Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 19:1‐21:14, 1 Thessalonians 5:4‐28, Psalm 82:1‐8, Proverbs 25:7b‐10

Context: Paul is giving his closing comments to the church in Thessalonica.  The admonitions are somewhat scattered.  In a few verses we will read his famous line: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

Observations:

• We urge you – brothers
  • Admonish (exhort or give instruction to) the idle
  • Encourage the fainthearted
  • Help the weak
  • Be patient with them all

Apply: One of my close friends is fainthearted.  Today I want to look for opportunities to encourage this brother in Christ in an uplifting way.

What is one specific way you can admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted or help the weak today?  Do it!

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 16:16‐18:23, 1 Thessalonians 4:1‐5:3, Psalm 81:1‐16, Proverbs 25:6‐7a

Context: Jeremiah is contrasting the sin of Israel with the righteousness and hope found in God.

Jeremiah 17:13 “O Lord, the hope of Israel,
 all who forsake you shall be put to shame;
those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth,
 for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water.”

Springs of Engedi - Living Water in Israel

Observations:

• Lord = hope of Israel
• All who forsake / turn away from God:
  • will be put to shame
  • will be written in the earth
• Because they have forsaken the Lord
• Lord = fountain of living water

My grandfather is on his death bed.  I spent three hours with him and the extended family on Sunday.  During a time when most families would feel forsaken, the room was full of hope.  Why?  Everyone in the house knew that Opa had lived life in the fountain.  His life had been fulfilling and close to the Lord.  In addition, they knew that he would spend eternity with God.

Apply: “Lord, let me live life like Opa.  May I never forsake the fountain of living water.”

Have you forsaken the fountain of living water?  Jeremiah 2:13 – “(F)or my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.”

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 14:11‐16:15, 1 Thessalonians 2:10‐3:13, Psalm 80:1‐19, Proverbs 25:1‐5

Context: Paul is explaining to the church in Thessalonica how he shared the gospel with them. 

Verse that jumped out: 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 “For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.”

Observations:

• Like a father with his children
  • We exhorted each one of you
  • Encouraged you
  • And charged you
    • To walk in a manor worthy of God
      • Who calls you into his own kingdom and glory
        

        Asleep in our hotel

Yesterday, I returned from over a week of vacation with my family.  One of the highlights of my trip was watching my daughter sleep in my hotel room on the last night.  As I prayed for her, I cried.  There are very few things that have puts life’s priorities into focus for me like that. 

Apply: I’m reminded that the way I show love to my own daughter is the way I am to show love to the people I minister to.  I need to exhort, encourage, and charge them to walk in a manor worthy of God.

Have you felt this kind of love from someone who is not your parent?

I will be unable to blog for the next 11 days. 

Stay current on the Reading Plan with me.

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 54:1‐57:13, Ephesians 6:1‐24, Psalm 70:1‐5, Proverbs 24:8

Context: As Paul ends the familiar passage on the armor of God with a challenge to pray for each other.  He then asks the Ehephesian church to pray for him.

Ephesians 6: 19 – …and also (pray) for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Observations:

• Pray for me
  • that words may be given to me
    • in opening my mouth boldly
      • to proclaim the mystery of the gospel
        • for which I am an ambassador in chains
• that I may declare it boldly
  •  as I ought to speak

Apply: I have prayed this prayer over myself many times before I have taught a group or spoken one-on-one with someone who does not understand the gospel.  I need to ask others to pray it over me.

Will you stop for a minute and pray this passage over me?  Will you pray it over your own life?

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 51:1‐53:12, Ephesians 5:1‐33, Psalm 69:19‐36, Proverbs 24:7

Context: Paul is explaining how the Ephesian Christians should walk because of the position that they now have through Christ. 

One of the verses that stood out to me: Ephesians 5:25 – Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…

Observations:

• Husbands , love (agapao) your wives
  • As (according to, just as, equal to)
    • Christ loved the church
    • and gave himself (handed over, delivered up) up for her

When doing weddings, one of the exciting things for me to point out is “the Gospel is the overflow of a Godly marriage.” 

Apply: I want to be Jesus to Rebecca today.  Ephesians 5:25 calls me to seek ways to sacrificially love her.

How might God want you to sacrificially love your spouse, a friend or a stranger today?

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 48:12‐50:11, Ephesians 4:17‐32, Psalm 69:1‐18, Proverbs 24:5‐6

Proverbs 24:6 for by wise guidance you can wage your war,
 and in abundance of counselors there is victory.

Observations:

• By wise guidance
• You can wage your war
• In abundance of counselors
• There is victory

Apply:   Rebecca and I are seeking clarity from the Lord as we make battle plans for our life.  We need to know where and how he wants us to fight for him.  During this time, it is important for us to gather wise counsel. 

What keeps you from seeking the counsel of others?

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 45:11‐ 48:11, Ephesians 4:1‐16, Psalm 68:19‐35, Proverbs 24:3‐4

Context: The fear (humble reverence) of the Lords is the beginning and the end of wisdom.  Proverbs  are principles and not promises.

Proverbs 24:3-4 – By wisdom a house is built,
 and by understanding it is established;

by knowledge the rooms are filled
 with all precious and pleasant riches.

Observations:

• Wisdom,  understanding and knowledge
  • Build, establish and fill a house

It is easy to be deceived by the world into thinking that we should focus on temporal things as we lead our families.  Rebecca and I wrote these verses on the slab of our home as we were building.  We have prayed them over our home multiple times.  A friend of ours framed these verses and we hung them in our guest room.  We pray that we will truly build our family on wisdom, understanding and knowledge.

Apply: I have been challenged to spend one hour a week, one day a month and one week a year in personal evaluation.  I must make adjustments when I am not building my home on wisdom.

What are you building your house on?

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 43:14‐45:10, Ephesians 3:1‐21, Psalm 68:1‐18, Proverbs 24:1‐2

Context: I couldn’t just pull one verse out of the reading today for my journal.  This is Paul’s prayer for Spiritual strength in the heart of his letter to the Ephesians.

Galatians 3:14-19 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Observations (I will record a few of many):

• Motive – for this reason – for Paul’s prayer is:
  • spiritual strength
    • Christ’s indwelling through faith
      •  Rooted and grounded in love
        • Ability to comprehend the bigness of God’s love
          • Filled with all the fullness of God
          • God is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think
          • God gets the Glory

Apply: I want to pray this way.  I am going to memorize this passage and pray it pushes my prayer life.

Paul says “for this reason I bow my knees before the Father…”  Is your motive for prayer the same?

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 41:17‐43:13, Ephesians 2:1‐22, Psalm 67:1‐7, Proverbs 23:29‐35

Context: Paul is clearly explaining that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ.

Ephesians 2:12 “…remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”

Observations:

• Remember
  • You were separated from Christ
  • You were not included in the covenants of promise
  • You had no hope
  • You were without God in the world

Christians, have you forgotten where you would be without grace?

Apply: I want to spend time over the next 24 hours remembering what life was like before I was saved by grace through faith in Christ.  I never want the incredible hope I have to be taken for granted.

When was the last time you considered life without the hope we have in Jesus?