Month: February 2020

The Kitchen Table                      February 13, 2020

Today’s Reading:  Ps 119:1-8; Gen 26:1-5; James 1:12-16

​You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God.  You’re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him.  That’s right—you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set.  Ps 119:1-3 msg

To live in the blessings of God we must live in the blessing of God.  God’s blessing (promise) is in His word.  Again, we have a choice to make, to live in the blessings of God of the burdens of man, to live in the blessings of God or elsewhere.  There’s a famine in the land and Isaac searches for God’s wisdom on what to do.  God told Isaac that the blessing was in staying and trusting God.  Isaac did and prospered beyond his neighbors and nemesis.  The blessings are in the blessing.  Trust God by obeying Him and believing in His word,  James writes that the man who endures trials is blessed.

The Kitchen Table  Day 28                                             February 12, 2020

Today’s Reading:  Ps 119:105-112; Prov 6:6-23; Jn 8:12-30

For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life… Prov 6:23

Everybody needs a light for life.  We all do.  No one really knows how to live this life on their own.  We learn a lot by just living but we might spend our whole life looking before we get the chance. To live.  We need a light, someone to teach us about life and the sooner we find that light the better we can live this life.  That’s why kids need dads, churches need pastors, people need leaders and the world needs truth.  This world can be dark and damaging.  Out of love for us God sent His Son to be our light in life.  He broke the darkness of this world by letting His life be broken for our darkness.  Jesus is the light on life for everyone who believes.  He shows us how to live this life in a way that works.  You have to believe something, believe the Someone who knows how it works.

The Kitchen Table Day 27                                              February 11, 2020

Today’s Reading:    Ps 119:1-5-112; 2 Kings 23:1-15; 1 Cor 4:1-12

I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,
to keep your righteous rules.  Psalm 119:106

Purpose, power and prosperity all begin with promises.  For the believer it begins with God’s promises to us and our promise to Him.  The Psalmist writes, “I have sworn an oath…”  Real change happens through a real commitment.  Don’t be afraid of making promises.  They help us focus on what God wants for our lives and what we want in our lives.  Josiah committed the whole nation to God and that meant removing all the obstacles and offenses to God in the land.  We must do the same.  Make a promise and then purge your house, your life, you’re your mouth of the obstacles and offenses to God.  Paul writes, “we refuse to practice cunning or tamper with God’s word…”  Let God’s word shine a light on what’s wrong and then recognize it as wrong, repent of it as wrong and recommit yourself to what’s good and what’s God.  Don’t be afraid to make promises, they position us for God’s purpose & power.

The Kitchen Table Day 24

Today’s Reading:  Ps 119:105-112; 2 Kings 22:3-20; Rom 11:2-10

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path

Psalm 119:105

Never underestimate the power of God’s word over your life, in your life and for your life.  In Romans we can begin to see that standing wordless and stand witless, our own table becomes a trap for our souls.  Blind, we don’t understand the need for light to have life.  Josiah, while rebuilding the temple comes across God’s law, God’s word for God’s people.  Stopping everything he repents, receives and responds to God’s word.  You can’t rebuild your temple without His truth.  God’s word runs in front of God’s work.  Don’t find yourself witless because you’re wordless.  God’s word will not only cover us, it will clear a way for us to live in His love.

The Kitchen Table  Day 25

Today’s Reading:  Psalm 12:1-9; Is 29:1-12; James 3:13-18

Light dawns in the darkness for the upright  Ps 112:4

Each one of us will decide how we’re going to look at life. And once again that choice will be made in the heart, not the head. We will look from what we love. James writes about a wisdom that is from below, that is demonic, that is filled with jealousy and selfish ambition in our hearts. We look at life according to what we really love in life. It’s hard to trust and obey when we love our life more than His life. Isaiah prophesied how Jerusalem would become strangely blind, seeing but not able to read or understand because of their love for this life rather than His life. Religion doesn’t help much, only a living breathing relationship with God helps and heals. Light dawns in the darkness for the upright… I’ve often wondered if going to heaven isn’t more about seeing then ceasing.

The Kitchen Table  Day 23

Today’s Reading:  Psalm 112:1-9; Duet 4:1-14; 1 John 5:2-5

Praise the Lord!  Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,

who greatly delights in His commandments.  Ps 112:1

Each one of us must decide how we’re going to live our lives.  That decision will be made in the heart, not the head.  We will live for what we love.  Obedience is tied to the heart, not just the head.   John writes, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.” (1 John 5:3)  The love of God is life and we possess our lives through what we love.  There’s no escaping it.  We can know what we love by how we live because we will live for what we love.  The 10 commandments told us two things:  1. How to live in God’s love and 2. Why we don’t.  Blessed, happy, is the person who fears life outside of God’s love and loves the life and love of God by living in the life and love of God. 

The Kitchen Table   Day 23

Today’s Reading:  Psalm 37:1-17; Ruth 3:1-13; Luke 6:17-26

But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.  Psalm 37:11

You can only trust God by obeying Him.  Our behavior is the evidence of our belief.  Ruth, the foreign widow, not only believes in the God of Naomi but she behaves in obedience to the God of Naomi.  Homeless, hapless, and helpless, she simply believes and behaves accordingly.  The meek shall inherit the land.  She’s humble, not hopeless.  She simply believes and behaves accordingly.  And just like Jesus does for the needy in Luke 6, God changes her situation in a moment.  It’s not about forcing the issue or twisting people’s arms, it’s about trust and obey, for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey.  God’s got this!

The Kitchen Table  Day 22

Today’s Reading:  Psalm 37:1-17; Ruth 2:1-16; James 5:1-6

Commit your way to the Lord: trust Him, and He will act

Psalm 37:5

Don’t be afraid of commitment, it will determine your consequences.  A lot of people think or act as if they have no control over their consequences but that’s not true.  Sure, things happen that we don’t plan on or plan for, but we find ourselves in the consequences of our choices.  Ruth found herself in the consequences of her choices to commit herself to Naomi and God.   James says that there are consequences to our choices even when it comes to meeting the needs of others.  Listen,  commitment might start with words but it shows up in our walk, our work and our will.  Our choices show up in our conversations and our commitments.  Ruth is a great model here because she didn’t just confess her love, she lived out her love and commitment.  Many will miss out on the promises of God because they made a confession but not a commitment to God.  Trust Him and keep trusting Him, you’re about to see Him act from heaven.   

The Kitchen Table  Day 21

Today’s Reading:  Psalm 37:1-7; Ruth 1:1-18; Philemon 1-25

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you

the desires of your heart.  Psalm 37:4

Today, choose Jesus!  There are and will be times in this life when we don’t like our situation, obligations and destination but choose Jesus anyway.  Ruth was left a widow with a widow but she chose God.  Philemon was left at a loss after a loss, but Paul admonished him to choose Jesus.  Things happen that we didn’t choose and don’t cherish but choose Jesus anyway.  The promise of disappointment, discouragement and disaster is darkness.  The promise of delighting in the Lord is the desires of our hearts.  Choose Jesus over you pain, He is the only one who can satisfy your heart.