“There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42 (NLT) The heart of this ministry is to inspire a love for God’s Word and encourage the discipline of daily Bible reading and SOAP journaling. These are a few of our SOAP notes from today’s reading. We encourage you to read and journal on your own first, then join us in conversation about what God revealed to YOU today. Click HERE to go directly to the daily reading if you wish.
Printable reading plan: Discover One Thing Reading Plan
Want to walk through the Bible one book at a time? Head over to Discover One Thing Online Study!
Daily Habit, and Glimpses of Heaven | Tara Wiley
S~ Every morning when Aaron maintains the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on the altar. And each evening when he lights the lamps, he must again burn incense in the Lord’s presence. This must be done from generation to generation. Exodus 30:7-8 (NLT)
O~ The sun rises: Aaron is at work, tending the light, offering sweet incense. The sun sets: Aaron is at work, bringing light to the darkness, offering sweet incense.
This habit – morning and evening, tending and offering – speaks deeply to me. I think of David in Psalm 55, crying out to God morning, noon, and evening. He made a habit of coming to God throughout the day, and he found refuge, rescue, and direction there.
I love how the Message translation offers the next word picture from the Bible that came to my mind:
Then another Angel…was given a great quantity of incense so that he could offer up the prayers of all the holy people of God on the Golden Altar before the Throne. Smoke billowed up from the incense-laced prayers of the holy ones, rose before God from the hand of the Angel. (Revelation 8:2-4 MSG)
What an awesome full-circle picture that is, a heaven-mirror of Exodus 30:7-8, angels ministering with incense before God’s throne. And, oh what humbling truth, WE are a part of that ministry through our prayers.
Finally, the generational aspect of this verse struck me, too. I am so blessed to have watched my parents devote themselves to studying God’s word and to prayer morning and evening. How I pray my children will carry on the same habit that I learned from my parents… and reap the incredible blessing that comes from tending the light of faith morning, noon, and night.
A~ My commitment is renewed today from this passage. Not only do I want to keep the habit of getting into God’s word daily, and of turning to conversation with Him often throughout each day, but I want to be a part of that heaven-picture. I want to be ministering to God through daily tending of my faith. And the reminder that habits can be passed from generation to generation – now there’s another level of motivation for this mama!
P~ Oh Lord, I love Your Word. I love the mirror images You offer from beginning to end, the way that You use concrete examples in our daily lives to give us pictures of heaven. I can’t wait to see what other treasures You have to show me when I see You face to face, other little glimpses You gave of Your character and Your dwelling place, through nature, through the Bible, through relationships… through life, and death, and all You have given us to live and know. In the daily-ness of life, I want to be part of that eternal picture. I want to offer prayers that rise to You as incense. I want to tend the light of my faith, the light of You in me. I long for my children to experience the blessing that comes from the same habit. I pray You would light a holy motivation in each of us to pursue You daily and often. Thank You, Jesus, for meeting me when I meet with You, just as You met with David, and offering me refuge, rescue, and direction. Let me be sensitive to the nudges of Your Spirit today to draw near to You.
Use Me | guest post
S~ When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. Matthew 14:14-19 (NIV)
O~ A large crowd had followed Jesus and his disciples in order to be healed. After a long day in this place, that was far from conveniences, the disciples determined they did not have the resources to feed all the people before them and so asked Jesus to send them away. They made a good argument but Jesus responded by telling them to feed the people. The disciples then explained they only had five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus took what they had, gave thanks to heaven for it and then divided it to give to the disciples to give to the people. All were able to eat.
A~ I love this story. It always inspires and challenges me. Today I especially need to hear this. Yesterday, I shared I woke up feeling fearful and did not know why. Today I wake up feeling wiped out. I feel like the wind has been knocked out of my sails, physically and spiritually. I have not even been helping Jesus with the 5000 yet today…have not even served anyone yet in my day, but I feel the way the disciples did. I feel too tired and out of the needed resources to meet needs. I can come up with very logical reasons why I can’t serve and meet anyone else’s needs today. I want to start my plea for why I can’t serve but then I hear Jesus calling me to “feed them.” I see his loving eyes looking at me and his warm strong voice saying..”bring them here to me.” I have little to bring this morning….a tired and broken body…a weary soul….But I bring them to you Lord. Take me and make me useful to you.
P~ Lord, help me not to turn away or chose not to serve someone today because of what resources I think I have to offer. Let me remember that whatever little I have to give..combined with your vast resources…will provide even more than is needed. Help me Lord to remain in you and rely on you in my brokenness and weakness. Only you can make me whole. Work through me to accomplish your purposes. IN Jesus’s precious name. Amen.
Compassion | guest post
S~ Jesus saw the huge crowd as He stepped from the boat, and He had compassion on them and healed their sick. ~ Matthew 14:14 (NLT)
O~ Jesus has just learned about the death of His cousin and friend, John the Baptist. He went away to be alone, but the crowds followed. Jesus’ reaction to the crowds was compassion and action, not frustration and isolation.
A~ I can’t imagine Jesus wanted to be around others in that moment, I bet He just wanted to be alone with You, God. So You guys could talk and mourn. Jesus is so selfless.
Once He saw the crowds, He felt compassion towards them and started healing them. As I take Christ’s example and try to learn from Him – I praise You, Lord! You serve us in our need.
P~ Jesus, in the middle of heartache, You still reached out to us, had compassion on us and healed us. Amazing Lord! Thank You! May I see others as You see them? Be able to put my stuff aside and have compassion towards others? In Your Name I pray! Amen!
Our team would love the privilege of praying for you! Please share how we can lift you in prayer at prayer@DiscoverOneThing.com
Discover One Thing 