South African Prayer Calendar

In January of this year, God challenged my wife, Gelaina, and I to go on a family mission trip.  We attempted to be obedient in March by signing up to go on a family mission trip to Mexico, but the trip was cancelled due to dangerous circumstances.  God reminded us of our commitment in the Spring, so we began searching for different opportunities to serve.  Fast forward to the end of July, and I felt God laying on my heart to go see a dear friend of mine in Pietermaritzberg, South Africa.  We began praying about who should go, and God reminded us of our promise at the beginning of the year.  When we heard God's voice that Sunday, we came home from church and booked our flights.  So, tomorrow morning we pack up our family (all 5 of us!) and begin our journey to South Africa.

More than anything else, we would love for you to partner with us in prayer.  Below you will find a prayer calendar and prayer guide for our trip, our family, and our partners.  Please join us in praying for those we will be ministering too!!  Thank you in advance...and God bless you and your family.

Taking Things for Granted

Day 38 of 365...

Exodus 25-27

Key Passages/Thoughts:



Ex 25:16 - "Put the tablets of the testimony that I will give you into the ark."


How awesome would it be to have a written testimony of what God said carried around in a ornate container that was built to the specifics that God gave.  Well, 1 out of 2 isn't bad.  We DO have a written testimony of what God said, and it's 60+ books more than what the Israelites had!  I take for granted that that we have thousands of years of God's history that we can carry around in our hand, on our phones, listen to in our car, download on iTunes, and hear preached about  24 hours a day.  Let that sink in for a minute.  God's written Word is more accessible now than it has ever been!  Yet, there are still millions if not billions of people in this world who don't have a Scripture to read, much less know of God's redeeming love.  Then, I think about the  numerous translations of the Bible sitting on my shelf at home, and how easy it is to get a different translation if I wanted one.  Do I take all this for granted?  Every single day!  I hear stories of persecuted Christians in China who cling to one page torn out of the Bible because that's all they have access to, yet there are times when I'm too lazy or too busy to open the cover of the Bible that sits on my nightstand.  

Ex 25:21-22 - "Set the mercy seat on top of the ark and put the testimony that I will give you into the ark.  I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony; I will speak with you from there about all that I command you regarding the Israelites."

The Israelites had an ornate reminder of God's presence and God's Word in the form of the Ark of the Covenant.  Today, my reminder of God's presence is His Holy Spirit living in me.  My reminder of God's Word is, well, His Word.  So, that's 2 advantages over the Israelites.  I have all of God's spoken Word in the Scripture that I read, and I actually have God living inside my soul in the form of the Holy Spirit.  A third advantage we have over the Israelites is that God speaks directly to us.  We don't have to hear what He says through a third party.  God spoke to the Israelites through Moses and Aaron, but He speaks to me through His Holy Spirit.  I am so thankful that God saw it fit for me to live now as opposed to during the Israelites wilderness adventure.  I don't know if I would have survived very well during those times.


God I pray that I won't take the things You've given me for granted.  Thank You that You speak directly to me.  Thank You that I can read Your Word whenever I want.  God give me emptiness when I don't commune with You every day.  Help me to mourn for those who can't read Your Word and cry out for those who are persecuted for trying to read Your Word.

God's Treasure Map

Day 37 of 365...

Exodus 22-24

Key Passages/Thoughts:



Ex 23:20-26 - "'I am going to send an Angel before you to protect you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared.  Be attentive to Him and listen to His voice. Do not defy Him, because He will not forgive your acts of rebellion, for My name is in Him. But if you will carefully obey Him and do everything I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.  For My Angel will go before you and bring you to the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out.  You must not bow down to their gods or worship them. Do not imitate their practices. Instead, demolish them and smash their sacred pillars to pieces.  Worship the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. I will take away your illnesses.  No woman will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you the full number of your days.'"


Here we have some important promises from God to the Israelites, but they come with some stipulations.  You would think that after all they had been through, all the things they saw God do, the Israelites would be able to follow a few commands in order to receive the "reward," so to speak.  Talk about a payoff, though!  God promised to be enemy to their enemies, a foe to their foes, He will defeat all their enemies.  Now, I realize that this was a promise made to a particular group of people (and I'm not in that particular group of people), but the core of the message is something that can still be applied today.  God keeps His Word, and there is no argument about that.  


Let's put some application to it....  When I am in God's Word and seeking to hear from Him on a daily basis, He begins to speak to me through Scripture.  That means, whatever He says to me through Scripture is something that I can fully rely on.  The key point in the process is that it is God's voice that I am listening to.  God's voice will always align with His Scripture, so there is no confusion.  Once I have discerned that it is God speaking to me, I can trust what He says.  He doesn't always make promises to me, but He does tend to give me some guidelines I need to follow.  To me, it's like following a treasure map.  I have to follow the clues to get to the treasure.  In my mind, the clues are the things (rules) that God has asked me to be faithful in following.  When I am faithful with those things, God gives me the payoff, the treasure.  Most of the time, it's a deeper and closer relationship with Him.  Other times, it's a thorn that is finally removed from my flesh.  The key to it all, though, is to be faithful in following the "clues," because, if I move my focus to the prize, it will never be found.  In my opinion, the real treasure is in the process, because that's where my relationship with God is refined.


God grant me the wisdom to discern Your voice above all the noise.  Help me to follow the tasks You've set before me.  Keep me focused on the process and not the prize.

Fear of God

Day 36 of 365...

Exodus 19-21

Key Passages/Thoughts:



Ex 20:18-21 - "All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain surrounded by smoke. When the people saw it they trembled and stood at a distance.  'You speak to us, and we will listen,' they said to Moses, 'but don't let God speak to us, or we will die.'  Moses responded to the people, 'Don't be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear Him and will not sin.'  And the people remained standing at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was."


Can you imagine the site the Israelites were seeing?  I'm guessing our best fireworks show wouldn't compare what the Israelites were experiencing first hand.  I find it comical how many times God had to show His power to the Israelites...how quickly they forgot.  What I did realize, though, is that the Israelites still had a healthy fear of God.  The Hebrew word used here connotes reverence (yirah).  I feel as though I have a healthy fear/reverence for God, but, just like the Israelites, God has to remind me of His power.  The only reason I ever question God's power is when I have the thought that God either can't or wouldn't want to handle the mess I've created.  Obviously, these thoughts do not come from God.  This is Satan's way of distracting me from relying on God in every circumstance in my life.  God promises to never leave or forsake me, which is something I need to hear in those hard times. If I look at the track record I have with God, the times I become derailed are not because of something God did...it's because of some decision I made.  God is only as far away as I push Him.


Thank You God for Your faithfulness and power.  Help me to remember that You never let go of me even when circumstances seem overwhelming.

Yadah

Day 35 of 365...


Exodus 16-18


Key Passages/Thoughts:



Ex 17:11 - "While Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, but whenever he put his hand down, Amalek prevailed."

Surrender is defined as "to yield to the power, control, or possession of another upon compulsion or demand...to give oneself over to something as an influence."  When I read these three chapters of Exodus today, there were several topics that popped in my head.  In Chapter 16, we see the Israelites whining and complaining some more, but God still provided for them.  Then, in chapter 17, we see God's deliverance of Israel from a battle with the Amalekites.  Verse 11 of this chapter hit me like a ton of bricks.  The reason it hit me like that is because Moses paints a perfect picture of what surrender looks like.  


One of the things that defines me as a person is that I am a worshipper.  I look for ways to understand what worship is and what it looks like.  There are many different ways of worshipping, but, at the core of worship is bringing myself to a place of humility to cry out to a Living God who deserves all my praise.  There are also many different signs of worship, and I believe what I read in chapter 17 is one of those signs.  Moses lifted his hands to the heavens, and, when he did, Israel prevailed.  When he lowered his hands, Amalek prevailed.  When Moses showed a sign of surrender, God took that offering of humility and allowed Israel to prevail.  I believe it was because in Moses' sign of surrender, God's would receive the most glory through the Israelites victory. I did a little research on the Hebrew word used here in verse 11.  The Hebrew word is yadah, which means "to use (hold out) the hand; to throw (a stone or arrow) at or away; to revere or worship with extended hands."  The importance here is that the word is interchangeable.  In essence, Moses lifting his hands was a sign of worship and reverence toward God.  When I think about lifting my hands, I think about my children.  When my kids want attention and affection from me as their father, they usually come up to me with their arms lifted up.  They want me to pick them up and hold them, especially when I come home from work.  I am their safe place, their comfort, their protection.  It is the same way with our Heavenly Father.  Isn't that beautiful picture?  I lift up my hands toward my Father because I want to surrender myself to Him and let Him be my refuge, my comfort, my protection.  The biggest issue to overcome in worship is worrying about what others think about you when you worship.  The hurdle you have to jump over is caring more about experiencing God in a new, fresh way and caring less about those surrounding you.  Worship is a time to connect with our Father, and that should be the only thing on our minds.  It's a lot easier said than done, I know.  If we can find a way to maintain that kind of focus, then God can truly meet with us in a "burning bush" kind of way.  


God, I lift my hands to You in surrender.  Help me worship You with abandon and passion, because You are most glorified when I am surrendered.  You are indeed worthy of yadah!

Deliver Me

Day 34 of 365...

Exodus 13-15

Key Passages/Thoughts:



Ex 14:12 - "Isn't this what we told you in Egypt: Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness."

Ex 14:29-31 - "But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with the waters like a wall to them on their right and their left. That day the Lord saved Israel from the power of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.  When Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and believed in Him and in His servant Moses."


There are times when I forget the things that God has done for me.  It's clear that the Israelites have this problem, too.  There were under such oppression in Egypt that everyone was crying out to be delivered from it.  Then, God sent Moses and the plagues, and they were delivered.  As the Israelites traveled through the wilderness, they reached the banks of the Red Sea.  It is here that Pharaoh's army catches up to the Israelites, and we hear the Israelites make the statement here in verse 12.  How quickly they have forgotten the power that God has and the power that God has shown.  Thankfully, God was not done showing them what He can do.  The term deliverance is defined as "the act of being set free."  God delivered His chosen people from Pharaoh twice.  He delivered them from slavery, and, then, He delivered them from an impending battle into freedom.  


As I look over the course of my life, I can remember certain times that God was my Deliverer.  I have had many "Red Sea" moments, but I still complain just as the Israelites did.  Thoughts come to my mind like...things sure were a lot easier when _____, or I sure do wish that God would _____.  God will remind me, in these moments, that His version of deliverance does not always match up with what my idea is.  My version usually ends with me still needed deliverance from something else I screwed up.  When God delivers me, I am truly set free from whatever was binding me up.  There is a sense of relief and comfort when God is the one taking the lead.  


God, help me rely on You to deliver me from the things that tie me up.  Help me be aware of the snares that are entangling me.  Cut me free from those things so that I can be restored in You.

Humility is a Humbling Experience

Day 33 of 365...

Exodus 10-12

Key Passages/Thoughts:



Ex 10:3 - "So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and told him, 'This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may worship Me.'"

Humility is defined as "the quality or state of not thinking you are better than other people."  In these 3 chapters, we finish off hearing about the last 3 plagues (locusts, darkness and the death of the firstborn sons of the land).  This verse brought me to my knees, and I was only 3 verses into the reading.  The reason being is that I still struggle with humility in some areas of my life.  It's weird the way my mind works sometimes.  I feel as though most of my life reflects humility, however, there is still a piece of me that wants notoriety.  I don't mean notoriety in the sense of being famous.  I mean that I want people to appreciate and/or be aware of the things that I do.  The question is why do I want that kind of recognition?  Well, honestly, it goes back to my acceptance issues as a kid.  My desire to be accepted led to many years of being a fake, superficial, empty soul who would be anything for anyone.  Thankfully, God mended most of those wounds, but the scars are still there as a reminder of what once was.  There are still some wounds that haven't healed yet, though.  It is because of these wounds that I still have this desire to be recognized.  


Pharaoh had an obvious problem with humility.  He considered himself to be above everyone, even God.  It took 10 plagues, which included the death of his firstborn son, for Pharaoh to hit his knees.  Even then, he was still to proud to stay there.  I think one of the keys to being humble is that once you've been brought to your knees (or fall to your knees on your own), you need to remain there.  It's a lot easier to voluntarily fall to your knees in humility as opposed to being forced there through your circumstances.  Humility is a hard lesson to learn sometimes, but it is in those teachable moments that God shows me how to rely on Him even more.  


God, help me to humble myself daily and take up my cross.  Give me the strength to do it of my own volition and not because I need to learn a lesson.  

Plagues and Not Fighting Fairly

Day 32 of 365...


Exodus 7-9


Key Passages/Thoughts:



Ex 7:11-13 - "But then Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers—the magicians of Egypt, and they also did the same thing by their occult practices.  Each one threw down his staff, and it became a serpent. But Aaron's staff swallowed their staffs.  However, Pharaoh's heart hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said."


Ex 9:16 - "However, I have let you live for this purpose: to show you My power and to make My name known in all the earth."

The first 7 plagues that God sent to Egypt were the water turning to blood, frogs, gnats, flies, death of livestock, boils and hail.  Pharaoh, in his arrogance, summons his "wise" men and sorcerers to try and recreate the plagues to show that God wasn't as powerful as Moses and Aaron made Him out to be.  However, after the first plague, the magicians were at a loss.  The first thing this passage tells me is that I have a powerful enemy.  The fact that these sorcerers could recreate any of the plagues shows that Satan is indeed formidable.  I think I take that for granted sometimes, and when I do, it usually comes back to bite me in the butt.  It also is quite obvious that Satan is very clever.  He usually doesn't fight fairly.  If I could see the enemy coming at me face to face, it would be a whole lot easier to fight him.  Satan doesn't operate that way.  He usually starts the fight without me even knowing it.  This is why it is so important for me to be in God's Word daily, because God can point out those little things that I don't even realize before they turn in to something much bigger, which brings me to my second point...


Pharaoh was one hard headed dude, and so am I.  Even in the midst of all these plagues, Pharaoh still didn't believe and let the Israelites go.  At times, I'm not all that different though.  It goes back to what I've written about before...I want God to answer my prayers the way I want them answered.  The other issue is that I'm too stubborn to give up the area of my life that God is trying to work on.  The easy answer is to take up my cross (die to myself) daily and follow Him and everything works itself out in God's way.  The hard answer is to take up my cross (die to myself) daily and follow Him and everything works itself out in God's way.  Either way, there is some dying that needs to take place.  I've been through the hardened heart phase of my life, and I never want to return.  Thankfully, it didn't take 10 plagues to bring me out of it!


God, reveal to me the areas in my life that I'm too stubborn.  Help me to gives those areas over to You.  Break down the footholds that Satan may have in my life, especially the ones I may not be aware of yet.  Continue to purify me.

Speaking with Power and Conviction

Day 31 of 365...


Exodus 4-6


Key Passages/Thoughts:



Ex 4:10-12 - "But Moses replied to the Lord, 'Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent—either in the past or recently or since You have been speaking to Your servant—because I am slow and hesitant in speech.'  The Lord said to him, 'Who made the human mouth? Who makes him mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?  Now go! I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say.'"


I have to be honest...I've used the same excuse that Moses did.  I have said numerous times to numerous people that I'm "not good at talking to someone about my faith...I'm more of a lifestyle evangelist."  As I get older, I realize what load of junk that is.  In my opinion, if you can't talk to someone else about your relationship with God, then you need to question your relationship with God.  There was a time in my life where I felt more comfortable standing up and talking to 2,500 people than talking with one person.  God began to show me that it's was lot easier to hide my broken relationship with Him from a stage than from a personal conversation.  When I came to that realization, it was painful.  Why?  I had to come to grips with the fact that I didn't have much of a relationship with my Heavenly Father.  God had to remind me of what drew me near to Him to begin with.  In reality, when God brought me to this point, all of my relationships were strained (marriage, kids, friends).  The reason was because I was putting up a facade of what I wanted people to think about me.  During this time, it's easy to see why I wasn't comfortable talking to someone about God, because all the things I knew about Him at this point were facts and nothing about a relationship.  It's uncomfortable to talk to someone about something you don't know much or anything about. 


Let's fast forward a bit.  Now, I have no problem talking to one person or thousands of people about my relationship with God.  Why?  Because I have one!  When I hear people make this same excuse Moses did (and I did), I begin to pray for their relationship.  Once God rekindles the flame He lit inside you, it's hard to NOT share it with someone.  It has never been easier to talk to someone about my faith because that's all I know.  In the past, it was just a small compartment of my life.  Now, it IS my life!  There is no part of my life that God hasn't infiltrated.  It's interesting to be on the other side of this excuse now.  As I look back, I begin to realize that "lifestyle evangelism," while important, is just a ploy Satan uses to con people into thinking that they are living for God. During my "lifestyle evangelism" phase, I never felt more empty and useless.  Before I get raked over the coals about "lifestyle evangelism," let me say that my lifestyle should most definitely reflect God's ideals.  However, my lifestyle should be an outpouring of the convictions God has revealed to me in my relationship with Him.  Otherwise, I am just giving in to "positive" peer pressure.  In other words, if I see another "Christian" person doing something, then I should do it, too, because that's what a "Christian" should do.  The other side of that coin is that I am in constant conversation and relationship with God.  God convicts of something I'm doing or not doing in my life and I make necessary changes to alleviate that problem.  Which do you think would promote a conversation about what God is doing in my life?  Which would I feel more comfortable talking about?  I've found that the reason it is easy to speak now is because the Spirit is speaking through me.  I am no longer "trying to say the right thing."  It takes all the pressure off of me when I rely on God to speak through me.  


God, continue to give me the courage and desire to spread Your name and Your glory through the things You've done in my life.  Give me opportunities to speak with boldness and conviction.

Setting My Watch to God's Time

Day 30 of 365...


Exodus 1-3


Key Passages/Thoughts:



Ex 2:23-25 - "After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned because of their difficult labor, and they cried out; and their cry for help ascended to God because of the difficult labor.  So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  God saw the Israelites, and He took notice."


Ex 3:7-8 - "Then the Lord said, 'I have observed the misery of My people in Egypt, and have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I know about their sufferings.  I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey....'"


The Israelites had been in slavery for a very long time at this point.  They had grown weary and tired of what they were going through.  I'm sure through the hundreds of years of slavery that they cried out too many times to count.  However, there is an important lesson to learn here.  First of all, I am no different that the Israelites.  I find ways to complain to God about many different things.  I become so impatient with my current situation that I forget that I was the one the landed me there.  I ask and ask for deliverance when God is wanting me to learn surrender.  In these passages, it says that God heard their cries or groaning or prayers or whatever else they spoke to Him.  It is here that I can find comfort.  God hears what I say to Him!  Let that sink in for a minute.  The Infinite, Holy, All-Powerful God hears the words that I speak to Him.  I can't fathom how much worse it would be if He didn't!  As I read this passage, I realized that God was telling me that He hears me.  Sure, I'm no different than the Israelites, but God reminded me that He heard their cries, and He hears mine, too. 


The other thing that I realized in this passage is that God's timing is the most important aspect of how and when my prayer is answered.  Usually, I want God to answer my request now, in the way I think it should be answered.  God almost always has something else in mind, and it always seems to work out better than I could have ever hoped for.  Sometimes it's painful, but, in the long run, it's what I needed.  This passage says that God heard their cries and Moses was the answer to their prayers, as we find out in future chapters.  Israel had to remain faithful through many generations before God answered their requests.  It kind of puts things into perspective.  I whine and complain to God when He hasn't answered my prayer in 24 hours.  God's desire to answer to my prayer is in direct correlation with my desire for His will and not my own.  When my desires line up with God's, I begin to pray God's heart.  It is here that God will receive all the glory for an answered prayer.


God give the desire to seek Your heart and Your heart only.  Thank You that You understand my desires and longings.  I pray You give me patience as I wait for Your response to my cries for my hope is only found in You.

Blessings Not Found in a Fortune Cookie

Day 29 of 365...


Genesis 48-50


Key Passages/Thoughts:



Gen 48:15-16 - "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, 
the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has redeemed me from all harm—may He bless these boys.  And may they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow to be numerous within the land."


Kids are a blessing not a curse.  I  know that sometimes kids may challenge that notion, but the reality is that they truly are a blessing.  I learn more about God by being a parent than I ever learned by not being one.  I finished up reading Genesis today (2 books down, 64 to go!).  Throughout this book, I noticed how fathers bestowed blessings on their children.  You don't really hear about that nowadays.  You see these men of God (Abraham, Jacob, etc.) blessing their children with thoughtful words and inspirational promises.  It got me to thinking about this question, "How do I bless my kids?"  


The initial response to that question, if it were posed to someone, is to respond with the possessions they bless their kids with.  I give my kids a roof over their head, clothes to wear, and food to eat.  Another response might be that they shower their kids with love and affection.  While these responses are important and necessary, I think the kind of blessing that is shown to us in the book of Genesis takes it several steps further.  When I read the kind of blessing Jacob bestows on his children I see a different response to that question.  The kind of blessing Jacob gives his children shows me two things.  First of all, Jacob knows his kids, and I mean understands them (on a spiritual level) and recognizes their gifts and talents.  This means that he is involved in their lives.  He cares about what they care about and desires to know them better.  The second thing I noticed is that the words Jacob speaks as a blessing have meaning and are well thought out.  This wasn't some fortune cookie blessing.  Jacob had a specific goal in mind when he spoke words over his sons.  These were words that Jacob had thought through for quite some time, perhaps even years!  The words that are spoken would remain with his sons for the rest of their lives, so they had impact!


As I look at my interaction with my children, I want my words to have eternal impact with them.  I have a lot of improvement to make in this area.  I want my kids to impact people for Christ...that is my goal as a parent.  It is my job to prepare them to do that very thing.  I want my words to be blessings and not curses.  I realize that, at times, this is difficult to communicate when kids are sick and irritable or cranky.  However, it is my job to navigate through those feelings and help my kids understand that we have a higher purpose in life.  I want to be able to bestow a blessing on my kids that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.  The process for that begin now, though.  I can't expect for them to receive those kinds of words if I'm not involved with their lives right now.  


God grant me the wisdom to teach my kids what they need to learn.  Give me the patience to train and discipline them.  Help me make disciples of my kids, so they can impact this lost world for You!  

Restoration

Day 28 of 365...


Genesis 46-47


Key Passages/Thoughts:



Gen 46:30 - "Then Israel said to Joseph, 'At last I can die, now that I have seen your face and know you are still alive!'"


Restoration is defined as "bringing back to a former position or condition."  For many years Jacob thought his son was dead.  The heartache and pain involved with that were, at times, unbearable I would imagine.  Throughout the days, weeks, months and years that followed, Jacob stayed faithful to the God of his fathers.  It is a testament to standing on what you believe.  Even in Jacob's darkest times, he turned to the One who promised to be with him no matter what.  It is in this resting place that Jacob must have come to peace despite his circumstances.  Then, we fast forward to the day he hears about his son, Joseph, being alive.  Imagine the emotions that would have rushed through him.  Jacob is in the latter years of his life, and his sons return from Egypt with the news that Joseph is, indeed, alive.  Not only that, but Joseph is in a place of prominence under Pharaoh's household.  Talk about adding years to your life!!  Jacob makes the journey to see his son that was dead but is now alive.  It is here that we hear Jacob utter the words in the passage above.  This is a picture of restoration.  It is almost as if God rewarded Jacob's faithfulness with the return of his son.  Not only that, but God will fulfill his promise to Jacob and cause many descendants to come from Joseph's line, including Jesus!!  


As I read through this story, I am reminded that faithfulness, at times, is all I have to cling to.  There are times when everything is crashing down around me, and all I can do is trust that God has got is under control.  Does God always promise restoration?  This is a hard question to answer.  I believe my thoughts of restoration and God's way of restoration do not always match up.  Again, here is opportunity for God to teach me something through His eyes and not mine.  Sometimes, things happen to me that I consider unjust or unwarranted, but God reminds me that His ways are not my ways.  God uses those instances to shift the way I think so that I am more aligned with Him.  Is it fair?  I am in no position to tell God whether something is fair or not.  Is it fair that my son has cystic fibrosis?  As a human, living in a fallen world, my inclination is to say no!  I'm sure that God's heart breaks for the things my son has had to endure.  However, I am reminded that I live in a fallen world where death and disease run rampant.  This was not God's decision...it was man's.  So, I pose the question again, is it fair that my son has CF?  Whether it's fair or not is not my decision, the reality is that he does.  I have to rely on the fact that God can still use this horrible disease to teach me and my son something more about Him and us.  It is here that restoration happens.  It only happens through Him!


God grant me peace during the times when I need restoration but have not received it yet.  Help me to see through Your eyes.  Help me to endure.  Although the process may be long, help me to remain faithful to what You've called me to do.

My Journey with Pride

Day 27 of 365...

Genesis 43-45

Key Passages/Thoughts:

Gen 45:5-8 - "And now don't be worried or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.  For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting.  God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.  Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt."


Why is humility so hard?  For me, it's a pride thing.  I talked about this to a certain extent in a previous post, but it's a big issue in my life.  Joseph had no problem giving credit where credit is due.  When speaking with his brothers, he said that all these things happened because God sent Joseph or provided for Joseph.  I'm scared to delve into this subject because of what might come out, but I want to be considered someone who is transparent and real, so here goes.


What is at the core of my pride?  Well, we have to travel back in time a little bit to examine the issue.  Growing up, I had to wear "coke bottle" glasses due to my poor eye sight.  This was the source of my concern for what others cared about me.  You could even say that this was the initial wound (a la John Eldridge's "Wild at Heart") that would blossom into a pride issue.  From third grade on, I began a journey that brought about the desire for acceptance and approval.  It was especially bad in high school.  Thankfully, along this journey, God shielded me from a lot of the coping mechanisms people have in this process (drugs, alcohol, fill in the blank), but the wounds sustained during this journey run deep.  I believe God sustained through the high school years because I had an awesome group of friends from my church that were pretty tight knit.  Wounds encounter during the "formative years," I believe, are the hardest to overcome.  As you are trying to discover who you are and who you will be, sustaining criticism and ridicule almost come to define you.  At least, that's how it was for my journey.  The only was to change that "definition" is to allow God to reshape your way of thinking.  I had to learn how He defines me. 


I felt as though I had a new beginning going off to college.  I got to start over.  I would encounter new friends that didn't know about my past.  It was here that I began the long journey of healing the wound that was created.   However, when you go through a process of releasing many years of wounds, it's not exactly easy.  Even now, I struggle with these same issues.  When I read passages like this one, God reminds me where my hope is found.  Joseph, through all he endured, found identity and purpose in God Himself.  God has the tendency to push the limit of what I think I can endure when it comes to this area.  I have begun to picture this process as a sculptor with a hammer and chisel sculpting a piece of rock.  Each scenario is just another swing of the hammer chipping off another imperfection.  Each time I'm pushed to the limit, God is replacing one of those past memories with a new one that is based on Him.  


Thank You God that You make all things new.  Thank You that You can replace a painful past with a promising future.  Thank You that my past doesn't define me, but that I am found in You.

Zaphenath-paneah

Day 26 of 365...

Genesis 41-42

Key Passages/Thoughts:

Gen 41:45 - "Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah "

When other people look at me and my life, do they truly see Christ?  God asked me this question several weeks ago.  In my own justification of an answer, I began to break my life up into different segment and try to answer that question with regard to each segment.  Do my friends truly see Christ in me?  Family?  Strangers?  Co-workers?  The answer should be, "Yes."  Not only should the answer be yes, but it should be yes 100% of the time.  It's that 100% that has been haunting me.  When I read that Pharaoh saw what a godly man Joseph was that he named Joseph Zaphenath-paneah (or God speaks and He lives), I begin to realize that I have some room for improvement.  When people speak to me, do they walk away thinking that God just spoke to them through my words and actions?  I began to ask myself why I tend to fail in some of those situations?  One of the reasons is that I'm just not aware all the time.  I often find myself living life in the rear view mirror.  I get so focused on what I didn't do, didn't say or how I messed something up that I miss the opportunities that are staring me right in the face.  The place I fail at this the most is with my family.  Every day I have opportunities to teach my kids something about God.  While I take advantage of some of those opportunities, I miss a whole lot more.  My kids are like sponges, and I need to make sure that they absorb as much about the love of God as they can while they are still under my roof.   


Another reason that I tend to fail is that I tell myself that I don't have time.  This is one of the biggest fallacies that Satan uses to distract me from taking advantage of the opportunities God places before me.  I'll hear a voice in my ear saying, "you don't have time to stop and talk to that person, you need to be _____ (fill in the blank)."  The reality is, I do have time to spend with someone if they need it. I need to have my schedule flexible enough to be able to stop when God tells me to stop.  My wife and have been in the process of trying to free up more time in our family schedule to be able to minister more and spend more time as a family.  This is a daily struggle and battle because it goes against what everyone else is doing.  We have backed away from almost all sports, dance or whatever class or extracurricular activity you can think of.  The reason being is that we want our family to love each other first, then give that love to everyone we come in contact with.  The Bible talks about being a the "sweet aroma" of Christ to those we come across, and that is what we want for our family.  We want people to look at our family and see the love of Christ present!  We are not there yet, but what an exciting journey to be on.


The last hurdle for me to overcome is the lack of desire.  There are times that I just don't feel like doing what God asks me to do.  It's a me problem!  There are days that I wake up and don't have the energy to engage the people God puts in my path.  There is still of piece of me not willing to be sacrificed, and boy can it put up a good fight!  Pride, for me, is the hardest thing to relinquish.  Pride is what keeps me from having this desire every day.  However, I feel that God continues to kill that part of me on a daily basis.  It would be so much easier if I were to just release my pride, but my stubbornness won't let it go.  


These three obstacles seem insurmountable at times, but, as I said before, God continues to chip away at them every day.  I pray that God brings the sledge hammer and knocks down the wall of pride so that He can have every part of me.  God continue to open my eyes to the opportunities that you place before me.  Help me to make the most of the time I have with my kids and teach them about Your great love.  Give me the courage to share Your love in every situation I face, so that when people walk away they can say Zaphenath-paneah..."God speaks and He lives!"

The Humility of Being Pursued

Day 25 of 365...

Genesis 38-40

Key Passages/Thoughts:

Gen 39:21 - "the Lord was with Joseph"

Joseph was in an extremely lonely place.  Joseph's brothers were extremely jealous and angered with Joseph.  He had shared a few of his dreams with his brothers that involved Joseph having power over them.  He was the apple of his father's eye, and his brothers were reminded of that every time they saw his multicolored cloak.  Then, you have the day Joseph went to see his brothers.  His brothers threw him in a hole in the ground and sold him as a slave.  Joseph ends up at Potiphar's house because Potiphar had bought him as a slave as well.  It is here that things began to go well for Joseph.  However, Potiphar's wife accuses Joseph of trying to rape her.  Joseph ends up in prison.  If I were Joseph, I think I'd be at the end of my rope.  Just when things start going well, they seem to always take a turn for the worse.  Joseph had every reason have to question whether or not God is with him.  We are reminded of that fact several times during Joseph's story.  No matter how bad things seem to get for Joseph, God always seems to make things right.  


As I read the story Joseph, there are several different applications that can be made.  The one that God is driving home with me right now is the idea that God is always with me.  There have been times when I felt like God was so distant that, even if He had spoken, I don't know if I would have heard Him.  As I begin to process through those times, it became quite evident that the reason I couldn't hear Him speak was because I didn't want to hear what He had to say.  Sometimes I get so caught up in my own sins or my desire for comfortability that the only voice I want to hear is my own.  When I get to this point, it's a very dark place.  It is these moments that I realize God's faithfulness to continue to pursue after me!  Usually, there are several, if not many, decisions that lead me into those dark areas. It is in that loneliness, it is in that depression, and it is in that feeling of isolation that God reminds me that I am His beloved and I was created for so much more.  I don't say that out of pride or haughtiness.  I say that because my identity is not found in my mistakes.  My identity is found in Christ and Him crucified.  I am new creation...the old has gone and the new has come.  When I am in those dark places, and God reminds me of this fact, it is like God takes a sledge hammer and breaks through that wall of deception that the enemy had been building and says, "This one's with Me."  I am so thankful that the Lord is with me!  Thank You Lord for being with me even when I don't want You to be.  Thank You that You pursue me when I don't always pursue You.  Thank You that You are the perfect example of what faithfulness looks like.

I'm Never Alone

Day 24 of 365...

Genesis 35-37

Key Passages/Thoughts:

Gen 35:3 - "I will build an altar there to the God who answered me in my day of distress. He has been with me everywhere I have gone."

So, we're back to the importance of building altars.  Jacob brings up an important reminder, God is with me everywhere I go.  I think a lot of times we forget that fact.  I think if I were to spend more time thinking about what God has done for me, and how He's provided for me, I would have a lot more "altars" built.  Unfortunately, I have the tendency to forget the things that God has done for me rather than remembering them.  Sure, I remember the big things, but it's the small things that are more important.  The reason is, if I were to remember the small things, I would realize how much God has truly been with me. I think that's why people relate faith to a roller coaster.  You go up and down, from mountaintop to valley, and that's not the way God designed our relationship with Him.  I think that's why Paul compared our life/faith to a race. It's a matter of enduring until the end.  I think the key to running the race properly is that were following someone not running ahead.  This is where I run into problems.  It would be a whole lot easier to see that God is with me everywhere I've been when it's Him that I am following.  The reality is, I'm the one running ahead hoping that He's following right behind me.  Thankfully, when I run so far ahead and reach my day of distress, God still answers me and is faithful even when I haven't been.  If that's not worth building an altar, then I'm not sure what is.  Most of the time, God doesn't get the credit that He's due.  In my life, I need to give Him more recognition.  God give me the strength to give You the credit that You deserve.  As I run this race, help me to always remember to run in Your footsteps.

Grace Greater than All My Sin

Day 23 of 365...

Genesis 32-34

Key Passages/Thoughts:

Gen 32:9-12 - "Then Jacob said, 'God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, 'Go back to your land and to your family, and I will cause you to prosper,' I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant. Indeed,  I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two camps.  Please rescue me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid of him; otherwise, he may come and attack me, the mothers, and their children.  You have said, 'I will cause you to prosper, and I will make your offspring like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.'"

Gen 33:4 - "But Esau ran to meet him, hugged him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. Then they wept."


Have you ever been worried about what the consequences of your actions might be only to be surprised that you've been reprieved?  I have definitely been in that situation before. Jacob had that same situation with Esau.  Jacob stole Esau's birthright for some soup and his blessing from their father out of deception.  After Jacob stole Esau's blessing, Esau vowed to kill Jacob!  Those are some serious consequences.  I don't know how many years it had been since Jacob saw Esau, but I think it's safe to say it had been a long while.  After all, Jacob has worked for Laban for 14 years, had many children and moved around quite a bit.  However, I'm sure that the wound that Jacob created in Esau's heart was still there.  Needless to say, there was a little apprehension in Jacob knowing that he was about to see his brother.  As I read through this passage, I couldn't help but think of some of the consequences I've had to face because of my own poor decisions.  I also begin to shudder at the idea of consequences I haven't faced yet!  There are times that I beg God not to be harsh on me because I know that I messed up.  However, there are times that I get reprieved in the same way Jacob did with Esau.  Upon first seeing his brother, expecting the worst, Jacob received an embrace from his brother, a kiss and they both wept.  It wasn't the reception Jacob was expecting.  There are times when, undeservingly so, God shows me grace when it comes to the consequences I deserve.  The only thing I can do when He grants me this grace is respond how Jacob did and show God my full affection.  It still amazes me how there is no end to God's grace!  Thank you Lord for showing me grace when it is not deserved, for showing compassion when punishment is warranted and showing love when discipline is justified.  Let me never take any of it for granted, and help me show the same kind of grace to others.

Desperate Times...Non-desperate Measures

Day 22 of 365...

Genesis 30-31

Key Passages/Thoughts:

Gen 30:1-2, 22 - "When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she envied her sister. 'Give me sons, or I will die!'" she said to Jacob.  Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, 'Am I in God's place, who has withheld children from you?'…'Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb.'"

God's timing is always perfect, and His ways are always right.  While I realize that may sound a bit cliche, the truth behind those words is infallible.  Rachel wanted so much to bear children for Jacob, but God's timing wasn't matching up to what Rachel wanted the timing to be.  I have to admit that I am just like Rachel.  There are times when I want something so bad that I force the issue.  I become so impatient waiting on God that I begin making poor decisions and suffer because of them.  Rachel did the same thing.  She decided to give Jacob her slave, Bilhah.  She wanted to build her family through her slave!  It's amazing what kind of decisions people make when they are desperate.  I certainly fall in to that category.  There's even a saying for it, "desperate times call for desperate measures."  The more that I encounter these situations, the more I realize the fallacy in those words.  When times become desperate, the worst decision I can make is to take desperate measures.  I am beginning to realize that I should always be desperate!  I should be so reliant on God that I desperately need Him on a daily basis.  In those situations, though, I should rest and be patient and not rush into any decision without listening to what God wants me to do.  Now, that's an intimidating proposition, but, consider the alternative.  If I don't live my life in desperate need of God's intervention, then I live an empty, superficial existence.  I would walk around worrying about what mask I should put on for each situation I encounter.  I would have my white picket fence around my perfectly manicured yard, beautiful wife (which I do have-wohoo!!), 2.1 kids, 401k and family sedan while wearing my fake smile with my barbecue apron that reads, "Grill Master."  Inside, though, I would be tired, confused, worried...I'd be dying!  Instead, I get to experience the adventure that God sets out for me.  I get to draw nearer and nearer to the heart of the One who Created the universe and listen to Him guide me through life.  I don't have to worry about my appearance to others...I focus on purifying myself in the blood Jesus shed.  I'd rather live a life of adventure as opposed to living a life worried about what others thought of me.  I wish that I could say that I've got this nailed down, that I'm living exactly that way.  I'm not, but that's the goal! 


What's the payoff?  Well, verse 22 says that, "God remembered Rachel."  I don't think that means that God forgot.  It means that God decided that now was the time for Rachel to bear children.  God knows my desires, my wants and my needs.  However, not all of those things are good for me or fit into His plan or His timing.  The payoff for me is that God begins to show me how my desires, wants, needs, talents, etc. match up with His plan. Then, I get to use those things to join Him in what He's doing!  It is then that I see what a great adventure this life is.  That is a payoff worth working towards.


God, continue to purge me of the things that are not from You.  Help me to care only about what You think about me and not others.  

Doing Work

Day 21 of 265...

Genesis 27-29

Key Passages/Thoughts:

Gen 29:28-30 - "And Jacob did just that. He finished the week of celebration, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife.  And Laban gave his slave Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave.  Jacob slept with Rachel also, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years. "

How willing am I to work for something I want?  I must be honest...there  are many times in my life when I ask God for something and expect it to be given to me automatically.  However, I was reminded, by reading this passage today, that there are times that I need to work for what I am wanting from God.  For instance, let's say that God brings to my attention that I need more patience.  I usually follow that request up with a prayer and expect to all of a sudden have more patience.  The reality is a bit different, though.  God will point out that I need more patience.  I pray toward that end.  Then, the opportunities to practice patience come at me like a freight train, and I get flattened like  a pancake.  Jacob worked for 14 years (7 before and 7 after to fulfill his commitment) in order to achieve his goal, which was having Rachel as his wife.  As I begin to look at my life, there are only two things that I've done (or worked on) for that long.  First, my relationship with my wife.  We started dating over 15 years ago, and our relationship is something that I work on every day.  Although I may not have success every day, due to my hard headedness, it is something I will always work tirelessly to improve.  The only other thing I have done for that long is go to school.  In the end, I received a degree, which would mean that my work ended in achievement.  As I begin to look at other areas in my life, I begin to realize that there are areas that need improvement, and I have to be willing to put in the work, even if it takes 14 years.  God give me endurance and motivation to achieve the goals You have for me.  Help me to stay focused on what is important and not give in to the temptation to quit or become distracted.

Understanding Spiritual Gifts

Day 20 of 365...

Genesis 25-26

Key Passages/Thoughts:

Gen 25:32 - "'Look,' said Esau, 'I'm about to die, so what good is a birthright to me?'"

How often do I give up the best that God has for me in order to get something that is lesser?  Esau sets a perfect example of how to give up the best thing for him in order to satisfy a desire that is temporary.  Man do I fall in this category more than I want to admit sometimes.  I think that one of Satan's key tactics is distraction.  There are times when God has told me something to do, something He's gifted me to do, and I get distracted by something else or some other temptation.  I think that this is HUGE for Christ followers to understand.  God has gifted each of us with specific gifts that He wants us to use.  For instance, I am NOT gifted at preschool or children's ministry.  I AM gifted at leadership, teaching and giving.  If someone were to approach me and ask me to serve in the children's ministry and I agreed, I am clearly not using my gifts to their fullest.  Not to mention, I feel like I would be hindering someone who was gifted in that ministry from using their God given gifts.  I think that it's vitally important for Christ followers to know their spiritual gifts and look for the best way to use them.  How, you may ask, do I use my gifts?  God gifted me with the ability to play guitar as well, so, I feel that God can use me best in the avenue of music/worship and teaching.  I play in the band at my church, and I help give leadership to the youth band.  I try to help them understand what it means to lead worship , and how to lead worship.  I also look for opportunities to teach or lead my peers or youth, since I feel that I have that ability.  I'm also gifted in giving, so I look and listen for opportunities to give of my money, gifts and time.  I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing your spiritual gifts...that is the first step in the process.  The next step in the process is prayer.  Pray and ask God to show you the best way your gifts can be used.  Next, look and listen for opportunities to use those gifts and dive in!  In my opinion, if we all understood our gifts and used them to the best of our ability, every need in the church would be met.  Let me repeat that...there would never be a need in the church!  If you look through Acts, you will notice that God organized His church in such a way that all needs were met.  It doesn't matter what the need is...money, service, teaching, whatever.  I think I/we have a lot more to learn when it comes to my/our spiritual gifts.  God grant me the understanding as to how you want to use my gifts and talents to their fullest. 

Trusting God and Praying Specifically

Day 19 of 365... 

Genesis 22-24

Key Passages/Thoughts:

Gen 22:2-4,8 - "'Take your son,' He said, 'your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.'  So early in the morning Abraham got up, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about...Abraham answered, 'God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.'  Then the two of them walked on together."

My son was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when he was 3 months old.  After my wife and I went through the "why" phase of dealing with it, God brought this story to mind.  My wife and I began to realize that God was telling us that our son was like Isaac, and we were to be like Abraham.  We realized early in his life that we would have to lay our son on the "altar," so to speak, on a daily basis.  God loves our son more than we ever could, and we know that God has something special in store for him.  However, it's easy to want to take over the controls when it comes to your own child.  It is then that I am reminded of this story.  Abraham showed ultimate faith and trust.  In the face of having to sacrifice his only son, Abraham believed that God would provide the lamb that was needed for the offering.  Abraham trusted God even as he was binding up his only son and placing him on the altar.  He trusted God even as he raised the knife to "slaughter his son."  You want to talk about passing a test with flying colors.  There were times when my son's life was hanging in the balance (on several occasions), and I could hear God whisper, "Do you still trust me?"  Honestly, there were times when I thought I did, but the reality was that I didn't.  I have never had my faith tested more!  However, through all the struggles, all the pain and suffering, I began to lay my son on the altar more and more and trust that God had it under control even when the doctors didn't.  This story strikes a chord deep within my soul.  My prayer is that as I journey on with my son through his inevitable struggles with this disease that God grants me the courage to help him face these battles with a sense of purpose and resolve. 

Gen 24:42-44 - "'Today when I came to the spring, I prayed: Lord, God of my master Abraham, if only You will make my journey successful!  I am standing here at a spring. Let the virgin who comes out to draw water, and I say to her: Please let me drink a little water from your jug, and who responds to me, 'Drink, and I'll draw water for your camels also'—let her be the woman the Lord has appointed for my master's son."

How specific are you when you pray?  This brings me back to my last post.  We need to stop praying in generalities.  One of the advantages of praying specifically is that you can see when God answers your prayers!  For instance, after my wife and I got married, we planned to go to seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.  While in seminary, we both felt that I should serve on a church staff somewhere.   We began to pray for a church that was looking for a youth minister and that had a house for the youth minister to live in, which very few churches have.  I think you see where this is heading...we received a phone call from a church in Seagoville, Texas that fit all those criteria.  God answered our specific prayers.  Even after that experience, I don't always pray specifically.  I know...it doesn't make any sense.  I'm just thick headed sometimes.  However, I've begun to realize the importance of praying with confidence and praying with specificity.  The more I read about the things God did through prayer in the Bible, the more I realize that I need to pray in that manner.  God is just waiting for us to pray with that kind of power!  It's time to stop limiting God with our prayers and our ideas of what He can do!  I pray that God continues to break down my ideas about Him and replace them with the realities of who He is!