“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.
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Good Purpose | John Deases
S~ The Lord said, “Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose…” Jeremiah 15:11 (NIV)
O~ This verse stands out like an Iowa Hawkeye fan in the stands at Memorial Stadium. Why does this verse scream out? It does so because all previous verses in this passage speak of the bad day that is in store for a people who have willfully chosen to reject their God. Jerusalem is stuck in sin and they have no plans on changing their sticky situation. God is on the move. God is about to unleash his wrath upon his people for their blatant rejection. But then you find verse 11, which talks about God’s deliverance.
A~ I recently had a near-death experience due to a drug reaction from a testosterone injection. I experienced a combination of side effects to include breathing issues, chest pains, anxiety, panic attacks, psychosis, and suicidal ideations. Without my wife and the prayers of family and friends, I would not be here today. My wife was instrumental from beginning to end; she completely rearranged her schedule to accommodate me in my stricken/pitiful state. The road to recovery was hard as I struggled with being mentally unstable, but now I see things more clearly. God delivered me from what I thought was the beginning of a mental illness. I was able to confirm later that it was the testosterone injection which caused my mental torment. At any rate, I now have a new profound outlook on life because God restored my mind. God’s deliverance has forever changed me. And according to verse 11, God delivers me from something bad into a good purpose. In the days to come, I’m sure the Lord will reveal to me more of what that good purpose is.
P~ We all have many reasons to be thankful. Today, I give thanks to God for His deliverance. I was delivered from a near-death experience. Words will never be adequate to show God my appreciation for restoring my mind. I am now completely free of the side effects from the testosterone injection. Thanks be to God for the good purpose which awaits me.
Remind Me | Kimi Miller
S~ This is how the LORD responds: “If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak good words rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman. You must influence them; do not let them influence you! Jeremiah 15:19 (NLT)
O~ These are God’s words to Jeremiah. The notes in my study Bible say: Jeremiah accused God of not helping him when he really needed it. Jeremiah had taken his eyes off God’s purpose and was feeling sorry for himself. He was angry, hurt and afraid. In response, God didn’t get angry at Jeremiah; he answered by rearranging Jeremiah’s priorities. As God’s mouthpiece, he was to influence the people, not let them influence him. There are important lessons in this passage: (1) in prayer we can reveal our deepest thoughts to God; (2) God expects us to trust him, no matter what; (3) we are to influence others for God.
A~ You did all of this for me. Going into this past season, I felt sorry for myself; I was angry, hurt, and afraid. When I turned to You with all that I was thinking and feeling, You rearranged my priorities. You reminded me of Who You are, and who I am to You. You helped me see through eyes of mercy, grace, and love. You drew me closer to Your heart so that the rhythm of my heart would match the cadence of Yours. You brought about an opportunity to trust You alone – over myself and others. You reminded me why I’m here.
P~ God, I’m nervous about this new season. I’m afraid of losing this closeness I feel to You. I’m afraid of everything getting out of whack again. Help me to remain closest to You. When I’m with You, everything falls into place, and I see things with Your perspective – less of me, more of You. Please keep revealing Yourself to me; keep reminding me of why I’m here. I love you.
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