Love Actually: Day 11

We are starting the 2nd full week. Our 40 days will be over before we know it. This week the focus is prayer. I’ll post a brief video later this morning. But the key is to love His presence.  Prayer is not something I do. It is a place that I dwell.

The scripture reading for today includes Psalm 68:1-8. It’s a fun passage. In the New Living Translation, it starts like this, “Rise up, O God, and scatter your enemies. Let those who hate God run for their lives. Blow them away like smoke. Melt them like wax in a fire.” That’s really cool. Not often do you get to love God AND blow your enemies away like smoke. But, just to be clear, there have been a few folks I’d like to introduce to that wax in the fire thing.

When I was little, elementary and Jr. High age, I fought a lot. That’s what you did back then. Nearly every day, somebody was challenging somebody else to a battle at recess. I moved quite a bit and the new kid always got challenged. You had to fight to see where you were on the pecking order, who you could beat up, and who could beat up you. Every new school, I just knew that there would be two or three fights before it was all settled. I might win one but inevitably, I would get blown like smoke and melted like wax a couple of times before I found my place. (Believe me, there were some pretty tough girls in my schools.)

The Bible is full of fighting, David fought Goliath, Joshua fought the Battle of Jericho, and Samson fought the Philistines, over and over. The most interesting fights were the ones that involved God. In Genesis 32, Jacob wrestles with God. In 2 Chronicles 20, God fights for Jehoshaphat. As I read the scripture, one thing becomes apparent to me, it is better to have God for me than against me. I would rather have God fighting my battles than me going head to head with Him. David goes on to say:

Sing to God, sing in praise of His Name,
    extol Him who rides on the clouds
    rejoice before Him—His Name is the Lord.
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
    is God in His holy dwelling.
God sets the lonely in families,
    He leads out the prisoners with singing;
    but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. Psalm 68:4-6

If I have to pick between a good smokin’ and waxin’ BY God, or having Him be my Daddy and defender, I choose the latter every time. This week, stop fighting God and let Him fight for you. Okay? Get in His Presence today and let Him lead you in some singing.

Remember what we are doing:

1. time in the Word. Every day this week we read Psalm 42. Read Proverbs 1 today. Ask God to reveal some word of wisdom just for you today. And, Psalm 68:1-8 today.
2. time in His Presence. Spend 12 minutes today in prayer. Use the Lord’s Prayer as an outline. 6 parts, 2 minutes each, 12 minutes.
3. time FOR His people. Do something small, and perhaps anonymous, for one person today. Send an encouraging text, pay for a cup of coffee, hold open a door. I’m going to mention that in a minute.
4. time for His Church. Start thinking about a small project you could do for your church over the next 6 weeks. God loves His Church.
5. time for His creation. And a small project for the environment, like pick up trash at the local park. God loves His creation. Maybe share some ideas in reply to this blog that will spark something for the rest of us.

see you tomorrow.