S.O.A.P.

Daily S.O.A.P Blog

God First

Scripture
Daniel 5:17
“Then Daniel answered the king, “you may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.” 
Observation
Daniel had not had an easy path in life. God had shown him favor, but he was still the bird in the gilded cage. He was still exiled from his home, still in captivity, and still not in control of his own destiny. When Belshazzar offered him rewards to read what was written, there must have been a moment of temptation to negotiate. “Tell you what, king–make me the SECOND highest ruler in the land instead of third, and let me return home–and THEN I’ll read the writing!”  Instead, Daniel’s response shows tremendous peace and humility. “Thanks king, but I’m good. No worries about rewards, I’ll just read what’s written for you and then go back to what I was doing before you summoned me.”
Daniel made zero effort to manipulate the situation for his own benefit, but simply trusted that God was going to accomplish something through his situation. The result was that God’s name was glorified to the entire known world.
Application
I want to have this kind of “God-first” mentality in life. Whether my season is easy or hard, I want to stay ready to point people back to God instead of campaigning for my own benefit. God alone deserves our focus and our attention. Whether I receive rewards or not, I want to be available for God to use. Whether I receive recognition or not, I want God to be recognized.
This week, I need to listen and watch for doors that God is opening. Not for what I can get out of it, but for what God wants to accomplish through it. 
Prayer
God, may you be glorified in my life today. Help me to seek first to follow you, instead of seeking reward and recognition. 

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Holy Moments

Scripture
Ezekiel 42:14,20
“Once the priests enter the holy precincts, they are not to go into the outer court until they leave behind the garments in which they minister, for these are holy. They are to put on other clothes before they go near the places that are for the people”
“It had a wall around it, five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide, to separate the holy from the common.” 
Observation
The priests ministered in the very presence of God–but they lived in the “real world.” When their time of service was done, they would exit the temple and step back into a fallen world of sin, dirt, grime, unclean animals, and death. God knew this was the reality, but he didn’t want them blurring the line between that which was holy, and that which was “common”.
Application
I live in a fallen world, and I interact daily with the temptations and results of sin. God no longer lives in a physical temple, but in my heart. I need to recognize and respect the holiness of His presence in me. I still interact with the world around me, but I need to honor and guard the presence of God’s spirit in me. Just like the priests of the old testament, there needs to be an intentionality in my walk with God–“Holy moments” that I guard and protect in my day. These are the moments when God and I meet on-on-one, and His presence and His word transforms me and give me the strength to navigate the challenges, battles, and temptations of the day.
This week, I need to guard the ‘Holy moments” in my day.
Prayer
God, thank you for the privilege of knowing you, and that I no longer have to rely on a priest to communicate with you on my behalf! Help me to never take that for granted! Help me remember to guard and protect the holy moments in my day, when you and I meet and communicate. Thank you for your strength, your holiness, and your righteousness! 
 
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The Blessing

Scripture
Psalm 128:1,3
“Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him.
…your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.” 
Observation
Walking in obedience to God doesn’t just have an impact on one person. There’s an overflow impact on everyone else in the household. The fear of the Lord, and obedience to him causes everyone around to flourish. 
Application
I want the blessings of God on my home! Not just physical, tangible, or monetary blessing–I want to see my wife and children flourish like a strong and healthy vine. This scripture gives me God’s assurance that my walk with God will have a long-term impact on my whole family, to cause them to grow like a strong and healthy plant. Plants don’t become strong the first time I water them. Plants grow strong over time, as they are consistently given the water and nutrients they need. In the same way, my family is impacted not just by the one or two ‘big decisions’ that I make, but by the small, consistent, daily decisions I make to honor and obey God.
Prayer
God, thank you for blessing my family! Help me to consistently serve you and honor you, not only for my benefit but for theirs as well. Thank you for your consistent love and faithfulness to us. 

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Faithful

Scripture
Psalm 145:13-14
“The Lord is trustworthy in all He promises and faithful in all He does. The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.” 
Observation
Though I am not always faithful or trustworthy, God is! Though I fall, His footing is sure and His arms are strong to catch me. Though I become bowed down when the season is heavy, He lifts me up with His great strength 
Application
God is not waiting for me to attain perfection–rather, He is daily perfecting me each step of the journey. When I am discouraged, I need to lean on Him. When the season is heavy, I need to turn to Him. His strength is more than enough to see me through, and His patience with me is great! 
Prayer
God, thank you for your faithfulness and love! Thank you for catching me when I fall, and lifting me up when I am weary! 

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Keep Pointing

Scripture
Revelation 19:9-10
“Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the lamb!” and he added, “These are the true words of God”
At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.” 
Observation
This must have been a slightly terrifying moment for the angel. He had watched as Lucifer was cast out of heaven for wanting to be like the Most High, and now here is John- bowing to worship him! I can imagine the pitch of his voice rising as he yanked John to his feet and exclaimed “Don’t do that!!!”
The angel understood his place. It was his job to speak the words of God for John to write, and point John’s attention back to the God who had spoken. It was not the angel’s place to receive the glory and the honor and the worship. Those things belonged only to God. Even as the angel did what God required, he had to guard his own heart in the process. 
Application
Serving God doesn’t mean that I won’t face temptation–indeed, there are temptations I will face because I am serving God. As opportunities arise for my pride to become inflated, I need to remember the automatic reflex of the angel, and point people back to God every time the focus begins to drift. I need to personally keep my attention on God, so that I can point others back to Him also. 
Prayer
God, thank you that you are worthy of my worship. Thank you for your incomparable greatness! Help me to always keep my eyes fixed on you, and point those around me back to you every single time. You alone deserve my adoration! 

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Dry Valleys

Scripture
‘The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. ‘ Ezekiel 37:1 
Observation
The hand of God was on Ezekiel, and Ezekiel followed where God was leading him. The place that God led him to, was a valley full of bones. There are seasons in life when the Spirit of God will lead us into places of dryness, and even to be surrounded by signs of death. The purpose of these seasons is not for Him to abandon us in a place of death, but for God to demonstrate His power by bringing life to dead places.
Application
I don’t like dry seasons. I don’t like walking through valleys, surrounded by dry bones. I would far rather take a stroll through the green pastures, where life is abundant everywhere I turn. I would rather hike through the valley, where the stream is overhung by towering trees and the air buzzes with the quiet whisper of nature.
But God doesn’t just want me to see what he has already done. He wants me to witness what He is doing now. He wants me to experience His miraculous power in my world.  The old quote says “Everyone wants a miracle…but no one wants to need one”.  There are times that God will allow me to walk through a valley of death, so that I can experience His infinite power in bringing life to dead situations.
This week, I need to look for God’s presence in dead situations. In the places that are too far gone for me to solve, and too big for me to handle–those are the places where God is preparing to show up the most powerfully.
Prayer
God, thank you for your presence in my life. Help me to trust you when I’m walking through a dry valley, surrounded by signs of death–help me to remain confident in You, that Your power is more than sufficient to solve the greatest problem and bring light to the darkest situation.
Thank you for being on-time, and for proving yourself strong over and over again. You are awesome! 

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Therefore I Have Hope

Scripture
Lamentations 3:19-22
“I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I will remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.” 
Observation
The prophet was discouraged. He felt judged by God-and not only was his mind currently dwelling on his discomfort, but he knew this wasn’t a fleeting emotion…it was going to keep on occupying his mind. But even in the middle of his discouragement, he recognized that God’s love was a source of hope that he could cling to–and so he made the decision to “call it to mind”. 
Application
I have faced (and will face) seasons of discouragement and struggle. These seasons can draw my mind into an inescapable vortex of depression and gloom. Whether the struggle is from God’s judgement or merely an attack of the enemy, my mind does not always naturally gravitate to hope.
Like the prophet, I have God’s love as a never-failing source of hope to which I can turn. I have to make the decision to bring that source of hope to my mind instead of focusing on the negative thoughts that would otherwise fill my mind of their own accord.
Today, I choose to call God’s great love to mind. I choose to take authority over my mind even when discouragement hits–because God’s love never fails and it never ends.
Prayer
God, thank You for your unending love! Help me to choose daily to fix my mind on you, instead of swirling in the vortex of my frustrations and problems. Thank you for your hope! 

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Confidence

Scripture
Obadiah 1:3-4
“The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘who can bring me down to the ground?’ Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,’ declares the Lord.” 
Observation
The imagery is fascinating here. God told Moses to hide in the cleft of the rock, and God is often symbolized as the rock on which we stand. Scripture also speaks of God giving us strength to rise on wings like an eagle. The Edomites were descendants of Esau, and thus from Abraham’s lineage. The problem with Edom is that they became full of pride. Though planted on a rock, they chose to focus on their own strength. Though soaring high on wings like an eagle, they neglected to glorify the one who had given them wings. 
Application
God blesses me generously. He has given me a strong foundation, and wings like an eagle to rise above the attacks of the enemy. I can be confident in the provision and protection of God–but I cannot allow myself to forget who the rock is, and who gives me wings. My strength to stand does not come from me, but from the one who loves me. This week, I need to remain confident in Christ. Though attacks and storms come, he remains unshakable.

Pride makes me unstable no matter how strong my foundation. Christ keeps me secure, no matter how strong the storm.
Prayer
God, thank you for being my rock and my foundation! Thank you for being unshakable. Help me to always keep my trust in you, and not in my own strength.

“He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
Which shadows a dry thirsty land
He hideth my life in the depths of His love
And covers me there with His hand”

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My God

Scripture
Jeremiah 42:3,6
“Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go, and what we should do.”
“Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God.” 
Observation
The children of Israel wanted “Jeremiah’s God’ to speak to them and give them direction. They didn’t identify him as ‘our God’ until a decision point of obedience was reached. Unfortunately for the Israelites, they ultimately did not obey God, and they were judged for it. 
Application
It’s one thing for me to acknowledge who God is, and identify what He can do for me. It’s an entirely different thing to make Him ‘MY God’, and choose to follow Him. This is the point at which He goes from being “someone’s God”, to being ‘MY God’. He is still God, regardless! The thing that changes is my relation to Him.
This week, I choose to make Him ‘MY God’. I choose to accept His direction in my life, and submit my desires to His–and not just call on Him to see what I can get out of Him.
Prayer
God, thank you that you are the one true God! Thank you for your presence in my life. I choose to submit my life to you, and I choose to make you ‘MY God’. 

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Armed and Ready

Scripture
Revelation 12:11
“They triumphed over him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony; They did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death” 
Observation
Michael and his angels waged war in heaven against satan, and were victorious. The next verse says “they triumphed over him by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony.” Way in the heavenly realm is not waged with earthly weapons, but with heavenly ones. 
Application
The same weapons which defeated satan and his army, are available to me today. The blood of the Lamb has been shed for me, and I have been instructed to glorify God with my testimony. When I submit to God and apply the blood of the Lamb to my life, and when I give testimony of the greatness of God, I join in heavenly battle against satan alongside Michael and the angelic armies. This week, I choose to walk in God’s victory. This week, I choose to live my life fully surrendered to God, and covered by the blood of Christ. This week, I choose to share my testimony of the great things that God has done in my life-not to lift up myself, but to lift up Jesus. This week, I choose to die to self, so that I may live in Him.
Prayer
Thank you God that you are victorious over all that opposes you! Thank you for redeeming me, and giving me the opportunity to join the battle on your side. Thank you for your strength against every attack, as I live my life surrendered to you.

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