Don’t let selfishness make you loose sight

Luke 13:24-35

“Yerushalayim! Yerushalayim! You kill the prophets! You stone those who are sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children, just as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you refused! Look! God is abandoning your house to you! I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of ADONAI!'”

When we continue in our headstrong sin God removes Himself from us, just as He removed Himself from Yerushalayim at the time of Yeshua’s crucifixion. We may be able to appear to have it all together for a time just as the inhabitants of Yerushalayim did for 70 years, but we will destroy ourselves by our own hubris unless as ADONAI told Shlomo “then, if my people, who bear my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face and turn from their evil ways, I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.” It is only when we call out to ADONAI in unison can we the body of believers heal the land we allowed to go fallow. Lord keep me focused on You and not get lost is the folly of my own desires. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Keep Focused

Luke 12:29-34

“In other words, don’t strive after what you will eat and what you will drink—don’t be anxious. For all the pagan nations in the world set their hearts on these things. Your Father knows that you need them too. Rather, seek his Kingdom; and these things will be given to you as well. Have no fear, little flock, for your Father has resolved to give you the Kingdom! Sell what you own and do tzedakah—make for yourselves purses that don’t wear out, riches in heaven that never fail, where no burglar comes near, where no moth destroys. For where your wealth is, there your heart will be also.

In these days of chaos and confusion it is really easy to get lost in the minutia of the day, yet we as believers are to remain focused just as Yeshua taught us on the Kingdom yet to come. It is in that day when there is no pain or sorrow that we are to look forward to and not let the worries of the moment divide us from His Ruach and lose our salvation. Lord let me always find Your shalom in the craziness of selfish sin around me. Keep me from trusting in my own power but let me always follow You. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Do not fight against the ox goads

Luke 11:53-54

As Yeshua left that place, the Torah-teachers and the P’rushim began to oppose him bitterly and to provoke him to express his views on all sorts of subjects, laying traps to catch him in something he might say.

Yeshua had spent half of this chapter of Luke chastising the Torah-teachers and P’rushim, but instead of opening their hearts to the criticism and changing the way they treated people they grew offended.  The P’rushim had spent generations building their reputations as leaders in the community without understand how their leadership was turning their community from God for the purpose of self-worship.   We cannot grow as people if we are not willing to see how our actions affect others and correct them when they bring harm.  If we don’t, we become like these Torah-teachers, drawing lines of division and seeking to destroy the very Word of God.  Lord, Thank You of putting strong men of faith around me to keep me from aggrandizement and let me be humble in serving You so that I can hold tightly to Your Word. Don’t let me ignore the ox goads when I start to wander but stay focused on the path You would have me walk. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

God must be first

Hagai (Haggai) 1:3-9

Then this word of ADONAI came through Hagai the prophet: “So is now the time for you to be living in your own paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Therefore here is what ADONAI-Tzva’ot says:

‘Think about your life!

You sow much but bring in little;

you eat but aren’t satisfied;

you drink but never have enough;

you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;

and he who works for a living earns wages

that are put in a bag full of holes.'”

“Here is what ADONAI-Tzva’ot says: ‘Think about your life! Go up into the hills, get wood, and rebuild the house. I will be pleased with that, and then I will be glorified,’ says ADONAI. ‘You looked for much, but it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?’ asks ADONAI-Tzva’ot. ‘Because my house lies in ruins, while every one of you runs to take care of his own house.

When we put our own needs and comforts before serving ADONAI, nothing we do will come to success.  We must give of all our first fruits to Him is we are to receive His blessings over us and the land He has placed us in.  Lord, forgive me when I get so focused on the day to day that I forget who gave me that day to live in.  Let me speak life to all You would have me meet and give glory to You alone for all that is good in my life.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

We can’t be distracted

Luke 9:58-62

As they were traveling on the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Yeshua answered him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds flying about have nests, but the Son of Man has no home of his own.” To another he said, “Follow me!” but the man replied, “Sir, first let me go away and bury my father.” Yeshua said, “Let the dead bury their own dead; you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God!” Yet another said, “I will follow you, sir, but first let me say good-bye to the people at home.” To him Yeshua said, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and keeps looking back is fit to serve in the Kingdom of God.”

Each of these men knew of Yeshua’s divinity and accepted that he was the Mashiach, the Messiah, but each had a reason not to follow him just at that moment.  One was more concerned about his living arrangements, another about his inheritance, and the third about his social standing.  Each acknowledged Yeshua’s position but each put his own importance before it.  We, especially today, cannot be two-faced believers, knowing who God is but still going off to satisfy our own selfish desires first.  Judgement is coming and Yeshua will be looking for the good servants who doubled what they were entrusted with and not the servant who buried his trust in God out of selfishness and fear.  Lord, I struggle daily to serve You.  So many times my worldly concerns get in the way of my trust. Strengthen me and let me be the good and faithful servant You would have me be.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Trusting lays the foundation

Luke 8:48

He said to her, “My daughter, your trust has saved you; go in peace.”

Yeshua says this time and time again as reported in the gospels. In this case it was to the woman who touched his tzitzit to be healed, but in every healing the person was made ready for it by trusting. Trusting is the plowing we must do in our own hearts so that we can receive the life that the Ruach HaKodesh seeks to implant there. Lord, please strengthen my own trust so that I walk every day for You. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Hear the words of peace

Tehillim (Psalms) 85:9-10

I am listening. What will God, ADONAI, say?

For he will speak peace to his people,

to his holy ones—

but only if they don’t relapse into folly.

His salvation is near for those who fear him,

so that glory will be in our land.

We cannot be in sin and hear God’s words of peace.  Time and again since Avraham avinu ADONAI has saved those who trusted in Him.  How is that trust shown by having a true “fear of the Lord” in understanding His kingship in our lives.  Only then will there be glory in our land.  Lord, I struggle daily to follow You, mainly getting in my own way obedience.  Help me and preserve me in these times so I can honestly hear Your words of shalom.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Lip service

Luke 6:46

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ but not do what I say?”

Yeshua’s question still stands today. How can we say we believe in God and yet continue to do the selfish things that separates us from God? To serve ADONAI is to obey. How do we know what to obey, to study the Word and follow the teachings of Yeshua where he answered the Torah teacher we are to love ADONAI with all our heart, soul, strength and understanding and to love each other as ourselves. Everything in Torah and the prophets and the writings of the apostles point to this. Lord let me be worthy of not just saying You are Lord of my life but bear the fruit of that so there is no doubt. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Dwell on the Word

Dani’el (Daniel) 9:2-4a

in the first year of his reign, I, Dani’el, was reading the Scriptures and thinking about the number of years which ADONAI had told Yirmeyah the prophet would be the period of Yerushalayim’s desolation, seventy years. I turned to Adonai, God, to seek an answer, pleading with him in prayer, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to ADONAI my God and made this confession:

Like Dani’el we are to continually study the scriptures and dwell in prayer over what ADONAI reveals to us. As Dani’el fasted and confessed and repented over the prophecies of Yirmeyahu it opened the vision from God of the return of the house of Y’hudah to Yerushalamyim. We as the body of believers must do the same so we can keep the narrow path that the Lord leads us on. Abba let me see clearly the way You would have me go in this world. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

It is not just one battle, but a war

Luke 4:13

When the Adversary had ended all his testings, he let him alone until an opportune time.

As Yeshua was tested in the wilderness it was just the opening salvo in the Adversary’s attempt to destroy him.  As believers we must accept that we too will be tested not just in our individual wildernesses but as opportunities arise for the Adversary to use to its advantage.  We must be ready at any time as Sha’ul has written with truth, righteousness, immersed in the Word of God, and trust, praying vigilantly and with purpose for not just ourselves but each other.  For it is only by the blood of Yeshua that Satan is disposed and we are set free.  Lord let me be strong enough in Your Word to stand boldly for You.  Let my holy armor be firm for the battle and like Yeshua let me be quick with Your Word to destroy lies with truth.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.