Tag: integrity

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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.” They may be true; they are 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 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

Daily Question

What are your best excuses for sin?

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By All Appearances

Daily Reading

2Chronicles 21-24

Daily Thought

Joash, descendant of King David, became king at seven years of age, and Jehoiada the priest stood by his side, a godly advisor and teacher. Things looked promising when Joash gave orders to restore the temple of the Lord. “And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord”–if only the sentence stopped there, but it continued, “all the days of Jehoiada the priest” (2Chronicles 24:2). By all appearances, Joash was following God’s ways, but that was the problem. It was all appearances. The long life of Jehoiada (130 years) was God’s mercy to Joash and the nation, but when Jehoiada died, so did God’s good counsel, and the king listened to new voices.

Joash’s godliness was borrowed godliness, he had neglected to develop his own, so he was only as good as those who surrounded him. “Now after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them. And they abandoned the house of the Lord” (2Chronicles 24:17-18).

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, create in me a clean heart and make it strong. Test me, discipline me, and develop in me a passion for You that I may stay focused and stand firm. You are my rock, my fortress, my salvation, and the final source of all that is good. You will be my strength, and I will delight in You so deeply that the fancies of this world will lose their power to tempt. I know, God, that I am weak; therefore, my strength comes from You. 

It is good for me to be around people pursuing godliness. May I set my heart and mind on Your thoughts and Your ways and surround myself with the good and godly. But even better is when it is good for people pursuing godliness to be around me. May my love grow deep and strong, that I might stand for You and with You no matter what comes.

Amen

Daily Question

Do you want others to behave the way you behave? Why or why not?

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Two-Face

Daily Reading

Numbers 28-30

Daily Thought

“Two-Face” is a Batman villain who flips a coin to choose. Heads he does good. Tails evil. When you can’t trust someone half the time, you can’t trust them anytime. Who knows which half is which?

Echad is Hebrew for “one.” Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is echad. The Lord is One (Deuteronomy 6:4). The Lord: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Three. One. Echad.

Duplicity means two. Duplicity says, “I can’t trust you.” Honesty is a flip of the coin.

Echad is completely trustworthy. Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the people of Israel, saying, “This is what the Lord has commanded. If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth” (Numbers 30:1-2). What he says and what he does shall be echad, one and the same.

Daily Prayer

My God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Holy is Your Name. Always trustworthy, always true, always faithful. Made in Your image, in this I fell. May I be restored in integrity. May I be one as You are one.

God, may I live a life of transparency and truth. Since You see me even when I hide, it is ridiculous for me to be anything but honest, it is foolish for me to be anything but trustworthy. You know me inside and out, my deepest thoughts and intentions. May I reflect You. May my ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and my ‘No,’ ‘No.’

Amen

Daily Question

Do your actions match your words?

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What Difference Does It Make?

Daily Reading

Numbers 5-6

Daily Thought

We place our hand on the Bible and close with “so help me God,” but what does that mean? What difference does it make? Jesus said it shouldn’t make any difference. “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’” (Matthew 5:37), so what does it add to add God’s name to an oath? In one sense, nothing. It is your character, not God’s, that will determine whether you are trustworthy or a liar.

Yet “a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord” (Numbers 6:2) adds several extra toppings like “he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink” and “no razor shall touch his head” and “he shall not go near a dead body” (Numbers 6:3, 5, 6). This is not a vow to be sober or grow a beard or stay clear of death, but to love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength, and the rest is externals, symbols of separation, signs telling the world to watch me and see if my vow has made a difference. These are external signs inviting the world to watch and see the internal character of a man or woman of God.

When a Christian accused of being a hypocrite responds, “I’m no more a hypocrite than the next guy,” isn’t that the problem? When I place my hand on the Bible, the question is not do I take this oath seriously, but do I take my God seriously. When I take God’s name upon myself, it should make a difference. The world is watching.

Daily Prayer

My Holy God, You are good and just and holy and loving and full of grace. Your Son was pierced for my transgressions, He was crushed for my iniquities; the punishment that brought me peace was upon Him; by His wounds I am healed.  May I take sin as seriously as He did.

Thank You, Father, for salvation, for forgiveness, for the atonement for my sins offered by the death of Jesus Christ. Thank You Jesus for taking what I deserve so that I will share in what You deserve.  May my love You for You be seen in my desire for righteousness.

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. So shall he put his name upon his people and he will bless them.

Amen

Daily Question

Are you morally better than the next guy? Should you be?

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Even When It Hurts

Daily Reading

Proverbs 10-12

Daily Thought

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. ~Proverbs 10:9

The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. ~Proverbs 11:3

Proverbs are truths in a general sort of way; they do not work every time–sometimes the crooked get away with the goods. But, in general, proverbs describe life.

I am a John Wooden fan, and he is a man who walked in integrity. John Wooden was born in the Midwest, liked the Midwest, and wanted to stay forever in the Midwest. And he would if the University of Minnesota called him before the deadline, but they did not. So, in 1948, John Wooden agreed to go west to Westwood, leaving his beloved Midwest to coach the UCLA Bruins, a team that had three winning seasons in the previous 17 years and finished last last season.

Then Minnesota called, something about a snowstorm knocking out communication. They had tried to call before the deadline. It was a good honest excuse–it snows a lot in the Midwest. The job is yours, they said. Can you come? But John Wooden had given his word to UCLA.

O Lord, who shall may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?
He who keeps his oath
even when it hurts. ~Psalm 15:1, 4

John Wooden would never return to the Midwest. He stayed at UCLA, and for the next 27 years, UCLA did not have a losing season. The final twelve seasons under Wooden, UCLA collected 10 NCAA Championships. How? Coaching, discipline, determination, talent. But it began with integrity. A man kept his word.

Daily Prayer

Creator, by Your Word all things came into existence. You speak and it happens. Your Son is Your Word to this world. When we see “The Word,” Jesus, we see You because You are One: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

God, may my word be as true. May I speak without duplicity. May I always keep my word. You said I must walk in Your Word. Your Word is truth. If I am to be like You, God, then my word must be truth, as well.

Amen

Daily Question

When is it okay to break a commitment or promise to someone?

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Even When It Hurts

Daily Reading

Proverbs 10-12

Daily Thought

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. ~Proverbs 10:9

The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. ~Proverbs 11:3

Proverbs are truths in a general sort of way; they do not work every time–sometimes the crooked gets away with the goods. But, in general, they describe life.

I am a John Wooden fan, and he is a man who walked in integrity. John Wooden was born in the Midwest, liked the Midwest, and wanted to stay forever in the Midwest. And he would if the University of Minnesota called him before the deadline, but they did not. So, in 1948, John Wooden agreed to go west to Westwood, leaving his beloved Midwest to coach the UCLA Bruins, a team that had three winning seasons in the previous 17 years and finished last last season.

Then Minnesota called, something about a snowstorm knocking out communication. They had tried to call before the deadline. It was a good honest excuse–it snows a lot in the Midwest. The job is yours, they said. Can you come? But John Wooden had given his word to UCLA.

O Lord, who shall may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?
He who keeps his oath
even when it hurts. ~Psalm 15:1, 4

John Wooden would never return to the Midwest. He stayed at UCLA, and for the next 27 years, UCLA did not have a losing season. The final twelve seasons under Wooden, UCLA collected 10 NCAA Championships. How? Coaching, discipline, determination, talent. But it began with integrity. A man kept his word.

Daily Prayer

Creator, by Your Word all things came into existence. You speak and it happens. Your Son is Your Word to this world. When we see “The Word,” Jesus, we see You because You are One: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

God, may my word be as true. May I speak without duplicity. May I always keep my word. You said I must walk in Your Word. Your Word is truth. If I am to be like You, God, then my word must be truth, as well.

Amen

Posted on

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