Day 12 - God is Awesome (1 Peter 1:3-12)

Today's reading in (1 Peter 1:3-12) is short and strong. I actually had to memorize these verses for a class not so long ago.

If you're following along still on Day 12, great job! Keep it up! Stick with it! You are on the right road!

It's a road that gives us new life...

It's a road that develops our faith in Christ - like gold, which is refined by fire...

It's a road that leads to the salvation of your souls...

Peter describes the power and privilege of receiving God's salvation. If we really "get it" (mind, heart, soul), it will give birth to great joy ("greatly rejoice") even in the midst of life's trouble. If we truly seek Christ, we will know more and more the blessings we have - even the angels and prophets didn't know about this stuff! If you continue on in your salvation, your live will overflow with a contagious love for Jesus and an active love for other people. Peter writes, "though you have not seen him, you love him" (1 Pet. 3:8).

Dear God....
- Restore me to the great joy and wonder of your salvation!

- Help me to hang on to you and develop a deeper commitment to you, so that only joy is the response of my heart. When I fail, or when I hurt, or when I'm stressed, help me find JOY in your presence alone. Help me find new life and hope for each
day... from your Spirit!

- It's awesome that your Spirit was leading the prophets to talk about this stuff, and the angels to investigate this stuff, but salvation comes to each of us, today, who has received Jesus' life, death, and resurrection for our own lives.

- I know that there are friends in my life... even Facebook friends who I have barely talked to in years. Only you know where people stand with you... but I pray that your salvation would be displayed in my life with joy, energy, and love. That people would see a difference in me - especially my wife and kids - but everybody else too!

Day 11 - God is Awesome (Psalm 113 & Psalm 111)

Aren’t most songs today about praise? We all praise something… or someone.

People praise money, and sell out all sorts of time, emotion, and effort to get the “kaysh.” When we can’t get money, we settle for watching other people get money. That’s how people like Regis Philben and Howie Mandel attained celebrity – hosting money shows!

Most things in life aren’t worthy of your heart. They don’t deserve praise.

However…

What about the One on the throne, overseeing the sunrise and set, governing the nations and the skies, looking down on little earthlings every day?

What about the One who lifts up the poor, gives children to caring mothers, and has the final say in government and fate?

What about the One who has shown you His work - His power, His provision for your life and needs, His redemption from your sin?

God deserves better than what I currently give Him.

Both readings for today are great to read out loud, to think about, maybe even to memorize. Especially this verse, Psalm 111:10 - The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding. To Him belongs eternal praise.

Dear God,

A list of all your great works? Where to start? I should look up first, and try to explain the beauty of the clouds, the power of the sun, the goodness and health of fresh air.

You are an awesome, powerful, mysterious God who does not need any approval or permission from me. You are running the show. Help me remember that the president, the IRS, the nations of the world are not running the show. You alone sit on that THRONE in heaven, and your children have nothing to fear.

Help us fear you first. Respect you first. Seek your approval, your wisdom, your guidance, your character, your love first.

Thank you for your great work in our family. We are so blessed with Allie, Luke and Julie. Allie is passionate, determined, and intelligent. Luke is becoming more boisterous, great to wrestle with, and he’s always been unselfish. Okay, at least when I am looking. Julie has the most beautiful smile and glow about her, and she’s nine months old today.

Thank you, God, for an amazing wife. I never want to take Jennie for granted.

The Lord IS gracious and compassionate. His works should never be forgotten! His name is to be praised from sunrise to sunset!

Day 11 - God is Awesome (Psalm 113 & Psalm 111)

Aren’t most songs today about praise? We all praise something… or someone.

People praise money, and sell out all sorts of time, emotion, and effort to get the “kaysh.” When we can’t get money, we settle for watching other people get money. That’s how people like Regis Philben and Howie Mandel attained celebrity – hosting money shows!

Most things in life aren’t worthy of your heart. They don’t deserve praise.

However…

What about the One on the throne, overseeing the sunrise and set, governing the nations and the skies, looking down on little earthlings every day?

What about the One who lifts up the poor, gives children to caring mothers, and has the final say in government and fate?

What about the One who has shown you His work - His power, His provision for your life and needs, His redemption from your sin?

God deserves better than what I currently give Him.

Both readings for today are great to read out loud, to think about, maybe even to memorize. Especially this verse, Psalm 111:10 - The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding. To Him belongs eternal praise.

Dear God,

A list of all your great works? Where to start? I should look up first, and try to explain the beauty of the clouds, the power of the sun, the goodness and health of fresh air.

You are an awesome, powerful, mysterious God who does not need any approval or permission from me. You are running the show. Help me remember that the president, the IRS, the nations of the world are not running the show. You alone sit on that THRONE in heaven, and your children have nothing to fear.

Help us fear you first. Respect you first. Seek your approval, your wisdom, your guidance, your character, your love first.

Thank you for your great work in our family. We are so blessed with Allie, Luke and Julie. Allie is passionate, determined, and intelligent. Luke is becoming more boisterous, great to wrestle with, and he’s always been unselfish. Okay, at least when I am looking. Julie has the most beautiful smile and glow about her, and she’s nine months old today.

Thank you, God, for an amazing wife. I never want to take Jennie for granted.

The Lord IS gracious and compassionate. His works should never be forgotten! His name is to be praised from sunrise to sunset!

Day 10 - God is Awesome (Colossians 3:1-17)

If God is at work in your life...

If you actually want to know God and be the person He created you to be...

Then you will strive to focus on Him. To think His thoughts. To know His truths. To "set your minds on things above."

That's part of the privilege, mystery, and challenge of prayer. We focus our mind on talking to God, praising God, asking questions of God - we are setting our minds on things above.

Hopefully, the more I do this, the more my prayers will be about what God wants, and the less they will be about the "things of earth" - the things I want...

Read that section from Colossians for today.

The whole section blends together... either you will set your hearts and life to pursue selfish desires... or you and I will put that old self "to death."

By God's grace (starting in verse 12), you'll see things like compassion, kindness, forgiveness, and love - those things become realities when we work together to focus our hearts on Jesus.

In verses 15-17, Paul mentions the idea of giving thanks to God. He mentions it three times. In your relationships, be grateful. In your songs and praises, be grateful. In whatever you do, give thanks to God.

Thoughts of thanksgiving should flow through in times of prayer and praise. Specifically, Paul is calling us to be thankful for the new life we can have in Christ. The new life apart from the addictions, the sins, the guilt, and the pain. The new life that is different from your past. The new life that just keeps giving you encouragement, life, and love from God and others.

When you pray, be thankful that God gives us that choice... to point our lives in His direction, and leave the past behind.

Dear God...
Thank you for letting us have the privilege of knowing you, reading your Word, drawing close to you, and celebrating the new life You have made available to us.
Thank you for giving me the strength to make right choices... Thank you for forgiving me when I've failed - and when I've made wrong choices.
Thank you, God, for surrounding me with friends who help encourage me in my faith... Help me encourage them too. Help me reach out and show them the joy and gratitude and love that is ours because of you.
God, help me just be a more grateful person - a stronger heart for thanksgiving and taking time like this to tell you what I'm thankful for. You are way, way too good to me.

Day 9 - God is Awesome (Luke 17:11-19)

I start every day's reflections by reading the Bible verses and thinking about them for a few minutes. Today, we'll look at Luke 17:11-19. If you want to read those for yourself first, feel free to click here.

As He traveled, Jesus often encountered desperate people. A desperate father, hoping that his son could be healed. A hopeless woman, stricken with disease. A demon-possessed man.

Jesus crossed paths with all types of people and every form of human pain.

If they came to Jesus for help, healing, or guidance, he always gave them what they needed most. Here's an account of ten "lepers" - people with various types of skin disease - yelling out to Jesus. By law, most of them were not allowed to get close to people and spread the illness. So they shouted. They "called out in a loud voice." It seems like a coordinated effort.

One of them recognizes Jesus. One of them gets the idea.

Together, they decide what they'll say, how loud they'll say it, and when they will shout desperately to Jesus from a distance. Together, they hear Jesus' instructions to show themselves to the priest.

In that day, a person's physical sickness was thought to be connected somewhat with a spiritual sickness or sinful rebellion. In order to be pronounced "clean," and fit to re-enter society with the rights of a human being, one had to get approval from the priest. Jesus sends them - all ten of them - to get that approval. En route, the healing occurs.

All ten go the priest. All ten are pronounced "clean."

Sadly, only ONE guy comes back to say thanks. He praises God in a loud voice. He throws himself at the feet of Jesus. This foreigner... this recovering skin-disease victim... is the only one to recognize and say thanks to His Savior.

Question - Why do we often fail to say thanks to God? Why am I prone to be more like the NINE? Could it be my own sense of entitlement? Could it be that I'm too focused on myself and getting on with my life? What's next?

Maybe those NINE were already thinking about getting home and visiting family and reconnecting - and who could blame them? Apparently, though... they focused on the healing and totally missed the Healer.

This is a convicting story. The compassion of Jesus. The ten who are healed. The nine who take it for granted. The one - the loner - the solo - the only - just one guy says thanks.

For at least today, let's act like that one guy...

Dear God...

- Thanks so much for answering my prayers yesterday. You know about my own visit to the doctor, which is never something I get thrilled about. Thank you that it went much better than I thought. Thanks for hearing those prayers and for caring for my/our physical needs and concerns.

- Thank you for answering prayers for my good friend, Pastor Darrell Anderson. His heart valve-replacement surgery is nearly two weeks ago, and I'm thankful that he's home and getting rest and things seem to be going great.

- God, thank you for the good things You do, especially in hard times. I have friends who are going through a rough time financially, or have recently lost jobs... God, thank you for taking care of their need, even through the storms of life.

- God, thank you for giving Jennie and me great strength, love, and encouragement from You and from others as we experienced two miscarriages together. We've grown so much through those times, and You have brought us close. Thank you for the hope we have of meeting our other kids in heaven one day.

- Jesus, thank you for responding, helping, loving, and healing when we shout for help... even from a distance... thank you for being the kind of friend and the kind of God who is ABLE to help, and COMPASSIONATE - WILLING to help. We are grateful... teach us to praise and thank you on a regular basis... to throw ourselves at your feet... Thank You!


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Day 8 - God is Awesome (Psalm 8)

Life is fast. Life is busy. You know that because it's Monday. Another week staring you in the face. Things you need to do, things you want to do, things you won't have time to do.

I'll confess, it's easy for us to get into the pattern of doing, accomplishing tasks, and flying through time without stopping to notice...

Psalm 8 is a prayer of one who notices things like the sky, moon, stars.. all of God's creation... David writes, "How majestic is your name in all the earth."

How rare that human beings, as creations of God, ever really turn our eyes or hearts toward Him.... to recognize His work... to give Him credit... to say affirming words to Him...

Words of admiration, thanks, praise - these should be regular gifts we bring to God. Gifts He deserves, and gifts we should be honored to give. We're not worth this privilege, and yet He invites it...

Dear God, I think you are awesome, because...

- You are all-powerful, all-creative, all-knowing, and all-present. Things I can't even wrap my mind around... You are totally superior to all of us...

- You have demonstrated your awesome power and love to your creation in so many ways. Help me pause more, in the midst of busy days or weeks, to recognize the greatness and beauty of your works.

- You are awesome because I've seen you bring hope, forgiveness, and new life to so many of my friends and family.

- You are awesome because you have delivered victory over sin and death to a group of people (us), who would never deserve it.

- You are awesome because somehow, all of my personality quirks, preferences, idiosyncracies, successes, failures, and learning curves - You have known all about them since the beginning of time... some of them are specifically given by You, as part of your desire to teach me, to show your sense of humor, or especially, to show your wonderful forgiveness and grace.

- You are awesome in my life, God... thank you so much!

Day 7 - God is With You (Review of week 1)

Every seventh day, we're going to hit the pause button and reflect on the readings and thoughts of the previous week.

During this first week of "Dear God," we had Scripture readings and reflected on the fact that God is with us.

God is always with us. You can choose to admit and embrace that, or you are free to ignore Him. Either option comes with a level of risk, doesn't it.

Embracing the presence of God should remind you of the glory, the opportunity, and the power He has in every moment.

Rejecting the presence of God means you ignore the care, the love, and the guidance God offers for every moment.

That's a huge decision, and we face it every single day.

So, three questions...

(1) What has God taught you over the past week?
Personally, I was reminded about how God's presence with us, and His intentions for a relationship with us - these thoughts are clear throughout the entire Bible. Psalms is a great place to see the conversations between a man and his God, but relationship with God is a priority from Genesis to Revelation.

God has taught me - again - about the value, need, priority - for me to spend time with him personally. Just God and Gary. With my job, I get lots of time as "Pastor Gary" and God... but this has been a great time to set aside even more time to think, reflect, pray, journal, and just be myself with Him.

What has God taught you? I'd love to hear any thoughts if you want to post a comment...

(2) How do you hope to get to know Him better in the next few weeks?
I hope to develop a more balanced prayer life. To pray words of praise that develop the practice of humbly approaching God and acknowledging His leadership over my life and circumstances. To expose sin or problem areas that I need to bring before God in prayer. To learn to ask God for the needs and desires of my heart, rather than try to attain them for myself.

I hope to strengthen my consistent conversation of prayer throughout the day, and that His Spirit will help me remember the things I too easily forget.

(3) What are some more things you would like to pray about?
I am praying about our neighborhood and community. Delaware (Ohio) is a great place to live, but there are a lot of needs here. The challenging economy has been tough on many families in our country. In some cases, people are starting to seek God for the first time.

I want to pray every day for Jennie, Allie, Luke, and Julie. Our family is a huge blessing to me, and I want to do my best to love them and encourage them to love God too.

Some people want me to pray for the Steelers to win tonight. I'm not sure if I'll pray for that one. =)

I am also praying for you, as you read through these "Dear God" prayer notes... I pray that God will help you get to know Him, to interact with Him, to learn about Him, and reap the benefits of that Father-child relationship you have with God.