive you if you will simply name it.  You'll find his grace and forgiveness is big enough.

Day 18 - Job

Job went through some nearly unbearable stuff. He lost riches, family members, and dignity. When we fall on hard times, it's easy to begin to blame God and get disrespectful of Him. Job did just that. He started getting a little high and mighty. God was listening and this is how He responded:

“Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?

Tell me, if you understand.

Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!

Who stretched a measuring line across it?

On what were its footings set,

or who laid its cornerstone—

while the morning stars sang together

and all the angels shouted for joy?

“Who shut up the sea behind doors

when it burst forth from the womb,

when I made the clouds its garment

and wrapped it in thick darkness,

when I fixed limits for it

and set its doors and bars in place,

when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;

here is where your proud waves halt’?

“Have you ever given orders to the morning,

or shown the dawn its place,

that it might take the earth by the edges

and shake the wicked out of it? (Job 38:4-13)

Where were you? I love that question. You didn't create all this and you don't rule over the universe. Job was humbled.

It's easy for us to question God when we don't understand what's happening in our lives. We get to thinking that we deserve better. We question God's motives.

But...we can rest assured that God is in control. God has a plan. And, we are not God. That seems basic, but we all struggle with that from time to time. What God is saying to Job is a message to us, "I'm a big God with a big plan, just trust me." Life might not be going your way right now, but trust this big God. He has been there since the beginning. He's working on your behalf. Trust Him.

Day 18 - Job

Job went through some nearly unbearable stuff. He lost riches, family members, and dignity. When we fall on hard times, it's easy to begin to blame God and get disrespectful of Him. Job did just that. He started getting a little high and mighty. God was listening and this is how He responded:

“Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?

Tell me, if you understand.

Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!

Who stretched a measuring line across it?

On what were its footings set,

or who laid its cornerstone—

while the morning stars sang together

and all the angels shouted for joy?

“Who shut up the sea behind doors

when it burst forth from the womb,

when I made the clouds its garment

and wrapped it in thick darkness,

when I fixed limits for it

and set its doors and bars in place,

when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;

here is where your proud waves halt’?

“Have you ever given orders to the morning,

or shown the dawn its place,

that it might take the earth by the edges

and shake the wicked out of it? (Job 38:4-13)

Where were you? I love that question. You didn't create all this and you don't rule over the universe. Job was humbled.

It's easy for us to question God when we don't understand what's happening in our lives. We get to thinking that we deserve better. We question God's motives.

But...we can rest assured that God is in control. God has a plan. And, we are not God. That seems basic, but we all struggle with that from time to time. What God is saying to Job is a message to us, "I'm a big God with a big plan, just trust me." Life might not be going your way right now, but trust this big God. He has been there since the beginning. He's working on your behalf. Trust Him.

Day 17 - Esther

Full disclosure -- I love the story of Esther. It is one of my favorite books of the Bible. It is a story of courage, honor, and faithfulness from both
Mordecai and Esther. Just look at this awesome exchange:


“All the king's officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that he be put to death. The only exception to this is for the king to extend the gold scepter to him and spare his life. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”

When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”

Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:11-16)

Esther had a good excuse: she would be killed. I mean, as far as excuses, that's about as good as it gets. Mordecai then tells her to get over it. Her cowardly action won't save her and her family. Disobedience to God won't help her. Her only hope is to risk everything for the Kingdom.

She decides to go for it and says that line that I love: "if I perish, I perish". Basically, she's saying, "obedience is more important than my own personal well being." The thing is...being obedient WAS what was best for her well being. She would become a hero. They'd write. book about her in the Bible. She would be revered. Really, what we learn from Esther is that NOT following God is what is most risky. Following Him in radical obedience might seem crazy, dangerous, and risky, but it is the safest path to the best life we could ever have.

Day 16 - Nehemiah

Nehemiah had a great heart, and I love the interchange in the opening chapter in the book he wrote:

Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”

When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said:

“O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

“Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’

“They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

(Nehemiah 1:2-11 NIV84)

There's a couple things that stick out to me.

1. When things aren't right, it breaks his heart. Nehemiah is bothered when things are simply off. Often, we don't let things bother us enough. We get either blind to it or satisfied. We ought to lose some sleep when we see injustice in the world or disobedience in our own lives. And we ought to get ready to do something about it.

2. Nehemiah prayers a prayer for the ages. Key to that prayer is confession. He confesses the sins of the people and his own sin. He implores God to open His ears and ask him to act. His prayer is laced with humility and the clear attitude that it is a privilege to come before Almighty God.

What are seeing that's wrong in the world or in your life? Let it bother you, get on your knees, confess your sins, and pray a prayer for the ages.

Day 15 - Ezra

1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:


2 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:

“‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. 3 Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. 4 And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’”


5 Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved —prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem.

When we get cynical and believe people don't change, we miss out on opportunities for new relationships and we miss out on being a part of the new things God is doing.  We miss out on some of the greatest miracles of our Creator - a new life in Christ.

If you think that there is no hope for you or for a friend, you're wrong.  We serve a God that is still moving and working.  We serve a God that is forgiving, a God of second chances.  It is never too late.  It is never written in stone that your destiny is set.  You don't have to live with the mistakes of the past or the mistakes of the present.  People change.  You can change.  The people you never thought could change can change.  Let us never underestimate the changing power of God's grace and forgiveness.  Let us never forget that God is still moving.
People change.  King Cyrus changed.  The family heads changed.  God moved in their hearts.  People change.  Our society has gotten so cynical that we have decided that people can't change, that when they say they've changed, they're phony.  However, we believe in a God that changes people.  We believe in the power of the Holy Spirit.  We believe God moves in the hearts of people.  God changes the hard hearted to become soft hearted.  God moves the believer to action.  God changes people.

Day 14 - 2 Chronicles

You need advice.  You ask virtually everyone you know.  You get varying opinions.  Often, those opinions end up kind of in two camps.  What do you do?  How do you know who to listen to?  One of the most powerful choices we get in life is choosing who we let influence us.  Making that decision isn't always easy.  There's a fascinating story about seeking the advice of insiders in 2 Chronicles 10.  It's a story that happens shortly after King Solomon dies and the throne is passed down to his son, Rehoboam.  Jeroboam comes before the new king to try to bring unity to all Israel under his rule.

3 So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and all Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him: 4 “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”


5 Rehoboam answered, “Come back to me in three days.” So the people went away.

6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How would you advise me to answer these people?” he asked.

7 They replied, “If you will be kind to these people and please them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.”

8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. 9 He asked them, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”

10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, “The people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. 11 My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’”


12 Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, “Come back to me in three days.” 13 The king answered them harshly. Rejecting the advice of the elders, 14 he followed the advice of the young men

This did not end well for Rehoboam.  His selfishness and poor decision led to the beginning of a long history of dissension between Jerusalem and the rest of Israel:

¹⁹ So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

I couldn't help but think about LeBron James when I read that passage.  If you don't follow basketball, LeBron came into the NBA right out of high school about 9 years ago.  He has had a strange career.  He's unbelievably talented and one of the best players planet Earth has ever seen.  But he's a bit of an enigma.  He has a very tight circle of close friends, many from his home town and from high school, that he has leaned on to make decisions.  And they've often seemed to have given him the wrong advice.  This past off-season, after losing in the NBA finals last year (and personally playing awful at times), James reached out to some older stars.  He called and asked for advice from Hakeem Olajuwon, a star from back in my day.  And James is different this year.  He's more mature.  He seems to be making better decisions.  He seems more relaxed.  And he's dominating the NBA playoffs, leading the Heat to the Finals again. 
Listen, this isn't to say we can't have childhood, high school or college friends.  It isn't to say that everyone that is older gives the best advice or is always wiser.  What this passage is saying is that we need to seek out people that are wise, people that aren't looking to puff us up but are looking to keep us grounded.  We need people who don't have our best interest in mind, but have the best interest of the Kingdom in mind.  That's right.  We need people who will convict us, push us and challenge us to make tough decisions.  We need to find people to influence us who love God more than they love us.  And when we find them, we've got to listen to them.  Find some mentors.  Find some wise souls.  And be careful with the people who always tell you exactly what you want to hear.

Day 13 - 1 Chronicles

I'm not going to lie.  1 Chronicles is tough to read through.  It's got a lot of names and genealogies and counting.  It doesn't exactly flow.  But, there are some incredible prayers by King David in there.  This one is particularly powerful, in 1 Chronicles 29:10-19:

10 David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,

“Praise be to you, Lord,


the God of our father Israel,


from everlasting to everlasting.


11 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power


and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,


for everything in heaven and earth is yours.


Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;


you are exalted as head over all.


12 Wealth and honor come from you;


you are the ruler of all things.


In your hands are strength and power


to exalt and give strength to all.


13 Now, our God, we give you thanks,


and praise your glorious name.

14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 15 We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. 16 Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. 17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. 18 Lord, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. 19 And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands, statutes and decrees and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided.”

We are often proud and self-serving.  My prayers seem so petty, sometimes, compared to this.  David was fully of integrity and, as he said, the right intent.  That really is the key isn't it?  What is our intent.  God desires that we would 'get it.'  And I think what 'getting it' looks like is that our intent would be about the Kingdom of God always.  Our intent would never be about us.  We wouldn't be looking to further our own interest but, rather, the interest of God.  That's the right intent.  God turns His ear to hear prayers with that intent.  Let it be so for us.
David was called a man after God's own heart, and you see why when you read a prayer like this.  Does this mindset match your prayers?  David spent time in prayers praising God.  He was humble.  He realized that all he had came from God. 

Day 12 - 2 Kings

We all want forgiveness.  And, it's readily available to us.  Our God is a God of second chances and third chances and 76th chances.  God is always ready to welcome us back, no matter how far you or I have strayed.  However, one of the underrated aspects of living into that forgiveness is really turning our life over to God.  If you just want cheap grace, cool.  That's all you get.  But if you want a full portion of grace, it will mean accepting that forgiveness and righting the ways we've been wrong.  King Josiah understood this as he lead Judah.  He was ready to not only receive a second chance for God's people, he took the necessary steps to get their lives back in order:

Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 2 He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord. 3 The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.


4 The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in rank and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the Lord all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley and took the ashes to Bethel. 5 He did away with the idolatrous priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the towns of Judah and on those around Jerusalem—those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts. 6 He took the Asherah pole from the temple of the Lord to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem and burned it there. He ground it to powder and scattered the dust over the graves of the common people. 7 He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes that were in the temple of the Lord, the quarters where women did weaving for Asherah. (2 Kings 23:1-7)

Do you see what happened.  It was wasn't just about reading the law and asking for forgiveness.  He cleaned out the temple.  He tore down the shrines to other gods.  He got rid of all the things that had led the people astray.  He fixed what he could fix on his end on the outside.  God fixes the inside.  We fix the outside.  Forgiveness will never have it's full affect on us if we don't do our part.  Do you need to apologize to someone?  Do you need to have a conversation with someone you haven't talked to in a while?  Do you need to end a relationship to move on with forgiveness?  Do you need to get something out of your house?  Do you need to get a firewall on your computer?  Do you need to stop a habit?  Do you need to stop going to a particular place?  Sometimes, it takes getting rid of the stuff that's causing us to sin.  Receive the forgiveness.  Let God fix the inside.  Let us fix the outside.

Day 11- 1 Kings

Suppose God pulls the genie in the bottle routine on you and asks, "If you could have anything in the world, what would you want?" A new car? A new house? Healthy children? $10 million? World peace? No more hunger? Fame? Your favorite team to win the championship? God did just that with Solomon and here's what happened:

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.

“Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” (1 Kings 3:5-9)

Solomon asked for wisdom. Wisdom is THAT important. Wisdom will guide us through any financial situation. Wisdom helps us to know how to react in any work or parenting situation.

And God is still happy to give wisdom. You can find tons of it in the Scriptures. Every life situation is a chance to gain more. I think God honors those kinds of prayers. We often pray much different prayers than Solomon. We pray prayers with more self serving intentions. God yearns to give us wisdom. Ask for it!

Day 10 - 2 Samuel

We're in double digits.  Keep it up and keep reading!

I love King David.  I love reading the stories about David.  Of course, David and Goliath is a great story, as we saw, with lots of smack talk.  However, David is also famous for another story, and this one isn't so good:  the story of David and Bathsheba.  It's hard for that NOT to be the story we would focus on in 2 Samuel.  David was a good man and a great king.  However, he let his power get to him.  He saw Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah (one of his soldiers), bathing.  He decided he wanted her as his own.  It became a soap opera.

She became pregnant so he had Uriah rushed home from war so that he would sleep with his wife and people would think the child was Uriah's.  But the soldier wouldn't do it, claiming it unfair to his fellow partners in combat.  So David had Uriah sent to the front lines so that he'd be killed in battle.  Then David took Bathsheba to be his wife. 

The words of Nathan, the prophet, are powerful:

7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’ -2 Samuel 12:7-10

Bottom line:  sexual sin will get you.  Every Jesus Follower has to stay on top of their game on this issue.  The lines of right and wrong get blurred, our minds get twisted, our hormones start messing with our thinking.  It can mess you up.  We think, "This will make me happy."  It won't...in the long run.  Despising the Word of God never works out.  I have seen this destroy lives, tear up marriages, and break down ministries.  Our sexuality is one of the easiest ways for us to get our focus off Jesus.  Now, you can take this further than sex.  It can be about the lure of doing anything that brings instant gratification but is contrary to the Word of God.  Sooner or later, ignoring God's commands catches up to you.

And it's ridiculous, God says, because when we do that we:

     A)  Ignore all that God has already blessed us with.  Basically, we're looking for the latest, greatest thing when God has already lavished blessing upon blessing on us.  He gave David everything...and it still wasn't enough.

     B)  Underestimate God's desire to give us even more.  God tells David, "I would have given you even more if you'd have asked.  Just don't do stupid stuff!"  Okay, my paraphrase. 

There is a lure to the world that tells you that doing things God's way will take too long, that it won't give us that immediate satisfaction.  There is a lure that says that God's laws are outdated and old-fashioned.  But there's a catch.  Whatever the world is offering won't bring you the happiness you thought it would.  It is an instrument of the devil and it is full of lies and deceit.  Though you and I might not always understand God's laws, they are designed to give us the best life possible.  Moreover, God loves us so much that he want so lavish upon us more and more righteous, pure and holy blessings if we would just let him.  Don't take shortcuts in anything.  Trust doing things God's way.  It's always the best. 

Day 9 - 1 Samuel

Wow, 1 Samuel is chock full of incredible stories and memorable passages.  The call of Hannah and Samuel are some of my favorite stories.  The kingship of Saul and the anointing of David are fascinating.  But, I'm in a manly mood today, and it's hard to beat David and Goliath.  You probably know the basics of the story, even if you're not that familiar with Scripture.  It's the passage right before the actual battle scene that sticks out to me:

41 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42 He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. 43 He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”



45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” -1 Samuel 17:41-47

Now, I have to tell you that I appreciate some good smack talk.  There are rumors that I've been known to talk a little smack on the softball field, basketball court or flag football field.  Don't believe the rumors :)

This is smack talk of Biblical proportions, literally.  The thing about it that is so impressive to me is not that David is brash and tough.  It's that he is faithful.  In earthly measurements, there is no good reason to think that David can defeat Goliath.  He will be crushed.  But David doesn't measure things by earthly standards.  David measures things in the Kingdom of God, and they use a different currency in the Kingdom.  David is bold enough to declare that his enemy is fighting with all of earth's might, but it won't be enough.  He himself is fighting with all of heaven's might.  He is doing this in the Lord.  And his faith never waivers.  He is sure victory will be his, and calls Goliath, the baddest dude on the planet, to the carpet.  The next passage says that David then ran toward him in battle.  He has no fear.  He is fighting with God's power.  Notice how Goliath says "I'll give you" to the birds and beasts.  David says, "The Lord" will hand you over to me.  Big difference.

What enemies are scoffing at you?  What obstacles are staring you down and laughing at you?  What seems like an insurmountable bump in your path?  You know God wants to deliver you through it and over it, but the tasks seems so daunting.  Have you thought about calling it to the carpet?  Have you thought about claiming it in the name of Jesus and declaring God's power over it?  God has not given you a spirit of fear but a spirit of might.  You are not alone.  You do not fight alone.  You have the power of the most High God readily available to you.  Claim it.  Use it.  I find that most of the time we don't have the kind of faith that David has.  We're unsure about being so confident in God.  That's why I love this story.  David is arrogant in God's power, not in his own.  He leaves no room for doubt in his own heart.  He places his very life in God's hands.  If God doesn't come through, David will be squashed.  That's of no concern to David.  This battle is already won in his mind.  There are some battles you and I are fighting that are already won and we're still struggling with them.  Claim the victory God wants to give you.  Be confident in the power of God.  And be ready to trust in Him fully.  But be prepared.  Against all reason, he might call you to run head on into the giant you're facing carrying only a slingshot.  Just remember that the battle is His.

Day 8 - Ruth

Ruth is a short book that is really about one story.  Though it is hailed as a love story (and there's some of that in there), it is much more about the unique relationship between Naomi and her daughter-in-law, Ruth.  A little background...Naomi's husband dies and she's left with her two sons.  They marry women from a neighboring country who end up becoming a part of the family.  After about 10 years, Naomi's sons die.  She prepares to return home to her people and try to put back some of the pieces of her life back together. 

"Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother's home. May the Lord show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” Then she kissed them and they wept aloud and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.” But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord's hand has gone out against me!” At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her. “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” But Ruth replied, “Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”"  -Ruth 1:8-17

This is really a story about mentoring & commitment.  We all need mentors.  Naomi was not just a mother-in-law to Ruth, she was a mentor.  Naomi had been one of the first people to speak truth into Ruth's life, and she wanted to be by her side.  As we grow up, it's easy to begin thinking that we don't need mentors, that we can get by on our own.  That's crazy talk.  We need people in our lives to guide us, mold us, rebuke us and shape us, even as adults.  Maybe more so as adults.  Who is that person for you?  Who speaks truth to you?  Who encourages you and challenges you?  To whom do you go for wisdom and spiritual insight?  If you don't have a mentor...find one.  And, consider who might need you to serve as their mentor.  We need to be doing both.  We need mentors, and we need to mentor others.

The other thing Ruth exhibits is an incredible commitment to Naomi.  Commitment doesn't mean much in our world today.  We have a new motto in our culture.  When the tough get going, we quit.  We move on to try something else.  We quit on teams, quit on jobs and quit on people.  Ruth won't quit.  I believe commitment and dedication are Godly characteristics.  God is committed and dedicated to us.  We mess up.  We sin.  We go against the grain of His will.  Yet, God doesn't give up on us.  He is committed.  I believe when we exemplify commitment to the world, we are being an example of Christ.  And it feels better.  It feels right.  Because that's how God is, and we feel more right when we are more like God.

Find a mentor.  Be a mentor.  Be committed.  Good lessons from Ruth.

Day 7 - Judges

"The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.” “But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.” The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?” “But Lord,” Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.”"  -Judges 6:11-16

If I titled Gideon's call into ministry and leadership, it would be called "Several Excellent Excuses."  From the beginning, God's messenger tries to instill confidence in Gideon, calling him "mighty warrior."  This does not fit how Gideon has seen himself.  Gideon is a bit of whiner and sees himself has nothing.  Maybe that's his excuse for whining.  He offers two peeks in this passage into his mindset.

1. If God is with us, then how come all this bad stuff has happened to us?  This is a big sticking point for many of us.  If God really loves us, then why do bad things happen to us?  If God is for us, then why do I continue down this path of bad luck?  It's really quite simple.  First, we live in a broken world where God doesn't always get what God wants.  We have choices.  We don't have to choose God's will.  When others act in defiance of God or when we choose to do the same, it affects the reality in which we live.  It doesn't mean God doesn't love us.  It simply means God is allowing us the freedom live in that love or live how we want.  Secondly, God sees a bigger picture.  Sometimes, God is using circumstances to reveal himself is a bigger way in our lives.  Sometimes God is weaving together a story that we'd never believe.  Sometimes what sees bad ends up being a blessing.  Bad stuff happens.  That doesn't mean God doesn't love you.  It means life is simply happening.  The key is figuring out how to respond in God's love.
2. Lord, I can't.  God will not call you to little things.  God will not call you to do something that seems attainable.  God will not call you to simple ministry.  God will call you to grand visions, complicated ministry, huge missions, and tough jobs.  And God really doesn't like to hear, "I can't."  I hate hearing my boys say, "I can't."  Most of the time, they are saying "I can't" to something they've never tried.  As their father, I'm thinking, "How do you know you can't, you've never done it!" and I'm also thinking, "I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you."  I believe God is thinking the same thing.  Moreover, God is calling us to grand visions not so we can prove how big and bad we are, but so that He can reveal his power and glory in and among us.  God's response to Gideon's excuses?  "I will be with you.  I don't care how small, weak, or insignificant you think you are.  You are significant because the God of all creation is with you."

What a message from God!  We need to hear that same thing.  It's a big world.  It's easy to think you don't matter.  It's easy to get discouraged by negative forces and a run of bad luck.  It's easy to think that you're weak and small in the grand scheme of things.  Know that God is weaving a story that He wants you to be a part of.  Know that God is with you.  And that it is because of His presence that you will succeed.  You are significant.  You are His child.  You are a mighty warrior...even on the days you don't feel like it.

Day 6 - Joshua

"Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.

Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your forefathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River and worshiped other gods. But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the River and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him Isaac, and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I assigned the hill country of Seir to Esau, but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.

“ ‘Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out. When I brought your fathers out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea. But they cried to the Lord for help, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the desert for a long time.

“ ‘I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their land. When Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor to put a curse on you. But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand.

“ ‘Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I gave them into your hands. I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow. So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:1-15 NIV84)

It's hard to have a devotion from Joshua and not use this passage. It reminds us of the choices we have. There are many things vying for our attention and devotion. However, we have to be careful to remember all that God has done for us. Joshua provides a litany of things God has done for the Israelites. We could probably provide a similar list.

But we only get to choose our own family's source of devotion, and it's so crucial, moms and dads, that our children know beyond a shadow of a doubt whom we serve. And we'll have to live it.

Our actions will tell our children and our neighbors and co-workers whom we serve far louder than our words. Tomorrow and the next day, we have a choice. Every morning we choose who we will serve. Let us make the right choice and let us live the right choice.

Day 5 - Deuteronomy

I'm going to go out on a wild limb, here -- you've never made an idol and lit a little candle and had a worship service right in your living room.  Now, some have.  Some have idols from other religions in their house because of their family backgrounds.  Some have them as decorations.  The Bible says an idol like that is not really a god at all.  It's just a piece of wood or metal.  And, I'm not sure He's cool about them being used for decorations.  This is what He says in Deuteronomy 4:15-19.

¹⁵ You saw no form of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, ¹⁶ so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, ¹⁷ or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air,¹⁸ or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below. ¹⁹ And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array— not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.

I don't think our problems are with wood and metal figurines.  I think our problems are creating little gods and idols out of the things in life that end up taking over our worlds:  money, career, popularity, relationships, success, sports, hobbies, our children, pride, possessions, and, oh, well, it can be just about anything.  Did you catch the end of verse 15:  "Watch yourselves very carefully."  We have to watch ourselves.  It's so easy to fall prey to the distractions of the world until they literally become like gods.  They end up running our schedules and our lives and our decisions and our spending and our thoughts.  It happens slowly and seductively.  Here's how you know if something is becoming and idol:

• It is taking me farther from Christ instead of closer to Him.
• It is preventing me from worshiping.
• I want it more than I want intimacy with Jesus.
• It is putting a wedge between me and my most devout Jesus-following friends.
• It makes me happier than spending time with God in church or alone.
• It is starting to force me to compromise my values.
• To continue pursuing it, I'm going to have to be less committed to Jesus and His mission.

Whew, that's some heavy stuff.  If you answered, "Yes" to a few too many of those, be encouraged.  In Christ, you can always turn around.  Take a step back toward Jesus before something that is becoming an idol becomes a full-blown god.  And if you've already jumped the shark, repent, and make Jesus a priority.  Everyone is welcomed back in the family of God.  The reason this is so important?  That idol or god didn't create you, doesn't really love you and surely didn't die for you.  But there is a God who did all those things, and He has a plan for you, and if He's going to be 'all in' to see that plan come to life, He needs you and me to be 'all in' with Him.