June 15

1 Kings 14:1-15:24, Acts 10:1-23, Psalm 133:1-3, Proverbs 17:7-8 



Pray: Pray today for peace and discernment in our chaotic world. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you today how you can be an instrument of peace and tranquility when there seems to be none.

 

Read: The psalmist writes about the wonder and beauty when people live together in peace and harmony. These words here ring true, harmony is precious and something that should be sought after and cherished.  

 

Edify: When I was growing up, my twin brother and I would constantly be at one another’s throats. We didn’t dislike one another; we simply liked getting on the other's nerves. It would drive my parents crazy and every once in a while we would find ourselves in the midst of some form of an altercation… verbal or physical… usually verbal because we were both big boys. It was not until we were no longer in the same home every night that we realized how much we appreciated each other. I wonder what life would have been like for both of our parents and us… if we had learned this lesson earlier in our teen years. It is within this harmony that the psalmist tells us that the Lord pours out His blessings. 

 

Practice: Where is there chaos that you need to wrestle with so that you can enjoy the blessings of harmony? Sometimes the best thing that we can do is to face it head on and deal with it. Seek today to minimize your chaos and maximize your harmony.

June 14

1 Kings 12:20-13:34, Acts 9:26-43, Psalm 132:1-18, Proverbs 17:6

Pray: Pray for our children specifically today. Pray for safety during the summer and in travel. Pray for them to make good decisions even when no one is watching. Pray for them to claim God as their Lord and Savior. Pray for the women and men that they will grow up to be and pray for the men and women that they will marry… that they will be loved second only to God.

Read: The proverb today says that “grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children”. The first part has become almost cliche in our culture. There is very little that a grandparent loves more than their grandchildren. However, the latter half of Proverbs 17:6 is often overlooked. Parents are the pride of their children. As parents we are proud of our children, but I would also say that our children want to be proud of their parents. The reciprocal relationship of parent and child is often missed or it is replaced by a one-sided parent-centric relationship between the parent and child. 

Edify: As a parent, it is critical for us to have a solid relationship with our children… one that is based on trust and mutual respect. However, it is not the role of the parent to be their best friend. Our culture has skewed the parent-child relationship into one where they are best friends rather than parent and child. As a parent it is our responsibility to “bring them up in the way of the Lord”. It is our place to tell them no and to speak truth into their lives so that they don’t blow them up. The role of parent is difficult and it is often painful but it is also one of the most rewarding roles that one can play. Even if you don’t have children of your own, you influence those around you so don’t take your role lightly. Every person around a child helps to mold him or her into the adult that they will be.

Practice: Prayerfully consider serving in children's or student ministry.  If you would like to invest in the next generation of world changers by serving in one of these areas, contact the Christ Church office for more information. 

June 13

1 Kings 11:1-12:19, Acts 9:1-25, Psalm 131:1-3, Proverbs 17:4-5 



Pray: Pray for those who are against you. Life is full of people who are filled with animosity and yet, we are called to pray for them. Pray for an intervention in their lives so that they can experience the free gift of grace and love given by Christ.

Read: Saul was one bad dude. Acts tells us that he “was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers.” Whoa! He even goes to the High Priest for permission to annihilate the followers of Christ in other towns. Saul was a traveling goon squad. And then the miraculous happens. Saul “meets” the Lord Himself. In the verses to follow we see a change in the very nature of this man and we see the beginning of a new life that is lived for Christ. 

Edify: Have you ever been blinded with rage? You know… so angry that you can’t see straight. I have… and honestly I look back on those times and wonder why. Saul has become so anti-Christian that he was willing to kill them to prove his point. AND he got the permission from the High Priest to do it! But it was when the light of God blinded him that he had an epiphany that changed him forever. He experienced a love and forgiveness that he knew that he didn’t deserve. Saul repented and turned from his evil ways and began to be a mouthpiece for the very man that he was persecuting just hours before. Talk about life change. We are that way sometimes as well. If we aren’t careful we can be like Saul, spewing venom to anyone who will listen. It’s not until we encounter Christ and feel His love shed abroad on our hearts that we become a mouthpiece of Christ. Where are you today? Are you a Saul or are you a Paul?

Practice: Offer forgiveness. It is likely that you have been harboring some feelings of ill will toward someone in your life. Someone in your family, someone at work… Those feelings are holding you captive and are slowly eating away at you from the inside like a cancer. Free yourself from this bondage and offer forgiveness and grace so that you can move on to the blessings that God has in store for you.

June 12

1 Kings 9:1-10:29, Acts 8:14-40, Psalm 130:1-8, Proverbs 17:2-3 

Pray: Pray for God to speak to you through His word today. This world has its priorities out of place, which has caused an imbalance in lives like we have never seen before. Pray today that God will speak to your situation and provide insights into a balanced life.

Read: Today we read of Solomon’s tremendous ability to see a task through until the end. The building of the temple was a task that was immense, yet Solomon knew that it was what God wanted him to do. Solomon had a knack for getting things done and God blessed him even further because of his faithfulness as he saw it all come to fruition. We also read of Peter and John and their missionary work to the people of Samaria. Sometimes we are called to share the Gospel with people that we know and sometimes we are called to share it with people that we do not know. In both cases, it is our responsibility to be faithful so that not only the person hearing the Good News can be blessed but also you in the process. Our faithfulness can change lives. The Ethiopian eunuch’s life was changed when Philip met him on the road and read from the book of Isaiah with him. As a result of this brief, but life changing interaction, the eunuch was baptized. 

Edify: When was the last time that you could truly say that you completed everything that you had planned to do? If you are like me, it’s been a while. I get started on one project and then life happens and I have to move on to something else. Solomon spent twenty years building the Temple and his palace. Because of his faithfulness, the Lord promised Solomon that if he remained faithful and if his descendants remained faithful then they would rule over Israel forever as king. However, in the very next breath, the Lord warns Solomon of the consequences of not remaining faithful. The same is true for you and me. If we remain faithful, then God will bless us. If we choose to follow the ways of the world and turn away from Him, then there will be consequences. 

Practice: Practice your faith. Maybe it is that you have been withholding a gifting or a talent from the world because of fear. Maybe you have been holding back the tithe from God, which has caused your finances to be cursed. Maybe you have felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to share your story with someone you know (or you don’t know) and you have allowed your confidence to be shaken. I challenge you today to be bold and to finish what you have started or move toward completing something that you have planned for Jesus.

June 11

1 Kings 8:1-66, Acts 7:51-8:13, Psalm 129:1-8, Proverbs 17:1



Pray: Lord, thank You for truth. It is often sharp and cuts, but it can be a beautiful balm and healing agent as the grace is applied. May we find grace and truth in Your Word today. Amen.

Read: Solomon’s temple was a place of glory. However, despite its extraordinary beauty, it was just another building until God moved in and consecrated it. So it is with our lives and our meeting together. I remember A.W. Tozer once said, “If God were to take the Holy Spirit out of this world, much of what the church is doing would go right on unnoticed and nobody would know the difference."

Edify: In an unbelievable act of conviction and grace, we see Stephen showing us the most beautiful way to portray grace and truth. First, Stephen doesn’t mix words and tells them exactly what they have done, rejected the truth and killed the Savior. They didn’t like to hear that and so they stoned him to death, and then Stephen shows the grace by praying on behalf of his accusers asking for Jesus to forgive them for what they are doing.

Practice: Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife. In other words, there is no comparison for peace. We may not immediately think about this gift but let's find a way to give it out today.

June 10

1 Kings 7:1-51, Acts 7:30-50, Psalm 128:1-6, Proverbs 16:31-33



Pray: Father, would You make us like Stephen who was so filled with love for You that he was willing to risk his reputation and even his life for the sake of the kingdom of God. Amen.

Read: The awe inspiring words of Stephen should grip you as you listen to him share the history with the Pharisees. It should pull you in and get your attention because it’s your history too. Stephen reminds the “righteous” ones in his presence that they, throughout time, have been the ones who ignored the prophets and killed them, and they now had killed Jesus.

Edify: One of the greatest sources of encouragement for me is to remember Stephen, who was so on fire for God and knew His Word so well that even standing before the Sanhedrin he was passionately convicting them and to such a degree that his face shown like that of an angel.

Practice: In the Old Testament reading we see all the extravagance in which the temple palace was made. In reading each of these details and all the intricacies that were placed within the temple, I can’t help but think how important it is what we put in our “temple”. God put great concern into what went into the actual temple, so we should also consider what goes into our temple.

June 9

1 Kings 5:1-6:38, Acts 7:1-29, Psalm 127:1-5, Proverbs 16:28-30 

Pray: Father, thank You for the wisdom from Your Word that often challenges us each day to think and live differently. May I not ignore Your insight out of my own convenience.

Read: God gave David the design for the temple and David and the people provided most of the materials, a Gentile king provided the timber, there was a Canaanite work force and Jewish. It was a team effort overseen by Solomon. God is building His temple today and still today it is a team effort to further Jesus’ kingdom and it takes all kinds of different people with different gifts. 

Edify: We can draw great encouragement from the psalmist today, he says “ Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!" We must remember that children are a wonderful blessing and gift to us from God.

Practice: Wealth beyond measure was used to build the temple but the more important task was obedience to the Lord. God is not impressed with our buildings because He provided everything we put into them to make them. He wants our loving obedience and then He can make the building a blessing.