Psalm 39:1-5
1 I said to myself, “I will watch what I do
and not sin in what I say.
I will hold my tongue
when the ungodly are around me.”
2 But as I stood there in silence—
not even speaking of good things—
the turmoil within me grew worse.
3 The more I thought about it,
the hotter I got,
igniting a fire of words:
4 “LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered—
how fleeting my life is.
5 You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
at best, each of us is but a breath.”
One of the things that I have been learning recently is that I need to be able to express my feelings or distaste in a manner that will allow others to see Christ through me and not Eric Scheidt. When I was a child I was told on more than one occasion to think before I spoke. This has become one of my practices. Many times I think and ponder exactly what to say and realize that I can’t say what I want to say without it becoming offensive and so I just bottle it up. When I finally do talk about the issue then it is and explosion and the little issue has now become a huge issue. What I take out of today’s verses is that I cannot bottle up inside my problems. I have to give them to the Lord. He has a great ear and will listen to our issues. Many times it is much easier to talk out the problem and just listen to what you perceive is the issue. Before long God will show you how to approach those who you have ill against. One of the biggest things though is not allowing your feelings to get in the way of what is really going on. Remember there is a spiritual battle being waged. We will not win the spiritual battle on our own. We must have God’s weapons and his armor to win.
Scripture reading and analysis from the eyes of a Soldier.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
19 October 2008
Proverbs 19:20
Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life.
Life can be filled with so many challenges. There is the constant need to have money. There is the need to have and do so many things. We in the United States have it so much easier than so many other countries…but we make so hard on our selves. God has so richly blessed us with a country that is filled with prosperity. We do not live in dirt huts and work the fields with our hands. Instead, we live in nice houses and drive nice cars. We develop calluses on our finger tips because we sit at a computer all day rather than calluses on our feet because we are always working with them. I do understand that there are many people in the U.S. who do manual labor. I applaud them for it. But, they are still leaps and bounds above many other people around the world.
Today’s verse is kind of a model that I have put in my life. When I had lots of soldiers working for me my motto for them was, “strive to learn something knew every day.” There are so many things in this world that I don’t know. It is when I am not learning that I become disheartened. I become bored and depressed. God has given us great minds, but there are so many of us who don’t want to use them. Instead, we want to just sit behind our computer and peck away for the rest of out lives. We are happy just being mediocre. God, on the other hand wants us to continue to learn. There are people out there who are smarter than you, whether they be your pastor or a teacher. Learn from them, and grow.
Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life.
Life can be filled with so many challenges. There is the constant need to have money. There is the need to have and do so many things. We in the United States have it so much easier than so many other countries…but we make so hard on our selves. God has so richly blessed us with a country that is filled with prosperity. We do not live in dirt huts and work the fields with our hands. Instead, we live in nice houses and drive nice cars. We develop calluses on our finger tips because we sit at a computer all day rather than calluses on our feet because we are always working with them. I do understand that there are many people in the U.S. who do manual labor. I applaud them for it. But, they are still leaps and bounds above many other people around the world.
Today’s verse is kind of a model that I have put in my life. When I had lots of soldiers working for me my motto for them was, “strive to learn something knew every day.” There are so many things in this world that I don’t know. It is when I am not learning that I become disheartened. I become bored and depressed. God has given us great minds, but there are so many of us who don’t want to use them. Instead, we want to just sit behind our computer and peck away for the rest of out lives. We are happy just being mediocre. God, on the other hand wants us to continue to learn. There are people out there who are smarter than you, whether they be your pastor or a teacher. Learn from them, and grow.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
11 October 2008
Psalm 37:1-9
1 Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong.
2 For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither.
3 Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
5 Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.
6 He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
7 Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.
8 Stop being angry! Turn from your rage!
Do not lose your temper— it only leads to harm.
9 For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the LORD will possess the land.
Sometimes it seems like everything I do goes unnoticed. I am a words of affirmation guy. I like being told that I am doing a good job. It gives me confidence. Over the year that I have been here affirmation has been hard to come by. Instead, it has been this is done here is more to do. It can be very disheartening. Today’s verse is encouraging for me. It really doesn’t matter what the world thinks of what I am doing. What matters is that I am doing the job that I came to do for the glory of the Lord. That is what it is all about. God will reward me one day. One day He will, hopefully tell me, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”
1 Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong.
2 For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither.
3 Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
5 Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.
6 He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
7 Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.
8 Stop being angry! Turn from your rage!
Do not lose your temper— it only leads to harm.
9 For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the LORD will possess the land.
Sometimes it seems like everything I do goes unnoticed. I am a words of affirmation guy. I like being told that I am doing a good job. It gives me confidence. Over the year that I have been here affirmation has been hard to come by. Instead, it has been this is done here is more to do. It can be very disheartening. Today’s verse is encouraging for me. It really doesn’t matter what the world thinks of what I am doing. What matters is that I am doing the job that I came to do for the glory of the Lord. That is what it is all about. God will reward me one day. One day He will, hopefully tell me, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”
Monday, October 6, 2008
6 October 2008
Matthew 18: 21-22
21 Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!
This seems to be one of the questions to plague the mind of people throughout the centuries. How many times must I forgive someone else? It is so hard to forgive others especially, if they are doing the exact same thing every time. I have a daughter who is stubborn at times. In fact sometimes she does things to my wife that are just outright mean. She can be a loving child but chooses many times to be hateful to spite both her mother and I. What I have found out through loving her is that I must forgive what she has done. No matter what she has done, no matter how wrong she was, I must forgive her. Now if I look around me I see people that I interact with at work who I find at times hard to forgive. They do something that really irks me and I just don’t want to let it go. Today’s verse doesn’t actually mean 490 times but it means continual forgiveness. What God wants me to do is to actually forgive them as He has forgiven me. He has forgiven me for everything that I have done. It is the least that I can do to forgive others what they have done against me.
21 Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!
This seems to be one of the questions to plague the mind of people throughout the centuries. How many times must I forgive someone else? It is so hard to forgive others especially, if they are doing the exact same thing every time. I have a daughter who is stubborn at times. In fact sometimes she does things to my wife that are just outright mean. She can be a loving child but chooses many times to be hateful to spite both her mother and I. What I have found out through loving her is that I must forgive what she has done. No matter what she has done, no matter how wrong she was, I must forgive her. Now if I look around me I see people that I interact with at work who I find at times hard to forgive. They do something that really irks me and I just don’t want to let it go. Today’s verse doesn’t actually mean 490 times but it means continual forgiveness. What God wants me to do is to actually forgive them as He has forgiven me. He has forgiven me for everything that I have done. It is the least that I can do to forgive others what they have done against me.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
4 October 08
Matthew 7:12
Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.
This verse is one that many children learn in Bible school. We are taught it when we argue with our friends. We are taught it when we face our enemies. It seems though that as we get older, this verse seems to be cast by the wayside. Selfishness takes over and we cannot be kind. Everything becomes focused on how much money, possessions, or fame I can get. Our world has become just that, selfish. In America right now, there are major financial problems. Those problems stem from wanting more than people can afford and taking loan after loan out. Then it takes years to try to pay off those loans. But rather than be responsible for their actions, people blame the government and anyone else that they can. It seems that responsibility for ones actions is something that many people lack. This all goes back to the verse above. We want to hold others responsible for their actions but we won’t take responsibility for our own.
So, how about you? Will you walk all over others or will you be kind? Will you take responsibility for your actions or will you demand that others take the blame for your problems?
Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.
This verse is one that many children learn in Bible school. We are taught it when we argue with our friends. We are taught it when we face our enemies. It seems though that as we get older, this verse seems to be cast by the wayside. Selfishness takes over and we cannot be kind. Everything becomes focused on how much money, possessions, or fame I can get. Our world has become just that, selfish. In America right now, there are major financial problems. Those problems stem from wanting more than people can afford and taking loan after loan out. Then it takes years to try to pay off those loans. But rather than be responsible for their actions, people blame the government and anyone else that they can. It seems that responsibility for ones actions is something that many people lack. This all goes back to the verse above. We want to hold others responsible for their actions but we won’t take responsibility for our own.
So, how about you? Will you walk all over others or will you be kind? Will you take responsibility for your actions or will you demand that others take the blame for your problems?
Thursday, October 2, 2008
2 October 2008
Proverbs 1:20-23
20 Wisdom shouts in the streets.
She cries out in the public square.
21 She calls to the crowds along the main street,
to those gathered in front of the city gate:
22 “How long, you simpletons,
will you insist on being simpleminded?
How long will you mockers relish your mocking?
How long will you fools hate knowledge?
23 Come and listen to my counsel.
I’ll share my heart with you
and make you wise.
It is interesting how so many people feel that they are wise. They feel that they know the answer to the world’s problems. You can watch the news and see people talk about how to fix the market, or how to fix the war. You can see people argue about who is best to be the next president. Sometimes they may even be right about some of the issues, but very rarely are they utilizing true wisdom when they speak. Wisdom is not something to take lightly. True wisdom comes from the Lord. Solomon, the author of the Proverbs, when asked by God what he wanted, asked for wisdom. That is where the world needs to turn to fix its problems. We don’t need different money managers or market analysts. Instead, we need to turn to the Lord.
20 Wisdom shouts in the streets.
She cries out in the public square.
21 She calls to the crowds along the main street,
to those gathered in front of the city gate:
22 “How long, you simpletons,
will you insist on being simpleminded?
How long will you mockers relish your mocking?
How long will you fools hate knowledge?
23 Come and listen to my counsel.
I’ll share my heart with you
and make you wise.
It is interesting how so many people feel that they are wise. They feel that they know the answer to the world’s problems. You can watch the news and see people talk about how to fix the market, or how to fix the war. You can see people argue about who is best to be the next president. Sometimes they may even be right about some of the issues, but very rarely are they utilizing true wisdom when they speak. Wisdom is not something to take lightly. True wisdom comes from the Lord. Solomon, the author of the Proverbs, when asked by God what he wanted, asked for wisdom. That is where the world needs to turn to fix its problems. We don’t need different money managers or market analysts. Instead, we need to turn to the Lord.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
1 October 2008
Psalm 150
1 Praise the LORD!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heaven!
2 Praise him for his mighty works;
praise his unequaled greatness!
3 Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn;
praise him with the lyre and harp!
4 Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;
praise him with strings and flutes!
5 Praise him with a clash of cymbals;
praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
6 Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD!
Praise the LORD!
I have been watching the news recently and all I hear is doomsday predictions for what is coming in the financial markets. There are banks that are defaulting on loans, being bought out by other banks. Gas prices are through the roof. Food products are more expensive than they have been ever. If I had no hope then I would be truly scared. All I can do is praise the Lord for what he has done for me. I have a great job. I have a wonderful wife and two great kids. I am blessed to live in a country where I can praise the Lord for what he has given me. Yes, the times are bad but God is still sovereign. He is in control. We must learn to praise the Lord in the storm as well as when the times are good.
1 Praise the LORD!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heaven!
2 Praise him for his mighty works;
praise his unequaled greatness!
3 Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn;
praise him with the lyre and harp!
4 Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;
praise him with strings and flutes!
5 Praise him with a clash of cymbals;
praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
6 Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD!
Praise the LORD!
I have been watching the news recently and all I hear is doomsday predictions for what is coming in the financial markets. There are banks that are defaulting on loans, being bought out by other banks. Gas prices are through the roof. Food products are more expensive than they have been ever. If I had no hope then I would be truly scared. All I can do is praise the Lord for what he has done for me. I have a great job. I have a wonderful wife and two great kids. I am blessed to live in a country where I can praise the Lord for what he has given me. Yes, the times are bad but God is still sovereign. He is in control. We must learn to praise the Lord in the storm as well as when the times are good.
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