No Place I'd Rather Be

September 23 (Psalm 84:10)

A single day in your courts    is better than a thousand anywhere else!I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God    than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.  (NLT)

Most people who claim to be Christian would say that Jesus is wonderful and the Bible is great, and they could go on to list many other things about their faith that bring them joy.  Now, stop and ask yourself this.  If you had nothing else but Jesus and God’s word…no music, no Internet, no car, no job, no sports, no family, no house, no whatever that thing is that is your favorite in all the world…would that be enough?

I love my family more than anything else on earth, and I love a lot of stuff on earth.  Music and poetry and the natural wonders of state and national parks thrill me.  I take genuine pleasure in such things, and am grateful to God not only for His creation and what He has inspired through others, but for the eyes and ears with which to appreciate them.  And my family, well, I sometimes become downright giddy with joy over them.  My foot taps the accelerator a bit harder on my way home after work.

But when I take time to enter into the presence of God, when I sit with Him in prayer or ponder His words in Scripture, then I know that there is truly nothing I prefer to Him.  It is not that I enjoy the pleasures of life or love my family less, but that I desire Him more.  Such desire burns brightly when I turn my heart to Him, but it will only burn that way when He, and nothing else, is my heart’s focus.

Lord, thank You for the endless blessings of this life.  Even in times of illness and suffering, You have poured out on us more blessing than we could possibly comprehend.  Yet today I turn my focus from the things You have given me directly to You.  May You and You alone fill my mind and heart and be all that I desire.  I pray in the name of Jesus, amen.

Copyright © 2018 by Steven R. Perkins

Gaining Understanding From God

August 20 (Psalm 73:16-17)

But when I thought how to understand this,    

     it seemed to me a wearisome task,

until I went into the sanctuary of God;    

     then I discerned their end.  (ESV)

There are many things it seems wearisome to me to understand.  They include everything from insurance to plans for our children’s future to evil in the world.  There is no end of things I can read claiming to help me understand them.  The Internet is full of resources multiplying by the minute.  Do you ever notice how the abundance things offering help can be a burden in themselves?  The sheer volume of help is daunting.

Whether we are facing the most mundane of problems or the most world-threatening, we need to enter the sanctuary of God for any hope of understanding them.  We need to enter the physical sanctuary of our church and sit in His presence and praise.  We need to enter the spiritual sanctuary of our hearts and sit in His presence and listen to His Spirit.  We need to enter the living sanctuary of His word, the Bible, and be still as He speaks to us.  When we do, we will discern the truth of what we must understand, and we will not be wearied with our own efforts at trying to figure things out.

It may actually be easier for us to do this when confronting the major problems of the world.  We know right away they are beyond our understanding, so we may be more inclined to seek God’s wisdom.  The fact is, it is not the major world problems that weary us the most.  It is figuring out our insurance and planning for our children’s futures.  What are some of the countless small things wearying you?  Will you take them with you into the sanctuary of God?

Father, I have too much on my plate right now.  Some of it I put there, and some of it has been placed there by others.  I need Your help in understanding the way I should go with all of it.  Still my heart and let me hear from You.  If I start to run before You have spoken, please stop me so I can discern truly Your will.  In the name of my Lord, Jesus, amen.

Copyright © 2017 by Steven R. Perkins

Serving When Frustrated

April 2 (1 Samuel 12:23)

Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way.  (ESV)

Samuel had every right to be angry with Israel and he was.  He had faithfully delivered the words of God so that the people would know right from wrong, but they had demanded to have a king rule over them.  God Himself was frustrated and told Samuel to give the people what they wanted since they wouldn’t listen to Him.

For me this is where the story would end.  I tend to get stuck in my anger and frustration with people who won’t listen or do what is right.  Yet note Samuel’s final comment.  He will continue to pray for his foolish people.  He will continue to teach those who will not learn.  Why?  Because this is what God wants of him.  Whether or not the people listen and obey is on them.  He must serve the Lord according to his calling.

It is easy to get frustrated when our attempts to share the gospel or to be the hands and feet of Jesus seem to bear no fruit with family and friends.  And, if we truly care about the people we love, we will indeed become angry when they make poor decisions or turn a deaf ear to wisdom.  Keep praying anyhow.  Keep speaking the truth in love.  Keep serving.  Do not abandon the role and the field to which God has called you.  Your friends and family must answer for themselves, and so must you.

Lord, help me to dig a bit deeper and find my strength in You.  Help me to continue honoring You, day in and day out, by doing those things to which You have called me.  May I not look for success in earthly terms, but with regard to the only measuring stick that matters, faithfulness.  In the name of Jesus, my Savior, Who was faithful all the way to the cross, amen.

Copyright © 2017 by Steven R. Perkins

Pray or Complain?

May 29 (Matthew 5:44)

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you….   (ESV)

A favorite sport for many people, including Christians, is to complain.  It is amazing how much more clearly we seem to be able to see issues than those who make the policies or rules that govern our lives.  If only we could be in a position of authority!  We would never make the decisions that others do.

To be fair, there are countless bad decisions made by those who rule our lives, from elected officials to leaders at work.  Poor leadership can be a motivator for us to bring about necessary changes.  Yet it should also inspire us to pray, even for…especially for…those leaders whose actions we think are most evil.

Why do we not pray for such people?  Is it because we do not really believe God can or will do anything?  Is it because we perversely enjoy complaining and would rather hang on to our sense of superiority?  If you are already praying for the leaders around you, keep doing so.  If not, ask yourself why.  You may first need to pray for something else…forgiveness.

Father, I confess that I enjoy talking about the poor decisions of others with those who think the way I do.  Help me to see issues clearly, through Your word, and to act appropriately, working to see Your will accomplished when it is in my power to do so and praying in all matters for You to intervene.  Forgive me when I choose to savor a sense of superiority by doing nothing more than speak ill of others or when I do not trust You to handle something.  In the name of Jesus, Who willingly suffered death at the hands of His persecutors for me, amen.

Copyright © 2016 by Steven R. Perkins

March 1 (Psalm 119:5)

Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!  (ESV)

What makes it onto your prayer list?  I pray for family and friends and for the needs of my day.  I pray for friends of friends when I am aware of their needs and I pray for larger issues in the world around.  Fundamentally, though, I am praying for one thing.  God, help!  Life is challenging beyond our ability to handle it on our own.  It seems like an ongoing prayer just to ask for God’s help getting through the next minute.

But what if…?  What if for one fleeting moment our focus was not on our own needs?  What if we looked up from the struggles of life to focus on God?  Could you imagine loving Him so much that your prayer was a heartfelt plea to be faithful to His word?  Seriously, think about that.  Most of the time I am asking God to help me achieve my will.  What if I prayed for help to do His?

God wants us to share with Him our needs.  He invites us to cast our cares upon Him.  At the same time, a relationship is a two way street.  If we are in a relationship with Him, it only makes sense that we would want He wants, too.

Father, thank You for always being there to hear me when I call.  Today I ask also that You give me the strength and the grace to be steadfast in keeping Your statutes.  I want what You want.  Amen.

Copyright © 2015 by Steven R. Perkins