Author: David LaFrance

Today’s Readings: Jeremiah 21, 34, 37, Psalm 79, James 5

In each passage from today, I read about the daily prayers given and asked for others.  The true conversation with the Lord is available every day.

Dear Heavenly Father,

As I read these passages today, I feel grateful and blessed by the grace you have given us.  These passages remind me of your comfort in every conversation with You and how I feel security, strength, peace, identity, and hope. Lord, you have provided everything we need for this day.  You have provided a 24/7 time we can come to you in prayer.  Lord, I ask for those gentle touches when I stray.  When I think I have it figured out, when I’m too proud when I’ve lost my way.  Lord, please humble, comfort, and remind me to go to You in prayer and nowhere else.

Father, I come boldly before Your throne of grace, thanking and praising You for this day. This is the day You have made; therefore, I shall rejoice and be glad in it! You said that if we acknowledge You in all our ways, You will direct our paths in every situation. Let us commit everything to You, Lord.   Amen

From the time we wake up until the moment we fall asleep, there is decision after decision to be made. There is a question we all live out, including what we will do in the next 24 hours.

The world offers plenty of options.  I can reach for my phone, go to the fridge, work out, turn on t.v., cater to my kids, the list can go on and on, looking different for each of us.

Today’s Reading: 2 Corinthians 8,

⁸ I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.

Today, test the sincerity of your heart.  Where will you put your time, mind, heart, actions, and words? Paul was reminding the Corinthians and us to

7.  excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you^[a]—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

Sadly this test I have and will fail over and over again. I am so grateful for His grace.  I pray that I look to Him every day from the moment I wake up to the moment I fall asleep.  Even though the world may paint the picture that we serve ourselves, I pray for the heart and sincerity to love others.  To point everyone to God, who sent His son to die for us all to walk in the grace provided to me today.

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

 

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 49-52, Psalm 69, 1 Corinthians 14

1. Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. 2 I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me.

The fear of drowning is real.  I know the pressure I feel when I try to show my kids how long or far I can hold my breath underwater.  The feeling of not being able to gasp for breath.  Did you know that when you dream of drowning, it is usually related to having too many things going on?

Psalm 69 – The psalmist David provides a vivid picture of a person dealing with so many pressing issues at once that he feels as if he were drowning.  David was inspired to prophesy more details of Jesus’ agony at this separation from His Father.

Let’s take water away and think of our lifestyle.  Have you ever felt you were metaphorically drowning? I know I have.  Maybe it’s the start of a school year? A season of crazy with your kids’ schedules? A new job with all new expectations? Medical bills? Paperwork?  We have all been there at some time.

Even Jesus felt like He was drowning when living on Earth.  It seems impossible to even fathom what Jesus had to endure.  When facing all the attacks and drowning struggles, Jesus prayed to His Father.

But I pray to you, Lord, in the time of your favor;
in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation.
14 Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters.
15 Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up
or the pit close its mouth over me.

So many things vie for our attention in our complex world.  Take a moment to lift your head out of the water and pray to our Father.  He is loving and full of grace.  He knows everything we have done and will do and still calls us by name.  There are days when we can feel like we are drowning.  Turn to our Lord to be rescued.

God provides a space to breathe and live. God saves his people from drowning.

33 The Lord hears the needy and does not despise his captive people.

Have a blessed day!

 

Today’s Reading:  Isaiah 1-3, Psalm 9, Matthew 22

As I start my 25th year as an educator, I still get so excited, like it is my first day.    My wife will jokingly tell me I am the only one who gets that way still.  I remind her that I know many other parents who are counting down the days until school starts. (We did have a blast making the short trips around time and just being together as we did some travels.)

For myself, as we work towards the end of the summer, it is often a time of reflection. What happened? What did we learn as a family over the summer? Were there any highlight moments? The start of the summer did present itself with an opportunity to move my family.  It was hard to think of these changes.  I have been pretty content,  but looking to do or need more based on selfish and earthly family dreams. My ongoing prayer was for God to put me exactly where HE wanted me.  For now, it is still here.  Doing all I love.  These reflective moments brought me to today’s verses on judgment and hope.  Sins of selfishness brought me to my knees when I expected everything to go how I wanted things.  I, I, I was a repeat in various places.  Today’s verses reminded me about earthly idols that can impact every person.  These verses also reminded me about our Savior, who died to wash me clean.  To wash you clean.

I reflected upon everything I saw.  Lots of selfishness in so many of my decisions, looking more at things of this world and trying to live in this earthly world instead of looking towards Heaven.  I lost sight of His glory and looked to my own success or trying to please others.

These verses help remind me about God’s promises of not only judgment but hope. 

Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool. 19 If you are  willing and obedient,
you will eat the good things of the land;

Do the idols in life sometimes get too big to where you can fall into disobedience?  Pray for obedience daily. 

8. Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands,
to what their fingers have made. 9 So people will be brought low
and everyone humbled— do not forgive them. (watch for idols we can create with our hands)

11 The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought low;
the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. 12 The Lord Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted. (judgment will come) 

10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. (trust and seek Him always – He is not of this world) 

(Matthew reminds us what is truly the most important. )

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[c] 38 This is the first an  greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

 

What do you do in the sight of the Lord? 

Today’s Readings include 2 Kings 13–14, 2 Chronicles 25, Psalm 53, and Matthew 12

As I read through our readings for the day, I was reminded of the inherited influences left for me.  Now there was no royalty involved or finances that could come close to this lifestyle, but I remember plenty of things that have impacted me throughout growing up and into my “adult” life. I wish I could say that everything growing up pointed to the Lord.  That would not be true.  In fact, there were many complicated things that I faced that were attached to sin.  This would then impact the choices that I would make growing up.  In today’s reading, Kingdoms were affected.  In my world, parents, siblings, and friends were impacted by my selfish, prideful, and insecure self.  It wasn’t until I started an authentic relationship with the Lord that some of these choices changed.  I pray that I can stay away from slipping back into these same sinful decisions each day.

2 Kings 13-14

² He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from them.

In our reading today, we see Kings who followed the ways they were taught before they reigned.  We read about Kings who decided to go against the Lord’s ways. ( Not a good idea.)

As a husband, father, sibling, and friend, I pray that I continue to live out and point to the Lord.

Psalm 53

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;
there is none who does good.

2 God looks down from heaven
on the children of man
to see if there are any who understand,[b]
who seek after God.

Lesson learned from previous Kings.

• Remembering that open defiance against God may bring temporary gain but will also bring conflict, fear, and ultimately painful defeat.
• We learn that it is in futility that we attempt to “recreate” worship of God in the way that we want to do it. This counterfeit worship only leads to destruction.
• Israel had many kings, but they were not the ultimate authority in Israel. Instead, God’s covenant word was the absolute authority.

Matthew 12

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Today’s Reading is 1 Kings 22, 2 Chronicles 18, Matthew 2

Happy Tuesday – In today’s readings, you will hear the same story of Jehoshaphat joining forces with Ahab.  After feeling like I read the same chapter twice, I landed on a few verses that spoke to my heart. I pray that you will also use His truth and reflect on them today.

1 Kings 22:5  ⁵ But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel of the Lord.”

2 Chronicles 18:4 ⁴ And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Inquire first for the word of the Lord.”

Jehoshaphat was trying to remind Ahab – Seek first the Lord… Which is what we always need to be doing.  Whether it is myself being reminded or reminding someone else, it should be our first go-to.  I have tended to go to the Lord when I need earnest prayers.  This could involve selfishness, greed, anger, untruths, pride, lust, suffering from duplicity… the list can go on.  The three-letter word that encompasses it all is SIN.

I get in trouble., I’ll call on God and pray my way out of a situation or circumstance I behaved my way into.  And then I wonder, what’s up, God? Why?  When God is really asking me, “What’s up, Dave?” what’s wrong with you?  I have given you MY WORD, and you still don’t listen.

In today’s reading, they were about to go to war.  Jehoshaphat was telling Ahab to seek the Lord, but Ahab asked for advice from 400 other prophets.  Sometimes I can act this way.  I can seek an answer from this world’s many people, places, or things. When I need to turn to the one trustworthy source that can provide the peace only He can provide.

Lord, Help me not turn to myself or the world for answers.  Help me to seek you earnestly and not run to you after I have decided to do things my way.  Let me open my ears and heart to the stories shared today.  Amen

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[a] have been called according to his purpose.

 

 

 

Today’s Reading: Song of Solomon 1-3, Psalm 72, 1 Thessalonians 5

Today, my wife Jennifer and I will celebrate our 14th anniversary. (Woot Woot)  As I read our readings for the day, I couldn’t help but pause and reflect on how God connects us and has His perfect timing and reasons for everything under the sun.  When we can believe and trust in reasons for love for others or only for Him.  Some interpretations of this chapter of the Songs of Solomon related it to God’s love for us. What a perfect opportunity to recognize such an amazing gesture of love between two people that only God could orchestrate.

There is beauty in marriage and a grind that we move through as we attempt to navigate this journey on earth between two imperfect people.  Thankfully we have a God through whom we can do all things when we base our love on Him.

This wedding day, love and talk of beauty remind us of all we will experience.  There is also a warning in Songs of Solomon 2:15.

Catch the foxes^[e] for us,
the little foxes
that spoil the vineyards,
for our vineyards are in blossom.”

Many commentators will use this verse as a warning as we enter marriage or relationships.  It warns us to watch out for the things that will ruin a marriage o ra relationship.  The metaphor of the fox stands for the minor problems that can eat away at marriage and cause significant issues.  As I remind you on our 14th anniversary and wherever you may be today, remember to keep God at the center of your marriage.  Don’t let the small things eat away at what God has designed to be fruitful.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.