We Never Missed - March 18, 2010

Daily Reading

Deuteronomy 21-23

Daily Verse

Do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together.

Deuteronomy 22:10

Daily Thought

Sports ruled at my high school. Football, basketball, baseball, soccer, track and field. The football players jokingly referred to the head coach as "God."

Half-jokingly.

We never missed practice. We never missed a game. We were committed.

For God is the King of all the earth

--Psalm 47:7

Most of the people at most of the churches are regular attenders; that is, people who show up at least once or twice a month.

Interesting verse today: Do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together. --Deuteronomy 22:10

The problem with hitching a plow to an ox and a donkey is one is stronger than the other. Makes it difficult to keep your lines straight.

To God's Glory,

Dave

Daily Prayer

Our God, at the Name of Jesus every knee will bow, above the earth, on the earth, under the earth. And every tongue will confess Jesus Christ is Lord. Our God reigns.

You are sovereign, You are Creator, You are King, You are God. I love You with all my heart and soul and mind and strength. At least, I want to. Increase my love, Oh God.

Amen

Right On Time - March 17, 2010

Daily Reading

Deuteronomy 17-20

Daily Verse

If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD

does not take place or come true,

that is a message the LORD has not spoken.

That prophet has spoken presumptuously.

Do not be afraid of him.

Deuteronomy 18:22

Daily Thought

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (God with us).

--Isaiah 7:14

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

though you are small among the clans of Judah,

out of you will come for me

one who will be ruler over Israel,

whose origins are from of old,

from ancient times."

--Micah 5:2

"Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.'

--Daniel 9:25

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

--Isaiah 53:5

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.

--Galatians 4:4-5

To God's Glory,

Dave

Daily Prayer

Father God, Your Word is true and good. May we always trust You, may we always follow You. Increase our faith.

Lord, thank You for giving us Your Word, that it may light our path. May we not stray to the left or the right, but stay straight and true. Thank You that Your Word is life. More than anything, thank You that Your Word points us to Jesus.

Amen

The "Is-Ought" Problem - March 16, 2010

Daily Reading

Deuteronomy 14-16

Daily Verse

There will always be poor people in the land.

Therefore I command you to be

openhanded toward your brothers

and toward the poor and needy in your land.

Deuteronomy 15:11

Daily Thought

Deuteronomy 15:4 says, "There should be no poor among you in the land."

Deuteronomy 15:11 says, "There will always be poor people in the land."

This is an "is-ought" problem. Philosophers think about the "is-ought" problem. They think you cannot rationally come up with "ought" statements from "is" statements. They think there is no solution to this problem. They even named the problem. Hume's Guillotine. You can look it up.

"There will always be poor," said verse 11. "Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward the poor and needy."

"There should be no poor," said verse 4, "if only you obey my commands."

If we quit thinking about the problem and start obeying the command then what ought to be would be what is and we wouldn't have an "is-ought" problem to think about.

I don't know, just a thought.

To God's Glory,

Dave

Daily Prayer

Lord God, You have come to bring Your justice into the land, to give Your grace to the repentant, to bless the meek and the poor, to comfort those who mourn, to bring righteousness and goodness to those who seek Your face. May Your Kingdom come and Your will be done.

Father, I pray that my heart would be free of darkness, full of light. That I would see others, love others, and serve others the way You do. God, that I would look at others as more important than myself, that I would be sensitive to needs, that I would have open hands, and feet ready to go wherever You lead. That people would praise Your name because of the faithfulness of Your followers.

Amen

Getting The Song Right - March 15, 2010

Daily Reading

Deuteronomy 11-13

Daily Verse

Remember today that your children

were not the ones who saw and experienced

the discipline of the LORD your God:

his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm.

Deuteronomy 11:2

Daily Thought

In the fifth grade, Mrs. O'Donnell tried to teach us a song. She got it all wrong. I told her that. In fact, I sang it for her, so she'd know how it was supposed to go.

Except Mrs. O'Donnell had a record by the original artist, and she played it, and she was right, and the class laughed.

In the fifth grade, I learned that my dad had his own way of singing songs.

When you haven't heard the original artist, you depend on your dad to get the song right.

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

--Deuteronomy 6:6-9

To God's Glory,

Dave

Daily Prayer

Father God, Thank You for all You do. Thank You for Your Word which tells us Your story, about Your faithfulness from generation to generation. Thank You for Your church, the family of God, that surrounds us with Your love and grace.

You have given me Your Good News. May I share it well, may I share it accurately, may I share it in action and word. God, I pray that the picture I show of You by my life will be one that compels others to love and follow You.

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

A 3-Block Walk - March 13, 2010

Daily Reading

Deuteronomy 5-7

Daily Verse

Impress them on your children.

Talk about them when you sit at home

and when you walk along the road,

when you lie down and when you get up.

Deuteronomy 6:7

Daily Thought

My dad taught math to junior high students. Same school, 35 years.

We lived 4.9 miles from the school. I looked it up on Google maps. It says it takes 10 minutes to drive there from our house.

When I was 15 and my brother 13, we moved. My parents chose a house 8.5 miles away from the school. A 20 minute drive.

They chose a house farther away.

Not from everything. Our church had been 5.6 miles, 15 minutes away. (Lots of stoplights.) After we moved, a 3-block walk, if you cut through the creek. (We always did.)

My brother grew up to be a pastor. Me, too. Go figure.

To God's Glory,

Dave

Daily Prayer

Father God, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done. Thank You for sending Your Son, King of kings and Lord of lords. May I and my whole household serve You all our days in this present life, and all eternity in the age to come.

Thank You for coming close, for Your Son becoming flesh and blood, displaying Your glory in our midst. Thank You that I am a citizen of Your Kingdom through the righteousness of Your Son. May my entire household love You and serve You with all our heart and soul and strength.

Amen

That Settles It - March 12, 2010

Daily Reading

Deuteronomy 3-4

Daily Verse

Keep his decrees and commands,

which I am giving you today,

so that it may go well with you

and your children after you

and that you may live long in the land

the LORD your God gives you for all time.

Deuteronomy 4:40

Daily Thought

I saw a bumper sticker that said, "The Bible says it, I believe it, that settles it."

Question. Does "I believe it" really settle it?

I'm not saying I'd lie to you, but I did tell my kids that Santa Claus is real.

Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished."

--Matthew 5:17-18

The Bible says it, Jesus believes it, that settles it.

You better believe it!!

To God's Glory,

Dave

Daily Prayer

Lord God, King of kings. I desire to serve You, follow You, and love You fully. So, God, increase my faith, my trust. Every time I do what I want to do, every time I depend on my own strength, every time I choose my own way, I am reminded that my faith needs to grow.

Thank You, God, for all the reminders in my life that You love me, care for me, and bless me. Thank You for being faithful even when I am faithless.

Amen