Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Portions of Exodus-Leviticus-Numbers-Deuteronomy

  Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.  Exodus 20: 8-11

Day 48 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) focuses on God speaking through Moses to remind the Israelites of the laws before they enter the Promised Land.  Of particular importance in today's scripture is to rest on Sabbath - the 4th commandment.

The importance of Sabbath rest is reinforced by it's mention more than 15 times in the Bible.

My commentary refers to the Sabbath "as symbolic of the day upon which God rested after creation, and a reminder that no day of rest was permitted when the Israelites were in Egyptian bondage. It is the one day each week when all attention can be focused upon God and his blessings. And, although the Sabbath falls on the last day of each week, it foreshadows a time when the first day of each week will be observed in memory of the greatest event which will have happened since creation".

*Smith, F. LaGard. The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) . Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

As I have posted on arrogance this past week, it is important that we focus on God and His blessings - keeping in mind that these blessings are not because we are righteous or deserving, or due to our own efforts but because of God's grace and rich mercy.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is rich in blessings and mercy for me - thank You Jesus!  Please help me constantly remember these blessings - not just on Sunday but all the time - You are a great God!  I am not deserving of such blessings and mercy.  I sin...daily, including worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Hebrews 12

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. v1-3

John Piper offers - in my view - an extraordinary encouragement on these verses, particularly with respect to how we should not run aimlessly.

Piper says:
- "So into the church has crept the disease of drifting and neglecting. People are growing careless, spiritually lazy, and negligent." 
- "They have begun to have a kind of lazy sense of security. A false notion that nothing really huge is at stake in their small group meetings or whether they meditate on the Bible or take time alone to pray or fight sin. They assume all will be well. Hebrews is written to teach them otherwise."
- "They made a profession of faith and went into a passive, coasting mode. This is utterly wrong."
- "Endure, persevere, run, fight, be alert, be strengthened, don’t drift, don’t neglect, don’t be sluggish, don’t take your eternal security for granted".
- "Don’t stroll, don’t meander, don’t wander about aimlessly. Run as in a race with a finish line and with everything hanging on it."
- "Then along comes a text like this which says that passivity and coasting and drifting are mortally dangerous."

We must RUN...and FIX OUR EYES on Jesus - this requires focus!  Focus implies a plan.

Piper suggests we "plan [a] fall run with Jesus".

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has provided MANY great witnesses, Your Word, The Holy Spirit, the church, my brothers and sisters in Christ, all of which give me coaching training, etc. - thank You Jesus!  I know You are always with me.  I am undeserving of such love.  I am harsh with my words and actions.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.

Psalm 127

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. v1

Recent posts have focused much on how God should be primary and today's reading reinforces that.  We build and focus on many things in our lives and much of our focus is on things of this world and we must avoid focusing on this world over God.  

Our jobs must be God glorifying, our spending must be God glorifying, our actions with our children must be God glorifying, etc.  Our entire life must rest on God and focus on Him.



See also Matthew 7:24-27 (The Wise and Foolish Builders).

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Romans 12:1


We exist to glorify God.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God and I love You.  I know You love me and will never leave or forsake me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such a God.  I worry and I am easily distracted, placing things of this world above You.  Please forgive me for such sin and help me turn from and  overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

Proverbs 23

Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. v17-18

Satan is constantly tempting us and we often fall prey to envy of others for what they have, what they may be doing (appearing to have fun, looking cool, status, etc.) and drop our focus on Jesus.  We must have endurance and maintain focus on Jesus.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2.

 

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24

 

We must also be alert.

 

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 1 Peter 5:8-9 

 

We must maintain hope - see also Jeremiah 29:11.

 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God full of love and compassion for me...and You are patient beyond what I deserve.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  I am lazy and I lack patience for others.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith. Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus so that they accept You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me lead and serve my family and serve You and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven.

Psalm 123

I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven. v1

I am very often distracted by my own thoughts and by what I see around me.  Focus on God is VERY important.  When we don't focus on God, we cannot hear Him, and we won't have the awareness to see Him where He is.

Am I too concerned with myself as Xerxes was?

Focus on God requires us to focus on His Word and what He promises...it requires faith.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  Hebrews 12:1-3

My Prayer:  Lord, You are an awesome God and worthy of my full attention and focus...Your hand produces incredible wonders in the world and in my life - You have blessed me well beyond what I deserve.  I am far too easily distracted by things of this world - please forgive me!  Help me overcome and turn from such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength. Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

Psalm 86

Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. v11

I now I am easily distracted by things of this world, and I too desire an undivided heart. 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2

As we "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles" us, we are called run the race marked out for us.  And we need to fix our eyes on Jesus.  Everyone's race is unique in terms of of developing and using our spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12).  I am reminded of John Ortberg's book If You Want to Walk On Water You Have to Get Out of the Boat.  We have to get out of our comfort zone and focus on Jesus...He is the only one who can can do this for us.  

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God, able to accomplish all things, creator of all things and in control of all things.  You hold my life in Your hands and You are full of gentleness, patience, kindness, mercy, etc.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worthy of such treatment.  I am not willing to get out of my comfort zone...please forgive me Jesus and help me have an undivided heart and to fix my eyes on You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects of chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, apply, and be obedient to Your message for me today and every day. 

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

Psalm 20

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. v7

There are times where I place my trust in things or people or my own abilities, etc.  No doubt this is sinful...particularly in light of what I have recently posted here.  Additionally, John warns us here about placing our trust in "the world":

The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:17-19

There is also Jesus' warning:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:19-20

On the subject of humans plans vs desires and plans of God, click here and here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an awesome God You are - without a doubt, apart from You I can do nothing...yet I know there have been times when I trust in matters of the world more so than so and I know this is sinful - please forgive me Jesus!  Thank You for Your grace, mercy, compassion, patience, etc. but please forgive me and help me turn from such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love and trust You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message today and every day.