Posts Tagged ‘Bible’

Are You Seeking After God?

March 15th, 2010
An officer aboard the HMAS Melbourne (FFG 05) ...
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As I was reading today, this passage struck me:

As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

Romans 3:10-12 (emphasis added)

God forgive me! I know that very often I don’t truly seek God. I seek his favor. I seek his gifts. I seek knowledge of him. I search for satisfaction of my needs and desires and longings and. And I search for the feeling of being close to God.

But I don’t really seek God. At least not as much as I’d like. And certainly not with as much purity of heart as God deserves.

How about you?

Do you seek God? Or do you seek “stuff?”

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Are There Treasures in Your Baggage?

February 2nd, 2010
Suitcases
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Isn’t it interesting when you’re reading the Bible and you see something you haven’t noticed before?

That happened to me yesterday as I was reading Proverbs 31. Believe me, this is not the first time I’ve read this particular chapter – the one that most people look to to describe an ideal wife.

Here’s what I noticed:

Proverbs 31:1
The sayings of King Lemuel—an oracle his mother taught him: (emphasis added)

My first thought was “Isn’t that funny?! The chapter that we often use to describe an ideal wife and it was taught to him by his mother!” But then I reflected a little longer – in many cases a mother might be the best equipped to teach her sons how to look for a good wife.

Now I could certainly take this very short text and make it into “children honor your parents.” I could point out how we accept disobedience as being “strong willed” and how marketing to teens tries to separate them from the influence of their parents so that they’ll make bad decisions. I might even be right to do that. But today I’d like to go a different direction.
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There’s Too Much to Do

January 31st, 2010
Too much to do, so little time.
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I suspect we’d be hard pressed to find more than a handful of people in the US who don’t have too much to do. We all have responsibilities, goals, and aspirations. We all have relationships we want to maintain. We all have “time vampires” (some might call them addictions) that suck the time out of our schedules. And there are always unexpected events or difficulties.

I know that I certainly fall into the category of “those who have too much to do.” You probably do as well. So I’m constantly trying to make sure that I’m putting time into those things that are the most important to me. Well, really, it starts before that.

What’s important to God

I want to make sure that I’m investing my time and energy into what is important to God. After all, deep down, God is what is most important to me. Thank God (no pun intended) that he has let us know what is most important.
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Where is Your Wealth?

January 11th, 2010

It’s an amazing gift of God’s grace for him to reveal our places of poverty – the places in our lives where our perspectives and priorities are out of line. Where our goals are the money and stuff of this world rather than the treasure unspeakable who is God himself. Places where we honor ourselves more than him.

I know that I do this often. Lord, help me to have a right perspective and heart in my life.

How often I think my priorities are more important than what God is doing! (Oh…I’m sure I could justify my “stuff” if I wanted to. But what’s the point – I can’t justify myself!). How often I look at my earthly wealth (such as it is) and think to myself, “I’m doing pretty well.”

The truth is, I am still living as though I am poor in the places that matter most. While God has given me a glorious inheritance in himself and in the saints, I fail to take hold of it. Lord, help me to have a right motivation and to take action.

What does the Bible say?

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Poverty of Faith Leads to Blessing

January 6th, 2010

As we enter the new year, I would like to challenge you to make sure you are doing some spiritual exercises so that you grow in your faith:

  • Read the Bible
  • Spend time in Prayer and Worship
  • Spend time with other followers of Jesus
  • Share your faith and Serve others

If you’ve never read the entire Bible, I would recommend that you do it this year. I’m reading through the Bible on YouVersion.com this year. For the plan I’m using, click here. It’ll get you through the Bible in a year (if you follow it) and has some “grace space” built in so that if you miss a day, you can catch up.

That said, if you haven’t spent any time in the Bible today, consider meditating on the passage below. Ask God what he’s saying and how you can be a part of his plan.

Matthew 5:3
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Lord, God, may you grant us the grace to see our own poverty – in resource, in belief, in grace, and in humility – so that we may exchange it for the treasure that is you.

Until next time…

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