Author: Dave M Price

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Something Good

Daily Reading

Jeremiah 10-13

Daily Thought

“But the Lord is the true God;
he is the living God and the everlasting King.
It is he who made the earth by his power,
who established the world by his wisdom,
and by his understanding stretched out the heavens” (Jeremiah 10:10, 12).

In a discussion of first causes, or “what started everything,” the believer’s answer is God. Then comes the snappy retort, “But, who created God?” Really? If someone else created God, would not that someone else then be God? Then who created that one? Ad infinitum. The point is, there is a beginning and either nothing or some One started everything. Those are the choices.

Idolatry is replacing God with something else, but Jeremiah argues that anything else is actually nothing, “Idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good” (Jeremiah 10:5). Our idols nowadays are not so much wood and stone, but ideas. In college, I was unprepared for an essay exam, so I wrote a lot of nothing, hoping volume would pass for knowledge. When the paper was graded and returned, the professor had written across the front, large and in red, “This is not right. It is not even wrong.” It was nothing. Not bad, not good; nothing. “Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, for his images are false, and there is no breath in them. They are worthless, a work of delusion” (Jeremiah 10:14-15). 

The problem with nothing is, well, Billy Preston sang it, “Nothin’ from nothin’ leaves nothin’.” There is a simple poetic sense to that. “Nothing comes from nothing. Nothing ever could,” submits Julie Andrews in Sound of Music. “So somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good.” She is on to something.

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. ~Genesis 1:31

Daily Prayer

My Father in heaven, You are holy and good, righteous and wonderful, and You made me in Your image. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Every one is.

I know, God, that I am Your creation, accountable to You. I am not my own, I belong to You, and the welfare of others is my concern because it is Your concern. You have blessed me, Lord, and I shall strive to be a blessing to others. What I have I will share, holding loosely all that You have placed in my possession. May I be an agent of Your grace to this world.

Amen

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In God We Trust

Daily Reading

Jeremiah 7-9

Daily Thought

The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, “Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, ‘Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, “We are delivered!”–only to go on doing all these abominations?’” (Jeremiah 7:1-2, 9-10). Jeremiah is speaking to Judah; the same may be said to us. “In God We Trust” is engraved on every coin, every piece of paper that bankrolls our rebellion against God laws. I do not know how we get away with it. I do not know that we will.

Judah did not. “Raise a lamentation on the bare heights, for the Lord has rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath. I will silence in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, for the land shall become a waste” (Jeremiah 7:29, 34). Thus cries the weeping prophet, Jeremiah. Thus says the Lord. “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

That is the bad news; here is the good news. God’s judgment is just, yet through judgment comes grace. The word that came to Jeremiah was not the last word, for God has the final Word and “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Our judgment would not be excused, it would be executed on a cross. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (1Peter 2:24). God’s Word is true, for Judah, for us, forever. I deserve what I get, and instead Jesus took what was mine, and gave me what is his. I wear his righteousness because he bore my sin. Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound.

Daily Prayer

My Lord and God, I wear Your righteousness because You bore my sin. I am created in Your image, and I can do all things through You because it is from You and You alone that I have the power. In my sin, I diminish Your glory, but in Your Son, Your glory shines anew.

Thank You for this life, and all that is in it. God, whatever riches and pleasures and blessings come my way, may I lay them at Your feet. Your glory is my delight.

Amen

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Always Hope

Daily Reading

Jeremiah 4-6

Daily Thought

Abraham’s attempt to rescue Sodom from judgment began with, “Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city” (Genesis 18:24). Then forty-five, then forty, thirty, twenty, and, at last, ten. For ten righteous people, God would lift his hand of judgment. 

Jeremiah need only find one in Judah, 

“Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look and take note!
Search her squares to see if you can find a man,
one who does justice and seeks truth,
that I may pardon her.” ~Jeremiah 5:1

Jeremiah found none. God’s judgment against Judah is just as he turns his creation upside down. 

“I looked on the earth, and behold, it was without form and void;
and to the heavens, and they had no light.
I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking,
and all the hills moved to and fro.
I looked, and behold, there was no man,
and all the birds of the air had fled.
I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a desert,
and all its cities were laid in ruins
before the Lord, before his fierce anger.” ~Jeremiah 4:23-26 

Little wonder Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet, for these are the visions he must proclaim. Nevertheless, the a prophet’s job is not to pronounce final doom, but future hope. Out of destruction shall come deliverance, “for thus says the Lord, ‘The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end’” (Jeremiah 4:27).

Jeremiah may weep, but he need not despair. Even when there is no one found righteous, there is always God, so there is always hope.

Daily Prayer

My God, You are love, bearing all things, enduring to the end. I think I put Your patience to the test, and yet Your grace perseveres. I deserve what I should get, but You took what I deserve and gave me life, a life eternally wonderful. Thank You.

The life You give me I return to You to be used as You direct. I want to be part of good news to the world. May I live daily grateful to You, gracious to others.

Amen

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A Guy and a Violin

Daily Reading

Jeremiah 1-3

Daily Thought

A prophet is not able before he is willing. “Then I said, ‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.

“But the Lord said to me,
‘Do not say, “I am only a youth”;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,’ declares the Lord.” ~Jeremiah 1:6-8

L’Enfant Plaza Metro Station in Washington, D.C., a guy in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a Washington Nationals baseball cap picks up a violin and plays. He leaves the violin case open on the ground in front of him. This isn’t just any guy, though. Joshua Bell is one of the finest classical musicians in the world. This isn’t just any violin, either. It has a name: Gibson ex Huberman; made by Antonio Stradivari in 1713. Bell paid $3.5 million for this violin. And it isn’t just any old music. The composers have names like Bach and Schubert. It is a 45-minute experiment to see if beauty will stop (or slow) the unending rush. Over 1,000 people pass; 7 stop to listen. When the music ends, $32.17 lay in the violin case.

Jeremiah is willing, and God sends him to a nation that no longer recognizes God’s glory and chases now after that which has no value. “But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit” (Jeremiah 2:11).

“The awkward times,” Bell recalled, “happen right after each piece ends. Nothing.” No one noticed him play, so no one noticed him stop. No applause, no acknowledgment. For the hustle and bustle, they miss the music. 

We must listen to the prophets so we will again hear God.

Daily Prayer

Righteous God, You still walk with us. In the Garden, in Eden, we were aware of You. We talked with You and loved Your company. Now, we act as if we are alone, as if You are not here, as if we are not accountable to our Creator. But You never left. You still make Yourself known to those whose spirit listens to Your Spirit.

God, I long to hear You, to listen to You, to walk with You. How wonderful when You say, “Well done.” When You say, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Thank You, Father, for giving me a new heart, for awakening my spirit, for opening my ears to Your Word. It’s good to hear You again.

Amen

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A Work of Art

Daily Reading

Isaiah 64-66

Daily Thought

A prophet blends judgment with hope; God breaks Israel down, then builds her back a strong and faithful people. “We are the clay, and you are our potter,” explains Isaiah; “we are all the work of your hand” (Isaiah 64:8). “We are his workmanship,” echoes the apostle Paul. Workmanship is English for the Greek poema; we are his poem, a work of art, “created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ephesians 2:10).

The Statue of David, completed by Michelangelo in 1504, is one of the most renowned works of the Renaissance. “In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action.” Michelangelo describes his handiwork, “I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it.”

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. ~Philippians 1:6

“I simply chip away all that isn’t David,” says Michelangelo.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well. ~Psalm 139:14

The work of God is molding you into who you are.

Daily Prayer

My God, You created man and woman in splendor. Eden was good. So were we, until we traded good for a misguided chance to play god. Good is so much better. Thank You for not giving up on us.

Thank you for seeing within me the man You created me to be. God, continue to work on me, removing the stuff that was never intended to be there. I will try to cooperate, but when I don’t, keep chipping, even if it hurts. I trust You and look forward to becoming a masterpiece who glorifies my Artist.

Amen

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The Wedding

Daily Reading

Isaiah 59-63

Daily Thought

Our wedding had been my wife’s dream since little girls begin dreaming. Debbie can tell you every detail; I distinctly remember one: 8,500 pearls. A friend made her gown. It was white silk, long train, beautiful, and 8,500 little pearls were hand-sewn one at a time into the fabric of that dress. That’s a lot of pearls and a lot of sewing.

God has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. ~Isaiah 61:10

Debbie was dazzling and heavenly and beautiful. This was her dream, to look her best for the man she loved, and I was that man.

“Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure-
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.” ~Revelation 19:7-8

We are that bride, Jesus is the man, and there will be a wedding. Something to look forward to. Someone to prepare for. Our righteous deeds are the pearls.

Daily Prayer

My God, when you are betrothed to the King, when you are engaged to our Savior, when you are promised to Jesus Christ, then the flirting ends. How many times do we still smile and wink at the world, the flesh, and the devil?

Our acts, what we do, these are the fine silk linen, the pearls sown on the bridal gown of the bride of Jesus Christ. May all of our lives be preparation for the wedding.

Amen

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The Little Green Car

Daily Reading

Isaiah 54-58

Daily Thought

He drives fast, whips around a little green car who is not in a hurry, and speeds ahead. The next light is red. Brake. Accelerate. Brake again. A “Speed Checked By Radar” sign, his eyes dart from the rear view mirror to the road ahead and back to the mirror. He will see the cop before the cop sees him. Switching lanes for the 20th time in 12 miles, the last turn is ahead. He checks his watch. Fifteen minutes. Not bad. His shoulder aches.  “Why am I so tense?” he wonders, as he rubs it.  

“There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.” ~Isaiah 57:21

He turns the corner and, one last time, glances at the mirror, spying the little green car coasting through the intersection, 30 seconds behind. The guy in the green car, his shoulders feel fine.

For the righteous man is taken away from calamity;
he enters into peace;
they rest in their beds
who walk in their uprightness. ~Isaiah 57:1-2

Peace and rest are found only in righteousness.

Daily Prayer

God of Peace, when I follow You, when I walk on the path You lay before me, when I pursue righteousness, I live confidently and I enjoy peace. What a wonderful feeling it is, Father, to think back on my day without shame. To smile because I made You smile. To know that I do not fear getting caught because I have nothing to hide. To live in the truth because I told no lies. 

God, when I do what is right, I find rest. And it’s a lot easier to talk with You.

Amen

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Silence of the Lamb

Daily Reading

Isaiah 49-53

Daily Thought

Isaiah, in describing the coming Messiah, the Servant of the Lord, emphasizes his silence, the silence of the sacrificial lamb.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth (Isaiah 53:7).

In a debate, I cherish the last word, the snappy comeback, the perfect counter punch that stuns and silences my adversary. “Pilate asked Jesus, ‘Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?’ But he gave him no answer, not to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed” (Matthew 27:13-14).

Jesus was silent. He did not desire nor require the last word. Sometimes silence is the better statement. The work of Jesus was not to be argued in Pilate’s court, but accomplished on the cross. “Jesus yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, ‘Truly this was the Son of God!’” (Matthew 27:50-54). Ah, there it is, the last Word.

Actions speak louder.

Daily Prayer

God, My Savior, You who made the heavens, placed the stars, grew the mountains, filled the seas, You became the servant of man, the lamb of sacrifice, and suffered for my salvation. You showed Your glory through humility, Your majesty through affliction, Your wisdom through the cross.

On the cross, Your Son cried, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” I, on the other hand, am amazed that You pursue me? Who am I, O God, that You would show me grace and mercy, forgiveness and salvation? You are forever to be worshiped. You are my joy, my strength, my life.

Amen

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Believe Him

Daily Reading

Isaiah 45-48

Daily Thought

God used prophets such as Isaiah to teach his hard-headed people to trust him, “Because I know that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead brass, I declared them to you from of old, before they came to pass I announced them to you” (Isaiah 48:4-5). 

So, for instance, Isaiah said, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). Seven hundred years later, an angel appeared to a girl named Mary and told her she will give birth to the son of God (Immanuel means “God with us”). Mary responded,  “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34).

“The former things I declared of old;
they went out from my mouth, and I announced them;
then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass” (Isaiah 48:3).

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,” announced Isaiah (11:1), “in the tent of David” (16:5). The first verse of the first Gospel begins “the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, and Jesse the father of David the king” (Matthew 1:1, 6). 

John the Baptist announced Jesus, “preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matthew 3:1-2). Isaiah, 700 years earlier, announced John, “A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God’” (Isaiah 40:3). 

Isaiah even knew how and why Jesus would die, “he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5), and Jesus said to his disciple, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe” (John 20:27).

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). 

God speaks and it happens. 

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come” (2Peter 3:9-10). 

Believe him. Trust him.

Daily Prayer

Saving God, Immanuel, God with us. You promised a Savior, You sent Your Son. Thank You for Jesus Christ, my Savior, my Lord, my God. I trust You in all things. You are the God of Your Word. May I be a man of my word, as well.

O Lord, You are faithful and true. You said Your Son would come. He did. You said He is to come again. He will.

Amen

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God Knows

Daily Reading

Isaiah 42-44

Daily Thought

“To infinity and beyond,” proclaims Buzz Lightyear. The distance from the earth to the sun is 93 million miles, to reach the nearest star, 4.3 light years, and a light year is 5.88 million million miles. Our galaxy, the Milky Way is 100,000 light years across and has 200 billion stars. The Milky Way is 1 of 500 billion galaxies (our best guess). How big is the universe? Who knows?

“I am the Lord, who made all things,
who alone stretched out the heavens,
who spread out the earth by myself” (Isaiah 44:24). 

To infinity and beyond? God will still be there. He knows how big is the universe, but that does not amaze me nearly as much as, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1). He knows me.

“Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
who are deaf, yet have ears!” (Isaiah 43:8). 

Worship opens my eyes and ears, provides perspective, heightens appreciation. Life still happens, God does not keep me from trouble, but 

“when you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior” (Isaiah 43:2-3).

Who better by my side?

Daily Prayer

My God, my Savior, You are always present, an ever-present help in time of trouble. In good and bad, may I remember You. That secret of contentment, whether I’m high or low, in plenty or in need, safety or trouble, in any and every circumstance, I can do all things through You who gives me the strength.

I know when it feels like You are not there, it’s me that left. I need to stop doing that, to stay on Your path and walk beside You. Thank You, though, for coming after me when I stray and being there when I get back. You are my God, my Savior. There is none like You.

Amen