Tag Archives: meditation

Integrity and choice, May 21, 2018

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As hard as it is to live a life of integrity, because we have God’s help in doing so, we have a choice in living the life of integrity he desires of us. We might not think about that very often, but it’s true. In today’s society, it’s easy to blame someone or something else on our lack of integrity. We push back justify our behavior on poor parenting. We blame the lack of material goods in a house bordering on poverty in a materialistic world. We blame the violence and immorality that invades us in mind-numbing entertainment like television, movies, games, and more. We blame schools for not enforcing rules that should be set and enforced at home.

We blame anything and everything on our failure to maintain a life of integrity. Why? Because like most things in our life, we have a hard time accepting the fact that most often our failures are out fault. And the failure lies in the choices we made somewhere along the line. We just don’t want to believe that we can fail. So we pawn our mistakes, our behavior, our failure on someone else.

The problem with that approach, though, we never learn from our failure unless we take responsibility for it. We must figure out where we went wrong, fix it, and go from there. Doing everything we can not to repeat those same mistakes in the future. We will fail again? Most likely. No one is exempt from error. We all fail at one time or another at one task or another. We can’t help it. We are part of Adam’s race. He and Eve disobeyed God in that first garden and we inherited his inability to live the perfect life of integrity God desired of him and us.

But there is something we can do about it. First, we can ask God and the individuals we might have wronged for forgiveness. John wrote that when we confess our sins, he is ready, able, and just and will forgive our sins. But also wants to lead us to a life of righteousness, right living. That means we must make some hard choices at times. We must look temptations in the eye and say no. We must obey his commands despite the lure and attraction of the things the world might offer us if we yield to her demands.

We have a choice. I can choose to satisfy those base desires in unhealthy, unholy ways. I can choose to follow my selfish desires. I can choose to use other people for my gain. I can choose to hoard the things God has entrusted to me. I can choose to push the helpless and needy away when I have the means to give them hope. I can just to execute vengeance and justice instead of grace and mercy toward my enemies. I can choose the path I take.

I can choose my path, but I cannot choose what lies at the end of that path. I cannot choose the consequences of every choice I make whether good or bad. I cannot alter the natural outcome of the laws God gave us. Sure, he is a God of love and mercy, but that doesn’t mean he will stop the natural course of events that come to us as a result of our choices. We may still suffer the lasting effects of those seemingly insignificant choices we made in an hour of weakness.

So, how do I ensure I make the right choices along the way? How do I avoid the consequence that God set in place at the beginning of time? How do I stand up to the failures that I cause through my actions?

First,lean more on him. Go to God in both the good times and the bad. Pray earnestly when you’re in a time of smooth sailing. When you do, it will be easier to approach him when the going gets tough. You wouldn’t ask a complete stranger to help you with a personal, intimate problem, but you might ask a dear friend. Think about your relationship with God. If you only interact with him on Sunday mornings at church, why would he help? If you’re not his friend, why would he stop to give aid in your time of need? So in the good times, when everything is going well, be careful to give God the glory. Maintain a constant personal relationship with him. When you do, you’ll find he is willing and ready to give you the support you need and he will never leave you or forsake you. So keep your prayer life up.

Second, meditate on his word. What does that mean? Think about what you have read in scripture. Of course, that means you need to read scripture…every day. Maybe even several times a day. David said, “I will meditate on your word night and day. I will hide your word in my heart, so I might not sin against you.” If David tells us a dozen times to meditate on God’s word and deeds, maybe we should pay attention and do just that. Read the Bible. Let it soak into your everyday life. Don’t let it be one of those tomes that gathers dust on a table. Let God speak to you through his word. He gives good advice in those 66 books if we would just listen to him and do what he tells us to do.

Third, before making life-changing decisions, stop and think. It’s surprising how often we just act without thinking about the second and third order affects our choices make on us or those around us. Most of the time it isn’t too hard to think about the consequences our actions will create. We just need to step back for a second and use that gray matter that sits inside our skull. Tragically, we too often just act and think about it after the fact when it’s too late to retract our action. Once done, it’s done. Things have been set in motion and the consequences are set whether we like them or not.

Then while we’re on this pause before making a decision, when possible and practical, seek the advice of a mentor. Most of the time, the decision you are about to make has been made before. It is truly amazing the number of times we repeat the mistakes of others because we fail to heed their warnings. Just take a moment to listen to those who have gone before you. Listen to their counsel. Understand they have your best in mind. If they have traveled that road before you, they can help you avoid the pitfalls and the suffering they may have suffered because of choice they would make differently if given the chance. Remember, two heads are better than one.

We’re back to where we began today. Integrity involves choice. You can be a person of integrity. You can choose that life. It will take God’s help. We can not do it alone. But we can choose to let him walk beside us and keep us on the right path. As we go back to our original definition a few weeks ago, integrity is about unity, oneness, cohesion. When we choose with God in mind, we draw closer to him. We we choose with our selfish desires in mind, we drive a wedge between us and him.

Think about the choices you will make today. Stand as Joshua did with his declaration at the top of your priorities, “…as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” It is always a choice. And God lets you make it at every crossroad of life. Choose today whom you will serve.

You can find me at richardagee.com. I also invite you to join us at San Antonio First Church of the Nazarene on West Avenue in San Antonio. You can find out more about my church at SAF.church. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it, tell a friend. If you didn’t, send me an email and let me know how better to reach out to those around you. Until next week, may God richly bless you as you venture into His story each day.

 

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The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Fasting, wear His joy (Matthew 6:16-18) January 22, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Isaiah 18-22

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 6:16-18
Jesus: And when you fast, do not look miserable as the actors and hypocrites do when they are fasting—they walk around town putting on airs about their suffering and weakness, complaining about how hungry they are. So everyone will know they are fasting, they don’t wash or anoint themselves with oil, pink their cheeks, or wear comfortable shoes. Those who show off their piety, they have already received their reward. When you fast, wash your face and beautify yourself with oil, so no one who looks at you will know about your discipline. Only your Father, who is unseen, will see your fast. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Jesus talked about the disciplines of giving and prayer earlier in His sermon. Now He talks about fasting. We don’t hear much about fasting anymore, but Jesus assumed those who followed Him observed the practice, His concern dealt with how they observed the discipline. As today, many will wear their piety on their shoulder. You can see how religious a person seems to be. Please don’t take what I’m about to say the wrong way. There is nothing right or wrong with the attire or hair style of any group.

But wearing ankle length skirts and long hair doesn’t make a woman more saintly than another. Wearing beards trimmed in a particular way and distinctive headgear in public doesn’t make a man holier than another. Neither does wearing shorts and flip-flops in the sanctuary make a person less holy than another. Jesus didn’t look at a person’s dress to determine their status before God. We are all sinners. Period. None of us meet God’s standard of holiness. We all fall short and clothes or special words or the style of our hair or jewelry or lack thereof really doesn’t matter to God.

God cares about what’s on the inside. He cares about our heart. Which means He cares about why we fast. No one knows the answer to that question but me and you, individually. Even if I fast in secret, only I know the answer as to why I fast. Do I fast to try to earn God’s favor? It probably won’t work. Do I fast as a payment for something I want from Him? I can’t pay enough for His blessings, so I might as well not fast. Do I fast to identify with Christ? Maybe I’m getting closer.

Fasting is about spending time with God to get to really know Him. Fasting in both Old and New Testament times mean sacrificing the time normally spent preparing and eating a meal and spending it in prayer and meditation. We kind of understand that, but not really. You see we forget what it means to prepare and eat a meal like they did in Old and New Testament times. Let’s take a look at preparing a meal for your family.

Start with a simple meal of roasted goat, potatoes, carrots, and bread. Sounds like a simple enough meal for an agrarian family with a small settlement, doesn’t it? How long does it take to prepare a goat? Ever kill one, slaughter it, then roast enough for a meal? In the military, I used to train veterinary units as they prepared for deployments and one of the tasks they performed was food inspection. On occasion, we would have the unit “prepare” a wild boar we captured within the training area and roast it as part of their training. The task usually started about seven in the morning and often the pig wasn’t done until the next morning.

Granted, the unit took it’s time and didn’t slaught animals very often. They weren’t exactly skilled at the task, so an experienced father and son, or a couple of neighbors could probably slaughter one faster. But the time to roast an animal until it’s done doesn’t change much over an open fire. It just takes time. Minimum time in the Old and New Testament from start to finish? Probably twelve to sixteen hours to prepare the meat. And if they bought the meat from the corner store (or open market in those days), it’s still four hours just to prepare and cook the meat until it’s done, whether in a stew, cut into strips and baked, roasted whole, or whatever. Time is spent either in preparation, in cooking, or a combination of the two.

The vegetables, that’s the short part. Like today, get the water boiling or roast the vegetables under the coals and veggies are done in about an hour. But how about the bread. Start to finish, five hours to mix, knead, rise, and bake. So there is the time spent in fasting just one meal. Five hours in prayer and meditation. Time given to God to get to know Him. Time to focus only on Him and build your relationship with Him.

So when is the last time you exercised the Christian discipline of fasting? When is the last time you spent that “meal preparation” time, four or five hours alone with God. See it’s not about skipping a meal. We can all afford to do that every once in a while just to keep a pound or two off our frame, but can you spend quality time, real time with your Father to really get to know Him? That’s what Jesus is asking us to do. When you spend that kind of time. I guarantee you won’t look sad and weak and forlorn. You will have been in the presence of God and you’ll wear His joy on your face.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Whose prayer? (Matthew 6:9-13) January 20, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 6-8

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 6:9-13
Jesus(prayed): Your prayers, rather, should be simple, like this:
Our Father in heaven,
let Your name remain holy.
Bring about Your kingdom.
Manifest Your will here on earth,
as it is manifest in heaven.
Give us each day that day’s bread—no more, no less—
And forgive us our debts
as we forgive those who owe us something.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
But let Your kingdom be,
and let it be powerful
and glorious forever. Amen.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We’ve heard the Lord’s Prayer a gazillion times in our lifetime. We learned it as kids from the original King James Version or from the NIV and we’re able to recite it without even thinking about it. In fact, we do. It becomes so familiar and so routine we don’t think about what we’re saying when we spit it out at church or in company with others, when we hear it on the television or as someone starts it in some obscure setting. Too often, the Lord’s Prayer is just so many words coming out of our mouth without any thought behind it.

We should never take His example in prayer lightly, though. Let it sink into you and resonate within your heart. He gives us a simple pattern for prayer that we should not forget. Prayer opens with the acknowledgement that the God of creation invites us to commune with Him. Imagine that. It’s really a little hard to comprehend sometimes. If you tried to get an appointment with the governor or the president, you would have to explain your reasons in great detail and still would have to go through background checks, investigations, whole layers of staff to get that appointment. And these are just men. But the God who created everything from nothing invites you to talk to Him without an appointment. Just burst into His throne room whenever you want. Whenever you have something on your mind that you want to talk about, He gives you that freedom.

Second, it’s all about His will, not ours. We can ask for things, but we must remember to bow to God’s will in all things. We can trust Him because He is God. He knows what is best for us, so we can and must bend to His will in all things if we want to enjoy the blessings He has in store for us. The human side of Jesus had to bend to the Father’s will even though it meant pain, suffering, and ultimately the most cruel form of death known at the time, crucifixion. But He knew God’s will must take precedence over anything He might want. The same is true for us. So we acknowledge God’s holiness, and we acknowledge His sovereignty, that His will supersedes ours in anything that we might ask of Him.

I like the way The Voice renders the next part of the Lord’s Prayer, “Give us each day that day’s bread—no more, no less.” If He gave us too little we wouldn’t trust Him to provide for us. If He gave us too much we would become spoiled and treat Him like a cosmic Santa Claus. But when we recognize that God knows exactly what we need each day and will provide for us in the same way He provided for the Israelites as they wandered in the desert for forty years.

Next comes introspection. Look at my heart and see if there is anything that is not right between me and God, but don’t stop there. Is there anything that is not right between me and my fellowman? Note that Jesus’ prayer indicates God forgives in the same measure we forgive others. God wants all our relationships to thrive. We live in community. He created us to need each other and Him. When there are things that keep us apart, sin against Him or sins against our neighbors, we need to both ask and give grace and forgiveness.

To keep us out of those dangerous areas of breaking relationships with God and our neighbors we ask for His protection. Direct our path away from the temptations that would cause us to fall away from Him. “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” The words roll off our tongue, but think of what we are asking God to do for us with those ten words. We ask Him to keep our minds and our thoughts pure and noble and clean and holy. We ask Him to keep us in the company of those who will lift us up and encourage us. We ask Him to place us in situations that cause us to lean on Him with such determination that we see only Him and not the world’s glitter and enticements it throws our way. We ask Him to transform our minds to be like His.

Finally, Jesus tells us to come back to where we started. Give praise and honor and glory and power to the One who deserves it all. Give God thanks before you see the results of your prayer. Have such confidence in your heavenly Father that you thank Him in advance for what He will do in your life in the next hours, days, weeks, years, or ever how long it takes for Him to show you the answers to your prayers. Praise Him for the answer He gives, no matter what that answer. Whether the answer you expect or not, know it is the right answer because God gives it and God knows what you need more than you do.

Such a simple prayer, but so powerful. Never prayer those words again without really thinking about them. Let them touch your heart as you say the words. Know your heavenly Father cares about you and will answer you.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Pray before you read (Ephesians 1:14-23), June 5, 2015

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Today’s Podcast


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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Ephesians 1:14-23
Set – Proverbs 31; Psalms 33; Ephesians 1
Go! – Proverbs 30-31; Psalms 33; Ephesians 1

Ephesians 1:14-23
14 as the guarantee toward the inheritance we are to receive when He frees and rescues all who belong to Him. To God be all praise and glory!

15 This is why, when I heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus that is present in your community and of your great love for all God’s people, 16 I haven’t stopped thanking Him for you. I am continually speaking to Him on your behalf in my prayers. Here’s what I say:

17 God of our Lord Jesus the Anointed, Father of Glory: I call out to You on behalf of Your people. Give them minds ready to receive wisdom and revelation so they will truly know You. 18 Open the eyes of their hearts, and let the light of Your truth flood in. Shine Your light on the hope You are calling them to embrace. Reveal to them the glorious riches You are preparing as their inheritance. 19 Let them see the full extent of Your power that is at work in those of us who believe, and may it be done according to Your might and power.

Friends, it is this same might and resurrection power that 20 He used in the Anointed One to raise Him from the dead and to position Him at His right hand in heaven. There is nothing over Him. 21 He’s above all rule, authority, power, and dominion; over every name invoked, over every title bestowed in this age and the next. 22 God has placed all things beneath His feet and anointed Him as the head over all things for His church. 23 This church is His body, the fullness of the One who fills all in all.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is a good one to start your devotions. I hear your prayers. I want to answer them. When you open your heart the way Paul suggests in his prayer for the Ephesians you will begin to understand who I am and what I can do for you. Listen to his request again.

“Give them minds ready to receive wisdom and revelation so they will truly know You. Open the eyes of their hearts, and let the light of Your truth flood in. Shine Your light on the hope You are calling them to embrace. Reveal to them the glorious riches You are preparing as their inheritance. Let them see the full extent of Your power that is at work in those of us who believe, and may it be done according to Your might and power.”

When you open My word, pray that prayer. Before your pastor begins his message, pray that prayer. When you meditate on Me and what I have for you, pray that prayer. But instead of them and their, make the prayer personal. Replace those words with your name.

I want to open My word to you. I want you to understand what I have to tell you through My word. I don’t keep secrets from you or make My interests in you or my tasks for you difficult to find. I want to have a personal relationship with you that you know is real and vibrant. That only comes if you spend time with Me and you let Me make My word clear to you.

Paul understood the confusion that abounded in the city of Ephesus. These new Christians were surrounded by false prophets who said they needed to abide by the traditions and laws I laid out for the Israelites. That’s not the command I had for them.

Gnostics tried to spoil the gospel with their belief that the spirit and body were wholly separate and you could behave in any way you wanted with your flesh as long as your spirit remained pure. That isn’t true either. You are one entity until you die and your spirit finds itself in one place dictated by the behavior you exhibited in your earthly shell.

Animists tried to convince these new Christians that God was in everything and the idols they worshiped had supernatural powers and so deserved their worship. Again, not so. I am everywhere, but not in everything. I am God with three personalities, functions, manifestations – Father, Son, and Spirit.

I am beyond understanding, but My message to you is not. So pray for understanding. Pray for wisdom. Pray for discernment. Pray that My truth will flood your mind, soul, and spirit so that you will revel in glory of My presence with you and in you. Understand I will guide you if you let Me. I will lead you into perfect peace, if you will follow Me. I will give you riches the world doesn’t know, if you will be My child.

Put Paul’s prayer in your place of devotion. Put it in the Bible you carry to church. Put it in your prayer journal. Put it in a place you will refer to it often and pray that prayer for your self and those around you whenever My word opens before you.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Meditate on God’s word (Joshua 1), Mar 18, 2015

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Today’s Podcast


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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Joshua 1
Set – Joshua 1; 1 Corinthians 3
Go! – Joshua 1-2; Psalms 37; 1 Corinthians 3

Joshua 1
1Moses served the Eternal One faithfully until the end of his days. After his death, the Eternal singled out Joshua, the son of Nun, who had walked at the right hand of Moses during the wilderness wanderings.

Eternal One (to Joshua): 2 Since My servant Moses is now dead, you and the Israelites must prepare to cross over the Jordan River to enter the land I have given you. 3 I will give you every place you walk, wherever your feet touch, just as I promised Moses. 4 From the southern deserts to the northern mountains in Lebanon, from the great Euphrates River in the east—including all the land of the Hittites—to the great Mediterranean Sea in the west, all of it is yours. 5 No one will be able to oppose you for as long as you live. I will be with you just as I was with Moses, and I will never fail or abandon you.

6 So be strong and courageous, for you will lead this people as they acquire and then divide the land I promised to their ancestors. 7 Always be strong and courageous, and always live by all of the law I gave to my servant Moses, never turning from it—even ever so slightly—so that you may succeed wherever you go. 8 Let the words from the book of the law be always on your lips. Meditate on them day and night so that you may be careful to live by all that is written in it. If you do, as you make your way through this world, you will prosper and always find success.

9 This is My command: be strong and courageous. Never be afraid or discouraged because I am your God, the Eternal One, and I will remain with you wherever you go.

10 When Joshua had heard God’s commands, he gathered the leaders of the people of Israel and gave them their instructions.

Joshua (to all the leaders): 11 Go through the camp and tell your people, “Gather whatever you need because in three days you will pass over the Jordan into the land the Eternal One, your God, has given you to possess. Soon it will be ours.”

12 Then Joshua spoke to the leaders of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

Joshua: 13 Remember what Moses, the servant of the Eternal, told you: “The Eternal One, your God, is making a place for you to settle and will give you this land as your own.”

14 Your wives, your children, and your livestock will stay on this side of the Jordan in this land that Moses awarded you. But all of you who can fight must lead your brothers in battle formation over the Jordan and help them 15 until the Eternal gives them rest from their enemies, as He has given rest to you. Fight with them until they, too, occupy the land your God, the Eternal One, is setting aside for them. Then you may cross the Jordan again and return to this land that Moses, His servant, has given you east of the Jordan and live here.

Leaders (agreeing): 16 We will do all you have commanded, and we will go wherever you send us. 17 We will follow your orders just as we obeyed Moses in all he told us. May the Eternal One, your God, be with you as He was with Moses. 18 Anybody who rebels against or disobeys your words—all you command—will be put to death. Always be strong and courageous!

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

After Moses died, I put Joshua in charge of leading the Israelites into the promised land. One of the most important things I told him was recorded in this first chapter of the book that bears his name. “Always be strong and courageous, and always live by all of the law I gave to my servant Moses, never turning from it—even ever so slightly—so that you may succeed wherever you go. Let the words from the book of the law be always on your lips. Meditate on them day and night so that you may be careful to live by all that is written in it. If you do, as you make your way through this world, you will prosper and always find success.”

Those are the words Moses gave the Israelites about any king they chose. Never be afraid, but meditate on My word to make them a part of you. When you consume My word until it consumes you, you will prosper and always find success. But you’ll also find that your prosperity will happen for Me, not for you. You’ll become generous in your care of the less fortunate. You’ll learn success isn’t measured in dollars and cents, but peace, comfort, souls you introduce to Me.

David talked about meditating on My word in his songs. Moses encouraged the Israelites to do so. Jesus resisted temptation in the wilderness by the use of scripture. Paul complimented the Berean’s for their searching the scriptures. He reminded Timothy to preach the word. My word must become a constant source of information for you. It is My guidebook for your life. I want you to read it and know it. The more you engage in My word, the more you will learn of Me and My plan for you.

I’m always surprised people think they can follow Me without reading My word. How do they know what I want if they don’t read about Me or what I’ve said to them? How can they know My commands if they’ve never read them? People will read the instructions to their TV but not the instructions for their life. It’s really amazing the priority people put on things. Don’t you think My word should become one of those top priorities? After all, it tells you how to live. How to be successful and proper. How to find eternal life. I’d think that rates better than a sitting on a shelf and only opened on Sunday. Don’t you?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.