John 7:37-38 “On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink.  As the scripture has said ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water””

Living water paints a refreshing picture in my mind.  I see a crystal clear stream flowing through a green and lush meadow with tall trees shading the banks of the stream.  It is not silent flowing water, it dances over rocks in the stream bed and there are enticing splashing sounds over a small water fall.  The stream beckons to my thirst.  There is dryness in my mouth that I know will be satisfied by a long, cool drink from this stream.  I can almost taste the clean, cool water now.  Our soul thirsts for the living water Jesus offers.  He beckons to each of us to believe and to come and drink.  As we drink in his living water, it fills our soul and refreshes us.  It restores us and then from us the living waters flow to others.  This is the Spirit of God.  God pours his flowing living Spirit into our hearts and then the Spirit flows from our hearts bringing others to the living waters of God.  It is a beautiful picture in my heart and mind.

Lord,

Thank you for your living word and living water.  I am continually refreshed by your Spirit through the grace of Jesus, my redeemer.  Allow me to be a channel for the flow of your living water to others so that all who are thirsty may come and partake in this beautiful living water.  Amen.

Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight.”

I need to print this verse and paste it onto every book and tool I use for school.  As I prepare for school to start next week I hold trepidation in my heart.  How do I teach my daughter everything she needs to know in the best possible way?  How do I instill the love of learning in her heart?  I have curriculum for all of the subjects that need to be learned and the teaching manuals are pretty user friendly.  The struggle comes in teaching so she can learn and enjoy most of it.  The only way this year will be a success is if I lock this verse into my memory banks and my heart.  I need to keep it at the forefront of my mind and on the tip of my tongue so it is constantly there as a reminder of who is really in charge of our school and our learning.  He is invited to guide me as the teacher and my daughter as the student.  I prepare for this school year knowing we will both learn a lot if we will trust in the Lord with all our hearts and not rely on our own insight.

Lord,

I teach because you lead me to teach.  Grant me the resources and support I need to be successful in teaching what you would have my children learn.  As they learn reading and writing, math and science, help them also learn to trust in you and not in their own knowledge.  As I teach and learn, help me trust in you as well.  Thank you for your promise to give what we truly seek.  Amen.

Genesis 2:7 “then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.”

Dust can be such a nuisance.  When we camped with my Dad earlier this summer, there was an abundance of dust.  My little boy played in the dust for hours each day and both kids were covered in it by the end of each day.  Kyle used his trucks and earth mover toys to push the soft dirt around and his imagination soared.  He had great fun.  Soft light brown dust is what I picture when I read this scripture.  Where I grew up the color of dirt and dust is light; there is not much substance to it.  The dirt that I garden with has substance.  It is dark and rich; you can smell the nutrients in it.  Either way, it is hard for me to imagine that dust or dirt being formed into a person.  God’s imagination is wild!  Every tree, plant and creature on this planet was created and designed by Him.  He took dirt and created.  He made all from nothing.  He made beautiful things from dust and gave them life.

Lord,

When I revisit the creation story I am amazed all over again.  As I spend time with family and friends, as I sit under the shade of my tree and sip a cool drink help me remember this verse.  When I lament at the world and its brokenness, remind me that you make beautiful things from dust.  Thank you for the beauty you create out of what seems useless. Amen.

Psalm 6:9 “The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord accepts my prayer.”

Prayer is a blessing; it can also be a struggle.  I have a prayer journal that I write requests down in so I can pray for those people or circumstances on a regular basis.  I write them down so I remember them and so I can watch for the answer to prayers.  Before I was keeping my journal it was hard for me to see results of any kind in my prayer life.  I would pray for people and circumstances but then I would forget about them when the trouble ceased coming to my mind.  Through my journal I see sickness or trouble being transformed to healing and peace.  I see brokenness brought to wholeness.  There are some requests that I have not seen the answer I hope for yet.  There are some I may never see the answer because I cannot see a person’s heart.  The response God gives to prayer does not always happen in a snap of a finger or the length of time we seek.  It does not always happen in the way we think it would.  I know when we lift prayers of supplication to the Lord He hears and accepts our prayer.  Then we need to trust that He will do what is right and true.  That is the struggle.

Lord,

You are sovereign, Ruler and Master of all.  Encourage us in our prayer times and help us see the answers you give clearly so we are encouraged even more.  Help our lack of faith, help us release our desires and turn our requests completely over to you.  Only you know what is right and true.  Amen.

1 Peter 2:5 “like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

I think buildings built from stones are beautiful.  The builder finds the perfect stone to begin with, the cornerstone.  Then he chooses each stone after that based on how it will fit with the stones already laid.  It is like an intricate puzzle but the master knows each stone, he forms each stone for his purpose.  God shapes us into the living stone He needs for his holy temple.  Have you seen temples or churches that are made from stone?  Even though the stones are simply rocks from the ground they are placed together, side by side, layer by layer into a beautiful structure, a holy temple.  We are the holy temple of God.  When Jesus became our cornerstone we allowed the Spirit of God to come in and make us a living stone.  Rejoice in this today.  His kingdom is not somewhere and someday.  His kingdom is now and we are a part of his holy temple.  Let us offer spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving acceptable to God through Jesus.

Lord,

As my kids collect little rocks and we look at the beauty in them, remind me of this verse in your word.  When they make towers out of Legos remind me we are all interlinked to work together. We are all living stones; we are all a part of your priesthood.  If we do not lift our voices, the stones of earth will cry out in praise.  I lift my voice in praise and worship to you, O God.  Amen.

Galatians 3:5 “Well then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law or by your believing what you heard?”

I am really struggling with this for some reason.  I thought I had moved passed this law versus grace thing in my journey but apparently not.  It looks like the Galatians were struggling with it too.  Paul is really laying it out to the Galatians in this passage.  He does not spell out what they were doing but he is very unhappy with their behavior based on the scolding he gives them.  I have a Christian friend who follows some of the Jewish law.  Her family observes Sabbath from Friday evening to Saturday evening.  They eat a kosher diet and they celebrate Jewish festivals.  I didn’t have the opportunity to talk with her about it before they moved away but it stirred up a lot of questions and this passage stirs up those questions again.  How should I be living my life?  Are there things I could be doing to live deeper in the Lord?  As I ponder those questions the answer seems so simple.  Believe in what you know and listen to the Spirit.

Lord,

Help me let go of the ropes.  I like to try to run the show but I need to let go and let you.  Help me cling to what I know; Jesus is my Messiah, and your Spirit guides me as I listen.  Open my ears and my heart to your guidance as I continue to study your word and do your work in the world.  Amen.

John 6:30-31 “Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat,’  Then Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.’”

I can already hear the voice of my little boy when he wakes up.  One of the first things he says is “Let’s eat breakfast.”  As it is in most households, our morning rituals include something to fill our tummies.  The bread we eat comes from the store and like the bread of bible times, it fills us up for a while and then we are hungry again.  We continue to feed out bodies as they continue to burn the food for fuel.  The true bread from heaven never wastes away; it does not get used up and need to be replenished.  Once we eat the true bread He stays with us, continuing to feed us.  Come receive the bread of life so that we are no longer hungry in our souls.  Come again not because we must, but because we can.  As we nourish our bodies again, let us renew the nourishment of our souls.

Lord,

You are the bread of heaven.  You are the source of life.  I come to your table seeking refreshment knowing I have already received true bread.  I seek to grow in you more and more each day.  Renew your Spirit within me.  Help me share your Spirit with others so they, too, may receive true bread.  Amen.