Day 103: Who is God?

Reading: Psalm 45:1-9

Majestic King

This gorgeous description of a perfect, beautiful king symbolizes Jesus. This praise to Him should be our delight daily, as we remember and look forward to His presence in our lives. A King Who loves justice and hates evil - what better king to have on your side? We can always trust and hope in Him, because His throne will go forever. He won't ever be defeated, and we can know that He will always endure. Let this image of God overwhelm you today.

Reading: Luke 15:1-32

Loving Father

When we face mess ups in life, we can guarantee that God is always standing back, waiting for us to "come to our senses". There is celebration for the lost returning to Him. This should tell us that our hearts should be focused in those who are lost, not those who are saved. Jesus tells a few stories about the value of the lost. If a man has 100 sheep, and loses 1, all he cares about is finding that 1. When a woman loses her valuable, silver coin, she tears her house apart, looking for it. And when a son disgraces his own father, wishing his death upon him, so he can take his part of the inheritance and squander it, his father rejoices when he comes home. Each one of these stories displays the compassion and love God has for us, and for the lost. 

If you really know a lot about the culture these stories took place in, there would be a whole new element of meaning. For instance, when a son asks his father for the inheritance, it is a disgraceful act towards your father, and practically wishing he was dead. This father should have refused and been very angerd by his son's request, but instead, he loved him enough to give him what he wanted. Another interesting thing about this story is that when the son returns home, the father literally runs to him. In this culture, older men never ran unless there was some sort of danger. This is also a shameful act for a man to do, but the love this father had for his returned son was so great, he didn't care. 

Sounds kind of like Jesus. 

When we put God to disgrace by our thoughts or actions, we are treating Him like that son treated his father. But God will allow us to have whatever we decide,because He loves us that much. But when we finally "come to our senses" and return to our Father, He is watching for us, and will run to us when we come back. He celebrates the lost returning to Him, much like the father celebrating his son's return.

That is a loving Father indeed.

Reading: Deuteronomy 19:1-20:20

Righteous Judge

It is tough to apply Old Testament rules to today's society, and luckily when Jesus died on the cross, He took away all the legalism in the faith, except of course loving God most and loving others as yourself. But when we read the rules and the way things God wanted things done in the Old Testament, we get an idea of what God is like. He obviously cares deeply for justice and fairness, as He orders there be cities of refuge for people involved in accidental death. But this God also doesn't tolerate evil, as He commands they no pity be taken on a purposeful murderer. He will stand by your side in battle, as long as you fight on His side. Doing His will will guarantee His presence in an empowering way. But going against His will could have consequences. 

Remember your God is full of justice, and revenge should always be His. 

We have the opportunity to see the many attributes of God by simply reading out of different parts of the Bible. Majestic King, Loving Father, Righteous Judge. These are the big three we read about today. Remember the extent and wonderful attributes of God today.

Day 102: Hardships of Faith

Reading: Psalm 44:13-26

When we face trials, hardship and oppression, it doesn't necessarily we have doe wrong, and now we are being punished. In fact, it could be because of how strong your faith actually is. When we face ridicule and mockery from people who don't agree with our faith or because of something you stand strong for, and they don't, you will probably have a run in there. When life is too easy, there is no opportunity to grow and mature. Going through life with everything being good and easy means you aren't standing up for anything. There is no possible way to hold so passionately to something, like your faith and not have someone upset with you. Whether it's someone who opposes your faith completely, or someone who is also a Christian who doesn't agree with the way you do things. When you face those oppressions and hardships, even though it may seem unfair, remember that you have a God Who loves you more than you can ever imagine. Cry out to Him. Allow Him to reveal Himself through the storms, and keep your faith strong, no matter how many people don't agree. The blessings will come for you soon enough.

Reading: Luke 14:15-35

There is a hardship in following Christ, yet it is the most rewarding thing you'll ever do. We kick off this reading with a story about a banquet and the excuses people make up to get out of it. We have all been invited to those social gatherings that we try to get out of because we think it will be awkward, or boring, or just a waste of time. Here, we see people ducking out of this great banquet, using ll sorts of excuses, but ironically, their excuses symbolize the excuses we tend to come up with to not follow Christ, or obey Him. One person claims he can't attend because of his new property. Going on missions can be hard because we don't want to leave the comfort of home, or move to far away places because they don't want to leave those comforts. Another excuse used is that of processions, as a man says he needs to tend to his oxen. The American society is all about possessions and having more, when Jesus calls us to give everything away to the poor. The final excuse is a man claiming he needed to be with his wife. Though marriage is important, we read later in this section that we are to place God above everyone else in our lives. And because of all these excuses from blessed people, the banquet is opened up to those who have hardly anything to lose - the poor, the sick, the needy... All who have a clear understanding of how great this privilege is. They don't have their view fogged by possessions, property or people they place high value on. These things aren't bad, but they should never trump God and His will. 

We get into the straight-forward part of this reading where Jesus tells the crowds that if they want to be His disciple, they must give up everything for Him. They must put everyone lower on the priority list. Not place emphasis on their stuff, and be willing to give up comforts. Carrying their crosses daily, disciples must treat everyday as a death sentence. They must surrender all plans, all dreams, all hopes, all jobs, all people, all finances, everything to Him and His will. Allowing God to decide everything about their lives. 

It is a hard sacrifice to make in a life that can be so good, but we must remember the rewards of it. 

Reading: Deuteronomy 16:21-18:22

We are strongly warned against worshiping other gods and believing false prophets in this reading, as well as practicing witchcraft, sorcery and fortune-telling, Ouija boards, horoscopes -  all things that are popular in today's world, whether you have encountered it yourself or not. There is great temptation in life to make other things our idols. Teens get pressured to do drugs or drink, which could ruin lives in the end. I have been asked to participate in witchcraft myself in high school, and luckily I was taught to run hard and fast from that. It is out there, and it is sternly warned against. Temptation to join in in these things is a tough thing to deal with, especially if you're a teen, trying to fit in. But standing strong in the faith comes with more rewards that are far greater and last for eternity. Stand strong against things that you have been warned to avoid. 

There will be hardships in the midst of keeping the faith. If there weren't, there would be no opportunity to grow. Standing strong in that faith is ultimately where you want to be. Cry out to God when you're struggling with opposition, or when bearing the pressures of life gets too hard. He's there, and nothing can ever separate you from that love.

Day 101: God's Heart

 

Reading: Psalm 44:1-12

Trust is what matters to God. We do not rely on our own strength, but on the strength of God. When we rely too much on ourselves, we will be run down and worn out. But putting our trust in God is highly important. When you think about your tightest relationships, whether they be with a spouse, a parent, a friend - what keeps thy relationship so strong? It is being able to trust that person no matter what. When trust is broken, the relationship is hard to fix. The same goes with God. When we put our trust in Him, we grow that relationship, and He becomes our guide. Putting our trust in Him and relying on Him will take the burden off our shoulders. It will take the pressure off of our daily living and allow Him to guide you. Where do you need to trust God more in your life? 

Reading: Luke 13:31-14:14

We read about a few things in this section that matter to God. We see an enormous amount of courage that Jesus displays when people tell Him to flee because He will be killed. But Jesus knows that if He does that, the plan of His Father could not be completed. No matter how hard it was to mentally grasp what He had to do, Jesus stuck to His Father's will and stood strong against those who told Him to run from death. We are to do the same when we face ridicule for our faith. 

We also read about the compassion Jesus had for people. Here we read about the motherly compassion He displays for Jerusalem, and a longing to rescue them. Jesus did this for all of us when He took our punishment on the cross. He longs to rescue and protect us. That kind of love and compassion is incomprehensible, but it is an example we must follow as a people longing to follow God. 

We also see how important humility is to God. When we subject ourselves to the lowest place, and stop taking the importance off of ourselves, we will be placed in honor. Taking the lowest point and allowing others to go before us is so very important to God. Humility is what Christ is all about. he took the lowest of punishments and subjected Himself to humiliation and the harshest of deaths for us. Practicing humility is what will bring you far in the faith.

Another example of what matters to God in this reading is poverty. It is said over and over again throughout scripture that we are to care for the poor. This includes the lost, the financially poor, the sick, those who are hurting emotionally. Jesus cared for all of these people, and God cares about how we care for them. 

Hold tight to courage, compassion, humility, and caring for the poor.

Reading: Deuteronomy 15:1-16:20

There is a theme of generosity and giving in this reading, that tells us just how much it matters to God. We are not to be stingy with our money and our resources, but to lend without complaint, or expecting interest. God wants us to have an open hand when it comes to giving to those in need, as all we have is actually His and comes from Him. When we are blessed with a big house, perhaps we should be hospitable to people in need of palace to stay, like traveling missionaries or those serving The Lord. When we have overflowing pantries, consider donating to the hungry. Or when you have extra money that could go towards eating out or a vacation, maybe put it towards extra tithe or a cause that helps those in need. Whatever it may be, always have a mind of generosity.

Remembering what God has done in our lives is highly important as well. We are to reflect and share our story with others so they may have the hope to get through the struggles they face, and be encouraged by God's power in our lives. God wants us to be grateful for those times, so when we face more hardship, we can proceed strongly, and in confidence that He can pull us through again. Give thanks for what He has done, and spread the wonderful news to those in need of encouragement.

Lastly, justice matters to God. When we accept bribes and payment to further ourselves and put someone else below us, God hates it. He tells us to never accept a bribe for doing evil right in this reading, and we not only should avoid it, but we should stand up against it. An example would be human trafficking, and supporting ministries that fight for that cause. Always stand for the rights of others, and allow God to have the revenge.

Doing what matters most to God will please Him greatly. We all know what matters most to us by our actions and what we spend our time and money on. But making what matters most to us about doing what matters most to God is a whole other view on priorities. Trust in Him, show compassion, display humility, have courage, care for the poor, remember what He has done for you, be generous, and seek justice.

Day 100: Wisdom

Reading: Proverbs 9:1-12

Wisdom in Criticism

In this reading we can read that it is pointless to insult a mocker, or one who lacks wisdom. Correcting them will only cause them to hate you more. But correcting the wise in their mistakes and areas that need improvement will be well received if they are indeed wise. Constructive criticism always depends on who is receiving it. Wise people will take it humbly, use it, grow from it and then improve on it. Those who hold too much pride and feel the need to hate all criticism will hate you more and take it the wrong way. They will stay in their skill level and never adapt to what those around them are looking for in that talent or profession. The question that hangs out there then is what kind of person re you when it comes to constructive criticism? Do you grow from it, or defend against it? According to this reading, the wise will grow from it, and even be thankful for it. 

Reading: Luke 13:1-30

Wisdom in Suffering

Jesus teaches about suffering in the first part of this reading. When He heals the crippled woman on the Sabbath day, He is responding with compassion, and would expect any of us to respond the same way. But when people seem to unfairly suffer, like in the case of Pilot killing those offering sacrifices at the temple, Jesus makes it very clear that suffering is not linked to their sin, but rather the human race is sinful and sometimes we will be affected by the poor decisions of others. Jesus cares more about our response to suffering, rather than the speculation of what underlines the suffering. Our response is how we show our love and faith in those hard times for others.

Wisdom in Pruning 

Jesus gives us a couple examples of pruning and fruitfulness in this reading as well, reminding us that we need to be smart about our pruning, whether it be on ourselves or he church. When we look at our lives and find an area that isn't very fruitful for the Kingdom, we need to either be patient and work on making it so, or decide to cut it out of our lives. In the church, if we have a ministry that isn't very fruitful, we either need to give it time to clean up the act, or cut it off. Jesus makes it very clear here that we need to be fruitful for the Him. When we read about the yeast and the mustard seed, He is showing us how to expand the Kingdom with the smallest start. Patience is a part of this process, but we also need to be conscious of the unfruitful weeds that could kill the fruit. 

Wisdom in Confrontation

Confrontation can be a hard thing to come across, but Jesus had it down when it came to proper reaction. Standing up for compassion over legalism, as well as hypocrisy, He called out what was important and what He was about. But Jesus never caused confrontation for the sake of it. He only stood up for what was truly right. Use your best judgement when you're deciding to confront something, and follow Jesus' example.

Wisdom in Following Jesus

Jesus reminds us here that the gate to heaven is narrow. We can accept Him and live a life in complete relationship and reliance on Him, or we can do good things and hope we've done good enough, but doing good isn't what gets you there. Jesus says that we need to be known by His Father. If someone came to your door and you didn't know them, would you let them in? Perhaps if they were in need, but certainly not as a long-time friend. Jesus compares the gate of heaven to this concept. When we go through life thinking that if we did good and that we went to church every Sunday, and that those things are what will build our relationship in Christ, we are sadly wrong. When we come to Jesus on a daily basis, deciding to follow Him, His plans, His ways, rely on Him, we will discover true relationship in Him. Make sure you decide to sacrifice your life daily for Him. 

Reading: Deuteronomy 13:1-14:29

Wisdom in Discernment

It is very important that as followers of Christ, we don't stray off and believe someone else when they say they are the returning messiah. We must never fall into the trap of worshiping other gods and beliefs. Keep your path straight and narrow, allowing no influence. In today's world, there are many traps and many "gods". Things we get addicted to and can't live without become gods to us, and we fall into a continuous pattern of worshiping them. My dad used to jokingly call our TV the house idol because we spent so much time in front of it, but in a sense he was right in calling it that, as we would do whatever it took to watch our shows, and we would spend hours a day before it. But picking up a Bible would only happen for minutes a day, if even at all sometimes. Be careful what you devote your time to.

Wisdom in Reverring God

We are called to be in complete awe of God because we are His chosen sons and daughters. He has done wonderful things. That goes for our money and possessions. Tithing is a way to show our respect for God and that we support His mission. He called the people in Moses' time to give ten percent of their earning to Him, and we still can follow this practice today. When we pour out our offering to Him, we are blessing others as well. Show your reverence to God in this way. It is a feasible, tangible way, and He commands His people to give to His cause.

Wisdom can bring you far in life, but sometimes obtaining and putting it into practice can be hard. Just stick to His Words and to His promises. Apply what you know and learn to your life. 

Day 99: Blessings and Obedience

Reading: Psalm 43:1-5

Even the greatest of followers run into dark, depressing times. Even they have those times of emptiness. We get a taste of what that was like for the writer of this Psalm. They are surrounded by wicked people, and feel loneliness. But in complete obedience to God, this person turns to Him instead of trying to find other means of comfort from worldly elements. 

Just because we're followers of God, no matter where you are in your walk, you will still face those days of darkness and emptiness. As humans in an imperfect world, it is inevitable that we will. But when we choose to obey God and follow His commands of love and trust, we will be filled with an overwhelming joy and delight. The beauty of obedience is that we are blessed through it. No matter how down you are, keep going hard for Christ.

Reading: Luke12:35-59

Jesus tells us over and over again to always be ready for His return, comparing it to many different scenarios. When we are told to be ready, we are being told to live each day as if He were coming back that hour. This means we serve Him faithfully with the gifts He's blessed us with, and we treat others with love, as well as live lives that would respect Him. When we do these things faithfully, we will be entrusted with more responsibility and work in His Name. When you stand before Him in heaven, will you be able to hear that you were good and faithful to Him in using your gifts and living a pleasing life? With blessing comes obedience and with obedience comes blessing. When you can say that God has blessed you with health, or a job, or children, or a house, or the freedom to open the Bible and worship in your country, or all of these things, you have quite the love to pay back in obeying Him. When we are blessed by God's love, we need to show Him our love back by using those blessings for Him and by blessing others with what we have.

Always be ready, and always be serving wisely.

Reading: Deuteronomy 11:1-12:32

It is very clear here how close love and obedience are. In fact, they go hand and hand. When God asks us to obey Him, He wants us to show our love in this way. When we are blessed, we are being shown love by God. And in return, we are to obey Him, as well as embed His words in our hearts and teach them to our children. Though we are deeply surrounded by influences to do the opposite of obeying God and His commands, we need to hold tight to them. Following the ways of the world may grant you some good times and temporary blessing, but it is not true obedience to God. But when we choose each day to stand up for God and for our faith, we will find ourselves blessed and trusted with more. When we choose to disobey and carry on in wild living and doing what pleases us, it becomes destructive and full of guilt. Obey to be blessed. Obey when you are blessed. Embed His words in your heart and mind, and pass them down to the next generations.

Blessing comes with obedience, but when we are blessed we need to obey. If we wake up each morning, have a roof over our heads, have food on our tables, have the freedom to open our Bibles, we are already blessed more than over half of our world. Don't waste your lives on your desires, when He knows your desires and has so much more for you. 

Day 98: Trust and Obey

 Reading: Psalm 42: 6b-11

There is a great amount of turmoil in this reading. The writer feels very let down, discouraged and forgotten. But in the midst of his frustrations, he keeps remembering that God is his rock on which he can stand. Though he feels like life is completely against him, he knows that God's unfailing love is still there, and he must make a choice to trust and obey. 

You know well by now that life will feel much like how this writer describes it at times. As if you can't handle the outflow of frustrations and turmoil coming at you. But also like this writer, we need to remember where we go for a solid footing. Remember what He has done and the love He has given you before. Then in the midst of the chaos, put your trust in Him and obey His direction. You will find yourself in a better place eventually and a stronger person. 

Reading: Luke 12:1-34

Trusting and obeying God are hard to do when we're busy worrying. Worries and anxieties take our focus off of Him and onto ourselves and our feelings. Jesus gives us numerous reasons why we are not to worry and to put our trust in Him. 

We are to fear only God. There is so much we could lose, but there is something we can never lose, and that is our souls for God. He is the only one Who can take that away, and when we put our fear and awe in Him, we have nothing else to worry about. 

We are valuable. Jesus explains over and over about how much He values us. In fact, He compares us to the birds, stating that if He even takes care of them, how much more will He take care of us. God places such high value on us, and when we fail to trust in Him to take care of us, we have a hard time building that relationship with Him.

The Holy Spirit is with us. When we face those hard times, not knowing how to deal with a situation or opposition, we are promised to have the Holy Spirit to guide us. He will give us words to say when we need them, and He will give us direction when the time is right. 

When we worry, we fail to see the whole point of life. Jesus displays this point with a story about a man who stocked up his crop for years ahead, so he could kick back and not work. But Jesus says this is missing the point. We can't plan for ourselves in the future because God is the one who plans it, not us. Being wrapped up in yourself fails to put yourself in God's arms. When we plan ahead, God can turn our plans upside down. We need to live day to day, one day at a time, trusting Him and relying on His direction as it comes. 

Our focus can't be on what we have. Fussing about our clothes and the things we have also fails to see the point of trusting in God fully. When we worry about these things, they become our focus and even our mission. It becomes a battle to get the next big thing instead of focusing on what God wants us to do. These things aren't bad, but they can be poisonous when they become everything we're about. 

Worry is the opposite of trust and obedience. I think this speaks for itself.

Always seek His Kingdom above all else. Seek that first, and everything else will come with it. Don't place your trust in things of this world. Trust and obey God by putting your focus on Him and casting your worries on Him.

Reading: Deuteronomy 9:1-10:22

Moses reflects back on the times the people did not trust and obey to reiterate how important it is. As the people get ready to cross into the Promised Land, he recalls the times things went wrong along their journey, and how trusting and obeying were the underlying issues of their struggles. God keeps their egos in check by reminding them that they are not acquiring this land because they are "good" people, and the reminders of how they made the golden calf and failed to trust Him throughout their journey display that.

We are reminded in this reading that no matter how blessed we feel and how much God is handing over great things to us, that we are never, ever to look away and fail to trust and obey Him. These two things go hand and hand, and will keep us in check with God. 

Trusting and obeying are two big elements to the Christian faith. When we fail to trust God in the midst of hardship, we may turn to other things that will only make it worse. When we fail to trust and worry about our lives and what's to come, we focus on ourselves and our plans instead of trusting and wanting to obey God's. When we continually fail to trust and obey Him, even when He's proven Himself in our journey before, we will see the struggles we face because of that lack. Trust and obey. When we do these things and apply them to life, we follow a path of faith that has a solid foundation. 

Day 97: Building Inner Life Character

Reading: Psalm 42:1-6a

Our knowledge of God cannot fulfill an inner thirst for Him. Only having His presence in our lives can. We can try and try to fill that longing with other things, but they will only leave you weighed down and wanting more. Happiness with these things doesn't last long, but fulfillment with God lasts a lifetime and into eternity. It is comforting to know that though David fought and fought with hardships, he cried out to God and found satisfaction and celebration in His presence. When we fill our lives with God, we will find ourselves thirsting for Him. 

Reading: Luke 11:33-54

Our inner lives need to reflect God's light. Right off the bat, Jesus explains that our eyes are the lamps that provide light for our whole body. When we put our eyes on good things, like the Word and helping others, we will be filled with light. But when we put our eyes on less honorable things like ourselves and things of this world we know better than to get involved in, we will have this reflected in our inner lives. We see how passionate Jesus is about inner lives as He lays into the Pharisees about theirs. He goes into how they have to have the "best seats" indulging in their self-importance. He also goes into their love to be recognized and greeted by other important people in the streets. And He goes into their hypocrisy, calling them out in how they lay other burdens and rituals on people who listen to them, when they can't live up to their own standards. The religious leaders were all superficial. They had no inner relationship for God whatsoever, and only did the bare minimum to following God, such as tithing a very small portion to Him. We need to keep ourselves aware to not fill our inner selves with ourselves, but with the needs of others and with God. Don't just listen to these words and tell others to do them, but do them yourself. When you pick up God's Word and read it, don't just soak in the words, but live them out, allowing your life to shine for Him, and not of yourself. 

Reading: Deuteronomy 6:1-8:20

The reflection of inner maturity and love we have for God really sets us apart in who we are in Christ. Focusing on our inner well-being and not on the material things and the ways of our culture are explained in this passage. When we have pure hearts focused on getting God's Word tied to our hearts and minds, we are maturing in Him. We are warned many times in this reading as well:

Danger in abandoning God for other idols: This could be doing what it takes to fit in with the culture around us, or this people who do not follow God. Making something in your life your everything, outside of God - a very dangerous let down in the end. It's ok to have a passion for something and love it, but it's not ok to put it before God.

Danger in doubting God when hardships come: It is inevitable that tough times will come. When they do, they grow us. When we doubt God, we may find relief in other things, or find a temporary solution to our struggles. But when we stick it out and allow God to Carey us through and grow us, we will reap rewards through it. God will give us the mountain tops for encouragement, but He'll bring the valleys to mature us. 

Danger of forgetting God in our wealth: When we are blessed greatly by God, we must not carry on life without Him. He has blessed us, and for that we owe Him our lives. We can't go on without acknowledging that fact. God will always have to have center of our lives, no matter how blessed and wealthy we are. Always live a life of thanksgiving for Him. 

Growing in good character of God takes work and understanding. When we live our lives loving Him in full obedience, tying His words to our hearts, and working hard to be His light, we will be blessed in Him. We need to remember the things He's done for us, and live a life of thanksgiving for Him. Takes the hardships and grow in them, and be encouraged in the high points of your life.