Scripture for Today: Matthew 7:25 “The rain came down, the streams rose and the winds blew and beat against that house – yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”

Can’t lose these marbles! They are hard to miss, rising up from the desert floor of Northern Australia. The Devils Marbles have come to symbolize the Australian outback but in fact, for the Aboriginal people it is sacred ground being the site for “dream stories.” Hundreds of these rounded granite rocks, some as big as twenty feet, have survived centuries of erosion. However, some have split completely in half!

Today’s verse uses the image of a rock as a firm foundation for building our lives. The one using rock is the one who not only hears the words of Jesus but puts them into practice. (vs.24) Hearing the words of Jesus without obedience is like building a house on sand. In either scenario the winds and rain will come to beat on the house. But only one house will survive those relentless storms of life. The crowds were amazed at what they heard from Jesus. (vs. 28) But the point Jesus was making was not about just hearing!

Like never before we have multiple opportunities to hear the words of Jesus: sermons, books, articles, songs, live streaming, podcasts and personal Bible reading. I can choose to hear His words twenty-four/seven if I were so inclined. But were I to stop there, I would be building on sand. The point is not how familiar I am with His words, how many verses I can quote or how much I study. The point is how much I put in practice!

Thank you Lord, for being my Rock!

Scripture for Today: Acts 9:6a (KJV) “And he trembling and astonished said, ‘Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?'”

I remember growing up in this church where all the “cool kids” sat up front on the right. Me? I am sitting on the left with my parents! What a wonderful legacy and impact this church had on my life and the life of my family. All three of my siblings found their spouses in the youth group. And week after week the words of this banner were burned into my soul. The underlying message was faithful submission and obedience to whatever the Lord would want to do with my life.

Today’s verse is the origin of this banner. These are the words of Saul (later renamed Paul) on the road to Damascus. This is his response to the Lord’s revelation of Himself. It is no wonder that Saul trembled with astonishment at the blinding light and the voice from Heaven speaking his name. Because of God’s miraculous confrontation, Saul’s zeal to persecute Christ followers was now redirected to love and serve Him. Saul immediately gives his life over to whatever God will do with it.

Seeing this verse every week made me realize that my life was not my own. The Lord bought me with a price (I Cor. 6:20) and I belong to Him. The price was so high that the only reasonable response is to submit my will to His. This concept is not just theoretical. It impacts my every day and what I choose to do with it! Following what He wants is not always easy, but life sure is not boring! His plans make every day significant. This verse is a question I want to ask Him everyday of my life!

Lord, show me what You want from me today!

Scripture for Today: Psalm 62:6-7 “Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.  My salvation and my honor depend on God.  He is my mighty rock, my refuge.”

It was a moment of honor.  My Father was a Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy during WWII.  Last week we buried him with military honor for his service all those years ago.  It was a moving moment to hear the three gun salute and taps being played.  It was an  especially touching moment to see those soldiers saluting the coffin.

The memorial service the next day was entirely different.  It was also a moment of honor as we remembered the life of a wonderful man.  But there was a difference.  In speaking of my Father, we also honored our Heavenly Father.  He had been my Dad’s rock and refuge since 1939.

Today’s verse says that salvation depends on God.  We cannot save ourselves from our sin.  He is the One who in His grace bends down to extract us from the messiness our sin creates.  But our honor also depends on Him.  In addition to redeeming our lives, He crowns us with love and compassion (Psalm 103:4).  David even talks about how God increases honor for him! (Psalm 71:21)

If my life or my Dad’s life is honorable, it is because of the Lord.  Our Creator continually works in those who belong to Him, forming His beautiful character.  The praise and honor ultimately belong to Him!  He makes a life beautiful and worth living. It really will not be so long before I am with my Dad, worshiping and honoring together the One who gave us honor. 

Thank you Lord, that You create honorable lives  May my life honor You today.

(Look familiar? This is a repost from 2014)

Scripture for Today: Ecclesiastes 7:20 “Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.”

It is complicated to calculate margin of error, at least to those who do not have strong math skills! This concept in statistics expresses the amount of random variation underlying a survey’s results. In principle, the larger the sample is, the smaller the margin of error is. The other important factor is the confidence level, whether 90, 95 or 99%. There are also other sources of error that come into play; bias in the questions, excluding groups that could not be contacted, people refusing to respond, people lying or miscounting.

In today’s verse there is absolutely no margin of error! The sample is the largest it can be: earth’s entire population. Added to this fact is the veracity of God’s Word. Paul affirms this statement when quoting Psalm 14:1-3, “There is no one righteous, not even one.” (Rom. 3:11) God’s standards of righteousness are well above man’s. God looks down from Heaven on all mankind. (Ps. 53:1-3) And if it were not for the grace He showed when taking on Himself the punishment of our sins on the cross, there would be no hope of forgiveness or of eternal life with Him.

No. There is no error at all in what God declares is true. I have a confidence level of 100% because God said it. There is not a person on this planet (myself included) that can merit eternal life. No one can slide in as part of some forgotten percentage. God does not grade on a curve. His standard is holiness and I am woefully short. Thankfully, He has given me not only abundant grace but also the righteousness of His Son! (Rom. 5:17)

Thank you Lord, that what You say is completely trustworthy.

Scripture for Today: Philippians 3:18 “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.”

This song was written by George Beverly Shea in 1933. He was encouraged by his mother to put music to a poem she liked by Rhea Miller. It was her hope that in putting together this hymn, her son would find new direction for his talent. And in fact he did, touring the world as a soloist with Billy Graham. I cannot hear it without remembering the joke of a former boyfriend. He said if we ever got married, he would sing this as I came down the aisle!!

Today’s verse made me think of this song that says “I’d rather have Jesus than anything.” To Paul, the surpassing worth of knowing Christ made him willing to consider everything else in his life as a loss. This beautiful and satisfying relationship with Christ has made all his past accomplishments seem as worthless garbage.  But gaining Christ was something that could not happen as long as he valued his accomplishments, past or present, more than the Lord. 

When I care too much about the world’s approbation somehow I forfeit having more of Christ. So often I am confronted with choice. Would I rather have Jesus or am I valuing anything as more important than Him? Can I say that I would “rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today?” My answers make all the difference to the choices I make. His kingdom takes precedent over any other concern. I want to make His will my focus and not my own. Gaining Christ makes any sacrifice worth it!

Lord, I choose You.