November 22 – James 1 - 5

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from James 1 - 5. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

God has a wonderful sense of timing. Today he showed himself to me in a powerful way. My heart is hurting right now. I just have a mix of emotions flooding my mind. I have struggled to be productive, to write, to listen, and to worship because my heart has been heavy. I am not going to skirt around the truth … sometimes ministry is hard. Sometimes I get deflated. Sometimes people can sting. Often it is a culmination of things over a longer period of time.

Oh there are joys. The mountain tops are amazing. Watching someone come to Jesus is the greatest joy any minister could see and participate in. Watching people grow in Christ is just as rewarding. Participating in the weddings and funerals of members are both rewarding in their own ways. Being able to walk with church members in the trials of their lives gives ministry a real sense of purpose. Being able to communicate and teach the text of God’s Word is an immense responsibility and pleasure. I truly love my job.

But then there are seasons where I doubt my leadership. There are seasons when I doubt my strength. There are seasons I look at what I have been called to and think it is way above my own abilities and knowledge. I think these thoughts because I am serving real people, with real desires, with real problems, with real limitations, with real personalities, with real sin issues, and with real life happing.

Before reading today I sat down broken. I tried reading some blogs, but they just reminded me of another area of my life that I feel is not where I desire it to be. Thankfully that has all happened because it took me to my prayer journal. It forced me to go to the only place I could … to God. I sat and wrote my heart break before God. I turned on a cover of Wrecking Ball and God spoke to me. I then listened to Garden by NEEDTOBREATH and worship ensued. As I wrote I poured my heart to God through writing and another song Rest by Carrolton. Through it all God and I connected in a way that I had put off far too long.

And then God reminded me what trials and difficulties are in place for. When I sat down to read, and came to the passage I laughed. It is James 1. After his greeting James gives rather strange advice … “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:24 NIV) Here I am broken, going through trial, and it all erupts on the day we are scheduled to read this passage.

God I love you. I love your timing. I love your comfort. I love your strength. Thank you for your amazing reminder that you have a plan. Thank you for your reminder that you are involved in my life. Thank you for the reminder that you are running me through the fire to mold me and shape me into the creation you desire me to be. I know that when I walk with you, nothing is too big, or too out of reach, because of who you are. Thank you for the reminder that when I am hurting, I can turn to you! God I love you. 

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June 7 – Proverbs 13 -15

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Proverbs 13 - 15. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

This is a hard lesson to learn … “If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.” (Proverbs 15:31-31 NLT). This is a hard lesson to learn because when we hear the term criticism we immediately think negative thoughts. Merriam Webster dictionary defines criticism as “the act of criticizing usually unfavorably” or “a critical observation or remark.” We hear criticism and we think negative because criticism isn’t something easy to hear and may even be the cause of some personal pain.

But when you pair it with the word constructive criticism it changes the entire meaning … well sort of. The criticism is still possibly hurtful and painful, but it is given not to harm but to build up. Building up is what we think of when we hear the term constructive. A construction worker builds homes, business, and buildings. So while criticism may be hard to hear and process, analyze if it is constructive or not. If it is, learn from it because hopefully it was coming from someone who wanted to build you up and make you a better person. Read the proverb again and take those words to heart.

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March 24 – Joshua 5-8

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Joshua 5-8. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

Yesterday we began the book of Joshua. Joshua is the first book in what is called the History book of Israel. Beginning here we are about to see the Israelites march in and take possession of the Promised Land. Their forty years in the wilderness are now over. They have again sent spies into the land to scope out what they are up against. They cross over the Jordan during flood stage but like the Red Sea it is on dry land as God has dammed up the river. In the pages that will follow we will read and experience life in the Promised Land. Some of it will be amazingly spectacular while others will leave us truly sad for their lack of faith.

One of my favorite stories in the Bible happens in chapter five of Joshua. It is an odd story for me to pick as a favorite. We learn that during the time in the wilderness the covenant sign of circumcision has been stopped. When the men cross over the Jordan and camp at Gilgal God orders Joshua to have all the men circumcised. What a painful event for all these grown men to endure. Just think how much we act like babies when we get sick … I would imagine this was much worse.

When healing had taken place … how much time we are not sure, how much pain is left we are not sure … God sends them to attack Jericho. But this fight is not really an ordinary fight. For seven days they march around the city … once each day for the first six days and then seven times on the seventh day. At the end of the seventh time they blow their trumpets and the walls of the city fall. Here’s what I find amazing … God is teaching them to trust him. These fighting men are in some level how pain, how much we are not sure. God says without lifting a sword I am going to destroys the walls; I am going to give you victory. In your moment of weakness, you are going to have to rely on me.

Friends, sometimes I think that is why we have to endure hard days. It’s the hard days that drive us to lean on God. It’s the hard days that drive us to put our faith and trust in him.

At West Side we are beginning a new prayer partner campaign. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

February 11 – Exodus 36-38

Today’s reading comes from Exodus 36-38. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

When God ask you to do something for him, God ends up supplying the talents and resources needed. That is the main lesson I take away from today’s reading. Today we are given a glimpse of all that went into making the Tabernacle and all that went in it. There is a lot of detail given. Right now I am doing my reading from the New Living Translation of the Bible. Instead of using cubits to define the measurements of the Tabernacle it has converted it to feet. This has been helpful because feet relate better in my mind … I do not know about you, but when I finished the shoe molding in my kitchen this weekend I did not use the distance from my wrist to my elbow – the standard for measuring a cubit – to mark my pieces, I used feet and inches … and with that relation the Tabernacle is huge.

For this massive undertaking God supplied the resources and talents needed. Two men Bezalel and Oholiab were well skilled for the task at hand. Where did they get these skills? Their skills came as slaves in Egypt. Their time in Egypt prepared them to build the home of God. The resources needed were provided by God when they plunder the Egyptians when they left the land of Egypt. I think this is a good reminder that when God calls us to something, he will supply what we need. We are also reminded that just because days are tough it does not mean God is not preparing us for something else, something greater.

I am reminded of this right now. I am really sore. On Friday morning I was laying in bed watching an infomercial for Insanity. I have heard of others doing it and loving it, I have watched the commercial before, but I am too cheap to buy the program. So I went searching for an app on my iPad that would be a good timer, found one and began to create my own work out program. I have it done it Saturday and this morning. And I am hurting … really bad, but I know that if I keep it up the pain will go away and I will soon be in much better shape, able to fully complete the workout and even begin adding to it. Who knows I might one day have the abs I hope for. The pain must come before the results.

At West Side we are beginning a new prayer partner campaign. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

January 13 – Job 35-37

Today’s reading comes from Job 35-37. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

Throughout Job we have witnessed the calamities brought upon his family. We have seen his misery. We have felt his hurt and pains. We have sat on the sidelines and watched as three friends tried in a horrible way to counsel Job. Through it all we have seen the glory of God, his power and majesty, his sovereignty all revealed by Job and his friends. But in any of that did we see praise?

As Elihu continues his thoughts he asks this same very question … “People cry out under a load of oppression; they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful. But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night, who teaches us more than he teaches the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?” (Job 35:9-11 NIV84). I feel Elihu makes an awesome point.

Reflect on your life and how you handle the ups and downs of life. When times are good do you remember to praise and thank God for the blessings you know and experience? Or does it seem easy to forget God and what he has blessed you with? Now think of the valleys, the days that are hard … do you find yourself asking God why, maybe even blaming God, or at the very least frustrated with God? And then do you find yourself praising God through the valleys?

The author of James tells us to consider it joy when we face trials of many kinds because it is going to strengthen us and make us better (James 1:2-4). Are the valleys of life fun? Certainly not! But there is surly blessings that can be found in them. Just remember, the next valley you find yourself in, to ask what God is planning for your life that he is preparing you now for. In that you may just find praise and joy. 

January 5 – Job 6-9

Today’s reading comes from Job 6-9. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

Job has reached the full point of misery. Everything he has been blessed with in this life except for his wife has been taken from him. His flocks and herds, his servants, his property, and worst of all his children are all gone. Even his health has been effected. As we begin our reading today we are well aware of Job’s misery.

As many of us do when tough times are upon us we question God. Job knows that he has done his best to honor God with his life. He does not understand the misery, he does not understand the hardship, and from his words, he seems that he his ready to mail his life in. His friends seem to think there is some sort of sin that has brought God’s judgment upon him. They do not know what it is … in every way they have seen Job has been noble … but in their minds there is something deep and hidden that he needs to repent of.

Job has a healthy understanding of who God is. Job’s words in chapter nine paint a beautiful picture of God the creator. They also paint a picture of God the judge. Job’s friends seem to have persuaded him to believe he is guilty for something and that the pain he is suffering is because of his guilt. The story is still developing, but Job knows that God does not reason like a man does.

Job longs for an arbitrator to reason between him and God (Job 9:22-25). Friends, Job lived without and arbitrator, but we do not have to. In Jesus we have found one who will arbitrate for us. Because God is holy and we are the furthest thing from holy, we cannot be in God’s presence. But Jesus came to become our mediator, our arbitrator, to stand before God on our behalf with our sin upon him so that we can once again walk with God. Friends, I hope you are as thankful for that as I am. No matter how tough life gets here on earth, in Christ we have hope, and friends, that is comforting in times of distress!