Settle the matter!

Acts 12, Ruth 1-4

Ruth 3:18 – She replied, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest, but will settle the matter today.”

Lord God, today you will place opportunities right in front of me today so that I can sieze them and so serve you.  I don’t have to look any further than the family who lives right in front me.  I don’t have to look any further than the people who cross my path today whether by coincidence or on purpose.  I don’t have to look any further than the tasks that are on my to-do list.  Some of the opportunities are planned and scripted.  Others of the opportunities are far from planned but just happen.  Lord God, it doesn’t seem as Boaz had Ruth on his marital radar that night, but he wasn’t going to waste any time doing what was right for her and what was right in your sight.  Lord God, give me wisdom today to say “yes” to some things and “no” to other things so that I can make the most of the opportunities you place in front me.  Give me strength to carry it out.  Give me wisdom to make good choices.  And bless the decisions I make and the things that I do.  Yes, Lord, bless the work of my hands.  Amen.

The Hand of the Lord

Acts 11, Judges 20-21

Acts 11:21 – And the hand of the LORD was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the LORD.

Lord God, I have all kinds of hopes and dreams, especially for your church.  And these hopes and dreams really get me excited.  I get excited to see new people visit our church and then come back a second time, just out of the blue.  I get excited to see people grab on to the ministry that we have.  I get excited to dream about what we could do.  Lord God, bless the Word that your people heard yesterday.  Let it sit in their hearts and fill them with joy and confidence.  Help them remember that their confidence and joy is not in what they can accomplish in this life, but in what you have already accomplished for them.  They have a stunning reputation earned and given by you, Lord Jesus.  And I pray, let your hand be upon us and bless the work that we do.  Use us.  Use me today to lead people further up and further into your Gospel promises.  Use me to touch people who don’t know you yet with the saving Gospel.  Keep my motivation for this be all about you and not about how many come or don’t come.  Most of all, dear Lord, bless our work so that more and more people turn to you whether they do it here with us or somewhere eels.   Let your hand rest on all Christians richly that your kingdom may grow and flourish.  Amen.

Lead the Leaders, God.

Proverbs 11:1-9, Psalm 72-73

Psalm 72:1 – Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son!

Lord God, bless with wisdom those who govern.  Help them rule and govern and legislate in a way that is good for the people of this country.  Through their actions and decisions let your blessing come down on our nation.  Give them justice in their actions, decisions and judgments.  Protect, through them, especially those who have no voice and cannot defend themselves.  Lead them to give special attention to the defenseless.  Help me, O Lord, to honor them all and to pray for them whether I agree with them or not, whether I voted for them or not.  Through their leadership let peace prevail so that I can continue to worship and share my faith freely and without fear. Lord God, give wisdom and justice to all who lead and govern in our country. Amen. 

Leadership Needed.

Acts 10:23-48, Judges 18-19

Judges 18:1 – In those days there was no king in Israel.

Lord God, Israel was suffering from a lack of leadership.  For years they had served under the leadership of Moses and Joshua.  But now, who was their leader?  It was left to the fathers and husbands.  It was left to the priests and Levites.  It was left to the parents.  And they suffered because there was no spiritual leadership.  Lord God, your people still need leadership so that they remain faithful to you.  Raise up fathers and husbands in Christian families to be spiritual leaders for their wives and children.  Raise up pastors and elders in your church to be leaders for the sheep whom you have gathered there.  Raise up parents who will care first about the souls of their children so that God’s Word is a chief part of every conversation. Raise up Christians who will be leaders and examples in their community.  I cannot and do not expect, O Lord, that our political leaders will add anything to the lives of your people other than peace and freedom to live and practice our faith.  Give me and continue to provide for me spiritual leaders whom I can follow so that I remain faithful and so that I can become more and more of a spiritual leader.  Amen.

Follow.

Acts 10:1-22, Judges 14-17

Judges 17:6 – In those days there was no king in Israel.  Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Lord God, help me to seek your way, your will, and the good of others in all that I do.  It’s easy and pleasing to me to walk down a way that is right in my own eyes.  That’s what was going on in Israel during this time period.  They were doing things that were good for them, but weren’t thinking about what was good for other people.  Help me, Lord, to consider how my decisions and actions affect other people so that all I do is done out of love.  They were doing things that were clearly contrary to the commands that you had laid down for your people to follow.  Help me, Lord, to submit all my desires, decisions, and actions to your clear will.  My decision and my actions cannot be sin; they cannot be selfish.  They must be obedience and love. Help me to follow the clear commands and your good guidance as I do what I do. In this way, I will be doing what is right in your eyes instead of in my own.  Amen.

Blessed Peace.

Acts 9, Judges 12-13

Acts 9:31 – So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up.  And walking in the fear of the LORD and the comfort of the Holy Spirit it multiplied.

How good, O Lord, and how pleasant it is when the church lives together in unity and peace.  It’s a beautiful thing when the church lives together in peace and grows up in faith.  It’s something that people see and notice and think, “That’s a beautiful thing.  Maybe I want to be a part of that!”  When your church lives in unity and peace people see your Light shining and are drawn to it.  How good it is and how pleasant it is!  Lord, I pray you, continue to create, preserve and strengthen the unity of your church on earth – our church, our body, our congregation – yes, even the broader Christian church on earth!  Help us to rejoice in the unity that we do have.  Help us to work on this unity so that we make it stronger and better.  Help us to work toward a greater unity with other Christians too that your body may more and more realize the unity that already exists in the holy Christian church.  We pray, also, dear Lord, draw others toward your church so that it may grow inwardly and also be multiplied with souls.  Amen.

Seed of the Church

Acts 8, Judges 9-11

Acts 8:4 – Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.

O God, in wisdom and love you gather your church into a family and a body where one cares for another.  You gather us around word and sacrament to feed our faith. You gather us for fun, fellowship, and time together so that we can be a support to each other in every phase of life.  It’s easy to settle into the blessed gathering of believers and without even thinking about it exclude others from it.  As I go out into the world you are scattering me into different parts of this city and even into other cities, open my eyes and my ears so that I make the most of every opportunity to share the word.  Help me to scattered the seed of your Word where I can, yes, wherever I can, so that by my scattered life and the scattered seed which I cast on souls more may be gathered in. Scatter me to scatter your seed.  Scatter your seed to gather the church.  Use me how, when, and where you will, Lord that your Kingdom may be filled and your people gathered.  Amen.

Special Encouragement.

Acts 7:54-60, Judges 6-8

Judges 7:10-11 – But if you are afraid, go down to the camp with Purah your servant.  And you shall hear what they say, and afterwards your heart will be strengthened to go down against the camp.

Lord God, you give me such encouragemet in ways that sometimes I don’t even recognize.  The pat on the back from someone I don’t know that well.  The encouraging word, text, or email out of the blue from someone in my life.  The surprising information about how things are really going.  The insights gleaned from study and research.  O God, you give me special encouragement in my life in all kinds of ways.  Gideon needed such encouragement from you before he went into battle and you gave it to him.  Lord God, thank you for the special encouragements you give me in so many different ways.  It bolsters my spirit and emboldens me to carry on with the work you’ve given me.  Help me to be such an encourager to others.  Help me to find ways to encourage people with words, with notes, with texts, with prayers, even with out-of-the-blue actions.  Use me to be and to give special encouragement to the people I meet today.  Amen.

Stay with me.

Proverbs 10:15-32, Psalm 70-71

Psalm 71:17-18 – O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So, even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do no forsake me.

O God, you’ve been with me a long time now.  You were with me from the moment I was conceived. In fact, you were the one who, in that moment, began to shape and form me into the person that I am now.  You gave me my body and soul, my eyes and my ears; yes, you gave me all my members, mind, and all my abilities.  From the time I came out of my mother’s womb you have been my God; from that moment you have been by my side.  Yes, dear Lord, at my baptism you made me your own dear child and called me “yours.”  There and then you called me “my Loved one.”  Throughout all the years since that day, you have stayed by my side. Though I have had peaks and valleys, you have remained constant and steady.  Though I have often wandered, strayed and then come back again, you have consistently and constantly chased me down to bring me back.  O God, from my youth you have been my God.  I pray, you dear Lord Jesus, stay by me forever and watch me I pray.  Stay with me and stay by my side so that in my last breath I cry out for you, “Lord Jesus, receive me by your blood into your kingdom.  Remember me today.” Make that last breath, dear Jesus, not one of desperation but of confidence because I know your answer, “Yes, today you will be with me in paradise.”  I long for that day, dear Jesus.  Stay with me until I reach that final breath and cross the finish line where you will give me the crown of life. Stay with me and help me. I can’t make it without you.  Amen.

Willing Volunteer

Acts 7:1-56, Judges 4-5

Judges 5:9 – My heart is with Israel’s princes, with the willing volunteers among the people.  Praise the Lord!

Lord, my life is so full with so many good things.  My life is full of family and the things in which they are involved. My life is full of church and all the things going on at church.  My life is full of the people at my church, all whom I love and care for.  My life is full of so many other things that you let me enjoy.  I’m so thankful for all of these things, but sometimes, dear Lord, when someone asks me to do one more thing I just sigh. I feel like I’m being voluntold.  I’m being asked, but I feel such a pressure to help out, such a pressure to get involved.  Sometimes, Lord, I don’t want to what’s being asked of me.  Sometimes, Lord, I probably shouldn’t do it for the sake of the many other good things you would have me do. Sometimes, Lord, I really do need to do it even though I don’t really want to.  Lord God, forgive me for my attitude and my sighing.  Forgive me for my attitude toward the good things that I might do.  Forgive me and then give me a wise mind to discern which of the many things I should set my mind and my effort toward.  I know that I can’t do them all.  Give me a wise mind to make good decisions in service of you and of others.  And give me a willing spirit to take on those tasks with joy and gladness.  Willingly volunteers are a wonderful thing.  Make me one of them. Amen. 

Spiritual Leadership

Acts 6, Judges 1-3

Judges 2:19 – But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them.

Lord God, the spiritual falling away of the nation of Israel is a shocking thing.  After 40 years under Moses leadership and another 40 under Joshua, you would think they would catch on and stay faithful to you.  But when Joshua dies, the people are left without a spiritual leader and as a nation and as families they turn away from you, going after other gods. Lord, God of our Fathers, I see the need for spiritual leadership in our homes and in our churches.  Your people need parents who will step forward and shepherd the children and make that their primary mission as a parent.  Your people need pastors who will step forward and shepherd their sheep, keeping watch over them as a watchman watches over a city.  Lord, please make me faithful to my callings.  Forgive me for my failure to keep you as a first thing in my life.  Forgive me for my failure to keep you before my family and friends and church as the most vital thing.  Forgive me and keep me faithful to you and to the people you have called me to serve. I pray, make parents faithful to their calling to pass on the truth of your Word to their children.  Make pastors faithful to their calling as shepherd and watchman.  And God, send more of them.  Your people need shepherds.  Lord God, without your intervention in our homes and churches we will flounder and perish.  So, Lord, please send, equip, and move shepherds and parents who will care for the souls of those entrusted to them. Amen.

You can't stop God's plan.

Acts 5, Joshua 23-24

Acts 5:38-39 – If this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them.  You might even be found opposing God.

Lord God, I have plans.  I have desires.  Lots of them.  There are visions of the future that dance in my mind.  And when those plans, dreams and desires are opposed I get discouraged and sometimes a little bit upset.  I find myself seeing the opposition even as an enemy, especially when they are standing in the way of what I want and like.  That’s where Gamaliel found himself as he said these words.  The apostles were his enemy because their message and their following was pulling followers away from the Jewish church.  And yet, he led the Jews to a wise place.  He led them to submit their will and their plans to God, for God’s plan will not fail.  But man’s plan will fall on its face.  I need to remember this as I put plans on paper.  I need to remember this when I put plans into action.  I especially need to remember this when my plans face opposition.  If this plan is something that you, God, want, it will succeed in ways that we can’t even imagine.  And it isn’t something that I need to fight for or about.  No one can stop what you want to accomplish.  But if this is a plan that you do not want to succeed, then it won’t.  No amount of fighting for or against it will change your will.  Lord, in all our planning help us work really hard and hasten to keep the peace among God’s people.  It isn’t worth dividing over anything but the truth of God’s Word.  It isn’t worth dying on a hill that isn’t your Word.  Your will is always done and accomplished.  Your kingdom is always coming.  Help me to work with you and not against you.  Help me preserve the peace as we pursue your kingdom through our planning. Amen.

Gift of Boldness

Acts 4, Joshua 21-22

Acts 4:31 – And when they had prayed, the place in which they were praying was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the Word of God with boldness.

O Holy Spirit, Comforter and Guide, come to me and work in me.  Pour out your gifts on me that I might completely bold and open in who I am.  These disciples did not hide their faith; they did not live a life of closet Christianity because they were afraid of what people might do.  In fact, they even prayed that you would continue to make them bold in the face of the threats that the Jewish leaders were making against them.  I know my heart, O Holy Spirit.  I am often afraid of some negative response from people to the things you give me to say and teach.  I often hear or feel their threats; I experience their negative response.  Both my fear and their threats want to push my faith underground.  They make me a closet Christian.  I pray, forgive me for my fear and timidity.  Forgive me for letting fear be a ruling factor in my life.  Pour out your gifts on me.  Yes, come fill me yourself, dear Holy Spirit, that I might be bold and confident.  My identity and my message are not something to be pushed underground.  They are something of which I should boast.  It is a message that I should proudly, openly, publicly profess.  It is something that should be clearly evident to all who meet me.  Work in me, Holy Spirit, so that I an open and bold in my faith.  Amen.

Room to Breathe

Acts 3, Joshua 19-20

Acts 3:19-20 – Repent, therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus.

Lord God, sin is such a crushing thing and sometimes I don’t even know it. In times of impenitence and guilt it is like a weight bearing down on my chest, but I don’t even know it until the weight is removed.  In times when my sin is hidden from me so that I am unware of my sin and guilt it is like a sickness eating away at my insides, but I am totally unaware of how it is destroying me.  Lord God, lead me to repentance for all my sins.  Keep from an arrogance that refuses to repent of my sin.  Lord Jesus, send your Holy Spirit to me and unveil for me the sins that are hidden from my sight, the sins of my heart and the sins of my mind.  Help me see them and their destructive power.  Lead me to repentance for them all and then breathe on me.  Remove the crushing weight of sin and guilt from my chest so that I can breathe again.   Remove the sickness of sin from inside me and make me whole.  Breathe life into me by your Spirit and give me life again.  Send times of refreshment to my soul that I might live with the joy and confidence of Peter after his sin was forgiven, after he had witnessed the risen and ascended Christ, after he had been commissioned to go and shepherd souls.  Send those same times of refreshing to me that I might live and serve as he did.  Amen.

Love Covers

Proverbs 10:1-14, Psalm 68-69

Proverbs 10:12 – Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.

Heavenly Father, this is such a wise saying, one that I would do well to remember.  I can see in my own heart and life how enmity and animosity in me – even when I try to hide it – drives a wedge between me and other people.  It affects the way I think about them.  It affects the way I talk about them.  It affects the way I treat them.  Disharmony toward others really affects me more than it affects them.  Father, forgive me for my unforgiveness.  You have forgiven me for so much.  There should be a wedge between me and you, but there isn’t!  Your love draws me close and covers over all my sins against you.  You hold no more animosity toward me.  You keep no grudges against me and no bitterness rises up in your heart toward me.  You have done this for me.  You reconciled me to yourself and have covered all my offense.  Teach me, Lord, by your forgiveness to forgive and forget.  Help me to let the offenses of others against me go. Erase it from my mind completely so that I think about these people in a new way.  Erase it from my heart completely so that I talk to and about these people in a new way.  Work on me Lord so that in love I will overlook, cover up, and forget all their offenses against me.  Make me like you. Amen. 

Devoted

Acts 2:14-47, Joshua 16-18

Acts 2:42 – And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Lord God, these early believers had such a fire in their hearts for your Word.  They had so much to learn.  They had so many things to piece together.  Many of these beleivers had been around the Bible for a long time.  They had grown up with it. But after heart surgery that God’s Spirit did on them by Peter’s preaching, they had a whole new love for your Word.  They were fully devoted to the Word of God and were committed to growing in that Word.  Lord God, fill my heart with the same devotion and dedication to your Word.  Constant devotion is easy to talk about but hard to carry out.  Complete submission to that Word is easy to say, but hard to do.  It’s much harder to stay fully devoted and focused on the Word; there are so many things that distract.  I become too familiar with the Word and I lose my awe at it, thinking that I have arrived and know it all.  It’s much harder to submit myself to its teachings, whether those teachings call me to believe something or to do something.  Lord Jesus, continue to pour out your Spirit on me that I may love your Word and devote myself to it and humble myself under it.  Make a developing follower of Jesus who is devoted to your Word.  Amen.

Boundary lines.

Acts 2:1-13, Joshua 13-15

Psalm 16:5-6 – The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.  The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

Lord God, I can’t imagine what it’s like to have a life constantly in flux.  For 45 years the Israelites had been regularly on the move.  Regularly they had to pack up their things to relocate to a new piece of land, a place that the Lord led them.  I can’t imagine what a relief it was to finally settle down and to hear you announce land and property that was theirs.  What a new sense of stability and safety in their life – truly a gift from you!  Lord God, you have already given me all this.  I have a house that I call my home. Though some people do, I have never lived a day in my life without a steady roof over my head.  You’ve given me property and possessions, house and home, wife and children, friends and companions, even work and play that you let me call “mine.”  What a gift!  The boundary lines for my life have truly fallen in pleasant places.  I am truly blessed; people would even say it of me. And more than that steady earthly things, you have given me yourself!  You have been and always be the one true constant in my life. You were there before I was born.  You will be there when I am old and gray.  You will be my God into all eternity. And when I have you, dear Lord, I have everything.  Keep me from getting too attached and too settled here on earth.  Keep me from getting too tied up with life here so that I forget about the life that you have given me with you.  For when I have you, I really do have all I need.  You alone are my true and lasting portion and inheritance.  Amen.

The LORD will...

Acts 1, Joshua 10-12

Joshua 10:25 – Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous.  For thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.

Almighty God, it must have been astounding to be with you and to be in the Israelite army.  To the see the sun stand still for what was nearly an extra day of daylight.  To see hailstones come down out of the sky to give a victory to your people.  To fight against five nations and five kings at once and to come out with my feet on their neck.  What an encouraging time to be in your army!  And yet these same people who saw these great victories and great acts of the Lord, these same people who stepped on the necks of their enemies were afraid of the enemies that they still would face.  I relate.  I look to the future and predict in my own mind what is going to take place.  I look into the future and imagine – accurately I think to myself – whether I will win or lose, whether I will be successful or a failure.  Joshua was such a strong leader for the people in this moment.  He gave them three words: The LORD will… He told them what the LORD was certainly and surely going to do to the nations against whom they would fight.  The LORD will do this to all your enemies.  Those three words are still powerful words for me.  I do not know, O Lord, what you will do exactly. I don’t know how every detail of my today and tomorrow are going to play out.  But Lord, I do know your promises.  I do know your power.  I do know your love.  I know that whatever you will do is going to be good for my soul.  I do know that whatever you will do is controlled by your power.  I do know that whatever you will do exactly is done in love for me and for all your people.  Lord, keep these three words – the LORD will – in my heart and soul today and so vanquish fear from me.  Amen.

God's counsel

Luke 24:36-53, Joshua 8-9

Joshua 9:14 – So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the LORD.

Lord God, when I read the story of Joshua and the Gibeonites I see clearly how foolish their actions were. Joshua had regular conversations with you; just as you talked to Moses like a man his friend, so you also talked to Joshua.  All Joshua had to do was ask, “God, what do you think about these Gibeonites,” and you would have told him.  But I see the same foolishness in my own life.  Too many times I read the signposts in my life and make a decision and go a direction based on what I see and what I think I know instead of asking you for guidance.  All I have to do is ask and you would give it!  In fact, you often give it without my asking.  But how foolish I am for not asking!  Lord God, your door is always open to me and you will give me wisdom and counsel.  You speak to my heart by your Spirit and through your Word.  You remind me of things your Word has said and you apply those words to my life.  You promise to hear and answer.  You promise to guide me through godly men and women whom you place in my life.  Teach me to come to you and call to you before any decision big or small.  Lead me to seek your advice in every moment.  Keep me from foolish decisions.   And in the end, dear Lord, turn any decision I make or direction I take for your good purposes.  Amen.

Coming Clean

Luke 24:1-35, Joshua 5-7

Joshua 7:18 – Then Joshua said to Aachan, “My son, give glory to the LORD God of Israel and give praise to him.  And tell me what you have now done; do not hide it from me.”

Lord Jesus, sometimes I forget how much you hate sin, even the ones that seem small and remain hidden.  Who would have noticed what Aachan had done? Who would it have hurt if Aachan had taken what he had taken?  It hurt you.  It angered you.  Aachan was stealing glory from you when he coveted those things and took them to be his in complete disregard for your clear Word.  That’s what sin is.  It’s stealing glory from you who demands that glory and praise be given to nothing and to no one except you.  It’s falling short of the full perfection and the full obedience that you expect.  To deny my sin and to minimize it’s seriousness is to call you, O God, a liar.  Lead me to come clean before you and to give back the glory that is yours as the one and only true God. Teach me to confess my sin with a full knowledge of its seriousness and severity.  Break my heart with the knowledge that I have stolen glory from you by my sin.  But then restore joy to me.  Restore me again to your side and to your family.  You promise me Lord, that when I confess my sin that you will forgive me and purify me from all unrighteousness.  Teach me to come clean with all my sins before you and you will make me clean from all my sins.  Amen.