Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 11:1‐12:19, Acts 9:1‐25, Psalm 131:1‐3, Proverbs 17:4‐5

Psalm 131:1-2

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.

Observations:

• Move away from – heart being lifted up, eyes raised too high, occupy with things to great and marvelous for me.
• Work on – calming and quieting my soul.

Application: I want to change my goal orientation.  If I strive all of my life to attain something greater, I miss the boat.  Today, I want to focus on calming and quieting my soul through resting in the arms of my Father.

What calms your soul?

Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 9:1‐10:29, Acts 8:14‐40, Psalm 130:1‐8, Proverbs 17:2‐3

Acts 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 

Observations:

• Context: God directed Philip to talk to the Ethiopian eunuch and the eunuch asks him to explain a passage out of Isaiah.
• Philip did these three things:
• Opened his mouth
• Began with Scripture
• Told him the good news about Jesus – the gospel

Apply: I want to look for opportunities today to open my mouth, begin with scripture and share the gospel.

When was the last time you told someone “the good news about Jesus?”

Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 8:1‐66, Acts 7:51‐8:13, Psalm 129:1‐8, Proverbs 17:1

Proverbs 17:1 – Better is a dry morsel with quiet
than a house full of feasting with strife.

There are many different applications that you can take from this Proverb.  In my own words, it is better to be poor and have peace in your home than be rich with conflict in your home.  I grew up reading verses about the home and placing myself in the observer’s role.  However, I have to understand that I am LEADING my home.

Apply: I need to look for ways to lead my home away from strife and to peace.  I must understand that this is more important than gaining wealth for my family.

What are a few things you have done to establish peace in your home?

Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 7:1‐51, Acts 7:30‐50, Psalm 128:1‐6, Proverbs 16:31‐33

Kings 7:1 Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished his entire house.

Observations:

• The last verse of chapter 6 says that Solomon spent seven years building God’s house – the temple.  He almost spent twice as long on his own house.
• The text emphasizes – own and entire.  It was for himself and it was large.

How much of my life is spent building things for me?  I don’t want to be remembered as a man who put more time into building things for himself than for God.

Apply: I need to look closely at what I am spending my time doing.

How do you make sure that your life is not about you?

Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 5:1‐6:38, Acts 7:1‐29, Psalm 127:1‐5, Proverbs 16:28‐30

Psalm 127:1-2 Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Observations:

• God builds houses
• God watches over cities
• God gives sleep to his beloved
• Our labor apart from God to build, watch, toil, and rest is in vain

Apply: I must realize that there is nothing I can do apart from God.  This is especially applicable to my family today.  Lord, give sleep to your beloved!

How do you insure that you are not doing work apart from God?

Today’s Reading: Jun 8 1 King 3:4‐4:34, Acts 6:1‐15, Psalm 126:1‐6, Proverbs 16:26‐27

Psalm 126:5 Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!

Observations:

• In time of tears you can sow seeds.
• If you have sown in tears, you will reap with joy.

Application:  It is a tough time in Rebecca’s and my life right now.  There are many tears.  We must sow the seeds for growth in this time and keep our hope on the future joy that is promised.

How do you maintain a perspective of hope during times of tears?

Today’sReading: 1 Kings 2:1‐3:3, Acts 5:1‐42, Psalm 125:1‐5, Proverbs 16:25

Acts 5:38-39 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice.

Context: The Pharisee s want to kill “Peter and the apostles.”  Gamaliel, a respected Pharisee, makes this argument against killing them.  They follow his advice.

Observation: Even in the eyes of unbelievers, what has happened through the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ is proof of our faith being “of God.”

Application: When I face doubters, I want to remember the passage in Acts and use it to support the truth of the gospel.

What passages in scripture give you apologetic backing to your faith?

Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 1:1‐53, Acts 4:1‐37, Psalm 124:1‐8, Proverbs 16:24

Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 

Observations:

• Boldness (Parresia) appears 3 times in chapter 4 (see verse 29 and 31 also)
• All three times boldness describes how the early apostles spoke of Christ
• Verses 23-31 record a prayer for the ability to speak boldly
• The response to the bold words of Peter and John was astonishment

Apply:  I serve in a less hostile environment, yet the need to speak boldly about the gospel is unchanged.  I will look for opportunities to speak boldly about my savior today.

What environment is God calling you to speak the gospel boldly in – church, home, work, school, community, missions, etc?

I’m back! The last three weeks are the busiest of my year. Two weeks of training our new summer staff, and week one of camp.

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 23:24‐24:25, Acts 3:1‐26, Psalm 123:1‐4, Proverbs 16:21‐23

2 Samuel 24:24 But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

Observations:

• The field was offered to David as a gift
• David insists on paying for the field
• David wants his offering to the Lord to cost him something

I serve in an incredible ministry. My desire is that each day is an offering to the Lord. I also truly enjoy what I do. In many ways, I think I would pay to do it. How do I live sacrificially in this context? I don’t have to pay to be part of camp. In many ways, I get to be part of camp.

Apply: I want to look for ways that I can “pay a price” in my ministry. I want to serve sacrificially.

How can you pay a price for your offering today?

I will be unable to blog for the next few weeks.  In the meantime, here is the reading for each day.  It would be great to see some observations as comments:

• May 20 1 Samuel 26:1‐28:25, John 11:1‐53, Psalm 117:1‐2, Proverbs 15:22‐23
• May 21 1 Samuel 29:1‐31:13, John 11:54‐12:19,Psalm 118:1‐18, Proverbs 15:24‐26
• May 22 2 Samuel 1:1‐2:11, John 12:20‐50,Psalm 118:19‐29, Proverbs 15:27‐28
• May 23 2 Samuel 2:12‐3:39, John 13:1‐30, Psalm 119:1‐16, Proverbs 15:29‐30
• May 24 2 Samuel 4:1‐6:23, John 13:31‐14:14, Psalm 119:17‐32, Proverbs 15:32
• May 25 2 Samuel 7:1‐8:18, John 14:15‐31, Psalm 119:33‐48, Proverbs 15:33
• May 26 2 Samuel 9:1‐11:27, John 15:1‐27, Psalm 119:49‐64, Proverbs 16:1‐3
• May 27 2 Samuel 12:1‐31, John 16:1‐33, Psalm 119:65‐80, Proverbs 16:4‐5
• May 28 2 Samuel 13:1‐39, John 17:1‐26, Psalm 119:81‐96, Proverbs 16:6‐7
• May 29 2 Samuel 14:1‐15:22, John 18:1‐24, Psalm 119:97‐112, Proverbs 16:8‐9