Devotions - Spiritual Hunger or Just Routine

OK... I'm all torqued out because I didn't do my devotions yesterday. I really meant too but I let the early morning get away from me and I just never got back to it.

You see, I'm a routine kind of guy (just ask my wife). I get up at 5:30 in the blessed AM and drag myself down to a cup of coffee that has already been brewed. I look at the weather (I'm also a weather nut) and then I do my devotions.

My devotions take place in three parts. I first look back at yesterday and write my down my thoughts of how I feel the day was spiritually. It takes discipline as don't want to just write what I did like a diary but instead look inward at the condition of my soul.

I then turn to the Bible. I'm reading through the Bible chronologically (you can get the schedule at http://eword.gospelcom.net/year/31/cjan01.htm). I add to that a chapter from Psalms and a chapter from Proverbs. I write notes as I read on what I'm seeing and application to my walk.

I then write down some prayers for today. Again looking at application and certain struggles that I'm facing.

So that's it. It is a good 'routine' but since I am a routine kind of guy, am I going through this process for the right reason? When I miss a day like yesterday, am I upset because I didn't spend time with God to start my day or am I upset because my routine was changed? I need to always strive for that hunger that is deep within my soul to be closer to God. Then just as our physical hunger drives us to eat, my spiritual hunger will drive me to communing with God.

What do you think?

Answers in Prayer... Coincidence? I Don't Think So!

Last Sunday an old friend came to mind. He was my very best friend through most of High School and my first year in college. We were like Mutt and Jeff, we were just always doing things together. Our college years separated us and for the last 20+ years, I have not heard from him. I made several attempts to find him but failed each time.

This past Sunday something different happened though. You see I have been putting a lot of study in to prayer (the TWO-way conversation between myself and God Almighty). I've known about talking TO God for a long time... all of my life really; but it only recently that I have come to know about seeing how God 'talks' to me.

Back to my friend. I lifted up a prayer for him last Sunday. I didn't know where he was, or even if he was living. I just felt the need to pray for him so I did. On Tuesday evening I got an email on my Blackberry from my friend! He simply said that he found my email address with a Google search on the Internet and he was wanting to say 'hi'!

He is completely on the other side of the country and now married with a young daughter. Since that first email on Tuesday, I have now seen pictures of his daughter and have spoken to him for close to an hour. What a wonderful conversation it was! I look forward to others and hopefully to once again rekindling a friendship that had long gone cold.

There are so many that would say that this was just coincidence... I thought of him and he emailed me. I am truly coming to understand the incredible power of God though. He wants and desires to have a two-way relationship with us. Yet so many times we treat Him as if He were a genie in a bottle. When we want something, we go and ask and plead with Him for it.

No, this wasn't coincidence. Yes, it was answered prayer but answered prayer sometimes is 'no' also. If we are in a right relationship with God, He indeed answers all our prayers. What I'm trying to relay to you today is that you focus first on your relationship with God and following Him wholeheartedly throughout each day. Secondly... look for the multitude of ways that God speaks to you. It may actually be audible. It may be a thought in your mind. It may come as advice from another. It may even come through a donkey speaking to you (see Numbers 22:27-31. This is a riot. I can only imagine what Balaam was thinking)!

Don't limit God in your mind and in your heart. He is without bounds or limits. His ways are not our ways and its 'OK' to not understand or find reason to the ways that He speaks to us. Just enjoy the conversation with your Creator.

Carpe Diem!

Definition of Integrity

I am reading from Psalm 78 this morning in my devotions. It speaks of God's incredible compassion. The compassion that He had for the Israelites as He walked them out of captivity in Egypt and through the desert to the promised land that He had set aside for them. The whole while they are complaining and forgetting the incredible miracles that He was doing to keep them alive. It is even this compassion that causes Him to turn away (verse 65) and allow them to once again go into captivity.

What really spoke to me though was the very last verse of Psalm 78. "And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them." (emphasis my own)

'Integrity of heart'... Indeed the heart is the source of integrity. I cannot buy it, I can not learn it, I can not create it. It is something that is within that only God can create. Webster's dictionary defines integrity this way.

in·teg·ri·ty
Pronunciation:
\in-ˈte-grə-tē\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Middle English integrite, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French integrité, from Latin integritat-, integritas, from integr-, integer entire
Date:
14th century
1 : firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : incorruptibility 2 : an unimpaired condition : soundness 3 : the quality or state of being complete or undivided : completeness
synonyms see honesty

Firm adherence..., Unpaired..., Undivided...

It is interesting how this compares to the definition that is put forth in Wikipedia

Integrity is the basing of one's actions on an internally consistent framework of principles. Depth of principles and adherence of each level to the next are key factors. One is said to have integrity to the extent that everything one does is derived from the same core set of values. While those values may change, it is their consistency with each other and with the person's actions that determine the person's integrity.

Now keep in mind that Wikipedia is a 'work in progress'. In other words, the information is never complete and is always evolving depending on input by millions of users. Do you see that in Wikipedia's definition above?

Back to David in Psalm 78. David shepherded the Israelites "with integrity of heart". I do not believe that this integrity ever had 'values that change'. David fell short in so many areas of his life. This is a really cool thing about the Bible. God doesn't make anyone out to be a super hero. They all fall short; hence the need for a Savior. Although David has many shortcomings throughout his life, one thing stands firm. He has 'integrity of heart'. His moral code never changes. After the times that he falls, he sees the er of his ways and comes back to the moral code that is steadfast in his heart.

Integrity is of the heart. Look deep within and pull out what God has created. Cultivate this integrity through spending time in the Holy Bible so that you will have a 'firm adherence to a code' as described by Webster. The only firm foundation is one created by God. All others are as shifting sand.

Integrity...

Listening to God

I have been focusing on 'listening to God' in the past several weeks. I have been seeking His path for my life and wanting to be in His will for me. More and more I sense that I need to hear Him in the various ways that He chooses to speak to me.

Certainly reading His Word and being in deliberate prayer daily is foundational. I say 'deliberate prayer' as that is time carved out of my day just for that purpose. I try to be in constant prayer with God throughout the day but when I'm driving down the road, I know that God does not have my entire focus.

I also picked up a book last week and have been cruising through it. Hearing God by James W. Goll is an interesting book on honing your skills to hear God more consistently. Some tools that he recommends from chapter six:

1. Don't make it complicated. Submit to His lordship, resist the enemy, ask questions and expect God to answer!
2. Allow God to speak however He chooses. This is an area that I'm really focusing on. Sometimes it is that inner voice but it can be through His written Word, through another person, through dreams, etc.
3. Confess any known sins. Psalm 66:18 states "If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear."
4. Obey the last thing God said. This is interesting when the last thing God said, I may not particularly want to do! Why would God give me new marching orders when I haven't obeyed the last one that He gave me?
5. Get your own leading. God wants to talk to us personally. He may use others as noted in number two to reach us but He wants to talk to us individually also. Don't be codependent on others to hear God.
6. Don't talk about your word too soon. Pride, presumption, missed timing, and confusion will step in when we are not completely within God's will. God tells us something as a trusted friend. We need to ask His permission to 'spread the word'.
7. Know that God will confirm what He's telling you. This confirmation may be through His word or other means.
8. Beware of counterfeits. Satan is crafty and is the great deceiver. Don't think that you will be ignored by satan. The closer you get to God, the greater the threat you are to satan.
9. Practice hearing God's voice. When you think that God is speaking to you, REALLY listen. Get to know His voice.
10. Cultivate an intimate relationship. God wants us to draw close to Him. Really work on this in your daily devotion time.

I look forward to working on these ten steps from Goll's book and recommend the book to others.

Well, gotta go now... God is on the phone! :)

Prayer Warrior - My Purpose for Today

Like many Christ followers, I am asking God for direction and purpose. Are the things that are in my mind and on my schedule for today... are those the things that God wants me to be accomplishing?

Many works in the mission field are on my mind today. Kay (my bride of 27 years) is at a Samaritan's Purse - Operation Christmas Child missions conference in Georgia. Our daughter and son-in-law are in Albania serving several villages in the missions field this week. I also spoke with a dear friend yesterday in Mexico (YWAM/Mazatlan - see websites I view often). They have been under some spiritual attack and are boldly hanging on to the promises of God.

Where is all of this telling me that God wants on my schedule today? I believe to be a prayer warrior. That term is bounced around a lot in Christian circles and it is basically someone who devotes themselves to prayer. To spend solid time in study and prayer each day an then to be mindful to God throughout the day. In other words, to be in continual prayer... a continual conversation with God.

In some of my study this morning, I was reading from Proverbs 2:1-5.
'My son if you accept my words,
and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding,
and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.' (emphasis my own)

Then on down in verse 11 it says,
'Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.'

What do I see from these verses? Accepting 'my' (God's) word and storing up His commands is study. Turning and applying are an actual turning away from unwise thoughts and actions. Then calling out for insight and crying aloud for understanding are prayer. Doing these things will provide for me what is in verse 11 where I will have discretion and I will know the right decision every time.

I don't know what tomorrow will bring. I do know who will guide me towards tomorrow and when tomorrow comes, He will be there. Jesus Christ, my Savior, my King, my Lord is guiding me through His Word to be a prayer warrior today. To pray for mission work in Mexico, Albania, Georgia and even here in Indian River County, Florida.

My purpose today is to pray. It is not the first thing that I will do and it will not be the last thing that I do today. All of my day today will be a day of prayer.

We Are Only Promised Today

I had an eye opening experience yesterday in my little protected world here in the United States. I was eating at an Arby's during the lunch hour in West Palm Beach when only three blocks away, a shooter came out of the restroom at a Wendy's and randomly shot at the people eating lunch. As I went by the Wendy's minutes prior, I decided to not eat there because the last time I was there I had poor service.

Ok, ok I know that we all have our lives at risk daily. Multitudes die on the highways daily. Our law enforcement officers (I know several) put themselves on the line daily. My best friend from college is serving our Country in the war zone of the Middle East as I write. Certainly they experience these 'eye opening' brushes with the end of life almost on a daily basis... but I don't. I didn't... until yesterday.

It reminds me though that God has only promised us today. We in this Country plan for tomorrow in so many ways. We save money, we climb the corporate ladder, we set goals, we make reservations for vacations. As I look at other countries, other societies though, this is such a luxury. They only can look to today... finding enough food for their family today. Keeping themselves safe from the elements today. Fighting the battle of disease and ill health today.

This safe zone that I live in is a GIFT. How should I use this wonderful gift today? God has made it known that He doesn't want one... even one to perish by spending eternity in hell. Yet we all will spend eternity in either heaven or hell. God has also made it known that we cannot be good enough to earn a place in heaven. The Bible states that we all fall short of the glory of God.

In His love for us though, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ who put His life at risk and died on the cross for you and for me. He took our sins upon Himself because of His love for us.

You have today... you are not promised tomorrow. How will you spend today. Will you come to the point that you alone cannot be good enough for heaven and repent (turn away) from your worldly lifestyle and start to live for God by accepting His Son as your Savior? Or will you decide to wait until tomorrow or the next day.

We are only promised today...

Are You Watching? Do You Notice?

I just spent the first 30 minutes of my day the way that I do every morning. I have set up RSS feeds to scan newspapers across the United States and around the world. I like to review the news this way as it keeps me on focus and I'm not bogged down by articles that just really don't make a difference in the long run.

One of my RSS feeds happens to be Joel Rosenberg's blog (joelrosenberg.blogspot.com). He mentioned that since the summer of 2005, 4200 rockets, missles and mortars have been fired at Israel! All while the U.S. and other countries do basically nothing! What would we be doing if it were Canada firing into Chicago or western New York? This is just amazing to me and is spoken so much of in the end-time prophecy of Ezekiel, Daniel and Revelation... No one comes to the aid of the Jewish State.

I also read of Putin's progressively aggressive stance to the countries that used to be under control of the USSR. His retoric is also aimed at the European countries and the U.S. All the while, Putin has had very cozy relations with Iran.

All of this is ratcheding up in real-time. Are you watching? Do you notice? Most importantly... are you in prayer?

Time is short and there are SO many who are not Christ followers. I don't mean 'Christian' either, I mean 'Christ followers'. The term Christian means close to nothing in the United States except that the person professing that they are a Christian know that God exists and that someone walked around several thousand years ago by the name of Jesus who called Himself 'Christ'.

Time is short and we have do not have time to 'play' Christian. Spiritual warfare is running rampant and we must be diligent and solid in our stand for Christ. I am a Christ Follower. Please join me in prayer for salvation for unbelievers as well as fortitude and strengh for Christ followers as they stand solidly and firmly on the Rock of Salvation for what they believe.