1 Chronicles 27-29; Psalm 68: Freedoms aren’t free. They come with a price that someone before you paid. As we prepare to celebrate Memorial Day again I was reminded that even the freedoms we enjoy in our nation, freedoms so many seem ready to give up quickly because it will cost them something. Those freedoms came at the cost of life for many. Those lives were brothers, sisters, mommas, daddies, and each of them chose to give their lives so that we could live with the freedoms some today would like to take.
In our reading today David’s military leadership is listed. The heads of families are listed, and then David himself is listed as preparing his son and later generations for building a house for God. This generation to come would have freedom to worship as they were led. They would have a temple built by them but paid for by those who valued the God they served. All the next generation had to do was serve the Lord with a whole heart and obey His commands.
Is that not like us in so many ways? We have the freedom to worship afforded by our forefathers who have given their lives. We have beautiful buildings and places of worship. All we are called up to do is keep them in good repair and fill them as we worship with a whole heart obeying what God has called us to do. And yet many choose even before Covid to stay home, go when convenient, obey God when it doesn’t go against our own desires. I pray that one thing this Covid time has done for us all is to help us realize what we truly cherish. I know it has for me. I GET to go to church. I GET to gather with other believers. I treasure the gift of freedom of worship that even now some states are trying to take due to the virus. This Memorial Day I am even more grateful for the freedoms I have because of every life that was given. Today my act of worship is to express gratitude to God and to those who have given so that we might live free.

Psalms 131; 138-139; 143-145: Calm… in light of the last 3 months that is a word many of us has seen as a stranger. Yet Psalm 131 teaches us how to now just see calm as a friend, but a constant companion.
Psalm 131:1 O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.
Earlier this week I wrote about pride and how it is the culprit for so much disobedience. A lifted up heart and haughty eyes that think they know better than God gets us into so much trouble. Choosing a humble heart and complete reliance as that weaned child on its mother is what God desires. Do you and I not think that the One who spoke the universe into creation could not stop a virus He doesn’t want us to have. And if He allows us to get sick do we not believe He is Healer and can heal us from this sickness. Or maybe it is we hold too tightly to earth and long for life here rather than life beyond this world. Our hope is in Him no matter what comes. Therefore we can calm our spirits and rest in Him not fretting or being dismayed but learning to choose to rely on Him.
This truth is sufficient for other areas of life as well. I choose to lay it over hard things coming my way in months to come. I choose to lay these truths over situations I fail to understand. I choose this calm security of trust for my life. I am writing this because in days to come I know I will need to look back at it and refresh my spirit in it. He is in control!

Leviticus 23-25: I love a great Party with a Purpose! In today’s reading God was giving Israel the command to party with the purpose to remember Him and all He had done for them.
Each week they were to work 6 days then on the 7th rest and worship Him. Spending time in corporate worship but also in fellowship with Him and others. Sounds like a bucket of fried chicken and sides to me. 🙂
They were to celebrate how God brought them out of slavery in Egypt a couple of ways. First they were to observe Passover which was a celebration of when they obeyed God and put the blood on their door posts. When the angel of the Lord passed through the land and took the first born of every living creature, the angel Passed over the homes of Israel. That night was the final plague that brought them freedom! They were to celebrate their freedom. This celebration like several of the others were to be done with a combination of eating, fasting, worship and giving sacrifices. It was over a week as many of the others were. Another of the celebrations connected with their release from Egypt was the festival of booths because that is what they lived in when they left Egypt.
Some of the other celebrations had to do with thanking God for His provision. First Fruits and The Festival of Weeks thanked God for His bountiful harvest. Again food, fellowship and worship crowned these celebrations as well.
This weekend I am speaking to a group of ladies who serve alongside their husbands. Many are worn out and discouraged. Many need a good Party with Purpose. I hope to bring that! Most of all they need to understand that the same God the Children of Israel celebrated wants them to party with the purpose of revival for the and their church families. As we remember all God has done and why we serve Him we are revived of spirit. We will eat, fellowship, and worship, but my prayer is that we will once again be filled with the wonder of all God has, is and will do. That is the purpose of the party. To help us see God!
Do you need a good party? Do you need to remember who He is, what He has done and what He is yet to do? Get the party plates and napkins ready and feast with friends, family or those in need and declare all He has done in your life and is about to do!

Exodus 25-28: When Les and I were much younger in the pastorate one of the older gentlemen in the church used to pick on Les about just working 3 hours a week. He would chuckle as he would ask Les why he didn’t get a certain thing done since he only worked part time. Les took it in good stride because he knew the man knew the truth that many hours were spent every day carrying the burdens of the church.
I thought it interesting that God is the one who from the beginning of the setting apart Aaron and his sons for ministry He put the burden of the people on the shoulders of the priest.
Exodus 28:12And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for remembrance.
28: 29So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the Lord. 30And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before the Lord. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord regularly.
If you did not grow up in a pastor’s home or were close to the family you may not realize how heavy a burden your pastor carries for you. From the time you are born until the time you breath your last your pastor bears a responsibility to teach you correctly the word of God. He prays for you. He hurts with you when you go through hard times. He rejoices with you when times are good. When you ask him to preform a marriage ceremony for you he is responsible before God to make sure you are marrying someone who will lead you or you will lead before the Father in a way that brings Him glory. When your marriage falls apart your pastor bears the burden of wondering how he has let you down as a couple and how he could help you make wiser decisions as a believer. He goes before the Lord on your behalf not just about your marriage but about how to help lead all of the church into a deeper relationship with the Lord. He brings God’s word to you each week not out of just putting together a good talk, but actually seeking the Father on your behalf to ask what is it that God wants to speak to this congregation. Prayer and study are always a part of sermon preparation. And that doesn’t begin to touch the hours weekly spent counseling, encouraging, meeting with committees, visiting those in need and so much more. Your pastor truly does bear you on his heart before the Father. Isn’t it interesting that Aaron did not bear Israel on his sandals or thigh, but at the heart because everything he as the priest did was with the congregation in mind. The same is true for you my friend. You are carried at and in your pastor’s heart. Don’t forget that and when you are tempted to criticize or grumble against him remember he is not just filling a pulpit but standing before the Father on your behalf. Please consider being kind if only for that reason.
Disclaimer: the above is written by a Pastor’s daughter, a Pastor’s sister, a Pastor’s wife and two Pastor’s mom.

Job 29-32: Do you know a man who has lost a job in his mid 50’s? This man could have been the top of his class in college, he could have 30 years of executive experience. He could have degrees and accolades out the wazoo. But somehow whether a downsize or even a sell off he finds himself jobless for the first time in years. His self worth plummets as he looks at job after job just to be told he is over qualified or that the position is really looking for someone younger.
Sad, frustrated and angry he begins to go down a dark path questioning everything about himself. He no longer has the ear of those around him. He no longer feels respected. He may even feel like people run the other way when they see him. If you know a man who has experienced this you may know someone who felt many of Job’s same emotions.
Job felt abandoned, neglected even disrespected by those who once hung on his every word. He felt denied the honor he once had due to things completely beyond his control. Yet he hang on to his faith and in the end God saw him as faithful and in the right.
Were I to be talking to someone who loves a man going through this kind of hard time or the man himself I would say you too may be being tested. Don’t believe the enemy’s lies. Don’t allow him to make you feel demeaned and powerless. God still has a purpose and plan for your life. It may look different and you may not be in the lofty or high position you once held, but what God restores could be better! Your character is not what you do but who you are. Hang in there and keep speaking wisdom. Keep a smile on your face and peace in your heart. God’s got this and in the end you too will see the goodness of God. Stay faithful my brother! I pray this will encourage you or someone who loves you dearly!

Job 6-9: Confession… If you don’t want to look behind the curtain and see the real person please stop reading now.
I have always struggled with Job. As I was reading today’s passage I was able to put some words together to realize why. It is because it takes me back to a dark place in my own life when I didn’t want to live. I prayed for God to take me. My heart was broken and I just wanted to “go home”. I knew the Lord and His care for me. I also knew people avoided me because they simply did not know what to say. I wondered too if people thought I had done something wrong. Had something I had done caused this tragedy? I knew I had not and it wasn’t my fault but when you are down or low of spirit the enemy finds you easy pickings to put untruth into your thought patterns. I clung to the word and I knew God’s presence which was why I found myself begging Him to change my situation. He didn’t. It has taken years to find some healing, but even then I want to keep the doors closed to that part of my heart so that the depth of that pain doesn’t have to be explored.
I am not like Job. I have not lost 10 children, my job or a fortune. I haven’t lost most of my possessions, and my friends when they did speak did not speak out foolishness. They were most comforting as were my parents and my husband. I did not lose my health, but all of that being said my pain was still real, raw, deep for me. So to read Job is to confront someone whose pain was real, deep and raw brings back many of my own thoughts. Peace comes from seeing though it took years, God did restore him. God was with him and in the end everyone else saw and realized that God was as real to him in the end as he was at the beginning and middle. God’s glory was made known through this trial. I know that has been and will be the case for me as well.
God is good, true and right no matter what the circumstance I face. I can and will trust Him no matter the pain I experience. As He told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you. In your weakness I am your strength.” If you find yourself hurting today, hold on. God will strengthen you as well as you trust in Him and one day you won’t have to ask Him to help you want to live again. You won’t have to ask Him so many of the questions you have right now. Just believe He is good. He loves you and your pain will have a purpose in the end.

Genesis 41-43: Finally…. Have you ever been there. You have prayed for something, expected it, had your heart set on it and after a LONG time it finally happens. I can’t imagine how Joseph felt when the call finally came. As he shaved I am sure he and the Lord were having quite the conversation. One wrong word and he would end up back in the pit. I imagine he was begging God not to let him blow it and yet when we over hear the conversation with Pharaoh there seems to be such peace as Joseph listens to both of the dreams not jumping in to tell Pharaoh what he thinks but listening intently. When Pharaoh was complete Joseph doesn’t take any credit. He immediately gives God the credit even before he gives the interpretation. (good move!) Then Joseph proceeds to tell what God is placing on his heart as to why Pharaoh would have such a dream. Fat years…Famine years…. the need for a wise leader… As Pharaoh asked for input from his advisers I don’t believe there was any way that Joseph saw himself with the signet ring on his finger and leading the nation. Was he qualified? Could he do it? The answer was the same. He couldn’t but God could.
In the blink of an eye Joseph’s life changed even more and Pharaoh honored Joseph and his faith as he said.
Genesis 41:8 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” 39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. 40You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.”
Hollywood could not write a script this good! The one time slave, prisoner, reject from his brothers is now second in command in all of Egypt. His assignment, prepare for the famine to come. And prepare he did. His preparations would lead to his ultimate resolution with his family but his walk with God saved not just them but many in Egypt and the surrounding countries. God’s plans may not be our plans. The may take a LONG time to come to pass. (and I am not talking about 6 months to a year). Joseph had waited years for this to come to pass, yet God was in control every step of the way. Don’t give up my friend. God is still in the miracle making business. Hold on!

Esther 3-4, Zechariah 11-12, Acts 27:27-38, Revelation 21:9-14, Psalm 147: Many of you may still be celebrating Christmas while others are turning your minds to starting a new year. You may be facing the new year looking forward to new challenges or trying new adventures. Others of you are probably just grateful that you survived 2019 and are praying for a better 2020. No matter which of these you are I truly believe God has much for us in 2020. I was praying yesterday about what word would carry me into 2020. The word that came to mind was persevering. I immediately told the Lord that was NOT the word I wanted. Persevering brings to my mind hard times and difficulties, but the Father reminded me to hold on and allow Him to show me. Persevering doesn’t always have to be through hard times. It can be shaking off the chains that have bound us for a while. It can be the running through to the end. The victory is right around the corner.
In Esther we read today of the hardships that God people had endured and in chapter 3 the edict comes down allowing the annihilation of the Jews. In chapter 4 Esther is ready to throw in the towel. Sound like anybody reading this? Then Mordecai reminds her that she may have been called to this very place for such a time as this. It is like Mordecai is telling her, “Girl it is your time to shine!” Yes it looked bleak. Yes the circumstances were difficult, but God was doing something great that would set the Jewish people free. The best truly was yet to come!!! I speak that over each of us peering into 2020. God’s best may indeed lay right inside the pages of the next 365 days. Our job is to trust God with the results and do what we are called and equipped to do.
So, if 2020 is for me to persevere on to seeing God do miraculous things, then bring it on. I long to see our greatest days ahead. I pray we will all see a great moving of God’s spirit and that we would be a catalyst He uses for revival.

Esther 1, Zechariah 7-8, Acts 27:1-12, Revelation 20:7-15, Psalm 145: Yesterday our family watched the movie White Christmas. There is a scene in the movie where Bing Crosby and Rose Mary Clooney sing a song that says,
“When you’re worried and cannot sleep just count your blessings instead of sheep and you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings.”
During this time of year it is so easy to look at all that is around us and become anxious, fearful, chaotic and for many sleepless. God’s desire is quite the opposite though. He desires for us to look up at all He is and all that He has given us. Start with the basics, life, breath, hearing, seeing, smelling, feeling and tasting. He has given us the beauty of creation all around us. He has given us a warm bed, a soft pillow and clothes to wear. I could go on and on! We have so much to be grateful for. We overflow with blessings all around us! As our eyes are kept on Him and all He has provided it becomes easier to relax and realize that if we trust Him He has it all in hand and we can rest. The Psalm today put it this way.
Psalm 145:21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
Even before we recount all we have, we can praise Him for who He is. Then my friends not only will you rest well, but you will also realize just how blessed a Christmas you really have! Merry Christmas with Love!

Nehemiah 8, Haggai 1,Acts 25:1-12, Revelation 18:11-24, Psalm 140: I woke up this morning thinking about what it would really look like if churches repented of their pasts. In the book of Nehemiah as they read the scroll they realized how far they had strayed from God’s path. They repented with tears and mourning. They were truly sorry for the sins of their past. Though not each person was involved in every sin, they confessed the sins of their nation and asked God for forgiveness. They wanted to know His blessings again.

I wonder if that is not what is wrong with the church in our day. Are we still living in the sin of yesterday’s failures? Have we as The Church confessed our sin? Have individual churches that have experienced moral failures, division, hatred, envy of others inside and outside the church, racism, jealousy and so many more sin confessed those to God? Would our churches look different and even greater act different if we did?

In Nehemiah they did confess their sin, but then the neatest thing happened. Their leaders commanded them to stop mourning and to celebrate! They were to celebrate by eating of the fat of the land and drinking of the fruit of the vine. They were to look for others who had none and share with them. They were to fellowship and rejoice because God heals, forgives, and answers prayer. They were to live in the abundance of His grace that He was pouring out on them.

Oh church, I long for this in my own life, church, community, and nation. I long to see us the church get right with God, confess the sins that have held us down, and allow God to bring fresh Wind and fresh Fire among us. I pray for and long for revival. If you have gotten this far in this devotion, I pray this will stir you too to confess any known sin in your own life. Confess the sins of your church. I know you are not the pastor probably, but God hears all of our prayers. Join me in confessing the sins of our nation and pray for healing to begin. Then as we prepare to celebrate over the next week we really will experience not just Christmas, but revival of heart, mind and soul as well. What a great gift to give and receive this Christmas.