Let go of "I want"

Scripture: “Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!”

Psalm 119:36 ESV

Observation: There is much in this world that tempt "this can be yours..."

Application: seek the path that glorifies God, not self.  Eliminate "I want" and replace with "what do you want".

Prayer: Father, teach me to seek Your desires and to let go of mine.  Amen!

Faith over logic

Scripture: “Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain.”

Exodus 34:2 ESV

Observation: God was telling Moses very specific things of how he was to come before himself.  Imagine the stress of knowing that tomorrow morning you would be meeting with God!

Application: God will often put us in a position to rely and trust in Him alone.  There, in that position of vulnerability, we experience true trust in Him.  Following is often a choice between faith and logic...I pray that I would choose faith.

Prayer: Father, Your commands can be scary and full of uncertainty.  I pray that my faith would be bigger than my fear and that I would simply follow...step by step.

Fear and trust

Scripture: “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.”

Proverbs 29:25 ESV

Observation: When I fear, it is often due to seeking the approval of men rather than relying on the sovereignty of God.  This is a trap that should be avoided.

Application: in the words of Yoda, "fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering".  Rather than fall prey to this paradigm, I will instead trust in the Lord for all things.  He alone can set me free.

Prayer: Father, may my heart seek only Your approval and no other.  May my trust be in You alone.  Amen.

Where does the bow point?

With the finish of 2015 upon us, I am reviving the SOAP posts.  SOAP is an an acronym for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer and is a great journal method to capture what God is showing you through time in His word.

Scripture: “When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”

Genesis 9:16 ESV

Observation: A "bow" is a weapon.  If you look at a rainbow, which way would the arrow fly?  Towards the sky...what a wonderful symbol to represent God's covenant with Noah, showing His wrath turned away from the Earth.

Application: God is a promise keeper!  He continually gives us what we do not deserve and keeps us from His wrath.

Prayer: Father, thank You for mercy and Grace.  Without Your demonstration of love and forgiveness, we would all be destined for eternal sorrow.  Amen.