My Daily Pause

God and especially Jesus are often compared to a rock. To the righteous, he is a rock upon which we stand and build our lives, while to the wicked, he is a stone of offense that causes men to stumble. In Psalm 28, David develops this idea in his prayer and praise. He thinks of God as his rock of defense, realizing that to his enemies, the Lord’s way is offensive. Do you think of the Lord as a solid rock upon which to stand securely and deposit your soul’s and life’s work? Bonus reading: Build your house upon the rock

Two things:

1. We have all been entrusted with some amount of wealth and ability.
2. One of our primary responsibilities as those in the Lord’s church is to seek and save the lost (cf. Luke 19:10).

Just as the master expected return on his investment in Jesus’ parable (Luke 19:11-27), the Lord will want account from us when we meet Him. Whatever you have, strive to be a good steward of it and use it in God’s service.

Luke 18:9-14 contrasts two men offering prayers. One recognizes his own good works and seems to try to make God a debtor. The other recognizes his sinful nature and makes God his strength. There are a few lessons in this passage, but today let us concentrate on how we approach God.

When Jesus sent the ten lepers to report to the priests only one returned to give thanks (Luke 17:17-18). Only one and he wasn’t even a Jew. It is easy to fall into the habit of receiving our blessings and forgetting to return thanks. Paul said in Philippians 4:6 to make all of our requests with thanksgiving. Try leading off every prayer with a list of things you are thankful for and see if requests suddenly seem less important.

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.