Press the arrow to listen to Michael W. Smith sing “I’ll Lead You Home” while you read today’s devotion.

Scripture
Then King David was told, “The Lord has blessed Obed-edom’s household and everything he has because of the Ark of God.” So David went there and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the City of David with a great celebration. 2 Samuel 6:12-13

Observation
Can you imagine having the golden, glittering ark with arching angels wings sitting in your livingroom for three months?  How differently would you speak, would you relate, and would you live? Better yet, what would the atmosphere of your home be like?

I can imagine a house with a holy hush, with an atmosphere drenched with that hazy heaviness that happens in holy moments in worship. It would be a home where relationships would be well oiled with love, decisions would be carefully made, and joy would echo through the halls.

Obed-edom got to babysit the presence of God in his home and everything changed. As wonderful as that was, what is offered to us is better than what his family enjoyed. He only had the ark in his house, while we, as believers in Christ, are the temple itself. The same presence of God that dwelt on the mercy seat, now hovers in our lives as we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. The ark is already in our home and we need to rearrange all of our furniture and moments around it.

Application
Today is moving day for the McCallums. We are moving into our new home in Colorado Springs where I’m joining the staff of New Life Church. The house has a spectacular view of Pikes Peak. But I want more. I want the ark of God in my living room. Of all the pieces of furniture, don’t forget the ark! In Hawaii, I learned the power of a house blessing. It is a tradition among people so accustomed to Buddhist priests doing a mutant thing for their followers. So Christians will always ask their pastor to visit their new home and pray through all the rooms.

Prayer
Father, today as Levi and I move boxes would you send the angels to move in the ark as well? The most valuable piece of furniture is what is inside of us. Please, let the Holy Spirit loose. Amen.

Press the arrow to listen to Mercy Me sing “I Can Only Imagine” while reading today’s devotion

Scripture

“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.” Matthew 12:30

Observation

What Christian would want to be known as someone who works against Jesus?
Who would want to be known as someone who stands in the way?
Who would want to be responsible for uprooting what Jesus has planted?
Worst of all, would want to be someone who picks a fight with the Lord?

Who would do such a thing? The answer is anyone who forgets the word “with”. It is just a four letter preposition, but living with the word “with” makes all the difference. There is a subtle temptation to go on our own, even if we have followed Christ for some time. Perhaps a prayer is answered and we say, “Thanks for the help, I’ll take over from here.” Maybe we hear the voice of the Shepherd calling and we answer “just a minute.” The degree of separation is slight but substantial, for just a few degrees of separation now can mean hundreds of miles of distance on the future flight path.

Leslie and I walk two German Shorthaired Pointers at night. Lucy is seasoned with age and knows to heel without being told. Jose, however, beats with a puppy’s heart. The world is so interesting and she soon forgets the master’s voice. Normally, Lucy walks on the left and Jose on the right with Leslie and I in the middle. But I experimented the other day by putting the dogs in the middle and Leslie and I on the outside. The measured stride of the old dog Lucy settled the rambunctious young dog Jose. Something of one rubbed off on the other.

I find one of the best ways to remember to keep close to Jesus is to journey with those who have learned to lean well on the Lord. There is a scampering puppy inside of me; I like the old dogs that keep me close to Jesus. There is something about their spirit, that without spoken word, seems to say, “Stay close.”

Every Thursday I receive a phone call from my old friend Larry. Larry is a Berle Ives lookalike, with a cheerful laugh and a warming smile that reaches right into the core of his being. The cadence of his voice, even more than the words that he speaks, set a pace for me in his phone calls that keep me close to Jesus. I hope, one day, to become an old dog myself who steadies others on their journey.

I think Lucy knows the secret of walking with Jesus, but she’s not telling. It’s something about seeing my life as an extension of the Master’s walk, for though Lucy never looks up, I somehow sense she is with me heart and soul as we walk along the road. She is not distracted by birds or passing dogs. She’s with the master and that is enough.

Application
It was James Thurber who wrote about the dog who walked his master. There are so many times I am calling to Jesus and asking him to follow me instead of waiting to follow him. My journey is really the Lord’s journey; if I am to be with him I need to let him walk through me.

Prayer
Jesus, keep me close. Amen.

Press the arrow to listen to Feeband sing “It’s All Because of Jesus” while you read today’s devotion.

Scripture
Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority….Matthew 10:1

Observation
Because ministry happens in the public eye there is pressure on pastors to perform and to conform to expectations. We may excel in the eyes of others, but in the process we just might forget who we really are. The further we move from our real self the less useful we are to the Lord.

Jesus gave the first ministry to leaders as a gift. The word Matthew chose to describe this authority is deliberate. He had two words to choose from. One means power, the other word, exousia, means the right to use the power. Exousia is like the policeman who can stop a speeding vehicle simply by standing in the middle of a road in uniform and lifting his arm. The officer does not have to prove anything, for he has the right to use power.

When Jesus gives us a ministry he frees us from living up to expectations and gives is the comfort of being ourselves. Authority comes by giving not by grabbing. Jesus gave it. The disciples did not work for it. They had nothing to prove. They did not have to wind up another miracle show to get attention. To become people of authority, the disciples had only to bring themselves, their real selves, to Jesus. That was it. That was enough.

Application
This authority of ministry works best when we are absolutely ourselves. The closer we come to the core of who God has designed us to be, the better the power of Christ can work through us.

Since ministry is a gift, the authority to do it is a given. There is nothing to prove or to achieve. We begin as gifted disciples. We don’t have to remember how to perform or look for cues to remember our lines. Instead we are to be ourselves and in that the authority of Jesus is seen.

Because I have authority, I’m free to be just who I am. Just entering the room, just speaking, just praying, just leading, just whatever is enough. I have been with Jesus and people will sense the overflow.

To produce grace I need to minister out of grace. When I try to prove myself, grace stops and works begin. Soon everyone is performing. Grace flows only when I accept that I cannot grab the right to minister, instead authority is a given thing.

Prayer
Lord, you know who I am, but it seems to take us humans much longer to realize that. Many don’t discover until old age who they are and who they are not. I’d like to make that realization earlier in life if I could. Help me to be so comfortable with who I am and who I am not that I am useful to you. I accept authority you grant as a gift and repent of keeping up appearances to earn it. Help me to walk relaxed with myself as you are at ease with me. It is mind boggling to think that you would invest ability into such wobbly people as we are. Keep that sense of awe fresh in me today. Amen.

Press the arrow to listen to Robbie Seay Band sing “Song of Hope” while you read today’s devotion.

Scripture
For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time he fled from Saul and went into the cave. To be sung to the tune “Do Not Destroy!”
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy!
I look to you for protection.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings
until the danger passes by.
I cry out to God Most High,
to God who will fulfill his purpose for me. Psalm 57:1-2

Observation
David was creative under pressure. While most would be pacing, David was working out rhyme and rhythm of his latest lyrics. How did he do it? David turned each sigh into a song.

All of his songs display emotional honesty. He did not whistle a happy tune, he took time to be sad, angry or desperate in the presence of God. As Bill Hybels says, he learned to “ventilate vertically”. Passing through the emotion David was able to discover that space in God’s heart where there is permission to improvise, invent and envision. When we bring the whole of ourselves to the Lord we find God’s center, a place of creativity.

Application
We may write our own song or we may borrow one from another, but we must learn this secret of emotional honesty in God’s presence. Songs are made from life just as much as songs are the thing life is made of. How many fresh ideas do we miss out on because we are allowing our emotions to play at our heart strings rather than playing them back to the Lord.

Prayer
Father, I’m no where near David’s skill of writing and composing, but whether its with an iPod or a radio station, let me be one who turns the sigh into a song.