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Category Archives: Devotional

Monday Minute in the Word – The Quiet Game

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Note: Join me every Monday morning for a brief, but reflective look into God’s Word. There’s no better way to start your week.

Did you ever play the “quiet game” when you were a kid? Although not physically demanding, for many of us it was one of the most difficult childhood games to master. And to be honest, I still have not “mastered” it.

Over and over God’s Word talks about the power of our words. The power to help and heal. And the power to hurt and destroy. Today, let’s consider some words of wisdom from Proverbs.

When words are many, sin is not absent,
   but he who holds his tongue is wise.  Prov 10:19, NIV

He who guards his lips guards his life,
   but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin. Prov 13:3, NIV

A man of knowledge uses words with restraint,
   and a man of understanding is even-tempered.  Proverbs 17:27, NIV

A fool’s mouth is his undoing,
   and his lips are a snare to his soul.  Proverbs 18:7

He who guards his mouth and his tongue
   keeps himself from calamity. Proverbs 21:23

These four verses are just the tip of the biblical iceberg. James, the New Testament author and half-brother of Jesus, sums up the overall principle well: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak…” (James 1:19).

Oh, there have been so many times I wish I could take back my words. My mouth has gotten me into far more trouble and done much more to strain my relationship with God than my deeds ever have.

I am working to heed the wise advice of Scripture. Hold my tongue. Guard my lips. Carefully choose my words.

Are you good at “the quiet game” or do you need to practice more restraint? What is God telling you today about your tongue?

Monday Minute in the Word – Psalm 19:12-14

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There’s no better way to start the week than by filling up with God’s Word. So each Monday morning join me here to take a brief, but reflective look into a passage of Scripture. 

Have you heard the old saying, “straighten up and fly right?” Just like an arrow with a bent shaft is unable to fly straight and true, people with “bent” natures have a hard time staying on “the straight and narrow.” David – the psalmist, King of Israel, and “man  after God’s own heart” – recognized this about himself.

But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

 14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
   be pleasing in your sight,
   LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:12-14, NIV

David understood the pervasive nature of sin. We humans are so warped by sin we don’t even always realize it when something we say or do is offensive to God. David knew that precisely because he was sinner he could not recognize all his sinful ways, thoughts, and attitudes. So He asked God to reveal and forgive even those things that were “hidden.” Then David asked God to begin ridding him of those things and to make him holy or “pleasing” to God.

Has God ever shown you something that’s been in your life a long time that you had not even realized was sinful?

Today let’s pray David’s prayer and ask God to reveal any “hidden” sin in our lives? Do you dare?

Monday Minute in the Word – “Sometimes, but not always”

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Note: Join me every Monday morning for a brief, but reflective look into God’s Word. There’s no better way to start your week.

Do you fully trust God – all the time, in every situation? Or do you do pretty good some days and not so good others? Often I trust God’s direction and provision and step out in obedience. But I admit that there are times that I hold back. I take matters into my own hand and do things in a way I think is best.

Life – and Scripture – shows me that I am not alone. Today, we’ll see that even Abraham had those moments when he had trouble fully trusting God.

 The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

2 “I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”

4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.

Genesis 12:1-5, NIV

What did God ask Abram to do? How did Abram respond?

Abram took a huge step of obedience. He left everything familiar behind and dragged his entire household and all his belongings into the unknown. Not sure I would do that. Abram exhibit great faith. That day.

Let’s see what happens on a day not too far past the great day of faith.

10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. 11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”

Genesis 12:10-13, NIV

Soon, Abram faced a different trial. This time, he decided to handle it on his own. (If you’d like to see how it turned out, read Genesis 12:14-20.) One day Abram exhibited great faith. On another, his actions reveal he was still growing and learning to trust God. Can you relate?

In an odd way, it’s encouraging for me to know that Abram had bad faith days. It proves I don’t have to be hopelessly faith-challenged. That I can continue to grow and deepen my trust in God.

What about you? Can you relate to Abram? In what ways does his story encourage you?

Real submission – Monday Minute in the Word

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I’ve heard Henry Blackaby say many times that real obedience to God means saying “yes” before we’ve even heard the assignment. That kind of obedience requires complete submission to the authority of God. When the prophet Isaiah had that famous vision of our holy God seated on the throne, he displayed real, complete submission.

Read the passage from Isaiah and then watch the one-minute video below.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3And they were calling to one another:

   “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

   And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Isaiah 6:1-8, NIV

YouTube Preview Image

I admit that my submission to God does not always look like Isaiah’s. Often it is more like my children’s as I described in the video. My biggest trouble is probably fear. Fear over what God may ask me to give up. Fear over how hard the assignment might be. I pray God will continue to teach me that He deserves my complete, unconditional obedience.

What about you? What holds you back from real, complete submission to God?

In the beginning – Genesis 1

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Yesterday we celebrated the arrival of 2012. The new year is a time for beginnings. It fosters fresh starts, second chances, and new commitments.

Today, I started a Bible reading plan for 2012. The very first reading of the New Year was the first chapter of Genesis. Genesis records the beginning of everything – when God created the universe, our world, animal life, and mankind. Here’s part of what I read today:

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.2The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day.

27 So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.

28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

29 Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food.30 And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened.
31 Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.

Genesis 1:1-5; 27-31, NLT

This passage tells us about the beginning of beginnings. Genesis does not tell the how of creation, but it certainly makes clear the source of creation: God. He created everything out of nothing! We cannot even began to understand His power and authority. (If you have time, go to your Bible and read the entire first chapter of Genesis.)

What does Genesis 1 teach us about the nature of God? What can we learn about His character and ways from what He did?

If you do not have a plan for reading the Bible this year consider joining the Facebook group “Reading the Bible Together in 2012.” Dozens of people from all over will be using the Chronological Story Bible Reading Plan and encouraging one another to keep with it. There is also a kick-off event today on Facebook. We will be reading Genesis 1 and talking about it there. You are invited to attend!