John 7:32-36 - A Perplexed Opposition

John 7:32-36

32 The Pharisees heard the multitude muttering these things about Him; and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to seize Him. 33 Jesus therefore said, "For a little while longer I am with you, then I go to Him who sent Me. 34 You shall seek Me, and shall not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come." 35 The Jews therefore said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we shall not find Him? He is not intending to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks, is He? 36 What is this statement that He said, "You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come?"

Message: A Perplexed Opposition

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."

What the Lord is Saying: Jesus is in Jerusalem, at the temple and teaching once again that He has been sent by the Father and He is from the Father. He has an origin. He is clearing up some of the confusion at the time that the Messiah or Christ coming will simply appear. But Jesus does have earthly parents and was born but ultimately He is from God. People are still confused. In 32 we pick up the Pharisees hearing that the multitudes voicing their confusion about Jesus. And now they are sending officers to seize Him. But Jesus states that He will remain here with them a little longer. One day He will be seized and people will be looking for Him and not find Him. He will ascend and people will not be able to immediately follow Him. 

Throughout Jesus being on earth and speaking he has spoken in perplexing ways. About being born again, being the Living water, the Bread of Life, during the Feast of Booths it was questions about His identity, and also going to prepare a place for others and that He won't be on this earth long, only for a season and now where He is going, people won't be able to follow. People found his teaching difficult. 

People are still discovering Jesus and who He is and they do not posses the entire picture of Him that we have today. Something to remember as this text is read and we think of the followers of Him and what they are experiencing. 

Summary: As Jesus speaks and continues to speak, people are perplexed by His words. The Pharisees want him seized. But it not yet Jesus' time. He will be on this earth a little longer. 

Promise: In this perplexing times, the Spirit of God is still drawing people and convincing people to believe. May God open people's hearts and minds to His truth. 

Prayer: Thank you God for helping me to know You and for this great study of John and the daily joy of reading and understanding You, in my ways for the first time through this book. You are eternal life and thank you for giving me eternal life through belief and living my life for you. Open people's eyes and give them understanding Spirit of God of who Jesus is and who the Father has sent to save us from our sins. Draw people to yourself. Awaken your church. Raise up people to share your message and speak to the harvest. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.  

My Utmost for His Highest - June 10th - The Next Best Thing To Do

Seek if you have not Found.  And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. - Luke 11:9

    “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss. (James 4:3)” If you ask for things from life instead of from God, you ask amiss, i.e., you ask from a desire for self-realization. The more you realize yourself the less will you seek God. “Seek, and ye shall find.” Get to work, narrow your interests to this one. Have you ever sought God with your whole heart, or have you only given a languid cry to Him after a twinge of moral neuralgia? Seek, concentrate, and you will find.

“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. (Isaiah 55:1)” Are you thirsty, or smugly indifferent — so satisfied with your experience that you want nothing more of God? Experience is a gateway, not an end. Beware of building your faith on experience, the metallic note will come in at once, the censorious note. You can never give another person that which you have found, but you can make him homesick for what you have.

“Knock and it shall be opened unto you. (Luke 11:9) ” * “Draw nigh unto God. (James 4:8)” Knock — the door is closed, and you suffer from palpitation as you knock. * “Cleanse your hands (4:8)” — knock a bit louder, you begin to find you are dirty. * “Purify your heart (4:8)” — this is more personal still, you are desperately in earnest now — you will do anything. * “Be afflicted (4:9)” — have you ever been afflicted before God at the state of your inner life? There is no strand of self-pity left, but a heartbreaking affliction of amazement to find you are the kind of person that you are. * “Humble yourself (4:10)” — it is a humbling business to knock at God’s door — you have to knock with the crucified thief. “To him that knocketh, it shall be opened. (Luke 11:10)”

 - From Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest" - Classic Edition

Highlights and Underlines are courtesy of Mom from her print edition

My Utmost for His Highest - May 21st - Divine Reasonings of Faith

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. - Matthew 6:33

    Immediately we look at these words of Jesus, we find them the most revolutionary statement human ears ever listened to. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God." We argue in exactly the opposite way, even the most spiritually-minded of us--"But I must live; I must make so much money; I must be clothed; I must be fed." The great concern of our lives is not the kingdom of God, but how we are to fit ourselves to live. Jesus reverses the order: Get rightly related to God first, maintain that as the great care of your life, and never put the concern of your care on the other things.

    "Take no thought for your life. . . (Matthew 6:25)" Our Lord points out the utter unreasonableness from His standpoint of being so anxious over the means of living. Jesus is not saying that the man who takes thought for nothing is blessed--that man is a fool. Jesus taught that a disciple has to make his relationship to God the dominating concentration of his life, and to be carefully careless about everything else in comparison to that. Jesus is saying--"Don't make the ruling factor of your life what you shall eat and what you shall drink, but be concentrated absolutely on God." Some people are careless over what they eat and drink, and they suffer for it; they are careless about what they wear, and they look as they have no business to look; they are careless about their earthly affairs, and God holds them responsible. Jesus is saying that the great care of the life is to put the relationship to God first, and everything else second.

    It is one of the severest disciplines of the Christian life to allow the Holy Spirit to bring us into harmony with the teaching of Jesus in these verses.

- From Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest" - Classic Edition

Highlights and Underlines are courtesy of Mom from her print edition.

My thoughts

It is not that we seek only the kingdom of God and this is often how this statement is taken at times. We are to seek first the kingdom of God and everything else second. It is really a re-evaluation every day of what is most important in our lives. God needs to be the dominating concentration of my life. It needs to rule my life. 

My Utmost for His Highest - April 27th - What Do You Want?

But you, are you seeking great things for yourself? - Jeremiah 45:5

    Are you seeking great things for yourself? Not seeking to be a great one, but seeking great things from God for yourself. God wants you in a closer relationship to Himself than receiving His gifts, He wants you to get to know Him. A great thing is accidental, it comes and goes. God never gives us anything accidental. There is nothing easier than getting into a right relationship with God except when it is not God Whom you want but only what He gives.

    If you have only come the length of asking God for things, you have never come to the first strand of abandonment, you have become a Christian from a standpoint of your own. "I did ask God for the Holy Spirit, but He did not give me thee rest and the peace I expected." Instantly God puts His finger on the reason--you are not seeking the Lord at all, you are seeking something for yourself. Jesus says--"Ask, and it shall be given you. (Matthew 7:7)" Ask God for what you want, and you cannot ask if you are not asking for a right thing. When you draw near to God, you cease from asking for things. "Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him. (Matthew 6:8)" Then why ask? That you may get to know Him.

    Are you seeking great things for yourself? "O Lord, baptize me with the Holy Ghost." If God does not, it is because you are not abandoned enough to Him, there is something you will not do. Are you prepared to ask yourself what it is you want from God and why you want it? God always ignores the present perfection for the ultimate perfection. He is not concerned about making you blessed and happy just now; He is working out His ultimate perfection all the time--"That they may be one even as We are. (John 17:22)"

- From Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest" - Classic Edition

Highlights and Underlines are courtesy of Mom from her print edition. 

Psalm 119:169-176 - Crying Out To Understand

Psalm 119:169-176

169 Let my cry come before You, O Lord;
Give me understanding according to Your word.
170 Let my supplication come before You;
Deliver me according to Your word.
171 Let my lips utter praise,
For You teach me Your statutes.
172 Let my tongue sing of Your word,
For all Your commandments are righteousness.
173 Let Your hand be ready to help me,
For I have chosen Your precepts.
174 I long for Your salvation, O Lord,
And Your law is my delight.
175 Let my soul live that it may praise You,
And let Your ordinances help me.
176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant,
For I do not forget Your commandments.

Message: Crying Out to Understand 

Time: Based upon authorship and subject matter, Psalms cover a range of centuries. David is mentioned 73 times, Solomon 2, Moses 1, and 50 designate no specific person. It is believed they were compiled around 537 BC. The psalms deal with such subjects as God and His creation, war, worship, wisdom, sin and evil, judgment, justice, and the coming of the Messiah.

What the Lord is Saying:

This is the concluding passage of Psalm 119. There have been 22 lessons I have done on this Psalm. The Blessedness of keeping God's Law, God's Word in the Heart, A longing for God's Word, The Power and desire to obey, A heart inclined to God's Law, Saved to Testify, The Word of God in Times of Trouble, Not forgetting God's Law, The Word of God and Affliction, God's Word, Affliction, and Glory, God's Sustaining Word, God's Fixed and Enduring Word, Love for God's Law, The Joy of God's Law, A Lamp to our Feet, The Single-Minded Law of God, When Others Don't Keep God's Law, Faithful Obedience, The Nearness of God in His Word, Seeking God's Statutes, The Treasure of God's Word.

So just looking at those titles is clear to see that this Psalm has been about the high honor we place on God's Word and hiding it in our heart. It lasts the test of time. It endures for all time and we are to be near to it, inclining our heart to it continually. 

I need to be near it. It needs to continue to be the center of my life. As I look out at my study of this, I see it started in August 2015, so I've been at it over 2 years. Honestly, that is too long. I am a little saddened that this tells me that for a tabletalk reading of 250 readings, I've been at it over 750 days, which is 1 every 3 days. The only good news is I haven't given up and continue to persevere. 

In addition to Tabletalk, I have also relied on various commentaries, including lately the books I have on the Psalms by John Phillips, copyright 1987. John Phillips (1927-2010) served as assistant director of the Moody Correspondence School as well as director of the Emmaus Correspondence School, one of the world’s largest Bible correspondence ministries. He also taught in the Moody Evening School and on the Moody Broadcasting radio network.

LORD, HEAR ME (169-172)

The Prayer: For Enlightenment (169)

Let my cry come before You, O Lord; Give me understanding according to Your word.  As I have even said in this reading earlier, I'm been on a quest for knowledge, but it is really for understanding. It is better to understand, as is clearly shown here, than simply amass more knowledge. In understanding, the Word becomes part of me, not just a reference book. And I want to be changed by the Word of God. Here in this verse is the cry of the Psalmist - O Lord, Give me understanding according to Your Word. That is profound. Again, my favorite verse of Proverbs 3:5 that says, Lean not on my own understanding. I don't want to be trained and live by my own understanding, but rather I want my understanding to be according to God's Word. 

The Prayer: For Enablement (170)

Let my supplication come before You; deliver me according to Your word. He cried for understanding and then also brought his request before Him to be delivered. He had a thirst for the Word taking up ownership in His life. Here, he mentions needing to be delivered, not just from circumstances, but from his doubts. He had cried, he had prayed, and yet change had not occurred. Perhaps he was holding onto God's promises, acting his life in a way that honored God, praying, fasting, and praying again and yet, through these actions, the results did not come. Could something be getting in the way, perhaps even a darkness and wicked spirit getting in the way. He pleaded that he needs his supplication to come before God. The Devil is scheming and we need protection of the Word of God in our life. 

The Promise: He Would Praise the Lord (171)

Let my lips utter praise, for You teach me Your statutes. O the joy that I receive when I understand the statutes, the words of God. I have seen it in my family as well, in Pamela, in Megan, and in Tyson. Derek, I am waiting. It will come. But, there is such excitement and joy and praise to God as the Spirit intercedes and interprets the Bible sometimes directly, sometimes through a preacher or a commentary, or a song or even a person, but the Joy that I receive when it comes into my life. How exciting when I discover a truth that is in the Bible? Where did that come from? Wow. This book is incredible. 

The Promise: He Would Proclaim the Word (172)

Let my tongue sing of Your word, for all Your commandments are righteousness.  I have seen in the last 24 hours the destructiveness of my tongues. How I need to be silent more, praying more, and expounding less. I need to keep myself quiet and not try so hard to make sense of things. Instead, let it sing of God's word. My brother does such a great job with this. Bobby, my friend, does as well. That is what I need to be boasting about - God's word and not leaning on my own understanding. It starts with verse 169 - Give me understanding. I want it to move from a text to an understanding. Maybe it is, through my mistakes. As I said earlier, it is the word of God that I need to meditate on. It and it alone.

LORD, HELP ME (173-176)

Lord, Save Me: The Ground of the Appeal (173b)

For I have chosen Your precepts. I choose God's word. I'm not choosing to be guided by anything else in life. I come before the Lord, expecting him to act and word, not because of another philosophy but because I have chosen His Word

Lord, Save Me: The Greatness of the Appeal (173a)

Let Your hand be ready to help me. I am not asking help from a pastor, a saint, Mary, a statue, or any other form. I want Your Hand. I want You Lord. I come before the Throne room of God and beseech You O God. 

Lord, Satisfy Me (174)

I long for Your salvation, O Lord, and Your law is my delight. It is clear from the preceding verses that the Psalmist is not getting what he desires. He is asking and is not receiving. He thinks something is obstructing his asking and yet in spite of all of this he continues with the plea to the Gospel of Salvation and continues to proclaim that the Law is his delight. What a great encouragement and challenge to us today. Society is replete with people who punt God because he does not supply their every need. Many get the comforts of life, and good job, good family, healthy for a while, a nice house, all the time thinking those things come their way but when something bad happens and they call on God and don't get what they want, they throw up their arms in disgust and leave. O Lord, I don't want to be this type of person. I don't want to be that person that thinks I must get my way, all the time, and when I don't, I abandon you. 

Lord, Strengthen Me: Wrought in Him (175a)

Let my soul live. He pleads once again to the Lord to let his soul live. Bring me alive God. 

Lord, Strengthen Me: Brought from Him 

Let my soul live that it may praise You Why does he want his soul to live? In order to Praise God. Let me wake up in order to praise You. I don't want to resent or be angry God at you, so wake me up to praise You. 

Lord, Strengthen Me: Taught to Him (175b)

And let Your ordinances help me. He wants God's word to be the help and the vehicle to help him Praise Him. He asks God to have his soul live, being aided by God's word. 

Lord, Seek Me: Straying

There have been 175 verses sung to this point, exemplifying and extolling the great Word of God and leaning on the Law of God and how does this Psalmist Conclude? Maybe not as I would expect. I see honesty. I have gone astray like a lost sheep. What honesty. The standard is there, but his life remains, he knows, absent from what he has read and memorized and taken to heart. He voices that he has gone astray. 

Lord, Seek Me: Praying

Seek Your servant, For I do not forget Your commandments. He is lonely, vulnerable, afraid. After all that he has seen, there is the reality that he still struggles. And He sort of pleads to God, that still he will not forget Your commandments. He shows himself to be vulnerable, a sinner, and yet still a Christian desiring obedience in his life.

Promise: As the Word of God is preached and studied, the Spirit brings His people to salvation and by the supernatural gift of wisdom enables us to live in a way that pleases Him, moving us to a life of worship and praise.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for your word and hearing me, saving me, strengthening me and seeking me. Lord, thank you that you are there. As I turn to you, remove the barriers and may the spiritual forces not get in the way of my petitions. Thank You God for loving me and knowing my needs. You God are in Control. I am a sinner, daily in need of You. Thank you for the beauty of Your word and I praise you for it. 

Jesus Calling: January 2

Relax in My Healing Presence. As you spend time with Me, your thoughts tend to jump ahead to today's plans and problems. Bring your mind back to Me for refreshment and renewal. Let the Light of My Presence soak into you, as you focus your thoughts on Me. Thus I equip you to face whatever the day brings. This sacrifice of time pleases Me and strengthens you. Do not skimp on our time together. Resist the clamor of tasks waiting to be done. You have chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from you. 

Psalm 105:4
English Standard Version
Seek the Lord and his strength;
    seek his presence continually!

Luke 10:39-42
English Standard Version
³⁹ And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” ⁴¹ But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, ⁴² but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

My Prayer
Lord, thank you for a new day. I start this day with You first, not the newspaper, not the morning TV, but instead I begin this day with You. I want to show You and me that You are my priority. Help me to reside in this moment, learn from You and Your words. Hold me firm in You. Some days may not be as lengthy as others, but in each day, keep me centered on You. And then as I walk forth, keep me close to Your Presence throughout my day. 

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: January 1

Come to Me with a teachable spirit, eager to be changed. A close walk with Me is a life of continual newness. Do not cling to old ways as you step into a new year. Instead, seek My Face with an open mind, knowing that your journey with Me involves being transformed by the renewing of your mind. As you focus your thoughts on Me, be aware that I am fully attentive to you. I see you with a steady eye, because My attention span is infinite. I know and understand you completely; My thoughts embrace you in everlasting Love. I also know the plans I have for you: plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Give yourself fully to this adventure of increasing attentiveness to My Presence. 

Romans 12:2
English Standard Version
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
 
Jeremiah 29:11
English Standard Version
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

My Prayer
I come to You Lord, ready to change. I want to sing a new song to You. Thank you for a new day and that Your mercies are new every morning. I am ready to be renewed, so if you want to remove things from my life that I am holding onto, then I am ready. I will trust you, for you know what is best for me. This doesn't mean this year will be absent of trials, disappointments, heartaches, and difficulties, that is not what I am praying, but instead I want it to be lived in Your Presence, submitting and surrendering to You and accepting what You provide. 

1/1/19
O God, my King, the great and awesome Lord, You are great. I am reminded Lord that you are most concerned about my future. You know what I need and You will use everything in my life for good. Help me daily to remember this future as too often I get overly obsessed with today and what is happening. 

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Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: December 19

Do not be weighed down by the clutter in your life: lots of little chores to do sometime, in no particular order. If you focus too much on these petty tasks, trying to get them all out of the way, you will discover that they are endless. They can eat up so much time as you devote to them.
     Instead of trying to do all your chores at once, choose the ones that need to be done today. Let the rest slip into the background of your mind, so I can be in the forefront of your awareness. Remember that your ultimate goal is living close to Me, being responsive to My initiatives. I can communicate with you most readily when your mind is uncluttered and turned toward Me. Seek My Face continually throughout this day. Let My Presence bring order to your thoughts, infusing Peace into your entire being. 

Proverbs 16:3
English Standard Version
Commit your work to the Lord,
    and your plans will be established.
 
Matthew 6:33
English Standard Version
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

My Prayer
Lord, guide me and direct me to seek first the kingdom of God and your righteousness. Commit my work to the Lord.  

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Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: November 6

Seek to please Me above all else. As you journey through today, there will be many choice-points along your way. Most of the day's decisions will be small ones you have to make quickly. You need some rule of thumb to help you make good choices. Many people's decisions are a combination of their habitual responses and their desire to please themselves or others. This is not My way for you. Strive to please Me in everything, not just in major decisions. This is possible only to the extent that you are living in close communion with Me. When My Presence is your deepest delight, you know almost instinctively what will please Me. A quick glance at Me is all you need to make the right choice. Delight yourself in Me more and more; seek My pleasure in all you do.

John 8:29
English Standard Version
And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.

Hebrews 11:5-6
English Standard Version 
⁵ By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Psalm 37:4
English Standard Version 
Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.

My Prayer (2019)
Holy Spirit, I want to be in tune to what you are speaking to me so that when you speak, I listen. When You tell me to do something, I do it. I don't want to be a product in life of my habitual responses that are often there to safeguard me from pain and suffering and in turn, disobedient to your commands. Whatever the situation in life - big or small - I want to be about giving glory to God. I want to delight myself in You more and more and delight myself in me less and less; I want to delight myself less in what the world values - comfort, peace, safety, like-mindedness, feelings, entertainment, ambition for things. I want to delight myself in You Lord. O God forgive me for not really striving to please you in everything. I look at your commandments and I pick and choose the ones that are most comfortable to me. Jesus, yes, you fulfilled your words of always doing the things that are pleasing to the Father, but I fail. Change me O God. Change me.


Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: October 30

I AM with you. I am with you. I am with you. Heaven's bells continually peal with that promise of My Presence. Some people never hear those bells because their minds are earthbound and their hearts are closed to Me. Others hear those bells only once or twice in their lifetimes, in rare moments of seeking Me above all else. My desire is that My "sheep" hear My voice continually, for I am the ever-present Shepherd. 
     Quietness is the classroom where you learn to hear My voice. Beginners need a quiet place in order to still their minds. As you advance in this discipline, you gradually learn to carry the stillness with you wherever you go. When you step back into the mainstream of life, straining to hear those glorious bells: I am with you. I am with you. I am with you. 

Jeremiah 29:12-13
English Standard Version
¹² Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.


John 10:14, 27-28
English Standard Version 
¹⁴ I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me
²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

My Prayer
Help me to not get too big for my own britches and continually see that I am but a sheep and I need a shepherd daily to guide me. 

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.


Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: February 9

Seek My Face more and more. You are really just beginning your journey of intimacy with Me. It is not an easy road, but it is a delightful and privileged way: a treasure hunt. I am the Treasure, and the Glory of My Presence glistens and shimmers along the way. Hardships are part of the journey, too. I mete them out ever so carefully, in just the right dosage, with a tenderness you can hardly imagine. Do not recoil from afflictions, since they are among My most favored gifts. Trust Me and don't be afraid, for I am your Strength and Song. 

Psalm 27:8
English Standard Version
You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

2 Corinthians 4:7
English Standard Version
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

Isaiah 12:2 
English Standard Version
“Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the Lord God is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.”

My Prayer
Lord, I seek your face, your presence, and your help. You are my salvation. Make it my daily desire and goal to treasure You and Your presence. Hardships will be present. I notice I always want to get out of those hard times as fast as possible, and yet You teach me so much during those times. Right now, with 2 children out of the house at college and one at home, and the challenges that are present with them, I am finding that my trust in You is growing. When things are good, I think I'm in control, so hard times reminds me that You are My Strength and Song. Retrain me in the idea that afflictions and trials are a good thing for Me. 

God, you are my salvation. I will trust and will not be afraid. You have the Power, not me.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author. 

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: September 18

Seek to please Me above all else. Let that goal be your focal point as you go through this day. Such a mind-set will protect you from scattering your energy to the winds. The free will I bestowed on you comes with awesome responsibility. Each day presents you with choice after choice. Many of these decisions you ignore and thus make by default. Without a focal point to guide you, you can easily lose your way. That's why it is so important to stay in communication with Me, living in thankful awareness of My Presence.
     You inhabit a fallen, disjointed world, where things are constantly unraveling around the edges. Only a vibrant relationship with Me can keep you from coming unraveled too. 

Matthew 6:33
English Standard Version

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Verse Thoughts
This verse concludes a paragraph that began with the command to not worry about my life. How often do I let the events of my life distract, distrust, and disquiet me? Too often. But instead, seek first (through prayer) the kingdom of God and his righteousness. 
 
John 8:29
English Standard Version 

And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.
 
Verse Thoughts
These are words of Jesus, speaking of his relationship to the Father. The Father is with Jesus, is with me, at every step, at every turn, and so I do always things pleasing to Him. 

Colossians 3:23-24 
English Standard Version 

²³ Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Verse Thoughts
As I serve, I am not to do it grudgingly, with a feeling of necessity, or murmuring, but rather delighting the work with a cheery attitude, as my service is unto the Lord and my payment, even if it is small from people, is primarily focused as coming from the Lord, in his time, in his way. 

My Prayer
Lord, I need an attitude overhaul. Bring an attitude of delight to my service each day. Thank you for being near, with me, every day. I want to stay focused on your kingdom and your righteousness and let you bless me in your time, in your way. 

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.


Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: September 1

Seek Me with your whole being. I desire to be found by you, and I orchestrate the events of your life with that purpose in mind. When things go well and you are blessed, you can feel Me smiling on you. When you encounter rough patches along your life journey, trust that My Light is still shining upon you. My reasons for allowing these adversities may be shrouded in mystery, but My continual Presence with you is an absolute promise. Seek Me in good times; seek Me in hard times. You will find Me watching over you all the time.

Deuteronomy 4:29
English Standard Version

But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.
 
Hebrews 10:23
English Standard Version 

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
 
Psalm 145:20
English Standard Version 

The Lord preserves all who love him,
    but all the wicked he will destroy.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author. 


Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: June 20

     I speak to you continually. My nature is to communicate, though not always in words. I fling glorious sunsets across the sky, day after day after day. I speak in the faces and voices of loved ones. I caress you with a gentle breeze that refreshes and delights you. I speak softly in the depths of your spirit, where I have taken up residence.
     You can find Me in each moment, when you have eyes that see and ears that hear. Ask My Spirit to sharpen your spiritual eyesight and hearing. I rejoice each time you discover My Presence. Practice looking and listening for Me during quiet intervals. Gradually you will find Me in more and more of your moments. You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me above all else.

Psalm 8:1-4
English Standard Version

¹ O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
²     Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
    to still the enemy and the avenger.

³ When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
⁴ what is man that you are mindful of him,
    and the son of man that you care for him?

Psalm 19:1-2
English Standard Version

¹ The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
² Day to day pours out speech,
    and night to night reveals knowledge.

I Corinthians 6:19
English Standard Version

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own .

Jeremiah 29:13
English Standard Version 

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

My Prayer (2019)
Good morning Lord. Thank you for a new day. How majestic is Your name in all the earth. Your creation testifies continually to who You are. The sky above declares the glory of God as it covers us here on this earth you have created. Then I see me, in the mirror, and realize I am a temple. Lord, I want to extol You as My God and proclaim You above all else, not simply when I walk into church in the company of believers, but as I walk out into this world. I need you in me Lord giving me the courage to proclaim You in the midst of this world that continually finds goodness in each person and doesn't dare take the time to consider the Fall and our sins that we still commit. I don't want to be like that Lord. Remind me Lord that the most important thing in my life is falling into Your presence and not simply making sure my life right now is free of challenges. Lord, you show me in Your word how You take care of the birds and feed them, providing them what they need. Lord, I'm not so sure I trust You with that. When push comes to shove Lord, too often it is I that wants to be in control. Help me to rediscover You today and see You Lord. To be satisfied with You. Lord, I am embarrassed as to how easy it is for trials or challenges to derail me. I'm like a kid on the floor having a temper tantrum before You Lord because I am not getting what I want. I want to reflect You Lord. Teach me to seek you with all of my heart. Too often my seeking You is all about bringing my laundry list before You so that You meet all of MY needs and wants. Forgive me Lord. Lord, let You be sufficient.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: June 8

I want you to be all Mine, filled with the Light of My Presence. I gave everything for you by living as a man, then dying for your sins and living again. Hold back nothing from Me.  Bring your most secret thoughts into the Light of My Love. Anything you bring to Me I transform and cleanse from darkness. I know everything about you, far more than you know of yourself. But I restrain My yearning to "fix" you, waiting instead for you to come to Me for help. Imagine the divine restraint this requires, for I have all Power in heaven and on earth. 
     Seek My Face with a teachable spirit. Come into My Presence with thanksgiving, desiring to be transformed. 

Matthew 28:18
English Standard Version

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."

Verse thoughts
Jesus now has all authority to redeem, defend, and save the church; his government extends over the material world, over angels, over devils, over wicked men, and over his own people.

Psalm 100:4
English Standard Version

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
    and his courts with praise!
    Give thanks to him; bless his name!

Verse thoughts
Gates refers to the temple of place of worship.  It is here that we bless His name, give praise to His name, offer thanksgiving, with a grateful heart. This psalm may have been sung during a festive entry into the temple precincts.

My Prayer (2019)
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins Jesus and purchasing me with your blood. You gave everything for me. As a sinner, I am incapable of meriting God's love and acceptance. You gave it all and in response to this gift, I pray that I would give my all. You know me better than I know myself.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.  

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: June 6

Seek My Face, and you will find fulfillment of your deepest longings. My world is filled with beautiful things; they are meant to be pointers to Me, reminders of My abiding Presence. The earth still declares My Glory to those who have eyes that see and ears that hear.
     You had a darkened mind before you sought Me wholeheartedly. I chose to pour My Light into you, so that you can be a beacon to others. There is no room for pride in this position. Your part is to reflect My glory. I am the Lord!

Psalm 105:4
English Standard Version

Seek the Lord and his strength;
    seek his presence continually!

Psalm 19:1-2
English Standard Version

1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
² Day to day pours out speech,
    and night to night reveals knowledge.

Isaiah 60:2
English Standard Version

For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
    and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
    and his glory will be seen upon you.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.  

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Romans 3:10-11 - No One is Righteous

Romans 3:10-11 -
10 as it is written,

“There is none righteous, not even one;
11 There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;

Message: No one is righteous; no one is right before God on their own and no one seeks for God.

Time: Paul probably wrote Romans between A.D. 57-58 while he was at Corinth in the home of his friend and convert Gaius. He planned to go first to Jerusalem to deliver a gift of money from the Gentile churches to the poor in Jerusalem. Then he hoped to visit Rome on his way to Spain. His hopes were later realized, but not as he had expected. When he finally arrived in Rome in early A.D. 60, he was a prisoner under house arrest (Acts 28:11-31).

What the Lord is Saying:

Paul now begins to explain verse 9 and what it means that all men are sinners. This message is only of value if God's standard is perfection. If all man has to be is good enough then it isn't important to show that no one is righteous.

Why are these verses so important? To me, they are here because people quickly think they are good. Partly, because there is so much in life that reinforces that we are good. The hardest thing to do, it seems, in sharing Christ with others is helping them to see that they are not completely good and that none of their good merits God's acceptance. [The other big problem I see is people misunderstand God's forgiveness and think that when God forgives their life doesn't have to change very much because God will always be there to forgive them of their sins.] 

Verse 10 begins with "as it is written." I think this is important because what Paul is saying is this thinking didn't originate with him. But, he is simply bringing forth something already taught in scripture (the Old Testament). And so for 9 verses Paul will quote from various passages:

• Romans 3:10-12from Psalm 14:1-3 and Psalm 53:1-3
• Romans 3:13 from Psalm 5:9 and Psalm 140:3
• Romans 3:14 from Psalm 10:7
• Romans 3:15-17 from Isaiah 59:7-8 and see Isaiah 48:22
• Romans 3:18 from Psalm 36:1

As we begin in verses 10-11, Psalm 14:1-3 and Psalm 53:1-3 states, "The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good. 2 The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there are any who understand, Who seek after God. 3 They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one."

Verse 10 is a complete statement. Nothing more really needs to be said. This lecture could end at verse 10. "There is none righteous, not even one." To be righteous is obviously the goal here. It is the standard. Paul originally told his readers or hearers in Romans 1:16-17 that the "righteous person will live by faith." And in Romans 2:29 it is by the Spirit that man is declared righteous.

So from verse 11 on, Paul will do what Paul does and that is further clarify what this means when he says that no one is righteous.

On a side note, this message of none righteous is not a popular message nor a message prevalent today. We would much rather talk about how great God is or even how we are to be a better person. And sometimes I feel like that what is missing from my church is the weekly reminder that we are sinners. God is great but man is also not simply, "not great" but more specifically man is a sinner. Sin and hell seem to be subjects that are not talked about very much, so it seems.

The Greek word for "understands" is suniemi and here it is in the present tense, to indicate that no one continually puts it all together to comprehend the truth about God and His demand for righteousness.

And "there is none who seeks for God." John 6:44, Jesus said, "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent me draws Him." Our tendency is to pat ourselves on the back and say, "look how spiritual I am" but the rightful perspective is to thank God for bringing His light to us. This should, therefore, make us want to pray. It is through prayer that we talk to God and request of God to save sinners. This is why Jesus came, to save sinners.

Do we really seek for God or are we instead seeking for the Lord's benefits in our lives? Do we really want Him or do we really want His blessings?

Promise: None righteous, none who understand, none who seek for God. That is a promise.

Jesus Calling: March 30

    I am taking care of you. Trust Me at all times. Trust Me in all circumstances. Trust Me with all your heart. When you are weary and everything seems to be going wrong, you can still utter these four words: "I trust You, Jesus." By doing so, you release matters into My control, and you fall back into the security of My everlasting arms. 
    Before you arise from your bed in the morning, I have already arranged the events of your day. Every day provides many opportunities for you to learn My ways and grow closer to Me. Signs of My Presence brighten even the dullest day when you have eyes that really see. Search for Me as for hidden treasure. I will be found by you. 

Proverbs 3:5
English Standard Version (ESV)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.

Thought: These words challenge believers to put more confidence in God's ability than in their own, to not try to analyze and figure out every detail themselves, but to place their belief in God's wisdom, love and strength; to lean on God instead of relying on themselves or anyone else.

Deuteronomy 33:27
English Standard Version (ESV)

The eternal God is your dwelling place,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
And he thrust out the enemy before you
and said, ‘Destroy.’

Thought: As we learn to depend upon the eternal God, we discover that His everlasting arms are never exhausted. His everlasting arms are always sufficient for our unknown future and unfathomable present needs.
 
Jeremiah 29:13-14
English Standard Version (ESV)
You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Thought: Searching for God with all your heart is intimately connected with honoring, examining and obeying His Word.

My Prayer
Thank You for knowing my days. Thank You for knowing me so well Lord. Lord, I go to doctor's because I want them to tell me what is wrong with me. And yet Lord, You remind me that You know everything about me already. Lord, I want to be bold for you throughout the day. Help me to realize that You have ordered my day and there are people in my path that need to know You. Lord, make me the bold one. Help me to start up conversations with people. I pray that my growth in You would come by experience and not simply sitting and reading the Word of God. It is important to read, but it is more important to live it.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author. 

Jesus Calling: March 15

    Listen to the love song that I am continually singing to you. I take great delight in you...I rejoice over you with singing. The voices of the world are a cacophony of chaos, pulling you this way and that. Don't listen to those voices; challenge them with My Word. Learn to take mini-breaks from the world, finding a place to be still in My Presence and listen to My voice.

    There is immense hidden treasure to be found through listening to Me. Though I pour out blessings upon you always, some of My richest blessings have to be actively sought. I love to reveal Myself to you, and your seeking heart opens you up to receive more of My disclosure. Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 

Zephaniah 3:17

English Standard Version

The Lord your God is in your midst,
    a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
    he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.

Matthew 7:7

English Standard Version

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."

My Prayer
Lord, you delight in me. You saved me. You rejoice over me. You love me and exalt over me with loud singing. You want me. What a comfort you are to me. Lord, help me to know continually the difference between Your voice and the voices that I hear elsewhere. Thank You for living inside of me. Help me to listen more to You and talk less.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Jesus Calling: March 8

    Save your best striving for seeking My Face. I am constantly communicating with you. To find Me and hear My voice, you must seek Me above all else. Anything that you desire more than Me becomes an idol. When you are determined to get your own way, you blot Me out of your consciousness. Instead of single-mindedly pursuing some goal, talk with Me about it. Let the Light of My Presence shine on this pursuit, so that you can see it from My perspective. If the goal fits into My plans for you, I will help you reach it. If it is contrary to My will for you, I will gradually change the desire of your heart. Seek Me first and foremost; then the rest of your life will fall into place, piece by piece.

1 Chronicles 16:11

English Standard Version (ESV)

Seek the Lord and his strength;

    seek his presence continually!

Matthew 6:33

ESV

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

What the Lord is Saying to Me
As I have been reading and studying through Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and now Zechariah, the other gods idea in the lives of Judah and the idolatry worship is common place. And then in this reading today is the reminder that anything that I desire more than God will become an idol. I have to think about it. Having time with God each day is important, but it often gets pushed aside for other things, busy things going on in my life. It reminds me of the song, Busy Man, from Prodigal (1982). What is getting in the way? Going to bed late because I am watching TV. So, is TV really sort of an idol in my life because if I went to bed sooner, i could wake up sooner? Probably. I am trying to fit God in with everything else rather than making Him First. Seek Him First and then everything else will be added in correctly.

Am I pursuing something right, more out of selfish motives, than surrendering it to the Lord and making sure it is according to His will. 

Also, in my daily life, am I really seeking first God and His ways and His righteousness? Is God my priority or something I just supplement in my life? As I look at these verse (Matthew 6:33), it seems to be a training verse, getting me off of the cares of this world and off of what the world's messages are pummeling me. The world says I'm not happy unless I have this or that. It tells me that God is not the highest thing in life, but rather just accepting everything as being okay, is. It trains me into thinking the life is about being entertained. It trains me in the idea that life is about me and meeting my needs and my desires. And so sometimes what I think is that if I seek first the Kingdom of God then what will be added to me is more of the things of the world, the "wants" of life but really God is wanting to give my life His ways.

My Prayer
Lord, right the ship of time in my life. Lord, seeking You should be my priority and yet, I fall away from this priority continually. Remind me daily that seeking You first allows everything else in my life to fall into place as it is appropriate.

Lord, deepen my children's relationship with you. Draw them to yourself and help them seek first the kingdom of God. As they experience trials and tough times in their lives, may their focus be on you and how you can give them strength to endure any difficulty.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.