My Daily Pause

God promised Abram that his offspring would have the lands described in Genesis 15, but even ten years later, he and Sarai still didn’t have children.

In Genesis 16, rather than wait for God to do His work, they tried to engineer their own solution. That unsanctioned act created hurt feelings and stole the stability of the family.

The lesson here is to not try to force God to keep His promises. We wait for him act according to his timetable.

Luke 9:26 records Jesus saying that he is ashamed of anyone that is ashamed of him. That could happen to us when we have the opportunity to talk about him. The temptation is often overwhelming to pass on it so we don’t create any sort of debate.

If this describes you, your challenge is to mention God, talk about Jesus dying for your sins, or mention that you are a daily Bible reader just one time this week.

…but be prepared for your spirit to grow!

Knowing what you know about Jesus, would you have been scared to be in the boat with him? His disciples had seen many miracles by Jesus yet they panicked when the storm came up. To be a follower of the Savior, you can rest in the comfort knowing He is there for you. Why not make a conscious effort to give your challenges to him?

Uzzah laid his hands on the Ark of the Covenant and was struck down. (1 Chronicles 13) He was trying to save it from falling, but God had commanded that only a person from the tribe of Levi could touch the ark. (Numbers 1:51, Numbers 4:15) Even though he was angry at first, David realized that God is a righteous judge.

It is an error to think that God will not keep his word when our judgment is due.

David made a mistake we don’t have to make. He forgot to make sure he knew how to obey God’s word.  Even though he had the best of intentions, he paid for it through the loss of a good man.

In addition to daily Bible reading, do you set aside time to really get to know the word?

As David is crowned king of all Israel, there is a massive increase in the size of his army. Mighty men with great strength and well seasoned for battle were willing to follow him into battle because they saw the strength of his God. You too could live and demonstrate God’s love by being ready to answer His call. 1 Peter 3:13-16 is a great place to start. Be ready to talk about the hope inside you.

Every Christian I’ve ever asked has wondered why God allows atheist and evil people to materially prosper. It is apparently an age old question going back at least to David in Psalm 10. He seems to think that they are so spiritually poor that the riches never really satisfy them, yet it becomes their main pursuit.

Jesus said to lay up our treasure in heaven, not here in this life where it will decay away (Matthew 6:19-21). God will settle the accounts in the end (1 Thessalonians 1:3-10). If we concentrate on God’s work, the rest will take care of itself. (Matthew 6:25-33)

In Psalm 9, David is at rest during some difficult times of war. He takes time out to reflect on a recent victory and return thanks to God. David had to fight a lot of battles and shed a lot of blood, but he was always mindful of God’s leadership.

Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:6 to temper all of our requests with thanksgiving. Even during the toughest times, there is much to be thankful for. Jesus makes plain the rewards of contentment even during lean times and the dangers we face during the good times. (Luke 6:20-26)

Today, make a special effort to forget about the things that are wrong and list some things to be thankful about. Offer prayers up. Repeat tomorrow.

From day one, Jesus met with resistance, doubt and outright rejection. It is clear from the brief glimpses into his childhood that we are given in the gospels that plenty of people knew who he was and why he was here.

Things aren’t much different for Jesus today. Those who choose to ignore his call often know a lot about him. Still, God has been asked to leave our schools and sports events. He is being escorted out of the very government we the people established in His name.

What can one person do to fix this? What can each one of us that cares about this problem contribute to welcome our Lord back into every part of our life? A great place to start is Matthew 5:13-16

Temptation of Christ – 16th Century – Simon Bening (circa 1483/1484–1561)

Jesus came to earth to live as a man, including the trials and temptations man faces. Luke 4:1-12 is rich with examples we can apply to our lives:

• Jesus resisted each test to show us the standard of living
• Jesus already had everything Satan promised him
• Satan will wait for an opportune time
• Scripture can be twisted against you.

This challenge complete, Jesus begins his ministry on earth in earnest. In this same way, we can grow from the sins, challenges and hardships we face every day. James said to let these things be a joy to us (James 1:3-4)

In Psalm 6, David is apparently surrounded by his enemy, but he knows that God will hear his prayer. He knows God detests the wickedness of His enemies and will ultimately destroy them.

Like David, we face the enemies of God at every turn.

Like David, we can ask the Lord to make the way straight for us.

Like David, we can rejoice that we have a loving God to care for us.

In Psalm 4, David shines light on the state of man’s heart. (v2) Why does one seek out the pleasure of fleshly things when in the bottom of his heart he knows he needs God?

James called these people – these friends of the world – the enemy of God. (James 4:3-4)

David reminds those who are friendly with the wrong things that God only hears the prayers from the godly. A good question to ask is if we are seeking the right treasure. When this is true for us, we can “lie down in peace and safety.” (v8)

What if from today, you followed David’s example in Psalm 4:1-4?

When you are having trouble that seems bigger than you, turn to God rather than try to handle it on your own.

He has everything under control!

The First Gospel Message

In Genesis 3 Satan has caused man to fall and the our Master’s plan begins to unfold. God places a curse on Satan and his instruments and promises that his evil will be overcome. If you have extra time today, study a little closer Genesis 3:14-15 and see the promise of Christ’s arrival even at this early date. While Satan might have “bruised Christ’s heal” on the cross, Christ crushed Satan’s head and won. (Hebrews 2:14)

Each day, look for Christ in the Scriptures. We can find him and God’s promise for us in every book of the Bible!