Ruled by their emotions. Following the crowd. Praising and singing and shouting blessings to the same man they  would scream ‘Crucify him’ for in less than a week.

Looking back on this week in history, we can see how God let the Evil One spread his lies and influence Jesus’ followers so that God’s ultimate purpose of Christ’s death on the cross could be accomplished. The Pharisees thought they were finally going to win but actually they were just Satan’s soldiers, letting the King of Lies work through them to accomplish HIS purpose.

Are we ever fickle like the Isrealites? Faithful one day and doing our own thing the next? Doing everything we can to control the world and then wondering why God has permitted us to experience the consequences of those decisions? Praising him on Sunday while focusing on our own agenda on Monday through Saturday? 

Do you think Satan is happy when we’re off track and open to his tricks?

Dear Father, we are soooo grateful that you loved us enough to send your son…even when we’re being fickle people.

She knocks on the unjust judge’s door once and waits. There is no answer so she knocks again. The judge ignores her, hoping she’ll go away because he has no interest in her. But she knocks again, she doesn’t give up. She wears him down with her constant requests and the judge finally decides to give her justice just so that she’ll go away and stop bugging him.

This crooked judge gave her justice because she persisted.

How Much More our heavenly father has for us if we persist?  The unjust judge gave into the widow’s consistent pleas even though he cared nothing about her.  Our God loves us and he wants the best for us.  So How Much More peace, understanding, love, wisdom and guidance will he give us if we will persist in asking and never give up?

This has become one of my favorite stories in the Bible because it changed my daily, hourly response to concerns and issues in my life.  I have become the persistent widow.  I bring whatever it is to God every time it comes into my mind….over and over.  Family concerns, money issues, time crunches, health questions, relationship struggles, work worries, world crisis’, fear of the future….all of it.  I knock on God’s door and just keep knocking,  And he always answers with whatever I need at the time.  He covers me with a blanket of peace.  He shines a new ray of hope in my heart.  And he reminds me of his faithfulness, his power and his love for me.

Thank you, dear Father!

I had to laugh.  Yes, I’m one of those crazy ladies standing in line at the grocery store and I’m laughing 🙂

Because I took a peek at the front cover of a National Inquirer hanging there and it had a big headline on the front page with the words “He’s Back!!” and a picture of Jesus superimposed over a skyscraper.

It must have been a really slow gossip week for them to have to make up that one!

Because Jesus tells us about his return in Luke 17 and he says that lightening will flash and it will light up the sky from end of end.  When the sky lights up from end to end, we’re not going to have to wait to read about it in the National Inquirer.  We will all know, without a shadow of a doubt, that this is Jesus and he is back!

Because we’re all going to see it.

Paul tells us in Romans and Phillipians that  every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.  Even those who never believed before are going to instantly understand that Jesus, their creator, the Son of God has arrived.

And this is the important stuff.  There are all kinds of ways to interpret the signs and Revelation but the main event will be Jesus arriving once again to claim those who have already claimed him as their Savior.  It will truly be impossible to miss!

Hallelujah!  Amen!

They’re finally there!  The Israelites are ready to claim the Promised Land.  They’ve been wandering and waiting for 40 years for this moment.  All that separates them from the land that God is giving them is the Jordan River.

Joshua tells the priests to carry the Ark of the Covenant to the bank of the river and just step in.  Step In?

The Bible also tells us that the Jordan river is at flood stage and is overflowing its banks.  It’s a powerful, roaring river.  And they were supposed to step in?

Couldn’t God just dry up a path first and then they could step in on dry land?

He could have but that’s not how he does these things.  Over and over in the Bible, he asked his people for a step of faith FIRST and then they experienced his miracles and blessings in their lives.  It’s the same with us.  He asks us to respond to him in obedience even when we have no idea how he’s going to work this out for our good.  After the obedience, we get to experience the ‘how much more’ he has for us.  

Dear Father, please help our trust in you grow so that we can take the step of faiths you ask of us without worry and without doubt and without fear. 

wanting what we already have.

As we sincerely seek God, he helps us understand the blessings that he has already given us. When we develop a lifestyle of gratefulness because of all of these blessings we have already received, we become truly happy – maybe for the first time in our lives.

Jesus speaks to us in our passage today from Luke about a farmer who was successful and, instead of sharing his wealth, he built more barns to store it up for himself. God calls him a fool because the farmer has focused on this earthly wealth instead of developing a rich relationship with God.  God has given him bountiful crops so he could share with others but the farmer chose to keep it all for himself.

Jesus tells us later in this passage to sell our possessions and give to the poor.  As he looks at our culture today, I think he would be pointing to all of our sheds and garages and storage units full of stuff we store away for ourselves  instead of giving it  to those who need  it.  He challenges us to be generous with our possessions, holding on to them lightly.

“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will be also” Luke 12:34.

Dear Father, we desire to put you first in our lives.  Help us to be generous with our possessions, willingly giving to those in need.

Moses sounds like a parent in Deuteronomy 30 when he says he has given his people a choice – life or death.  And he says “Oh, that you would choose life.”

We want life for our children.  We want life for ourselves.   We want life for our family and friends.

Then Moses goes on to talk about the key to life.  Loving the Lord your God, obeying him and committing yourself firmly to him.   The key. The important choices.

And we make that choice everyday by choosing how we spend our time, talents, passion and resources.

“Oh, that we  would choose life.”

Dear Father, we choose you.  Loving you, obeying you and committing to living a life of faith in you is what we choose today and everyday.

It’s one of my favorite phrases in the Bible.  We read it here in Luke and then it shows up several more times in the New Testament.

If sinful people know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will our heavenly Father give us?

In the verses before this, Jesus tells us to keep on asking and we will receive what we ask for.  He tells us to keep on seeking and we will find.  He tells us to keep on knocking and the door will be opened.

Jesus is telling us to persistently go to God with the things we are looking for and wanting.  On all occassions and every situation – go to God until we find what we’re looking for, until the door is opened.

Have you ever tried this?  It works for me!  When I’m concerned or worried about something, I’ve learned to give it to God everytime it comes into my mind.  Every time…over and over…. 50 times a day if that’s what it takes. 

When I’m successful at doing this, I get what I’m looking for.  He gives me peace.  He lets me know that he’s right there with me and he’s in control.  He reminds me of his promise that he’s working whatever it is out for my good – all I have to do is love him.  He pulls me back to him and centers me on the Rock of my salvation…..and everything’s ok. 

Sometimes I even get a specific answer for my situation…..bonus!

Dear Father, we thank you for how much more you give us …..more than we could ever ask for or imagine!

We’re 3 months into the Journey of reading through the Bible in 2012 and my anticipation of what God is doing through this is growing.  I’m getting strong messages from him that he’s planning to shower down some big blessings and revelations this year through this committment we’ve made.

My connection to God is growing each month and I’m really wondering what is going to happen by December. 

His desire is to revolutionize our lives this year.  We’ll never be the same!

I’m already seeing it.  How about you? 

Here are the readings for April: