Thursday April 30th – Habakkuk 1

Haba-what? Yup, it’s a book in there. Today’s selection comes from Habakkuk 1.

“God, you’re from eternity, aren’t you?
Holy God, we aren’t going to die, are we?
God, you chose Babylonians for your judgment work?
Rock-Solid God, you gave them the job of discipline?
But you can’t be serious!
You can’t condone evil!
So why don’t you do something about this?
Why are you silent now?
This outrage! Evil men swallow up the righteous
and you stand around and watch!
You’re treating men and women
as so many fish in the ocean,
Swimming without direction,
swimming but not getting anywhere.
Then this evil Babylonian arrives and goes fishing.
He pulls in a good catch.
He catches his limit and fills his creel—
a good day of fishing! He’s happy!
He praises his rod and reel,
piles his fishing gear on an altar and worships it!
It’s made his day,
and he’s going to eat well tonight!
Are you going to let this go on and on?
Will you let this Babylonian fisherman
Fish like a weekend angler,
killing people as if they’re nothing but fish?”

Read: The passage through.

Think: Sometimes we have a hard time being completely honest with God. But when we read certain passages of scripture, such as in the Psalms and here in Habakkuk, we are encouraged to know that not only is God okay with our honesty, be he even invites it. Most prophets speak on behalf of God to us; Habakkuk speaks on behalf of us to God – and he does it with honesty that might make some people blush.
When you read Habakkuk’s bold words – “This outrage! Evil men swallow up the righteous and you stand around and watch!” – how do you feel?
Does the same level of honesty in Habakkuk’s words show up in you when you talk to God? Why or why not? Is that good or bad? What might happen in your life if you could speak to God with such honesty?

Pray: Consider your life – your friendships, place in life, expectations, dreams, goals, hopes, job, school, and so on. About which of these areas do you wish you could speak honestly with God?
Take the risk and tell God exactly what’s on your mind. Resist censoring yourself. Speak honestly and openly, assured that God is capable enough to handle your honesty.

Live: Know that God invites your honest communication with him at all times because, above all, he wants your heart.

Wednesday April 29th – Numbers 9

Whoever thought Numbers would be useful? I certainly never did. I remember we used that book at camp once to put our campers to sleep. Astroboy read from it in a monotone voice while everyone lay back quietly and listened and 1 by 1 the entire cabib drifted off. It has this bad reputation of being a pretty boring book. That’s probably why most people skip it. I mean, who really wants to read about the census Moses took of Israel? Anyways, today we’re looking at Numbers 9.

“Moses told the People of Israel to celebrate the Passover and they did -  in the wilderness of Sinai at evening of the fourteenth day of the first month. The people of Israel did it all just as God had commanded Moses…
God spoke to Moses: ‘Tell the people of Israel, if one or another of you is ritually unclean because of  corpse, or you happen to be off on a long trip, you may still celebrate God’s Passover. But celebrate it on the fourteenth day of he second month at evening. Eat the lamb together with unraised bread and bitter herbs. Don’t leave any of it until morning. Don’t break any of it’s bones. Follow all the procedures.’”

Read: Read the passage five times, each time focusing on a different aspect of it.

Think: As humans, we are forgetful people, and as forgetful people we need tangible reminders – symbols – of who God is and what he’s done. Therefore, as God commanded, many Jewish homes celebrate Passover around the time of Easter to remember all that God orchestrated to bring them out of bondage in Egypt and into the Promised Land. Under what circumstances are you most prone to forget who God is and what he’s done for you?

Pray: Take a stroll down memory land. Think about the times when God was evident and at work. Allow your memories to guide your prayers of gratitude for all he’s done.

Live: Create a symbol that will remind you of God’s faithfulness in your life. Maybe it’s a photograph of your close friends or a rock you picked up during a hike. Put this symbol in a place where you will see it often. When you look at it, be reminded and thank God for his blessings.

Tuesday April 28th – Phil. 2

Late again. I wrote my final exam today so this is coming up a little late. But it made it at last! I hope you guys are still encouraged and motivated to keep up with this challenge. I was convicted the other night to just keep digging into the word and really make it apart of my life. Sometimes it can become so ritualistic that it’s just homework or some other assignment. But we need to remember that God’s word is living and active and should be a part of our lives today! So keep with it!

Today’s (late) passage comes from Philippeans 2. We read it in Church recently and it just seems to keep popping up all around me so I decided to stick it up here and encourage you to really dig into it. I would say, even more than John 3:16, this is the Christian’s theme verse. In my theology class the Prof was saying that it was part of an early church hymn. It features the theological concept of Kenosis (emptiness), where Christ empties himself and becomes a servant. Anyways, check it out.

“Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.
Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.
Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.”

Read: Read the passage aloud slowly, noticing the recurring words, such as advantage, privileges, selfless, obedient, obedience.

Think: Read verses 5-8 again and consider what amazes you about Jesus. Write it down and reflect on it.
Read verses 9-11 again and consider what amazes you about God the Father. Again, write it down and reflect on it.
Now read verses 2-4 again and consider what God is calling you to be or do.
In what way does your admiration for Jesus’ and God’s radical behaviour (5-11) inspire you to the behaviour described in verses 2-4?

Pray: Tell Jesus what you admire about his willingness to come to earth and his way of being while here. Tell God what you admire about his humility. Ask them to help you do whatever it is that God is calling you to.

Live: Look for opportunities today to help someone get ahead. If and when you do, sense Jesus’ companionship in your efforts.

Monday April 27th – Jonah 1-2

Today’s passage comes from a story that is probably pretty familiar to most of you. I think it’s important for us to try and leave behind some of our preconceptions when we approach the study of God’s word. So I encourage you to leave behind all the things you know about this story and focus on communicating with God and trying to listen to what he is trying to say to you. It comes from Jonah 1.

“One day long ago, God’s word came to Jonah, Amittai’ son: “Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They’re in a bad way and I can’t ignore it any longer.”
But Jonah got up and went the other direction to Tarshish, running away from God. He went down to the port of Joppa and found a ship headed for Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board, joining those going to Tarshish – as far away from God as he could get.”

Read: Pray and ask God to give you fresh eyes to see this familiar story in a new way. Then read the passage and chapters 1-2, if possible.

Think: We might summarize this familiar story by saying that Jonah’s resistance to being obedient to God’s ways meant his learning a lesson the hard way. But there’s more to it than that. In fact, the text tells us that Jonah was “running away from God.” We run away from God too, even if only in subtle ways. When do you run away from God?

Pray: Try praying while holding out your hands, palms up, in front of you. Use this posture as a way to release your desires to God, to recieve what he has for you, and to communicate your openness and willingness to obey him.
Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal areas of your life where you resist what God desires. Invite him to illuminate your unwillingness to obey, and give him permission to do whatever it takes to show that he cares deeply for you.
Request forgiveness for those times you have run from God, for your rebellion.
When you are finished, keeping your hands out, listen carefully in silence.

Live: Go and live courageously and obediently in God’s purposes for your life.

Sunday April 26th – John 14

Today we’re gonna look at some of Jesus’ words. Specifically some Theology. Theology is the study of God, learning more about Him. We’re going to think about an aspect of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Enjoy and let God teach you and mold you through this.It comes from John 14.

“If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you. I will talk to the Father, and he’ll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you, This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can’t take him in because it doesn’t have eyes to see him, doesn’t know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you.”

Read: Because this passage is about the Holy Spirit, ask him to guide you in a prayerful reading of it. Make your reading a prayer in itself.

Think: The Holy Spirit is among the most neglected personhood of the God. We often treat the Spirit like a tagalong part of the Trinity. Yet Jesus promises to leave his disciples (and us his followers) with this important Friend. Is it hard for you to imagine that the Holy Spirit is offered to you as a friend? Why/Why not?
What does it mean to have the Holy Spirit in you and guiding you throughout your day, as this passage says? Is it comforting? Discomforting? Frustrating? Hard to comprehend? Awe inspiring? How can you grow in awareness that the Friend lives in you?

Pray: Ask the Holy Spirit, your Friend, to remind you of his presence. Pray the words of this scripture, asking him to “make everything plain to you”(v. 26) and reminding you of all the things Jesus told his disciples.

Live: As you drive, walk, work, study, and interact with others today, call on your Friend for his guidence with the thoughts you think, the words you speak, and the decisions you make.

Saturday April 25th – Ecclesiastes 7

So I messed up. Friday is missing. No real good excuse. I had an exam at 8:30 in the morning and rushed home after youth to study and then go to bed early to get up for it. So then I carreied on with my day all day assuming I had done it the night before until when I came on to do tonight’s and realized I had not. So… I apologize. Hopefully those of you that are taking the challenge read something for the day, a sort of free day perhaps. And I’ll put one up on March 1st just to add one more extra. Exams… They just get in the way.

Anyways, here we go. Today’s passage comes to us from Ecclesiastes 3. The selection is really short so I suggest you check out the whole thing. It’s a pretty awesome book in general.

“You learn more at a funeral than at a feast –
After all, that’s where we’ll end up. We might discover something from it.
Crying is better than laughing.
It blotches the face but it scours the heart.”(v. 2-3)

Read: Spend five minutes slowly reading and rereading these 2 verses.

Think: Why would the author of these words say such things? Do you relate to these verses? What feelings arise in response to them? Do you agree or disagree that “you learn more at a funeral than a feast”? Why?
Consider a time when you experienced extreme sorrow. Looking back, what did you learn?
“Crying is better than laughing…” Do you agree with that verse? Why or why not?

Pray: If you are currently experiencing sorrow, request that the Lord ive you a teachable spirit to learn valuable lessons during this time. If you are not experiencing sorrow, invite the Lord to prepare your heart for those times when you will.

Live: C.S. Lewis wrote, “God whispers to us in our joy and shouts to us in our pain.” Next time you hear about the death of someone you know or attend a funeral, journal your thoughts or process with a friend what you observed and what you learned. In the meantime, live a life that is teachable and moldable, especially during difficult times.

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It was a little different today but that’s okay. Pushing our normalcy is alright. By the way, last night was awesome. Maybe I’ll try and get that video we made up here on the blog. Again, sorry I didn’t get the scripture up yesterday. But keep going with it! It’s about the heart not legalism.

Thursday April 23rd – James 3

Two Weeks. That’s 14 days of 22. Awesome! I hope it’s becoming a daily routine for some of you. Hopefully something that you can continue with after the month is over.

Today’s passage comes from James 3. This is a piece of scripture that has stayed with me as a part of my prayer life. It just changed me and how I viewed wisdom. Hopefully you can take something from it as well.

“Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom – it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the other’s throats.
Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honour.”- 3:13-18

Read: Stand up and read the passage. Then read it a second time.

Think: Defining something accurately involves stating what it is and what it is not. James does just that, telling us what wisdom is and is not. Review the passage again. Make 2 columns on a piece of paper, and in your own words write in one column what James says wisdom is not. Then in the other column write what he says wisdom is.
How do these characteristics of wisdom line up with your actions recently? If James followed you around and observed your life for a week, what comments might he make about the presence – or absence – of wisdom? James says that wisdom is hard work. In what ways do you see it as hard work?

Pray: Tell God your desire to become wise, to “do the hard work of getting along with each other.” Ask him to help you.

Live: Ask a friend or family member you trust to give you honest feedback for the next few weeks about wisdom in your life. Give them permission to affirm wise areas of your life and wise decisions you make, as well as to point out unwise areas of your life and unwise decisions you make.

Wednesday April 22nd – Daniel 12

Wow. I finally missed a night. I went to bed early last night and as a result, I totally didn’t get this up at my normal time. And then I’m sitting around all morning wondering what I’m forgetting and then…BAM! The Life in the Word for today! Anyways, here it is with no further delay.

Today’s passage comes from Daniel 12:1-3. I suggest checking out Daniel 11 and 12 if you can just for background and context.I thought it might be appropriate to go with the series on Revelation during the Hour on Sunday Mornings.

“That’s when Michael, the great angel-prince, champion of your people, will step in. It will be a time of trouble, the worst trouble the world has ever seen. But your people will be saved from the trouble, every last one found written in the Book. Many who have been long dead and buried will wake up, some to eternal life, others to eternal shame.
Men and women who have lived wisely and well will shine brilliantly, like the cloudless, star-strewn night skies. And those who put others on the right path to life will glow like stars forever.”

Read: Read the passage, including the complete chapter 12 if possible. Lay your watch or a clock next to your bible. As you read, consider how this passage affects time, both right now and in the future.

Think: A great deal has been said and written about the end times. In light of these verses, what are you thinking about the end times? What are you feeling? Does talk like this about the future excite you or scare you?
Focus for a few minutes specifically on 12:1-3. How do we know if we “lived wisely”? What does it mean to “put others on the right path to life”? What are the implications of these words in your life? Who do you have the opportunity to help get on the right path to life?
Do you think it’s fair that God gives some people eternal life and banishes others to eternal shame? Is he being just when he does that? Why or why not?

Pray: Tell God how you feel about the future – both your immediate future and the end of the world. Ask him to help you live wisely. Invite God to guide you in helping put others on the right path to life.

Live: Live with confidence today, knowing that God has already secured the future and will be victorious.

Tuesday April 21st – Job 38

Rainy days. It can be difficult to find the pleasure in them. If you’re anything like me, you prefer to spend them indoors playing video games and constantly checking to see if Miley has posted anything new on Twitter (she’s been in Rome for the past couple days). Anyways, it gets me thinking about creation and how beautiful it all actually is when you stop and appreciate it. So, in honour of creation. Today’s passage comes to us from Job 38. It’s an amazing picture of God putting Job in his place.

“Where were you when I created the earth? Tell me, since you know so much!
Who decided on its size? Certainly you’ll know that! Who came up with the blueprints and measurements?
How was its foundation poured, and who set the cornerstone,
While the morning stars sang in chorus and all the angels shouted praise?
And who took charge of the ocean when it gushed forth like a baby from the womb?
That was me! I wrapped it in soft clouds, and tucked it in safely at night.
Then I made a playpen for it, a strong playpen so it couldn’t run loose,
And said, ‘Stay here, this is your place. Your wild tantrums are confined to this place.’…
Can you find your way to where lightning is launched, or to the place from which the wind blows?
Who do you suppose carves canyons for the downpours of rain, and charts the route of thunderstorms
That bring water to unvisited fields, deserts no one ever lays eyes on,
Drenching the useless wastelands so they’re carpeted with wildflowers and grass?”

Read: Read the passage aloud slowly.

Think: Read the passage again aloud, noticing that this is a poetic account of the creation of the world in contrast to Gen. 1, which is a narrative account. Think about the following questions, remembering to consider the “why” behing each one.
1. What is your favourite moment in the creation story?
2. Are you more fascinated by God as a blueprints and measurements kind of being or as a tamer of ocean tantrums?
3. How do you respond to God as a lightning launcher or canyon carver?
4. For what part of God’s creation would you have wanted a front row seat?

Pray: Tell God your responses to these questions. What do you think might be God’s response to you?

Live: Go for a walk or hike or run or bike ride in a beautful place. Notice every single detail of nature that you can, and take pleasure in thinking about how God created it.
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Have a real conversation with God today about his creativity that he unleashed in making this world. Seriously. Consider all the varieties of plants and animals and things that serve the smallest purposes but are still important in some way. The tallest mountains, the stars, the trees, the wind, even the rain. Thank God for his creation and take the time to enjoy it.

Monday April 20th – Hosea 1-2

I always try to do these updates at night before I go to bed. I almost completely forgot after watching 2 late night episodes of Big Bang Theory. It’s 1:30AM but I promised I wouldn’t fall behind so here we go.

Today’s passage comes to us from one of the more controversial but amazing books of the bible, Hosea. If you don’t know the story I highly suggest you take the time to read it all sometime. You can also do a quick summary here. But don’t settle for that forever. For the expanded story read Hosea 1 and 2. Specifically we’re looking at Hosea 2:14-20.

“And now here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to start all over again.
I’m taking her back into the wilderness where we had our first date, and I’ll court her.
I’ll give her bouquets of roses. I’ll turn Heartbreak Valley into Acres of Hope.
She’ll respond like she did as a young girl, those days when she was fresh out of Egypt.
“At that time’ – this is God’s message still – ‘You’ll address me, Dear husband!
Never again will you address me, ‘My slave-master!’
I’ll wash your mouth out with soap, get rid of all the dirty false-god names,
not so much as a whisper of those names again.
At the same time I’ll make a peace treaty between you and wild animals and birds and reptiles,
And get rid of all weapons of war. Think of it! Safe from beasts and bullies!
And then I’ll marry you for good – forever!
I’ll marry you true and proper, in love and tenderness.
Yes I’ll marry you and neither leave you not let you go.
You’ll know me, God, for who I really am.”

Read: Meditate on the passage.

Think: When we think of love stories in the Bible, we usually think of the one narrated in Song of Songs, with all its steamy unpredictability. But Hosea offers us a love story too, one that’s no less steamy, yet one that jolts us in a different way. In it Hosea actually lives out the heartbreaking metaphor of God’s love for us… and our rejection of his love.
God commands Hosea to marry a prostitute named Gomer. Then God says that he is going to “start all over again.” Hosea had to pursue the woman again and again as a symbolic act of how God runs after us when we’ve been unfaithful.
We are the prostitute in this story. What does that feel like?
We are also God’s beloved in this story. What does it feel like to be courted by such a lover, one who cares deeply about you despite your past?
Is thinking of God as a lover – your lover – easy or difficult? Consider the possible reasons for your answer.
Read again the final words of this passage (starting with the line “And then I’ll marry you for good…”). What is your reaction?

Pray: Make these words your prayer as your desire to know God intimately: “You’ll know me, God, for who I really am.”

Live: Carry the image of God as your lover in your mind today.

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This can be a difficult image to come to terms with. Everyone has mixed up views of this. A lot of it has to do with what we talked about in February, how everybody has such a screwed up definition of love. So understanding God as our lover becomes twisted up in that messed up definition. And then thinking about us as a prostitute… That’s meant to invoke the powerful feelings that it does. What that says about us. And more importantly what it says about God who loves us. “Yeah He loves us…”