Wednesday, February 2: 1Chronicles 9- Gate keeping.

I was surprised during my morning reading at the amount of detail given to the gate keepers for the house of the Lord. They guarded the house of the Lord at night, locked it securely for the night and opened it in the morning. Some were assigned the task of numbering the articles of the house of the Lord and making sure, daily, that everything was accounted for. Gate keeping was an involved, significant, and important task. No wonder the text notes that gate keepers were considered positions of trust (22).

All of this got me thinking about the role of gate keeping of another sort… gate keeping of our mind, heart and soul. Gate keeping is a word picture I associate with being watchful, regarding the kinds of things I allow to enter my life. When I think of gate keeping, I think about the kinds of things I listen to and watch, and particularly the topics and things I think about and dwell upon. A radio comment, music lyrics, a movie scene can spark a thought seemingly out of the blue. Sometimes these thoughts are wholesome, sometimes not.  Gate keeping is my ability to recognize the difference and to shutdown any flirtation with or dwelling upon things that are not wholesome.

Reading the text about the intricacies of gate keeping and the trust levied upon those called to be gatekeepers, I found myself realizing how important and involved the role of gate keeping is, in and for my life.  And how vigilant I have to be to keep bad influence at bay, so I can walk a faith-filled life with Jesus. Gate keeping is a job that never ends and generally does its most important work during times of vulnerability.

Lord, I pray for vigilance, wisdom and astuteness in the gate keeping of my life… Amen.

 

Tuesday, February 1: 1Chronicles 6-8- To know I belong

 

The books of Chronicles provide a spiritual understanding of the history of David and his lineage. Likely recorded during, or shortly after the tribes were in exile (some expositors believe 1-2Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah form a 4-part series), it was important for the exiles to preserve their history and lineage… to know they belonged to the family of God.

Belonging is important, more important than most of us realize during the routine of life. But when trouble, heartache or disaster descends, belonging surges in importance.

Belonging. God understands the power of belonging. One of the gifts of the NT is that God emphasizes our belonging to Him. In the pages of the NT we are described as:

·         rescued and transported to God’s kingdom,

·         adopted by God

·         born of God

·         co-heirs with Jesus, and more.

The Holy Spirit, we are told, was given to guarantee our inheritance.

Through faith in Jesus we belong to more than a particular race and lineage of people.  We belong to God and God’s family!

Give yourself some time to let this amazing truth sink in. I know I will.

Lord God, thank You for choosing me and for adopting me and rescuing me and bringing me to You.  Thank You that I am now part of Your family and that You will never ever let me go! Hallelujah! Amen.

 

Monday, January 31: 1Chronicles 1-5- People matter

Okay, this was not the most stimulating reading for me. Scripture is alive for me when I read, but lists of names with little or no history wasn’t the most captivating. And yet as I read name upon name, family grouping upon family grouping, the thought sunk in that ‘people matter’. People, names and faces and lives and descendants matter to God. History and lineage matter to God. Life and how it is lived and who it is lived with, matters to God.

As I allowed that to spin in my heart, I began to think about the people in various circles of my life.  The neighbors on my street, the students on my son’s bus, the kids in son’s dorm, the workers at the stores I frequent, my coworkers, church family, college class mates… they all matter to God.

Lord, help me to engage my world and the people in the pathways of my life in a manner which allows me to share how much they matter to You. Lord, help me to treat people with the respect due people who matter to You… in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

 

Saturday, January 29: Acts 28- Faithful to the end

Acts ends with Paul preaching and proclaiming Jesus.  He was faithful to the end. Chains did not deter him. Plots against his life did not deter him. Success did not soften him, nor did rejection harden him. Paul was faithful to his Lord to the bitter end.

What an example Paul sets for me and for you and for all who follow Jesus. Faithful to the end, that is something to aspire to!

Holy Spirit, Father, Jesus, I pray that the same is true of me… that I am faithful until my last breath when You sweep me away into eternity where I will see You face to face. Amen and Amen.

 

 

Friday, January 28: Acts 27- your character at the worst of times

I found myself attracted to verse 3 and the kind of person Paul must have been to win the kindness of a centurion. The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.

To the centurion, Julius, Paul was just one of the prisoners over whom he had charge.  His task was to bring his prisoners to Rome. Did Julius know each prisoners’ record? Probably. Julius likely had to provide a letter from the governor to the Emperor’s court upon arrival. Whatever the case may be, Paul apparently connected with Julius in a way that caused Julius to show kindness to Paul.

I took a moment to think about things from Paul’s perspective. He was arrested on trumpeted up charges, had death threats from Jews on his head, was  shackled like a common prisoner, and holed up in a ship. This is not exactly a delightful Mediterranean cruise. Paul had every human reason to be grumpy, depressed, bitter, even angry. I certainly might have been. And yet Paul rose above his human circumstances and apparently showed Julius kindness in order to receive kindness in return from him.

I ‘ping-ponged’ off Galatians 5:22: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, … Paul was living proof that God’s fruit can and will grow in our lives if we allow God to hone and shape us and develop His character within us. An indicator that God’s fruit is growing in me is how I act during the worst of times…

Lord God, I have so much growing and maturing to go. I fall short far too often for a person who has been walking with you for 35 years. Continue to change me to be the man of God You long and desire me to be. Groom me to live with so much fruit of Your Holy Spirit that on the most difficult days it will feel ‘natural’ for me to display Your fruit. In Jesus’ name and for the sake of Your kingdom I pray. Amen.

 

Thursday, January 27: Acts 26- proving our repentance...

This is the third time Luke has recorded Paul explaining his conversion testimony. This time Paul uses it as his ‘defense’ against the Jews. Paul also appears to be using his conversion story to influence King Agrippa to become a Christian.  Ahh, the power of our testimony.

One sentence by Paul particularly caught my attention. Throughout the centuries, believers have wrestled with the role of ‘good works’ in salvation and the life of a believer. Paul provides straight forward insight concerning the role of ‘good works’ in Verse 20 … I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.

According to Paul, turning to God and repentance will result in good deeds. Good works result from a changed and repentant heart.  Our deeds don’t merit or earn us salvation, they are the proof, the result of a redeemed life.

I love it when key elements of the Christian faith are stated so plainly…

Jesus said it this way; By their fruit you will recognize them. … (Matthew 7:16).

As I steep in this thought for a few minutes, a self-examining question fills my thoughts, “Ok Bill, what fruit are you producing? Do your deeds show you to be a Christ-follower?” I believe it was Lloyd Ogilvie who asked it this way; “If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”

Lord, do my deeds prove my repentance? Speak with me Lord, show me if and how and where I can improve my Christ-living. May You receive glory, Lord, through my life and my living… Amen.

 

Wednesday, January 26: Acts 25- Do you have a spine?

Reading, rereading, reflecting and pondering this chapter… a question fills my thoughts. Do you have a spine? The question tumbles round and round. Do you have a spine? Are you merely a pawn for others or do you have personal character and conviction.

Festus comes across as a spineless politician… currying favor with powerful constituents instead of governing and deciding based on personal conviction and truth.

The text notes that the Jews ask a ‘favor’ of Festus to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, which as the account unfolds he was clearly seeking to do. I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges (20). Clearly he sees no basis to send Paul to the Emperor (25-26), yet he does.

The entire account screams of petty politics… Festus currying favor with the Jews.

My initial questions bubbles to the surface again, this time not so much as an indictment of Festus, but a probe of my heart. “Do I have a spine? Do I curry favor or ‘keep the peace’ with others at the expense of sharing my faith in Jesus with them?

Ouch, tough questions…

Lord, help me … help me grow to be the faith-filled man you desire me to be. Amen.