Today's Reading
If Isaiah 58 is any indication, God has a particular disdain for the times we act religious without repentant hearts. Oh God, be merciful to me for the times I have spoken prayers with my lips while my heart was far from you. Forgive me for the times I enjoyed looking pious, but my life was totally self-centered. Forgive me for the times I have played the role of publicly following you while privately I ran the other way.
Someone wrote a commentary on Philippians a number of years ago. He called it "God's Book For The Joyful Look." Paul even found joy in the fact that some people preached with wrong motives, but the Gospel changed lives anyway. I struggle sometimes when I see the outward success of those who seem to use their preaching as a way to build a personal kingdom. I need to have the same attitude as the apolstle.
Psalms: "15 I will tell everyone about your righteousness.
All day long I will proclaim your saving power,
though I am not skilled with words." I have found that it's easy to make this promise and often not so easy to follow through with it.
Proverbs: "10 If you fail under pressure,
your strength is too small." Ouch! But it's true if we understand that God alone is our strength in times of trouble.
What strengthens you today as you read the Word?
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I like the encouragement aspect found in Phi today. When I cross thread that with the words in Proverbs I get a sense of how much God loves me and desires for His followers to be strengthened in Him.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I wish that I could just whip out the ol' harp and start praising the Lord with it. David speaks of that so many times in his praises. I guess I could do the same thing with the instrument that I can play. Still . . . the harp sounds so gorgeous.
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