Thursday, October 24th

“The LORD works out everything to its proper end—even the wicked for a day of disaster.”  Proverbs 16:4

Dear Heavenly Father, Because I know you’re working out everything to its proper end, I don’t need to get too caught up trying to understand the details of my life.  I can spend my energy being the best me you want me to be.  As you unfold each new situation, I can focus on listening to your words like a player heeds a coach in the heat of a game.  Help me to hear your voice over the crowd and even over my own repeating fears and desires.  I want to get it right in life, not just try to make life right for me.  It’s so comforting to know that when I stroll heaven with you, I will be able to comprehend the magnificent way you worked out all of our lives together.  Today is awesome and holy because you have redeemed it from the whims of us mortals.  Amen.

Stop trying to make life turn our right and just work on being the best you right where you are. 

Wednesday, October 23rd

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”  Ephesians 4:32

Dear Jesus, This is the perfect passage for everyday street-level living.  You have created a vibrant, stable relationship with me through the pure grace you give to me weaknesses I live close to you because you consistently forgive.  Gone is the system of fairness and record-keeping.  Gone is the guilt and shame that makes me hide.  Gone is the anger and passion for restitution.  What is left is the freedom to love and be loved.  Help me to translate that same grace to every relationship I have in work, church, family and friends.  I want grace to be the commodity with which I do life.  Help me live in the sphere of grace.  Amen.

Grace postures one to give and forgive even before reasons not to emerge. 

Tuesday, October 22nd

“Jesus replied, ‘You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.’”  Matthew 22:29

Dear Jesus, I love how you didn’t fall for their logical argument against faith.  Instead, you pointed out their lack of knowledge about heavenly things.  We know so little about heaven.  Why do we try to pontificate about anything regarding the spiritual world?  We would serve ourselves best if we just shut up and listened.  When we factor in that you are the supernatural, Supreme Being, everything you teach us about creation and eternal life makes perfect logical sense.  As humans, our debate with your word is out of ignorance regarding who you really are and what you have really said.  How patient you must be when we disagree with your supernatural management of all things.  Help me to relax in your claims to create, interfere and finally culminate all of history in your supernatural power.  Give me the confidence to challenge my generation with your claims to be God over all things too.  Amen.

Fortunately God is as patient as he is supernaturally strong.  If he wasn’t it would be toast. 

Monday, October 21st

“Then the LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job?  There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.  And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.’”  Job 2:3

Dear Heavenly Father, I feel like this is one of the most revealing, transparent statements you have made in all of the Bible.  I see your personality too.  You did not willingly afflict Job.  You were in a struggle with your arch enemy.  You let Satan play in your sandbox for reasons all your own but there was no reason in Job’s life that caused you to release Satan to afflict him.  Job’s friends fell all over themselves trying to give reasons.  Job afflicted himself with trying to find the reason.  There was none to be found.  You just wanted to prove to Satan that Job loved you unconditionally.  What a strange and powerful story.  I know you love me unconditionally.  So did Job (Job 19).  I see that love on your Son’s cross.  I want to be free from the affliction of trying to figure out why I suffer.  Settle my heart in loving you no matter what because you first loved me.  That will give my life stability and peace.  Amen.

What if we quit trying to figure God and his ways out?  Maybe, just maybe we’d begin to love him the way he wants to be loved. 

Saturday, October 19th

“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children.  For what children are not disciplined by their father?  If you are not disciplined-and everyone undergoes discipline-then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.”  Hebrews 12:7-8

Dear Father, The phrase that sticks out to me today in your words is “and everyone undergoes discipline.”  Before it almost slipped by me.  I have often felt that so many others were disciplined way less than me and that a few were disciplined more.  How foolish for me to try to judge what you are up to with each soul and to measure (as if I could) how you discipline us!  Everyone undergoes discipline.  No one is immune to it and no one dares to try to escape it either.  It’s your way with sinners.  We need hardship to keep us close.  We need it for a thousand other reasons that only you fully understand.  It leads us into a dependent relationship with you.  It surprises us and knocks us off our self-made pedestal.  It makes us need and want you and the relief you bring.  It makes us evaluate our lives and look for sin we have committed.  It makes us real and humble.  It deals with our rebellion.  Not one of us people on the planet escapes it.  It’s only your children by faith that receive it as a part of a loving parent/child relationship with you.  Help me to trust your love when I’m disciplined as much and when I seem to be not.  Amen. 

Good parents are expressing love when they discipline their children.  How much more does God express his love when he allows his own to hurt. 

Friday, October 18th

“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.  There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.”  Proverbs 23:17-18

Dear Heavenly Father, Comparing my life with others brings no peace.  That horizontal pursuit leads to a dead- end filled with negative emotions.  Your word tells me to lead my heart to look vertically up to you and to be zealous for my child/parent relationship with you.  The fear you call for is typified by love and respect.  You promise me that you have my future mapped out for me.  It’s all about you and me and no one else.  I long for the freedom you promise that comes from my refusing to compare my life with others.  Help me to want what I have from you instead of pursuing what I want when I compare myself to others.  That’s the secret to contentment.  I can only come close to it if you help me by your Holy Spirit to lead my heart instead of follow it.  So, help me Heavenly Father and Holy Spirit to accept my life with you just as your Son did when he laid it all down to save me.  Amen.

Contentment is wanting what you have from God instead of getting what you want after comparing your life with others. 

Thursday, October 17th

“God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance.”  Romans 2:4

Dear God, We often think of how you send hardship to turn me around.  We even call it a “wake up call”.  But we do not so readily think that you send grace and blessings to bring us to repentance.  I remember being surprised the first time I read about Peter in Luke 5 falling to the bottom of his boat in fear and repentance when you blessed him with a boat full of fish.  I would have thought he’d be celebrating.  Instead he was repenting.  When I think of your Son on the cross for me, it leads me to humble myself too.  But it also makes me thankful that you would save a wretch like me.  Your blessings, even the blessing of Jesus, lead me to honesty about my unworthiness of such generosity.  They lead me to love and trust you too.  If you can keep blessing a sinner like me, you are the most stable person in all the universe for me.  Thank you for changing my heart and life through your consistent grace based generosity toward me.  Amen.

Karma is humankind’s weak attempt to take credit for what God loves to give out of grace. 

Wednesday, October 16th

“I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 1:5-6

Dear Heavenly Father, This thought comforts me in all my relationships: You are in a relentless pursuit to grow us into better people for our good and your glory!  I think about this in moments of failure.  I think about it when others fail me too.  You are always growing all of us.  You won’t let us go.  In every circumstance, if we will look to you for the lessons you are teaching, we will find them, even if they just teach us to trust you and not ourselves so much.  Always teaching us and growing us until the very end when we get carried to perfection!  To think that you are growing everyone makes me patient with others too.  I don’t get so tied to events as I do to a program of change.  Help me to retain what your word teaches here.  I want to grow in the word about growth.  You began the good work of faith in your grace long ago in my life.  You are still actively transforming my personality today.  Give me the humility and faith to let you mess with my head, my heart and my life for your glory.  Amen.

God loves us too much to leave us “babies” in our understanding of life. 

Tuesday, October 15th

“Blessed in the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.  Psalm 32:1-2

Dear Heavenly Father, I remember lying to my parents to avoid punishment.  All my life I’ve been tempted to dishonesty in order to avoid being in trouble.  I know I’m not alone.  I inherited it from Adam.  He was dishonest with himself when you came calling for him.  I would never be able to abide appearing before you on the last day if I didn’t know your mercy.  David says it here in the psalm; it’s a blessed life when we are forgiven.  The grace removes the guilt and shame but there is an added benefit too.  That forgiveness makes us honest.  The need for a lie falls off.  The power of an honest life is invigorating.  Thank you for giving me mercy that restores me to honesty and peace.  The peace and strength of honest confession and forgiveness have become the greatest blessing in my life for my relationship with you, people and with myself.  Grace is that amazing!  Amen.

Nothing works to restore a soul after the trauma of sin, like good naked mercy. 

Monday, October 14th

“He replied, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.  However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’”  Luke 10:18-20

Dear Jesus, It’s my nature to find my greatest joy in the things you allow me to accomplish in life.  But at the end of the day, everything I create is vulnerable to the whims of others and the tragedy of changing circumstances.  Once I erect a trophy for my own mind, someone comes by and knocks it down, or builds a bigger, better tower.  Finding my greatest joy in my work is disappointing and distorted living.  Your word here points me out of that darkness.  I have something much better than my own accomplishments in which to rejoice.  I have my security for an eternal.  No matter what frustrations plague my temporary life, I will survive it all and finally stand on the precipice of history with you and look back over the landscape of my life as it fits into your grand universal scheme.  I will see my place in time from my place in eternity and everything will make sense to me, especially the disappointments.  Oh, Jesus, keep my safe in this faith.  Amen.

God enters our short life and reminds us that he won us for the long game. 

Saturday, October 12th

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.  And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything.  Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.  From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.  God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.  ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, “We are his offspring.”  Acts 17:22-28

Dear Jesus, So many things happen to me.  I also make so many things happen both good and bad.  Every era of my life has been marked by some kind of stress.  It seems that looking back or looking forward is always more pleasant than looking at the present.  Daily, I wonder what is the meaning to my life?  I wonder who I am, why I am here and where I am going.  By grace and in love for my soul you have given me the only answers that work for me.  Who am I?  I am your special creation, invented by you to hold this space and time.  But I have fallen too.  I’m not everything you hoped I would be.  So, why am I here?  I’m here at this place and time to find you and your mercy.  I’m here in the present with all its stresses to reach out for you and find you once again.  Where am I going?  I’m going through this short life to a day when I will stand before you the author of all of life and I will be welcomed into heaven by grace and grace alone.  You have given me the meaning to my life?  Thank you for choosing me of all people to be granted the insight that makes life truly meaningful.  Amen.

Everyone is in search of meaning.  We find no lasting meaning until we search for and find God himself. 

Friday, October 11th

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!  It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe.  It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.  For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.”  Psalm 133

Dear Jesus, You gave Israel the high priesthood and his sacrifices to settle all matters of sin and dispute between them.  When they took their problems to the temple they knew your heavenly Father had settled them.  This brought them a unity from outside themselves.  It was your great recovery plan.  When David understood that, he wrote this little psalm to help his people always remember that they had your recovery plan for the maintenance of good relationships.  He reminded them that the sacrifices that settled sin were as refreshing as mountain cool temps and dew that wet the grass.  Today, we have you who replaced the high priestly office and its grand recovery plan.  Your gospel and the Lord’s Supper are our recovery plan.  They restore our relationships and help us let you settle our blame and shame that we create between us with our sins.  Help all our people and me to understand and practice this great recovery plan that comes from outside ourselves from you, the Father and the Holy Spirit.  I want the brotherly unity that you promise to give.  Amen.

If God has reconciled his holy justice through Christ, who are you to hold back forgiveness from someone? 

Thursday, October 10th

“For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day.  There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.  Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.”  Hebrews 4:8-10

Dear Heavenly Father, Who would have thought that the Sabbath Day commandment was connected not just to the rest you had on the seventh day after creation but also to the rest your Son gives us from work righteousness, denial, blame, projection and excuses that we make because of our sins.  You rested from your work of creation because, in love, you had finished making us a perfect world.  You rested from your anger over sin when your son said, “It is Finished.”  Now we can rest from trying to make this a heaven on earth.  We can rest from trying to earn your favor.  We can rest from trying to fix every broken relationship.  We can rest in the promise that now we are restored to you, we will also get to live in a restored world in the next life.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you, for the rest we have in grace.  I have entered this rest.  Amen.

Augustine said it best, “We find no rest until we find our rest in God.” 

Wednesday, October 9th

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.  After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”  Hebrews 1:3

Dear Jesus, I think about you helping the Father create the world and I think mostly about you redeeming my soul by your sacrificial life.  But I don’t think often about your holding all things together in the entire universe by the power of your word.  This verse reminds me that you are the glue holding all things together in our lives.  You govern gravity, the orbits of the solar system, the weather and all of the laws of nature.  Everything is held together by your word.  When you speak, things are allowed to happen.  You are God.  You are Savior.  And you are Sustainer!  It gives me peace of mind knowing that your scarred hands are holding the whole world.  I will live with confidence today no matter what happens in the weather or otherwise.  You get all the glory and praise for the way I get my corner of your world today.  Amen.

God takes care of what he made down to the greatest detail. 

Tuesday, October 8th

“But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.”  2 Peter 3:5

Dear Heavenly Father, My generation deliberately forgets that you created everything from the farthest galaxy to the smallest ion simply by the power of your word.  You spoke everything into existence.  Even though so many have robbed you of the glory for what you have done, don’t let me do that.  Don’t let me rob you of the glory by embracing theories about nature doing supernatural things all on its own and don’t let me rob you of your glory by living as if everything is mine to do with it what I will.  This is all yours and I am you temporary guest here.  Give me the wisdom and faith to use the small piece of the universe that you have leased to me in way that makes you happy and leaves the greatest blessing or those who will follow after me.  Amen.

Nothing in your life is really yours.  It’s God’s so take care of it how he would. 

Monday, October 7th

“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”  Hebrews 11:3

Dear Jesus, It’s part of the very foundation underneath so many other things I believe.  You created all things out of nothing in six short days.  Everything was perfect, everything did and still does belong to you and you will call all people to account for how they lived in your universe under your gracious blessing.  From you, in you and for you are all things.  This changes the way I look at marriage, my job, my possessions, my friends, my choices, my life story and my destiny.  Help me to live by faith and not self-sufficiency so that I make the best of the life you have generously allowed me to live here in your house.  Amen.

If there is no room for God in your life, it’s because you unwittingly think it is your room. 

Saturday, October 5th

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.  Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.”  Proverbs 3:3-4

Dear Heavenly Father, The two words, love and faithfulness, are plastered all over the Old Testament.  Sometimes they are translated as “love and truth.”  Here in your wisdom from Solomon, you show how important these two characteristics really are to you.  Solomon tells us that David impressed on him to wear them like a necklace and to write them on his heart.  The love he talks about is a love that is independent of anyone deserving it.  It gives and forgives freely.  It’s felt by friends and enemies alike.  The faithfulness is a consistency and loyalty that makes one dependable in every situation.  I don’t have either of these virtues perfectly, but I see how important they are to you.  By being loving and faithful, your Son saved my soul.  By my being loving and faithful I can make you and people happy.  I want these virtues more than any other.  Make me loving and faithful toward all who know me.  Help them see you and your ways when they look over my shoulder to see what I am up to.  Give them the freedom to trust when they think of dealing with me on any matter.  Amen.

There is nothing more handsome or beautiful than looking like Jesus from the inside out. 

Friday, October 4th

“Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.  You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.”  Acts 2:26-28

Dear Jesus, You led Peter to quote David’s psalm about your on Pentecost, the great feast 50 days after you had risen from the dead and 10 days after you had ascended into heaven.  Your Holy Spirit was putting everything together for us in the head of Peter so we might understand what the good news really is.  Because you rose from the dead after paying for our sins, now our bodies will rise from the dead after dying because of sin.  Our souls will never die and our bodies will live again on the last day.  These are the “paths of life” as Peter put it.  I find great comfort in these truths.  Recently, I have watched as the bodies of two of my friends died only three days apart, one from a stroke and another from cancer.  I wonder what it will be in my body that fails me someday.  Your gospel gives me something better to think about.  Whatever it is that kills this body, it will be you that raises it to life, just like yours was raised.  My body is now in the path of life as my soul clings to you.  This is good news.  Since I have the good news, I will live with good intentions in how I serve you and people today with this temporary yet recyclable body.  Amen.

Your body is here on earth to carry God around to bless people.  Use it the way it was intended. 

Thursday, October 3rd

“Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention: Forget your people and your father’s house.  Let the king be enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.  The city of Tyre will come with a gift, people of wealth will seek your favor.  All glorious is the princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold.  In embroidered garments she is led to the king; her virgin companions follow her-those brought to be with her.  Led in with joy and gladness, they enter the palace of the king.”  Psalm 45:10-15

Dear Jesus, Thank you for making me your bride and changing my identity.  Looking into this psalm about you and me, I see that by your divine decree I am free to forget my old tired worn out self-criticisms and to fully adopt my new identity as your wife.  I get all the honor and praise of royalty before angels and all the saints in heaven.  I am yours and you are mind.  Give me the power today to live by faith in this new identity and to boldly fulfill my role as the blessed virgin bride of the king of the universe.  Make me magnanimous and generous.  Make me helpful, loving and true to all people.  Let the glory of your grace shine through my life to strengthen and bless others.  Amen.

Your new identity in Christ has the power to change not only your life but the lives of those around you, that is; if you will let it! 

Wednesday, October 2nd

“Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.  Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil.  Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun-all your meaningless days.  For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.  Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.”  Ecclesiastes 9:7-10

Dear Heavenly Father, You gave me this time slot and this cubbyhole on your planet to enjoy for a few short years.  After I’m gone others will take my place, live in what was once my home and drive what was once my car.  Help me to enjoy the life you’ve granted by living thankfully and existentially in every moment.  Give me the wisdom to see each experience as a gift from your hand.  Help me to enjoy the life you’ve granted by living thankfully and existentially in every moment.  Give me the wisdom to see each experience as a gift from your hand.  Help me to use this life to bless others as much as I’m blessed, to leave this world a better place and to plant around the earth your words of truth so they bud and flourish long after I’ve begun to rest with you in the heavens.  Amen.

Life is brief and finite.  Make the most of this present moment for God, for others and for yourself.