June 6 - Security

I do not fear for You are with me.  I am not dismayed for You are my God.  You will strengthen me; yes, You will help me; yes, You will uphold me with the right hand of Your righteousness.   Isaiah 41:10

I've always been fascinated by locks. I've got a friend that is a locksmith.  He can pick just about any lock you can put in front of him.  Thank goodness he's one of the good guys! But the sober truth is that all guys who pick locks aren't good guys.  Sometimes the bad guys can use those same skills to get into places they aren't welcome.

Isn't it fascinating that we put so much stock in security when it really is only a phantom?  There is only one place to find true security in this world.

What does this passage say to you personally?

June 5 - Deliverance

I sought You, Lord, and You heard me and delivered me from all my fears.   Psalm 34:4

Relationships take work.  That is a fact across all humanity.  It also is a fact when we look at our relationship with God.  We can't sit back and hope our relationship with our Creator will grow while we sleep or eat or work.  It requires effort and discipline on our part.  It requires that we be intentional.

But the payoff is huge.  Bigger than huge.  Bigger than words.

The payoff is deliverance.

What is profound to you about this passage? 
 

June 4 - Wisdom

If I lack wisdom, God, let me ask you for it.  You give liberally to me, and You do not reprimand me for asking.  And it will be given to me.   James 1:5

Here's a theme in scripture that we can't seem to get very far away from.  If we are to live lives that please God; lives that are rich with joy and purpose, we will commit ourselves to seeking and applying God's wisdom in our lives at every turn.

There is far too much garbage in, garbage out in this world. The default in life is our fallen human nature.  Sin.  We don't have to work at it.  It comes to us naturally.

On the other hand, wisdom is something we have to put significant effort into.  "Get" wisdom, as Jane Gregory pointed out a few Sundays ago, is what we are instructed to do in Proverbs 23:23.  It won't just jump on us if we stand still.  We must pursue it.

How does this passage affect your thoughts and actions?

June 3 - No fear

God, You have not given me the spirit of fear but of power, of love and of a sound mind.   2 Timothy 1:7

Fear. 

Where does fear have its origin?  In our mind.  When we start to become afraid about something, it begins in our mind.  Sometimes the object of our fear is real, but very often, it is imagined. Sometimes it is some thought we allow to burrow into our minds and we start to go down a path that is very unhealthy.  Sometimes we make a home for our fear, building a case for it and rationalizing it.

Fear and faith are like oil and water.  They cannot mix.  Fear is choosing a path of sight and not a path of faith.

God doesn't want our imaginations to run away with us and take us to a place He never intended for us to go.

He wants us to have a sound mind.

 

June 2 - Good

God, I know that all things work together for my good because I love You and am called according to Your purpose.   Romans 8:28

One thing this passage doesn't say is all things are good for the believer.  It says all things WORK TOGETHER for good. 

So many times, this verse is used to try to explain that when a person accepts Christ, their life will be good.  Ultimately, that is true, of course, but in the meantime, God promises that all will be well…eventually.  Hardship will come, but God will work even bad things for good in the lives of the faithful.

What strikes you as powerful in this passage?

 

June 1 - Saved

God, you did not send Your Son into the world to condemn me, but so that through Him, I might be saved.   John 3:17

Bottom line truth - God had one purpose for sending Jesus to the world.  To save you and to save me.

What thoughts does that bring to mind?

NEW FOR JUNE!! Affirmations from God's Word

Did you know that God has a much greater purpose for us than to cram a bunch of facts about Him into our heads?  For centuries, at least dating back to when Jesus walked this earth, we have often confused knowledge of God for relationship with God.  Like memorizing a bunch of facts about God would somehow fulfill His purpose for us.

Think about this: if someone you didn't know approached you and told you they knew your favorite color, your favorite restaurant, your favorite sports team and your favorite music, would it mean they really knew you?  Would it mean they had a relationship with you?

Of course not.  As a matter of fact, it would probably seem a little stalkerish.

Relationship isn't knowing facts about someone, it is KNOWING them.  Like you know your spouse.  Like you know your best friend.  It's knowing how they think.  It's knowing what they like.  It's knowing what is important to them.  It's knowing what makes them laugh and what makes them cry.

Since God's relationship with people was damaged in the Garden of Eden, He has been about one thing: reconciliation. He wants that relationship back.  With you.  Personally. God already knows everything about you.  Not just facts, but much more.  

Like the number of hairs on your head.  Like the thoughts you think.  Like the steps you take. 

So when He gave us scripture, His desire was that we would know Him too.  To restore that relationship that was lost. To let you know that YOU are His favorite color, YOU are His favorite restaurant, YOU are His favorite sports team and YOU are His favorite music.

He has tunnel vision for YOU.  His never-ending love is directed toward YOU.  Personally.

Scripture is God's heart, given to us.

So beginning today, June 1, we will post a scripture each day that God speaks to you individually.  Read it, think about it, pray about it, repeat it throughout the day.  Then write in the comments on the blog what God is saying to you through that passage.

The next post has the scripture for Day 1.