As I get ready to post this week’s readings, I feel compelled to share something that I hope you will find encouraging.

I have to confess that I, myself, am a little behind in the readings. I’m not quite sure how it happened, but it did. To be honest, I think I camped too long at the beginning of Numbers. I needed some rest after the blood bath that was Leviticus. (Can I get an amen that we live under the new covenant and not the old one?!)

So, I’m behind, and true to my type-A-ish personality, I’ve been beating myself up for the last few days trying desperately to catch up. Once you get behind…it’s work, work, work.

This morning, as I sauntered into my kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee, I glared anxiously at my bible and the notes scattered about on the table. I said to myself, “I’m behind. I know. Don’t remind me.”

As I sat down in my chair, it hit me like a ton of bricks: Satan was at work! And he was at work in my quiet time of all places!

You see, slowly, steadily, sneeki-ly he had taken my laid back cup of coffee with Christ and turned it into a militia-style, well-oiled, task-list driven, quiet time machine.

Coffee? Check
Prayer? Check.
Reading assignments complete? Check.

He had taken my coffee date with Christ each morning and set-up a “Quiet Time Project Management Office” right in the middle of it! And it made me mad!

Y’all! I’m telling you, that is a slippery, sneaky snake! You have to watch out for him around every corner… around every turn. Peter reminds us: “Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).  Don’t let him sneak up on you!

With that being said, if you are behind, but you are spending time in God’s presence, take a deep breath and relax. That’s the point.

The point is to fellowship with the Almighty.

The point is to commune in His Presence.

The point is NOT to check something off your To-Do list.

Be encouraged and move only as fast as His Spirit leads you!

Robyn posted some great reflections on her blog about operating within boundaries.  I’ve posted it below and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

If you are reading through the Bible with us.  I have some good news:

First, the book of Job is almost over!!!  Is it wrong to say that?  I mean, I know that God’s Word is precious.  I do. And I know that everything in the Bible is God breathed.  But seriously.  I feel like God just took a 2 x 4 and hit me upside the head.  Apparently, He thought it was necessary to give us 30 chapters of endless banter between Job and his friends to make sure that we understand:  1) Job was confused, hurt and lonely and 2) his friends were in desperate need of a course on how to help a friend grieve.  I’ve heard that Numbers is rough and that Leviticus will break you, but right now, I’m glad to see us close the book on Job.

Second, you are now officially caught up with my small group on your reading assignments.  That wasn’t so bad. Right?  I’m so proud of you for hanging in there.  You can find your daily reading assignments at the end of the post.

Boundaries

In Christian circles, there are some clichés that are like punches to my gut.

“Let go and let God!” is at the top of my Please Don’t Say That List.  I’d rather hear you quote the worry verses (Matthew 6:27) before “Let go and let God” crosses your lips.

Another tired expression that is borderline annoying, but probably more biblically grounded, is “God won’t give you more than you can handle.”  People who say that usually don’t know what else to say, and I’d bet their intentions are generally good.  So although not my favorite, I can stomach this one far better than “Let go…”  (I can’t even bring myself to put it in black and white again).

So does God operate within boundaries, keeping a pile of she-can’t-handle-that scenarios over in the corner?

The Bible is clear that our God has the right to govern our universe as He pleases (Psalm 115:3).  He stirs hearts and moves people to action (Ezra 1:1).  He institutes our earthly authorities (Romans 13:1-2).  He makes possible what humans consider impossible (Matthew 19:26).

That doesn’t seem like a God of boundaries.

But over in the book of Job, God is approached by Satan after he’s been roaming the earth (scary, isn’t he?), and gives him permission to test Job.  God is very clear, however, on what the adversary is allowed to do, and what he may not do, in his approach.  “Everything he has is in your hands,” God says, “but on the man himself don’t lay a finger” (Job 1:12).

Restrictions.  God is giving Satan his limitations on how he can deal with Job.  He sees the opportunity for Job to have his faith strengthened, but He will authorize the test only under the condition of protection.  His boundaries are protective of His children.

God expects us to operate within boundaries, too.  Unfortunately to a lot of people, those limitations are perceived as a never-ending list of “do nots” that make a believer’s life boring, and well, restricted.

I don’t know about you, but I’m willing to embrace God’s boundaries for me, knowing He’s simultaneously confining the devil for my protection.

Let’s be glad that the devil is operating within God’s boundaries, and not the other way around!

RLF

Daily  Readings
As promised, below are your readings for the week. 

Be Blessed!

-N

Resolve.  It’s a seemingly insignificant word.  Not one frequently used (unless you have to clean your carpet a lot).  It’s just two syllables. A mere seven letters. But yet, it is a mighty word for in it determines the success or failure of an endeavor.

I learned about this “resolve” characteristic last year in a study of Daniel.  Daniel and his pals – now they had some resolve!

Did they defile their bodies with tasty food?  “Nope.  Pass the fruits and vegetables, please.” (Daniel 1:8)

Bow to a statue?  “Over our dead bodies!” (Daniel 3:17-18)

Resolve.

Resolve requires you to make a decision before a decision.  It requires planning, discipline – and truth be told – good old fashioned stubbornness.

Stubbornness kind of gets a bad rap.  It gets thrown into the “character flaw” category a bit too often.  You’re more likely to hear someone say, “Would you PLEASE quit being so stubborn?” than you are to hear, “I love your stubbornness.  I wish I could be like that.”

Some people like to use sissy-words like, “determined” or “persistent,” but in my opinion, those are all just poodle-like synonyms for the great dane that is stubbornness.

Yep. Stubbornness needs a new image.   Stubbornness needs to take perseverance by the horns and show it who’s boss!

So, how can we give stubbornness a face lift? We can use our powers for good and not evil. We can use it to complete those resolutions we’ve set for the new year.

So, what have I resolved to do this year? What’s my passion? Well, this year, with the help of my awesomely cool and fabulous accountability group, we are reading through the Bible chronologically.

Want to do it with us? Oh, I’d love for you too! We can hold you accountable. Just post a comment and let us know that you’re in. I’ll post the reading assignments each Tuesday.

So, are you game? Come on! You know you want to roll up those sleeves of stubbornness and do it. All it takes is a little resolve.