Author: Dave M Price

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Cut the Cake

Daily Reading

Psalm 9-16

Daily Thought

It’s supposed to be a fair system, one which puts an end to arguments. One child cuts the cake, the other chooses the first piece. It should have worked. It’s not difficult to draw a line down the middle, but neither child was looking for fair. The trick was to cut the cake at a slant so one piece looks bigger, but is actually smaller. Both children sought the advantage and neither wanted mom cutting the cake because she might be fair. And, to be honest, neither wants more cake–just more than the other.

Nothing’s changed. Watch Congress reline the districts or nations draw up treaties. No one aims for fair and there are no straight lines. The Hatfields and McCoys keep fighting not to get even, but to get even plus a little more. “Ties,” snarls the football coach, “are like kissing your sister.” The system favors the devils. “Nice guys finish last” is how Leo Durocher saw it. So, nasty ones finish first? “For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul. His ways prosper at all times” (Psalm 10:3, 5), and for a time, it seems, the wicked win. That’s our system, the system of advantage, of fair plus a little more. “The one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord. In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 10:3-4). We don’t want mom cutting the cake, and he gets the bigger piece, for awhile. 

But not the better piece. Who cares about more cake! “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance” (Psalm 16:5-6).

Daily Prayer

My God, there is nothing in this world that satisfies me. For a brief time, I find something fun, but then I want something more or something else, and I spend my life looking. Until I found You, or I should say, You found me. I wasn’t looking for You, but when You showed up, suddenly there was peace and contentment, strength and worth, a hope and a future. Now I have nothing to gain because You are all I seek. And I have nothing to lose because You provide all I need. I have stopped looking and started living. The life You give is truly abundant and overflowing.

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11).

Amen

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I Pray

Daily Reading

Psalm 1-8

Daily Thought

In front of my parents’ house grows a towering redwood, over 50 feet high. It is beautiful and strong, a majestic tree. We planted two on our front lawn when my family moved into the house in 1973. They were 8 feet high then, and over the summer we watched as one grew and one did not. We watered them both, but one seemed to drink the water, to delight in the water, and it flourished. The other did not, dried up, and died. Today I can point to the spot the other tree was planted, but there is no trace it was ever there.

He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away (Psalm 1:3-4).

I was a teenager in 1973, and prayer was difficult. Speaking to someone unseen felt odd. I repeated myself a lot and talked like King James, “Thee” and “Thou.” One day I opened the Psalms and was surprised by the words. They were my words, the expressions I longed for, “Give ear to my words, O Lord” (Psalm 5:1), and “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers” (Psalm 8:3), and “I will fear no evil for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4). I began to pray the Psalms, to walk with a Bible in hand and pray God’s Word back to him. “Fight against those who fight against me” (Psalm 35:1), robust words that declared my thoughts and desires. I learned to pray by praying the Psalms, to “delight in the law of the Lord, and on his law meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:2). That man is described as blessed. That man will grow like a tree planted by streams of water.

Daily Prayer

O Lord my God, early in the morning I stop and wonder what this day will bring. What have You set before me? Prepare me to meet the wonders and challenges and opportunities and delights of this world. Fill my heart this morning with Your grace and truth, make me wise and give me courage and compassion.

May I be strong in Your love today. Whether I meet friend or enemy, may my life express Your Gospel. May I do good and right, and may You be praised.

Amen

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Unsinkable

Daily Reading

Job 40-42

Daily Thought

And the Lord said to Job: “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it” (Job 40:1-2). God’s question for Job: Do you know who I am?

“Are you capable of forgiving and loving God even when you have found out that He is not perfect, even when He has let you down and disappointed you by permitting bad luck and sickness and cruelty in His world, and permitting some of those things to happen to you? Can you learn to love and forgive Him despite His limitations, as Job does?” That was written by Rabbi Harold Kushner in his book, “When Bad Things Happen To Good People.”

Really? An “A” for effort? Good job for trying? 

Remember the Titanic? “There is no danger that Titanic will sink. The boat is unsinkable and nothing but inconvenience will be suffered by the passengers,” said Phillip Franklin, White Star Line Vice-President, just before midnight, April 14, 1912. The Titanic sunk, April 15, 1912, 2:20am. If you claim you are unsinkable, don’t sink. 

Kushner was mistaken, about God and about Job. When bad things happen, why they happen or what to do is not as important as who to trust. “I know that You can do all things; no plan of Yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2). Unsinkable.

And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job (Job 42:10).

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, You are good. Every good gift comes from You. You are holy and just and righteous. You are love.

There are times when people and events may argue against that, but God, I will not be swayed. I know that You are true, the First and the Last, and that in all things, You work for the good of those who love You. Father God, I love You. My life is Yours.

Amen

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He Is God

Daily Reading

Job 38-39

Daily Thought

God speaks, at last, “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.” And he began to question Job, “Who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?” (Job 38:8, 11).

There are 362 quintillion gallons of water in the ocean. That is 362 billion billion or 3.62×1020 or 362,000,000,000,000,000,000. Or 7,250,000,000,000,000,000 bathtubs or 15,000,000,000,000,000 swimming pools, if that makes it easier.

“Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule on the earth?” (Job38:31, 33)

On a clear, moonless night, a few thousand stars are visible, of the 10,000,000,000 in the Milky Way galaxy. Some estimate there are 10 billion billion stars in the universe, but NASA put the number precisely at gazillions.

“Can you hunt the prey for the lion? Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the does? Who has let the wild donkey go free? Who has loosed the bonds of the swift donkey, is the wild ox willing to serve you? Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane? Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars and spreads his wings toward the south? Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes his nest on high?” (Job 38:39; 39:1, 5, 9, 19, 26-27)

Estimates range from 5 million to 100 million different species on earth, but we’ve identified less than 2 million. Breaking this down into categories, zoologists come up with 20,000 species of fish, 6,000 species of reptiles, 9,000 of birds, 1,000 amphibians, and 15,000 species of mammals. The remaining millions are, you’ll be happy to know, insects and spiders. As to the total number of individual animals, the scientific estimate is, “I have absolutely no idea.”

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements–surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:4-7)

Job said nothing. Sometimes it is the right time to be quiet, be still, and know that He is God.

Daily Prayer

Creator God, what a world I live in, created by Your hands, Your Word, Your breath. What a delight to look at the heavens and think of You. I marvel at the myriad shapes and sizes of Your creatures. Look at us, man and woman, a reflection of Your image.

May I, God, never cease my amazement at Your creativity. May I be a good steward of what You have placed in my care. May I use all things as You intended, to ultimately glorify You.

Amen

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Slow Down

Daily Reading

Job 35-37

Daily Thought

Elihu continued to speak, and, surprisingly, made some sense. Job’s problem was not he had sinned, but he was too focused on himself. “Hear this, O Job; stop and consider the wondrous works of God” (Job 37:14), was Elihu’s advice, and good, at that. Something, in fact, I should keep in mind.

I often drive back and forth between northern and southern California, always on Interstate 5, fast lane, of course. It’s a straight shot, no distractions. NO DISTRACTIONS. Nothing to see, nothing to do. With one stop at Kettleman City for an In-N-Out double-double, I’m there. 400 miles, 6½ hours.

Interstate 5, every time. Except twice. Two times I detoured west along Highway One–a two-lane road, bending and curving, hugging the California coast. Santa Cruz, Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur, San Simeon, Santa Barbara, it commands frequent stops to take in fog-shrouded cliffs, rugged canyons, windswept cypress trees, the crashing surf of the Pacific Ocean. 500 miles, 9 hours.

Ninety-eight percent of the time, I choose speed over splendor. But lately I’ve been asking myself, ‘Why?’ Why in the world do I hurry to Los Angeles  …and bypass the wonders of God? Or as a couple guys named Simon and Garfunkel put it, “Slow down, you move too fast.”

Daily Prayer

God of wonders, what a creation!! The stars so vast, beyond count, and yet you hold them in Your palm and name them. The depth of the oceans and height of the mountains do not surpass Your grandeur. Rather, they reflect Your majesty and mystery.

Lord, may I measure my days. May I be productive and do the work You have called me to do. May I also rest and worship. May I stop long enough to look at this world around me and reflect. May creation draw me to the wonder and worship of its Creator.

Amen

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Truth Is

Daily Reading

Job 32-34

Daily Thought

The sign posted at the University said, “It isn’t wrong to think you’re right, but it isn’t right to think others are wrong.” Sounds so charitable, so fair, nice even.

The ballplayer slides into second, the shortstop tags him, and the umpire calls, “You’re out!” It’s just a game, but try selling that to the team in blue. The call just killed a rally. The call is a travesty against all that is just and good and right in the universe. The blue coach screams, “Are you blind? He missed the tag!” The umpire explains, “I think I got it right. But, hey, I’m not saying you’re wrong, either.”

You can’t get away with something ridiculous like, “I think I’m right, but I don’t think you’re wrong.” Sports do not permit this. Truth and justice do not permit this. And neither does life permit this. Truth is. That’s it. That’s the whole definition. Life has rules. Right and wrong, good and evil, moral and immoral exist. Every seven-year old can tell you when something is or is not fair. 

Elihu, a young man, waited until his elders and Job were done talking, then he had something to say. Six chapters worth. The core of his argument is the justice of God, “Of a truth, God will not do wickedly, and the Almighty will not pervert justice” (Job 34:12).

The Almighty will not pervert justice, and we are rule breakers. We want everyone to be able to do his or her own thing, because we want to do our own thing. We who seek a world where no one is wrong cannot change the rulebook, so we try to rid ourselves the umpire.

When Elihu stops talking (3 more chapters), we will hear from the umpire. “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said…” (Job 38:1). God has the final word and he always will.

Daily Prayer

Sovereign God, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Your ways are good, right, and just. They are also loving. You are, at the same time, my Loving Father and my Righteous Judge. Why would I want to live in a world not ruled by righteousness? And yet, I do. 

Your Word seems foreign to this world, because this world would rather rule itself, and the results are not good. I can serve the kingdom of man or the Kingdom of God, but not both. The choice is clear, and I choose to be ruled by righteousness. I will follow You.

Amen

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Rest

Daily Reading

Job 29-31

Daily Thought

Job ignores his friends and lays out his final appeal before God: my life was good, really good (Job 29). Now it’s really bad (Job 30). What did I do wrong? (Job 31). At least sixteen times he begins, “If I have,” meaning he hasn’t, and the sins he lists are common sins. Job is, indeed, a righteous man.

“Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28). Job was intent on turning away. “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?” (Job 31:1), not that his eyes would stop seeing–that would be impossible–but that they would never stop moving. That they would not fix their gaze on what they should not. The first look is free, it cannot be stopped. It is the second look that costs you. “If my step has turned aside from the way and my heart has gone after my eyes,” (Job 31:7); Job knew his steps follow his heart and his heart follows his eyes, so he contested temptation quickly. 

Job presented his case before God, then he was done; “The words of Job are ended” (Job 31:40). In judicial jargon, he rested. It is called shalom, peace, “and the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever” (Isaiah 32:17). The turmoil swirled around him still, but he was in the hands of God now, as he had always been.

Daily Prayer

Father in heaven, You are holy, You are good. Your kingdom is righteous. I long to live forever in a righteous kingdom, a kingdom where peace reigns, but may it begin now with me. May I find peace in a righteous life and contentment in trusting You. 

Help me guard my eyes, God, that they will not linger on temptation. Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, may I fix my gaze on such as these and delight in goodness. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth, in my life, right now, as it is in heaven. 

Amen

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The Greater Fool

Daily Reading

Job 24-28

Daily Thought

Job challenges his friends, “Where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?” (Job 28:12). Certainly not among you three is at least half an answer. The friends have knowledge, but knowledge is not wisdom, and often the more a fool knows, the greater a fool he is. Knowledge is indiscriminate, wild and promiscuous, flirting with whomever it fancies, always the pursuer; but Wisdom is its own reward.

“Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,” Job answers his own question, “and to turn away from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28). But (as Job points out) the wicked “live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power” (Job 21:7); and they seem to get away with it (Job 24). Why then turn from evil? 

Because for the wicked to live long and grow mighty is only to increase evil. But, in suffering, Job has found wisdom, the place of understanding. Stripped of all he has, he has discovered all he needs.

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. ~Philippians 4:12-13

Daily Prayer

To the only wise God, our Savior, be glory, majesty, dominion, and power, both now and forever, may I live a life devoted to and delighting in You. Everything else is a gift, and You are the giver of all that is good and worthwhile. I will seek You because You are God and You are true and You are good. It’s the wise thing to do.

I want to know You more to know You better. I see the wonder of Your ways in the world. You created the heavens and oceans, the gardens and grandeur, and all that breathes. There is this marvelous world, beyond our corruption, looking forward to redemption and restoration, freed from evil, filled with wisdom, for Your glory and our pleasure throughout eternity. Beyond my dreams, what more could I hope for?

Amen

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Excuse Me

Daily Reading

Job 21-23

Daily Thought

“But, wait a minute,” we say. “You don’t understand, it’s different for me. These economic times,” or “If you grew up in my family.” “We are going to get married anyway.” “My husband doesn’t listen to me.” Maybe true, all excuses. We use excuses to say, “I should be excused!”

Job’s business went bankrupt, yet Job said of God, “My feet have closely followed his steps.” His life savings disappeared overnight, and Job “kept to his way without turning aside.” A tragedy took the lives of his sons and daughters, and still, “I have not departed from the commands of his lips.” Job’s body was ravaged with sores and boils. “I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread” (Job 23:11-12).

His wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die” (Job 2:9). Job had excuses, mint-condition excuses, but he left them unused. He said, “I’d rather have integrity.” Excuses or integrity, to hold onto one you must let go the other. “In all this Job did not sin with his lips” (Job 2:10).

Daily Prayer

Dear God, You are faithful and good. Your ways are right and true. My faith in You is justified over and over. All things work together for good. Not most things, but all; not always at first, but always at last. If I love You, if I follow You, I participate in what is good. When I stray, it is to my loss. Why do I look around? God, may I keep my eyes on Jesus, on Your Word, on Your truth.

Thank You, wonderful Savior, for Your path of righteousness. Thank You for Your mercy when I step off the path, and Your grace which brings me back to You. I love.

Amen

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Hope

Daily Reading

Job 17-20

Daily Thought

T.S. Eliot wrote,

The only hope, or else despair
Lies in the choice of pyre or pyre-
To be redeemed from fire by fire.

Two kinds of fire. One consuming. We name it “despair.” This fire burns out into emptiness. Another fire purifies. This is “hope.” This fire burns on, it burns eternal. We have a memory of eternity. God put it in our hearts, but it was buried deep by sin. It is a hope now hidden. We live today in the tangible moment, consumed in pleasure and power and passion. But moments don’t last.

These are the two fires: one momentary, consuming. The other eternal, unseen.

Job discovered that hope is a gift found in suffering. Wrestling with despair, he suddenly explodes, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth!!” (Job 19:25). He had opened the gift. In the middle of a fire that was consuming him, he found the fire that saves.

T.S. Eliot’s epitaph, his own words, “In my beginning is my end. …In my end is my beginning.” Apart from Jesus, all of life points at an ending. A bad one, actually. Despair. Open the gift of salvation, the end is no longer ominous, but the beginning of eternity. “My redeemer lives! I know it!!”

Daily Prayer

My Father, my Creator, my Sustainer, my Ever-Present Help in Time of Trouble, my Joy, my Life, my Passion, my Love. May the desire for you consume me.

I seek first your kingdom, your way of life, your righteousness. I have confidence that everything else is best placed in your hands.

Thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ, my Savior, my Hope.

Amen