They Got What They Asked For - October 30, 2010

Daily Reading

Luke 17:11-18:14

Daily Verse

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,

and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Luke 18:14

Daily Thought

The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: "God, I thank you that I am not like other men - robbers, evildoers, adulterers - or even like this tax collector."
~Luke 18:11

The question is not, "Am I as good as my neighbor?"

He is. He's better.

"I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get."
~Luke 18:12

So he asked for nothing. And that's what he got.

But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
~Luke 18:13

The question is, "Am I as good as God?"

He's not. Not even close.

So he asked for mercy. And that's what he got.

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

Father, I live in a world that competes and compares, instead of loves and lifts up. Protect me from the pride of this world. Keep me humble like Your Son. He is God, and yet He thought others better than Himself, and put His life on the line for them. May I learn to love others from Him, rather than learning to serve self from the world.

Thank You, God, for Your mercy, Your love, Your salvation. Your Son.

Amen.

I Am Superman - September 5, 2010

Daily Reading

Ezekiel 28-31

Daily Verse

In the pride of your heart

you say, "I am a god;

I sit on the throne of a god

in the heart of the seas."

But you are a man and not a god,

though you think you are as wise as a god.

Ezekiel 28:2

Daily Thought

Street football. My brother threw the perfect pass. If I ran fast and stretched far, it would be at my fingertips. Looking over my left shoulder, watching the ball's perfect arc descend, I had it locked in.

Except for my neighbor's '63 Oldsmobile. I forgot he parked it on the street.

Smack into it, and I dropped straight down. I remember laying on the ground and all I could think was, "Guess I'm not Superman."

I was 10 years old, and I really wanted to be Superman.

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

God, You are God and I am not. That's one of the smartest things I can say. I am not in charge, and the universe does not revolve around me. Sometimes I act like it does. I am sorry.

Almighty God, You are the center of my universe, my King of kings, my Lord and Savior. To live for Your pleasure is to live life to its fullest, because it is what I was created to do.

Amen.

Silly Monkey - August 28, 2010

Daily Reading

Ezekiel 5-8

Daily Verse

They were proud of their beautiful jewelry

and used it to make their detestable idols and vile images.

Therefore I will turn these into an unclean thing for them.

Ezekiel 7:20

Daily Thought

To catch a monkey, find a jar with a small opening and put fruit in the jar. The monkey reaches in and grabs the fruit, but a fist clutching fruit will not fit through the opening. He is trapped.

All the monkey has to do is let go of the fruit, and he will be free.

"One thing you lack," Jesus said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
--Mark 10:21-22

Silly monkey.

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

My God, Maker of the heavens and the earth, Creator of all things, Owner of cattle on a thousand hills. I've always liked that last one. Not a thousand cows. A thousand hills of cows. I clutch trinkets and miss your treasures.

The greatest of all treasures, my God, is knowing You. May I cast aside all that entangles me, no matter how much it delights, if it stands in the way of knowing You. You, God, are my treasure.

Amen.

Rats - July 21, 2010

Daily Reading

Hosea 8-14

Daily Verse

When I fed them, they were satisfied;

when they were satisfied, they became proud;

then they forgot me.

Hosea 13:6

Daily Thought

I was pre-med. For a year.

I found out I'd be taking a lot of biology courses. A lot. I discovered I wasn't that eager to be a doctor.

I did have fun with rats that year. I learned that if you want to teach a rat something, it better be hungry.

It's the "90 percent rule." Feed a rat, weigh it, then diet it down 10 percent. Hungry rats solve mazes faster, click pedals more often to get food and generally behave better than when they are satisfied.

If they're not hungry, they're not that eager to learn.

Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
--Luke 6:21

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

Father God, May I be satisfied in Your love, and unsatisfied with anything less. You created me to live in a close relationship with You. May I hunger, no starve, when I neglect to nurture and feed that relationship. God, keep me forever eager to grow in the knowledge and love of You.

Amen

Like The Most High - July 16, 2010

Daily Reading

Isaiah 13-17

Daily Verse

"I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;

I will make myself like the Most High."

Isaiah 14:14

Daily Thought

"I will make myself like the Most High."
--Isaiah 14:13-14

Eve's way.
"For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
--Genesis 3:5

The disciples' way.
They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory."
--Mark 10:37

The devil's way.
You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne above the stars of God.
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds."
--Isaiah 14:13-14

Jesus's way.
He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
--John 13:4-5

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, You are the God most high he put Himself so low that we might be saved. Your Son came in humility, considering us better than Himself. You, God, showed that kind of humility for our sake.

I look forward to seeing You return again, in power this time. You have already demonstrated love to its fullest, dying for us even though we had turned out back on You. When You come again, we will see You in full glory, full power, full majesty, and still fully love.

Amen

Forbid It and I Will Want It More - July 8, 2010

Daily Reading

2Kings 15, 2Chronicles 26

Daily Verse

But after Uzziah became powerful,

his pride led to his downfall.

He was unfaithful to the LORD his God,

and entered the temple of the LORD

to burn incense on the altar of incense.

2Chronicles 26:16

Daily Thought

Kings come from any tribe, except the tribe of Levi.

Priests only come from the tribe of Levi. Levites cannot be kings.

Therefore, no one can be a king and also be a priest.

Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.
2Chronicles 26:3, 5

Lots of success.

His fame spread far and wide, because he had become very powerful.
--2Chronicles 26:15

There was nothing Uzziah could not do. Well, almost nothing.

But after Uzziah became powerful, he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.
--2Chronicles 26:16

Only priests get to do that. Not kings.

The forbidden fruit. God said, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Genesis 2:16-17

A surefire way to get me to do something is to forbid it.

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

My God, You have created such an incredible world. It displays Your handiwork, Your wisdom, Your majesty. And You placed us in this world and told us to take charge of it. You are the giver of all good things. And yet, because of pride, because of my love of my self, I delight in doing things myself, apart from You.

God, protect me from my pride. My desire leads to my destruction. Pursuing Your delights leads to an abundant life, overflowing with goodness. May I always find satisfaction in what is good.

Amen

Pride Before Fall, Humility Before Glory - July 1, 2010

Daily Reading

Obadiah 1, Psalm 82-83

Daily Verse

Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD-

that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

Psalm 83:18

Daily Thought

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom,

and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.

--1Corinthians 1:25

Pride
"The pride of your heart has deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks
and make your home on the heights,
you who say to yourself,
'Who can bring me down to the ground?'"
--Obadiah 1:3

Humility

Christ Jesus, who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

but made himself nothing,

--Philippians 2:6-7

Fall
"Though you soar like the eagle
and make your nest among the stars,
from there I will bring you down,"
declares the LORD.
--Obadiah 1:4

Glory

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

--Philippians 2:9

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

Almighty God, Your Kingdom is everlasting. But the road to Your Kingdom is humility. You tell us if we want to be first, we must be last. To be strong, be weak. Do not hold onto heaven, but let go. Consider others better than ourselves.

It is in humility that Your strength works through us.

God, when I depend on my own strength, well, first of all, I'm not that strong. I discover that all too soon. But worse, I miss Your glory, because I am in control and You are not. You must be more than my Savior. You are my Lord. You are on the throne, and I can do all things through You, and only You.

Amen

Faster Than A Speeding Bullet - May 8, 2010

Daily Reading

Psalm 25; 29; 33; 36; 39

Daily Verse

For in his own eyes he flatters himself

too much to detect or hate his sin.

Psalm 36:2

Daily Thought

My children believed their dad was Superman. I may have had something to do with this. I told them I was.

Also Spider-man, Indiana Jones, and the Green Power Ranger (green is my favorite color).

The flight attendant instructed Muhammad Ali to put on his seat belt. "Superman don't need no seat belt," explained Ali.

"Superman don't need no plane," she growled.

The only people who ever believed I was Superman were my kids

...and myself.

Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought.

--Romans 12:3

Never could fool my wife.

To God's Glory,

Dave

Daily Prayer

My God, the silliest notion I have is that I am good enough. That when all is said and done, I can inventory my life and say, "Open the gates of heaven." To think this, I ignore my sin and am ignorant of Your holiness. God, do not let me settle for the shadow of goodness I find in my life. Keep my heart open to Your glory. Make this the deepest desire of my life, so that I hate sin and love You, and recognize always that I must do both.

Amen

Turn On The Light - April 19, 2010

Daily Reading

1Samuel 28-31; Psalm 18

Daily Verse

You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning;

my God turns my darkness into light.

Psalm 18:28

Daily Thought

Your word is a lamp to my feet

and a light for my path.

--Psalm 119:105

My mind thinks its smart. My mind says to my hand, "Don't turn on the light. I know my way to the kitchen."

My big toe thinks differently. He remembers last time. He remembers the leg of the coffee table. He says to my hand, "Turn on the light. Turn on the light."

My mind is proud, and my big toe pays the price.

Light has come into the world,

but men loved darkness instead of light.

--John 3:19

To God's Glory,

Dave

Daily Prayer

Everlasting Father, all of hope rests in You. Away from You can only lead to despair and darkness. You are the light of the World. Your Word shines a light on my path and makes my way straight.

God, daily I will spend time in Your Word. I will put it in my mind and deep in my heart so that it stays with me throughout the day. Thank You for the truth. Your truth. I want to build my house on solid ground.

Amen

Stealing The Glory - March 14, 2010

Daily Reading

Deuteronomy 8-10

Daily Verse

You may say to yourself,

"My power and the strength of my hands

have produced this wealth for me."

But remember the LORD your God,

for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth,

and so confirms his covenant,

which he swore to your forefathers,

as it is today.

Deuteronomy 8:17-18

Daily Thought

I've seen this many times.

Number 85 streaks, an inside slant, and the quarterback hits him in stride.

Announcer: He races past the linebacker, stiff-arms the corner, the field opens up, and he could... go... all... the... way...

He does.

Announcer: Score!!!

Number 85 takes a knee and bows his head.

Announcer: He gives credit where credit is due.

Number 85 stands, stretches both arms into the air, waves his hands, and invites the adulation of the fans.

Announcer: Then, steals all the glory back to himself.

One time, I heard a play-by-play announcer describe it. Flawlessly.

To God's Glory,

Dave

Daily Prayer

My Creator, You put me together according to Your plans. You have numbered my days, and set a path in front of me. My prayer is that I would follow that path.

Sometimes I don't. Thank You for Your Son who paid the price for those times I strayed. Thank You for Your Word which lights the path and leads me on the way to righteousness. God, as long as I stay on the path, I get life and You get the glory!

Amen