Tremulous (Deuteronomy 31.1-9)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “tremulous.”  The Israelites had a ton of baggage and mess-ups while on their way to the Promised Land.  One of the consequences for their lack of obedience was that a bunch of the older crowd was not going to have the privilege of entering that new land that God was going to give.  And it is worth noting that Moses was among those who would not be going with them on this new journey.  God had chosen Joshua, who was Moses’ second-in-command, to be the new leader to lead the people in.  You could imagine how young Joshua felt, knowing that after following Moses for so many years, he was now called to step up and lead.

7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. 8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” ~Deut 31:7-9

My question is: what are the tasks in life that you have been called to do, but are sometimes unsure of your abilities?  I can only imagine what young Josh was feeling at this point.  Following a leader like Moses for so many years, and then knowing that you are next in line, and called to deliver God's people to this phase had to be a pretty crazy and somewhat tremulous time.  My prayer is that you take heart from the words that Moses gave his protégé. We have been given the opportunity to take God’s guidance to ready ourselves to be effective for Him.  Go forth today in courage!

Praying for you,

MO

Amain (Psalm 31.1-13)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “amain.”  The Bible talks about God's power quite a bit.  Strength has always been, and continues to be something coveted by most people in life.  Whether it is influence, physical strength, or power to get things done, people want to be seen and understood as strong in various capacities.  Today's passage shows that true strength encourage comes from those who put their faith in God.

Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!” ~Ps. 31:24

My question is: where do you rate in areas of strength and courage?  Are you seen as the kind of person who waits on the Lord for his answers to tough questions?  It is important that we as Christians exemplify the nature of such strength and courage.  If we want others to put their trust in God, we must resolve to hold onto God's promises with amain strength, unwavering in our understanding that God comes to the rescue of those whom he loves. My prayer is that you are that kind of person in the lives of others, giving them a reason to make Jesus center of their lives.

Praying for you,

MO

Pusillanimous (1 Corinthians 16:13-14)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “pusillanimous.”  Towards the end of his letter to the church in Corinth, Paul gave a few salutations and encouragements.  In the middle of all this, he did what is said by any true pastor and evangelist.  He urged people in the church to love one another and stand firm together in their faith.

^“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men and women of courage; be strong.  Do everything in love.” ~1 Corinthians 16:13-14

My question is: what are some of the areas in your life that you are most diligent?  Paul talks right here about carrying out the will of God.  The Corinthian church had to deal with potential false teachers coming into their congregation, and so they needed a reminder to be strong and stand together.  This showed maturity for them as a community.  I pray that you would look at your own ability to mature just a little bit more today in the faith, as we build a strong community that makes a difference for Jesus.

Praying for you,

MO

R2D2 (Joshua 1:1-10)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “R2D2.”  Do I need to explain?  It’s probably only the coolest robot in history.  If you watched any of the Star Wars movies, this little guy has pretty much stolen the show numerous times.  But did you also know that this is a term for fighter pilots, as they use it for their RIOs (Radio Intercept Officer)?  That’s the fighter pilot’s flying companion, his partner that makes sure he can see everything that the pilot cannot.  Pretty cool, huh?  I remember watching the movie Top Gun back from the early 1980s, with Tom Cruise.  His character was named “Maverick,” and his RIO was named “Goose.”  Again, one of the best movies of all time!  Well, the cool thing about your life and God is that he will never leave you.  It’s almost like he’s your everyday RIO.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” ~Josh 1:9

My question is: what would it take for you to give God a chance to be a part of your everyday life?  Sounds like a little bit of a silly question, I know.  The way that I see it, I am lucky that God wants to be so intricately and intimately involved with my life.  But, he does.  My prayer is that each of you thinks about your life in terms of the journey.  You have a couple of options.  You can either do stuff on your own, or you can have the best R2D2 the world… God.  A little bit of a crazy analogy, but fitting for sure.

Praying for you,

MO

Chansonette (1 Samuel 18:1-8)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “chansonette.”Have you ever gotten the song stuck in your head?  I know that whenever someone mentions a song like YMCA, I will be singing it over and over again to myself for who knows how long.  As we see in today’s passage, the boy David did some pretty incredible things.  And, when he came home the people were singing songs and chansonettes about him.

“The women sang as they played, and said, "Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands."

~1 Sam 18:7

My question is: if someone were to ask what song they most associated with you, what do you think it would be?  As human beings, we all have personas and reputations.  The stuff that you do on a daily basis accumulates and gives people an idea of who you are.  As David moved through his life we see that he became closer to God.  My prayer is that you make decisions that help others sing both good songs about you, and praise God for having you in their lives.

Praying for you,

MO