– Scripture:

                          What’s in your Atmosphere?

Moderation is better than muscle, and self-control is better than political power.

                                                Proverbs 16:32 MSG

 – Reflection:

You need to keep your atmosphere full of faith, full of praise, full of hope, full of victory. Anything or anyone that tries to poison that atmosphere, you have to say, “No, thanks. You’re not welcome here. I’m not letting that offense in. I’m going to stay in peace. I’m going to enjoy this day.” You don’t have control over what people do, but you have control over your thoughts, your attitude, and how you respond. 

Where do we go from here?

You have a space that belongs only to you. It’s between your ears; It’s your thoughts, your attitude, your emotions. It’s who you spend time with, what you watch, and not only who you listen to but how you listen. That’s your atmosphere. That’s what you have control over. Some people live worried, offended, and negative because they let all that in the bad news, the negative medical report, the criticism from coworkers. That sours their life, and the light within it. The problem comes at that point because not ruling their atmosphere.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank You for the ability to control our actions and the things that we can control. We can’t control what others say or do or control negative circumstances around us, but we can rule our spirits and protect that space. We’re going to stay in peace and say no to whatever tries to poison our atmosphere. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 – Scripture:

Listen, God! Please pay attention! Can you make sense of these ramblings, my groans and cries? King-God, I need your help.
Every morning, you’ll hear me at it again. Every morning, I lay the pieces of my life on your altar and watch for fire to descend.

                          Psalm 5:1–3  MSG

– Reflection:

Some things take time, but you must come to God expectantly. He’s about to do something out of the normal time frame, something unusual, sooner than you think. “What if I believe and this doesn’t happen?” What if you believe, and it does happen? It probably won’t happen if you’ve already accepted that it’s going to be a long time to get out of this trouble, to get well, to meet the right person, to accomplish your dream. That’s limiting what God will do. You have to believe sooner rather than later. Even if it doesn’t happen as quickly as you like, you must live with a soon mentality. 

Where do we go from here?

It’s easy to live with a negative mindset. “It’s never going to work out. Maybe I’ll get a good break in a few years. The damage to this relationship is permanent.” Switch over to a soon mentality.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, bring us the courage and strength to follow you faithfully. Help us recognize the altars of false gods in our midst and be confident to break them down. Be with us through this journey. Amen.

 – Scripture:

                  Faith Over Fear

Gideon prepared a young goat and a huge amount of unraised bread (he used over half a bushel of flour!). He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and took them back under the shade of the oak tree for a sacred meal. The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and unraised bread, place them on that rock, and pour the broth on them.” Gideon did it. The angel of God stretched out the tip of the stick he was holding and touched the meat and the bread. A fire broke out of the rock and burned up the meat and bread while the angel of God slipped away out of sight. And Gideon knew it was the angel of God! Gideon said, “Oh no! Master, God! I have seen the angel of God face-to-face!” But God reassured him, “Easy now. Don’t panic. You won’t die.” Then Gideon built an altar there to God and named it “God’s Peace.” It’s still called that at Ophrah of Abiezer. That night this happened. God said to him, “Take your father’s best seven-year-old bull, the prime one. Tear down your father’s Baal altar and chop down the Asherah fertility pole beside it. Then, build an altar to God, your God, on the top of this hill. Take the prime bull and present it as a Whole-Burnt-Offering, using firewood from the Asherah pole that you cut down.” Gideon selected ten men from his servants and did precisely what God had told him. But because of his family and the people in the neighborhood, he was afraid to do it openly, so he did it that night.

                               Judges 6:19–27 MSG

– Reflection:

In your life, do you feel more faithful or fearful?  Have you experienced times when it was a little bit of both?  If so, you’re in good company.  Gideon did too!  And if God can use a faithful, fearful person like Gideon, maybe God can use us too!

Where do we go from here?

Could we do what Gideon did? I mean, he is telling us to tear down idols every day. Are we listening? So many causes and people have been placed on platforms that should not be heard or given power, but it is getting done because people are not fearful of GOD and what he can do. Too much faith is being placed in worldly causes, even to give GOD what is his. We need to have more faith than fear of the cancel culture. When we do, the strongholds of these things will stop.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank you for giving me a mindset of not following the culture of the world and where I live. It is an honor to have a healthy fear of you to remember my faith. My fear is not of this world but of the creator of this world, and I know that all will be taken care of in your time. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 – Scripture:

                      Who is to Blame?

Yet again, the People of Israel went back to doing evil in God’s sight. God put them under the domination of Midian for seven years. Midian overpowered Israel. Because of Midian, the People of Israel made for themselves hideouts in the mountains, caves, and forts. When Israel planted its crops, Midian and Amalek, the easterners, would invade them, camp in their fields, and destroy their crops all the way down to Gaza. They left nothing for them to live on, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey. Bringing their cattle and tents, they came in and took over like an invasion of locusts. And their camels past counting! They marched in and devastated the country. The People of Israel, reduced to grinding poverty by Midian, cried out to God for help.
One time, when the People of Israel had cried out to God because of Midian, God sent them a prophet with this message: “God, the God of Israel, says, I delivered you from Egypt, I freed you from a life of slavery; I rescued you from Egypt’s brutality and then from every oppressor;
I pushed them out of your way and gave you their land. “And I said to you, ‘I am God, your God. Don’t for a minute be afraid of the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living.’ But you didn’t listen to me.”

                                          Judges 6:1–10 MSG

 – Reflection:

How quick we are to jump to questions of blame and judgment. We all know that this can be a slippery slope to start on. Reading this passage, I feel like it is less about “who is to blame” and more about the call to remember God’s faithfulness and a call to our faithfulness, no matter our circumstances. Wherever you are today, may you recognize where you are quick to jump to judgment, whether for issues in your own life or complex problems in this country and around the world, and in those moments, may we be called back to faithfulness, trusting in God.

Where do we go from here?

The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD gave them into the hand of Midian for seven years. Is that where you want to be, not listening and being given over to some other power because you didn’t honor and fear GOD’s commandments faithfully? I know I don’t; moving forward, it is in our best interest to humble ourselves and follow what has been placed in the fiber of our being since birth. If and when we do this, the veil will be lifted, and you can see clearer. It will not be easier, but you will see clearer.

Our Prayer for Today

Father of grace and mercy, grant us clear minds and still hearts to know your presence. When life seems shaky, let us not rush to point fingers but be steadfast in faithfulness and sustained in prayer. Amen.

 – Scripture:

                    Irresponsible Worry

Has anyone changed anything by fussing in front of the mirror, ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

                                      Matthew 6:27–29 MSG

– Reflection:

Why do we worry about the things we can’t change? Then things we can; we half-heartedly try to change them with little effort and no responsibility. We have habits that are looking for the big and shiny things. God, though, wants to see how you work with little before you get the shiny and important. If you can’t run your life with little, then why would he place you in charge of so much? Worry kills the spirit and the blessings that are to come your way. That’s why I say it is irresponsible to worry at all.

Where do we go from here?

Letting go of worry is tough. You must approach it not only intellectually but practically, too. You cannot simply command yourself to “worry less.” That, by itself, doesn’t work so well. You must get practical by actually talking about worries with a spouse, a friend, or brothers in the community. That does work (2 Corinthians 12:9). Getting your worries out into the open is as powerful as it is counterintuitive. So, brother, defy your instincts.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank you for giving to us freely your love and courage, even though we may not use it as purposed. As we all find our ways in the Kingdom, it is a blessing to know that your son, our King, gave himself for all of us. His flesh may have been weak at the moment, but the part of you in him took away that worry of what was to come. We have that same build within us as well; allow us to touch into that a lot more by honoring the Kingdom. Amen.