Covering My Ears

Scripture
Acts 7:57 At this they covered their ears and yelling at the top of the their voices...
Acts 7:39b and in their hearts turned back to Egypt

Observation

Stephen was preaching the truth to the Sanhedrin and of course they were offended when he was done because they were "religious" people and the truth of God's ways made them made. Not much has changed today!! But two portions touched my heart today. After Stephen was finished the group got very angry-because of they own guilt and sin in their life compared to the truth of God that Stephen had spoke about, and so their covered their ears up, and started yelling as loud as they could to drowned out Stephen. They had done the same thing their fathers had done with Moses and "turned their hearts back to Egypt".

Application
Have I covered my ears in regards to what God whats me to do? Have I or do I put my fingers in my ears and hummmm out loud to not hear Gods voice? In doing that have I turned my heart back to Egypt(back to something I thought was better than now)? As a human I want to trust what I can see and feel. As God speaks to me, it is not about what I see/feel/taste, but about the Voice of the Lord telling me to go, go & do. If I want to cover my ears so I can't hear, and pretend that God is not speaking to me, then the blessing of obedience will possibly go to someone else. I don't want that. I don't want my heart to turn back to other things. So when God speaks(whether it makes sense to this body or not) I need to obey. My Father knows all things, and will not give me a snake when I ask for a fish(Matt 7:9-10).

Prayer
Father, Thank you for the reminder in your Word which makes it so clear that Your Voice and Your Way is the only way to go. Keep my hands lifted to you, instead of on my ears trying to block out your Voice, keep my heart pointed to you and not to things that would distract me from walking in your ways. I pray that for each one of my family members. Let us all be obedient to you, and what you would have us do for you today/tomorrow and for out entire life. Amen.

For the NAME

Scripture

Acts 5:41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.

Observation
All the apostles had been jailed, put through a mini-trial, FLOGGED, then released. Think about it, they were flogged((v. t.) To beat or strike with a rod or whip; to whip; to lash; to chastise with repeated blows), then they rushed back out, as a group, into the temple courts yelling, whooping it up, high 5'ing each other, so they could begin again to proclaim the Name of Jesus to everyone out there.

Application
The question I have for myself is.....What am I going to do for the NAME of Jesus today? I probably will not be put into jail, set free from jail by angels, captured again, beaten with leather and metal whips, and then released. BUT somewhere, somehow, I need to let the world know about the NAME of Jesus. What the NAME has done in my life! What will it be, I need to be alert and ready when the Holy Spirit prompts me......just obey.

Prayer
Father, The Name of Jesus is worth rejoicing over. Help me in every action and deed to represent the Name of Jesus, for what that Name means in my life. I ask that you would open up opportunities for me to share the Name of Jesus with the broken world. To speak life and hope to them, and when they hear about the Name, I ask that the power of the Name would break through the hardness in hearts and begin to set people free from sin and death. Amen.

Refreshment

Scripture
Acts 3:19
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord


Observation
"That times of refreshing may come from the Lord". What a wonderful statement. I looked up refreshing in the Greek and it simply means "a cooling". Think about a super hot summer day, sitting outside in the evening and a cool breeze blows by how you feel. It is truly refreshing. Some cool water on your face-ahhh, your feet in some water-nice.

Observation
This portion of scripture is Peter preaching to the temple goers, and it is a salvation message, so what is in it for me? Repentance is what. This human body and mind want to go their own way; become their own god. Exodus 20:3, the first commandment "You shall have no other gods before me". So if I have tried to make my own way, make my own decisions, walked down my own path without putting GOD before me to light my way and guide me then I need to repent. Once I repent, the Bible is clear that I will feel the coolness of God's spirit on me and will be refreshed. That constant refreshment is what I need.

Prayer
Father, you are all about renewal and within that refreshment. I desire the refreshment of you, but that comes from letting you be the God of my life. Amen.

Psalms 139

Have you read Psalms 139? Amazing scripture to meditate on, and try to contemplate the reality of what it is saying.

God has searched me.
God knows me.
God is familiar with me.
God knows what I am thinking and going to say.
God's Spirit is with me where ever I go.
God's has laid his hand upon me.
God made me.
God has ordained all the days of my life.
God is always with me.
God will test me and my thoughts.
God will lead me to everlasting life.

Being reminded that God Knows all, needs to lead me to peace. My flesh may try to rise up, and fight against those things which "I" can't make sense of, but God Knows. I have more faith in God than me, His ways are better than mine, so my way needs to hit the highway.

Being Acquainted with me

Scripture
Psalms 139:1 O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.

Observation

When I think about searching something I get an image in my mind of a CAT Scan, or an MRI. Something that searches places and things that we can not see, or maybe not even feel. God has already done that. He will not be caught "off guard" by some he finds, like a doctor might. He has searched me and his search is complete. Nothing will be a surprise, and because of that he "knows" me. Looking the word "know" up in the Hebrew it is everything you would think about knowing; to reveal, be made know, distinguish, be acquainted with, to perceive, etc.

Application
What is the point today? The point is that the all knowing God has taken an interest in me and knows me. The question is do I know him? The pastor yesterday was preaching out of Proverbs and talked about the ups and downs of life and how we question why this or that has happened and we may even get an "ATTITUDE" about it. He got a puzzle out and threw it on the floor. He picked up ONE piece and asked if any one could tell what the big picture was supposed to be. No, not from one piece. So it is with our life. Today is one piece. Possibly 6 months is one piece. Possibly a YEAR is one piece. So why do we in our short sightedness "question" why this is happening to me?! God knows me, my position in all this is get to know God. Not just a good feeling, but know the nature of God, get the big picture of who God is, and have full confidence that this "ONE PIECE" that "I" can't figure out, is a part of a big picture, a big life for the kingdom that God has for me......because he knows me like no one else does, and I am Thankful for that.

Prayer
Thank You Father for knowing me, and because you know me I will trust you. Mine small mind, and small thinking can't make sense of some things, but because you know me and what is best for me and building the Kingdom of God I can rest in what I see today. Whether today seems good or bad, wrong or right, high or low you know me and I ask that my eyes would be focused on kingdom thinking instead of stinkin thinkin if something doesn't seem right in "my" eyes. I would know that where ever I am, is part of the glorious BIG picture you are piecing together for me....even now. Amen.

Animals Grazing

We have all seen the pictures and you can see them in your mind right now. Hundred's, if not Thousand's of animals grazing in green pasture. The animals are at complete peace. They graze, then look for more luscious pasture, but in most cases the pasture is all the same, a wonderful, beautiful green waving in the wind. When the animal is full it lays down to rest on the soft pasture. Two verses remind me of this pasture that God has put before us, and how we are to approach it. Let's take a look.

Scripture

John 10:9 I am the gate. whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture.

Psalms 23:1-2 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.

Observation

The Greek translation of pasture is "he shall not want the needful supplies for the true life".

The Hebrew translation is to "make habitation, to abode". Would that describe me? Am I in a place where I do not want the needful supplies for a true life? Where do I put my value of this lift; things in this world or the supply from heaven(my pasture)?

Application

As humans we search a lot. We come in and go out. We look for love, search for peace, try to create success(whatever that means) and try to figure out the meaning of life. So we do alot of what verse 9 says, BUT we don't do it all. It tells me that Jesus is my gate keeper, that I will go in and out, but that I WILL FIND Pasture. I will find that place where the grass is high and rich in nutrients, and will provide coolness when I want to lie down in it. So what is the pasture and how do enjoy it? Won't it come from communicating more with God through his word, his Holy Spirit and his Son? Consuming and resting in the ways of the Lord. That is my desire and pursuit: to go Grazing.

Prayer

Father, we tend to make this life much more complicated than you ever designed it. Thank you for provided a Good Shepherd to lead me, to protect me and to provide for me. Your pasture, your place of supply and rest are plenty and all I need. I pray that my eyes, and my desires would be satisfied with what you provide. That nothing else will be even a whisper of a temptation, because all other things are a lie and lead to death. Your pasture, your provision is the place of peace that I need. Amen.

The Great Escape

Scripture

John 8:34-36 (New International Version)
34Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Observation

What a wonderful way to start the week. The Scripture making it so very clear, that I was a slave to sin but because of Jesus I have been set free.

Application

Live like a freed slave today. Being set free from a life of bondage and slavery, into a life of freedom should make me kick my heels up, run around the yard, enjoy the air more, BUT most of all it should make me worship the God to planned my escape. Back in 1963 there was a movie about the Great Escape. Forget about a simple movie plot, God put everything into motion, through Christ, to come into the prison(this world), show us the plan of escape(his death/burial and resurrection) and then expose the route of escape(to believe him and follow him only). So all praise goes to the Father for being God, and also for what he has done for me.

Prayer

Father, How thankful I am that you devised a plan and executed it for my escape. Your plan was not for me to held captive in this world-like a slave, but to live freely. The plan was not without a cost and sacrifice and I thank you for baring that cost for me. May the life I walk today, represent the freedom you have provided for me, and that it would give you all the praise. Amen.