Mind of Christ, September 30

Mind of Christ, September 30

In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering on their beds,
Then He opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction.
I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel; my heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
You will show me the path of life...
Who has put wisdom in the mind? Or who has given understanding to the heart?
Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven...

Job 33:15-16, Psalms 16:7,11, Job 38:36-37 www.solascriptura.com

Father, when we seek You during the day, You are telling us here that You seek us by night, as we sleep. You open our ears to new knowledge, to new possibilities of service to You. You instruct us in the night seasons. Father, when Your Spirit teaches and leads our spirit, it is a gift of immeasurable value, a true act of love from You to us.

Job reminds us that Your wisdom and Your power simply exceed our understanding and experience. Father, when You teach us as we sleep and when we turn to Your Holy word, during the day, You are giving us access to the mind of Christ. What a magnificent gift. Forgive us for the times we fail to listen and awaken us to new possibilities, directly from the treasure of Your wisdom.

Guide us in paths of righteousness, this day, in Jesus' name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Law of God, September 29

Law of God, September 29

When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?
"Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?" But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it."
So they brought it. And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" And they said to Him, "Caesar's."
And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they marveled at Him.

Mark 12:14-17, www.solascriptura.com

Jesus, we thank You for teaching us about being obedient both to the laws of man and to Your laws. You do direct us to pay our taxes, when due, and to know that rendering to man what is man's is our duty as citizens and it is Your requirement.

At the same time Jesus, You tell us to render to You that which is Yours, the first fruits of our labor. Help us understand that payments of tithes and offerings accrue to our own benefit. It is our privilege to lay up treasures in heaven, knowing that our treasures here will not endure.

Thank You for our many blessings which generally exceed our needs. Help us be generous with others whose basic needs are not being met. In Your Holy name we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Peace, September 28

Peace, September 28

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Matt 11:28-30 www.solascriptura.com

Jesus, if there ever was a verse that applies to us every day, this is it. We sure feel burdened, some days more than others, and we often feel we can never effectively deal with this burden.

Thank You Jesus for teaching us that is exactly why You came; to relieve us of our burdens, to allow us to continue in a very sinful world without losing hope and to cope with issues that we feel are beyond us, more difficult that we can bear.

It is Your yoke we seek to wear, not ours. Help us to unburden ourselves and to place our cares upon You. When we do so, You say our load will lighten immediately. We will, at that moment, move from the burden of trying to understand our difficult situations (why me?!!) to grasping the reality that You do understand and that You will see us through the transitional problems of life.

Help us see that problems here are not eternal problems and that suffering here is not to be followed by suffering there. Yes, we pray for clear sailing and no problems but You have told us, in advance, that trials will come, Satan is the great tempter and that sin will prevail on the face of this earth. That being the case, we choose to look to You for peace and comfort in the midst of difficulty. To whom else could we turn? In Your Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

God’s children, September 27

God's children, September 27

"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
"And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.
"You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

Deuteronomy 6:5-7 www.solascriptura.com

Father, this is the same commandment Jesus referred to when a lawyer asked him what the greatest commandment was. We know Jesus added the other half of the answer by saying "love your neighbor as yourself."

Loving You that much is so right but it raises the question, do we actually possess that deep, perfect love for You and if so, how does it manifest itself in the course of each day?

We know that this kind of love should definitely result in our sharing it with our children, when we teach them, pray with them and speak of You and when we rise up and when we lie down. You expect us to make Your presence a constant reality in the lives of our children.

Help us, this day, to declare to You, our intention to fulfill this commandment; then give us the resolve and the wisdom to teach our children Your truth. We pray in Jesus' Holy name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Courage, September 26

Courage, September 26

Consider how I love Your precepts; revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness.
The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.
Princes persecute me without a cause, but my heart stands in awe of Your word.
I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure.
I hate and abhor lying, but I love Your law.
Seven times a day I praise You, because of Your righteous judgments.
Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.

Psalms 119:159-165 www.solascriptura.com

Father, the Psalmist says he loves your teachings; they revive him and us, because the entire Bible is Your truth. What a great gift You have given us. We know the initiative is ours. We must reach out and seek You and Your word. Help us to do so, we pray.

Father, it is so hard, especially for busy parents, to take time to be alone with You, but when we do, we rejoice in the Light You shed upon us. Father, help us as parents to find a way to open the Scriptures with our children, frequently. Help them grow up seeing our commitment to You.

The Psalmist prays to You seven times a day. Help us grasp the fact that Your thoughts toward us exceed number, thus our response, though diligent, is meager in relation to Your focus on us. There are literally millions of angels watching after us and every child has their own angel assigned to them (Matthew 18:10). You are never absent! Grant us a special moment with You, this day. We pray in Jesus' Holy name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

God’s Children, September 25

God's Children, September 25

"Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.
Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!
"It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
"
Matthew 18:10, Luke 17:1-2 www.solascriptura.com

Jesus, Your love and protection of our children could not be made more clear. You have assigned an angel to each one and that angel comes from the presence of the Father, to comfort and counsel every child. We know from experience, Jesus, that our children are imperfect. But, it is not their perfect behavior that protects them; they reside in Your righteousness. We know Your desire is that each child grows up to be a person that chooses to serve You, chooses to follow You.

Jesus, if we as adults, somehow interfere with the spiritual development of a child, if we turn a child from You, if we do not teach them the Word and speak of how You are the center of our lives, then You say a very harsh thing to us. "It would be better for him if a millstone was hung around his neck, and he was thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones."

We get the point Jesus. Your children are Yours. You "loan" them to us, in a sense, and then You observe our behavior toward them. Teach us, today, what steps we can take to improve our mentoring of them. Help us teach them Your Core Christian Values, constantly. We confess that we can not do this without Your Spirit guiding us. Bless us and our children this day. We pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Narrow Gate, September 24

The Narrow Gate, September 24

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
"Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'
"And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

Matt 7:21-23 www.solascriptura.com

Jesus, The message of the "narrow gate" is repeated many times in the Scriptures. Theologians teach us that repetition equals importance. Something oft repeated is very important.

Jesus, how could we attend church, give offerings, sing in the choir, and pray without You "knowing" us? The answer is in Your word. "Works" or the performance of duties, customs and rituals, if they could save us, would make the Act of the Cross, of zero importance.

It is by Your grace Father that it is our faith, not our works that saves us. Jesus, we know that loving You with all of heart, mind and soul will lead to good works and that some might argue that doing good works will lead us to want to love You. That may be true, but the bottom line is that nothing we can do is of merit in Your eyes if it does not spring from faith.

Help each of us, this day, to embrace and be comforted by the Holy Spirit, accepting our status as Your friend, Your personal friend who seeks to serve You. We know that if we embrace ritual, and seek forgiveness via merit badges, absent the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, that we err greatly. Lead us today to a deeper faith and a hunger for Your instruction. We pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

God’s Gifts, September 23

God's Gifts, September 23

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,
so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;
or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;
he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Romans 12:4-8 www.solascriptura.com

Father, it seems clear that there will not be "denominations" in eternity. We who claim Jesus, Your Son and our Savior, as our Redeemer and we who believe You are the Creator of all things, the omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent One, the One who extends Your grace to all who would seek You in Spirit and in truth (and Jesus said, the Word is truth and can not be broken) it is we who make up the Body of Christ, the Church.

What pain it must cause You to see mankind assume the role of judge. You have taught us that Jesus and His angels will judge us and separate the sheep from the goats, the saints from the sinners and that all who Jesus names as faithful will spend eternity with You and the saints.

Here You teach us that our differences are in our gifts, not our means of knowing You. No gift is better than another and we all contribute, to the best of our ability, in making the Church one body in Christ Jesus. Forgive us if we add rules and conditions that are not named by You. Forgive us for suggesting this denomination or that is "in" or "out".

Help us take care of our own opportunities to seek You and to serve You and not to focus on what others do or do not do. We know, Jesus that You say "They shall know us by our love". That is our objective today, to love others as we love ourselves. It is impossible for us to be as You, Jesus, in and of ourselves. We come to You in all humility and contrition asking for Your Spirit to fill us afresh. We pray in Your Holy name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

To be forgiven, September 22

To be forgiven, September 22
Family Bible Study, www.solascriptura.com

Have you ever felt that you could never forgive someone? Did someone do something to you that you feel makes them unforgivable? Discuss when this might have happened.

Now discuss the crucifixion of Jesus. What were the words of Jesus as He was dying on the cross? "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." Luke 23:34. If anyone ever had a right to be angry and unforgiving with people, Jesus did. But what did Jesus teach us about forgiveness? Listen:

"Happy are the kind and merciful, for they shall be shown mercy…and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us. Don't bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One. Amen. Your heavenly Father will forgive you if you forgive those who sin against you; but if you refuse to forgive them, he will not forgive you." Matthew 5:7, 6:12-14

Do you see what Jesus said about refusing to forgive someone? Is there someone you need to go to and to tell them that you forgive them? Listen to Solomon's advice: "Your own soul is nourished when you are kind; it is destroyed when you are cruel. The evil man gets rich for the moment, but the good man's reward lasts forever." Proverbs 11:17-18

When you are showing others mercy and forgiveness, it is good for you! When you are cruel it is your own flesh that you are troubling. How kind and patient should you be? Listen to Jesus' answers: "Sir, how often should I forgive a brother who sins against me? Seven times?" "No!" Jesus replied, "seventy times seven!" Matthew 18:21-22

"Try to show as much compassion as your Father does. Never criticize or condemn-or it will all come back on you. Go easy on others; then they will do the same for you. For if you give, you will get! Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use to give-large or small-will be used to measure what is given back to you." Luke 6:36-38

The Apostle Paul said: "Stop being mean, bad-tempered, and angry. Quarreling, harsh words, and dislike of others should have no place in your lives. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you because you belong to Christ." Ephesians 4:31-32

"Be gentle and ready to forgive; never hold grudges. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." Colossians 3:13

Now, is there someone you need to forgive? Go with the mercy of Jesus and forgive them, today.

Core Christian value: God gave His only Son as a sacrifice for our sins. God forgives us for our sins and He expects us to forgive others who have disappointed us. We must forgive others in order to receive forgiveness.
Bruce Caldwell

Temple of God, September 21

Temple of God, September 21

...let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.
Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.
It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.
Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.
But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

Romans 14:19-23 www.solascripura.com

Dear God, You have taught us that we have freedom in our choices of food and drink. Here You teach us that when we make decisions about eating or drinking that we should feel we are acting in a manner consistent with Your will.

You teach us that our conscience must be clear when we make choices about eating and drinking and that if our heart convicts us concerning such things, we should refrain. You also tell us that if we do not feel right about what we are doing and we go on doing it, we are sinning.

Father, there is another issue that You bring up. When a person is upset by our choices of eating and drinking and if we insist on moving forward with that choice, we err. If our brother in Christ does not feel drinking wine or eating pork or any other prohibition, is proper, we need not make an issue of it and You say we should never cause that person to stumble. Give us discernment in such matters, we pray.

Father, it all seems to come down to our love for You and our neighbor. If we have a clear conscience before You we are free to eat and drink whatever we choose, knowing that doing either to excess, leads to problems. If we truly love our neighbor we will not do anything that offends what you describe as a "weaker brother" simply because we love them and do not want an issue of that sort to divide us.

You sum it all up by saying "...let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another." Let that be our goal we pray. Amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Angels, September 20

Angels, September 20

"Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.

Matt 24:34-36, Matt 25:31, www.solascriptura.com

Jesus, You teach us that everything we see around us will pass away; all things will become new. You and Your angels will come and those who love You and whose lives have been encircled by Your righteousness will enter into eternal peace with You, forever.

How, Father, can we speak with such certainty? It is because we believe that Your word is true. Heaven and earth may pass away but Your words will by no means pass away. If that is a fact Father, then the only thing that we have now that will endure is Your word.

Help us today to experience Your presence afresh, to abide in Your word and to learn of Your ways. Father, Your word is indeed a light unto our path. Let us not walk in darkness when the light is at hand. The treasure of eternal life is not buried and You have not kept it from us. Help us to draw near to you today, we pray in Jesus' Holy name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Forgiven, September 19

Forgiven, September 19

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way.
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholds him with His hand.

Psalms 37:23-24, www.solascriptura.com

Father, we know from other references that our personal righteousness is as filthy rags compared to the righteousness of Jesus. Jesus, Himself, rebuked a man for calling Him good, prior to his transformation as the perfected Son of God, saying "Call no man Good, except God in heaven". But here King David, tells us that our steps, if we love the Lord, are ordered by the Lord and that as we follow in His way, God delights in us. Are we, Lord, aware of Your delight? Whom else would we rather please?

We are even told that if we fall, even for a moment, and surely we shall err in some way this very day, that we are not utterly cast down. Our Lord sees our sin, sees our uncertainty and sees our thoughts and then, because we are His, He upholds us with His Hand. What a perfect vision, our Lord upholding us with His Hand. We are never alone, even in our weakness. Bless us this day, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Angels, September 18

Angels, September 18

"... those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage;
"nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

www.solascriptura.com Luke 20:35-36

Jesus, when you spoke these words, You were giving us a glimpse of what we should expect in heaven. We simply can not fully grasp what heaven will be like but here You tell us there will not be marriages, thus no procreation, no child bearing and no babies. You also told us elsewhere that we will be neither young nor old in heaven. Given Your resurrection at age 33, one could speculate that age may be just about right. Were we not in our prime at 33 years of age?

Jesus, the idea of not being married is a difficult idea for those of us who have spent a lifetime with our mate, where indeed two have become as one. In heaven, those who love You will be together in new kinds of relationships, the kind that will last forever.

But given the fact that we will live eternally, without aging, illness, envy, anger, poverty, or handicap, puts it in perspective. We will have a new body, a new name and we will exist forever in a state of joy and celebration, alongside of all those who are in Your presence.

You tell us we will be equal to the angels, something we can not describe but we know how they serve You and protect us. Father, prepare us here and now to abide in Your everlasting love and enrich our relationships with all those that love You, forever. We pray these things in Jesus name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Providence of God, September 17

Providence of God, September 17

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,
And gathered out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; they found no city to dwell in.
Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses.
And He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city for a dwelling place.
Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!
For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.

Psalms 107:1-9, www.solascriptura.com

Father, we have felt like life was a journey too difficult, at times. Your guidance and Your mercy, in the midst of our troubles, is undeserved, your grace is beyond rational thought.

How O'God do you look at this sea of humanity with an eye toward each of us individually? We do cry out for Your Presence, for Your leadership of our lives. When we say to You that we are never alone, that is literally true. Our hearts are the host of Your heavenly presence. Help us look to the Light within and to be comforted.

Let us, every day, proclaim Your goodness to someone. Let the redeemed, say so and help us to reflect Your love even when things seem to be going wrong. Thank You for being an unchangeable constant in our lives. In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Perseverance, September 16, 2008

Perseverance, September 16, 2008

...Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?"
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.
Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you.
Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; he shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

Job 2:10, Psalms 32:8-9, 55:22, www.solascriptura.com

Father, not every day seems to "go right" but we know that you allow us to be tested. Help us not to resist the testing as something negative, but to see it as a chance to depend upon You. We know that during the testing we are tempted to lose faith, to get discouraged and to doubt Your presence in the situation. That is what the tempter does, Father. Satan wants us to waiver in our faith.

We do bring our worries to You and we know that You lighten our load when we do so. Since we know that You see the beginning from the end, we trust Your judgement, Your timing. Help us not to become impatient but to "wait upon the Lord", as you have commanded.

Thank you for the promise that the righteous, in the Lord, shall never be moved. Because of our dependence upon You, eternity (and patience in the interim) is ours! In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Humility, September 15

Humility, September 15

Bow down Your ear, O LORD, hear me; for I am poor and needy. Preserve my life, for I am holy; you are my God; save Your servant who trusts in You!
Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I cry to You all day long.
Rejoice the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.
In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me.
Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; nor are there any works like Your works.
All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name.
For You are great, and do wondrous things; you alone are God.
Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.
I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore.
For great is Your mercy toward me, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
...You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.
Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me! Give Your strength to Your servant...

Psalms 86:1-13, 15-16www.solascriptura.com

Father, we know King David lived in a time when many false gods were worshipped and he reminds us here that You are the only true and living God.

Father, we too live in a time of many false gods and many are simply without any faith in any god. O'God, help us this day to show men who You are by our faith and obedience to You. Give Your strength to Your servant...In Christ's name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Angels, September 14

Angels, September 14

"The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.
"The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.
"Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.
"The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,
"and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
"Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Matt 13:38-43

Jesus, You do not speak to us in unclear words. We hear what You just said and having ears we are told to listen. You have spoken of the "harvest" at the end of the age and You tell us that you will send out Your angels to gather up those who practice lawlessness.

Jesus, we believe we understand what it is to be unrighteous and we are clear enough on what it means to be lawless. We either love You and the Father with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength and we love our neighbors as ourselves, or we do not.

Jesus, we also know that none of us are sinless, we have all broken the law, so when we are among the righteous that shines forth, it is because you have clothed us in Your righteousness and are prepared to usher us into the presence of the Father, a Holy place where we could never be without You having made it possible.

The harsh reality of eternal suffering helps us understand that we, if we are to love our neighbor as ourselves, have a clear cut responsibility and we require Your inner strength, the power of the Holy Spirit in us, to fulfill it. Lead us this day to be aware of every opportunity to testify of Your love. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Joy, September 13

Joy, September 13

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness...
...I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
...Enter into the joy of your lord.'

Isaiah 61:10, Habakkuk 3:18, Matthew 25:21

Father, before Jesus was born, Isaiah told us that He clothes us in garments of salvation and that He has covered us with the robe of righteousness. For this fundamental teaching we are grateful. We were yet in our sin when this occurred. We rejoice in our Lord.

When we enter into the joy of the Lord, we do so twice, once now and once again for eternity, in heaven. You teach us to have joy now, even in turmoil, not because we enjoy trouble, but because it is temporary and our joy in Your grace prevails before, during and after difficulty.

Help us this day to stand in Your light even when it is dark and to have a sense of joy about Your presence, even when the joy of salvation is not widely celebrated by the world. We trust in You, our sovereign Father. In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Prayer, Part I, September 12, 2008

Prayer, Part I, September 12, 2008

Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done; and Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; my ears You have opened; burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.
Then I said, "Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me.
I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart."
I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness in the great assembly; indeed, I do not restrain my lips, O LORD, You Yourself know.
I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great assembly.

Psalms 40:5-10, www.solascriptura.com

Father, as we cry out to You, we sometimes feel there is no way that we are able to be heard. You have just told us that Your thoughts toward us are more than can be numbered. Father, we are heard and You are miraculously present. Give us comfort and assurance of Your concern for our needs.

We know, from Your word, that the law is written upon our hearts. What a magnificent gift, the truth within us. You do not require sacrifice of us. You require a humble and contrite heart that seeks to serve You.

Help us, this day, to declare our love for You among men and to seek ways to show people that we indeed love You and acknowledge You. Father, this prayer could simply be idle words or it could be a heartfelt commitment to seek to be like You, Jesus. That is our goal Jesus, to model our lives after You, to be taught by You and to experience Your perfection in times of trouble or of joy. In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Revenge, September 11

Revenge, September 11

Do not take me away with the wicked and with the workers of iniquity, who speak peace to their neighbors, but evil is in their hearts.
Give to them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavors; give them according to the work of their hands; render to them what they deserve.
Because they do not regard the works of the LORD, nor the operation of His hands, he shall destroy them and not build them up.

Psalms 28:3-5, www.solascriptura.com

Father, we know there are wicked people who treat us well to our face and think ill of us when we are not present. Such two-faced persons will be dealt with by You. They will be rendered what they deserve by You. Keep us from the temptation to "bring them down". Strengthen our resolve to trust You as we encounter such persons.

Give us a peaceful, gentle and wise reaction when evil comes into our midst, not a vengeful, angry heart. We all have a little "I will show you" in our hearts, but since You are willing to forgive us, we know we must not be vengeful with others.

Ultimately we do not want them to get what they deserve because seeing others destroyed, by You, would be a pitiful, painful sight. Give us wisdom as we deal with hate-filled people who simply have not accepted a new heart and a new start. It is by Your grace that we take our next breath. Help us today not to contribute to the pain others must be feeling when they disobey You.

In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Mind of Christ, September, 10

Mind of Christ, September, 10

Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.
You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts.
I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word.
I have not departed from Your judgments, for You Yourself have taught me.
How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Ps 119:97-105 www.solascriptura.com

Father, we can say boldly that we have access to the mind of Christ and that You teach us all things we must know, things that exceed the wisdom of man. We look to our teachers for wisdom and you tell us that Your testimony to us exceeds that of our teachers and the "ancients", those who lived before You. How can we not look to Your Holy Word for guidance, every day? For conveying such love toward us, we are eternally grateful.

We want to restrain our feet from pursuing evil but absent a personal relationship with You, we feel impotent and weak. Strengthen our resolve to serve You this day.

Help us to commit to memory Your Holy words and teachings. Be a personal Light to us this day, guiding us in Your ways and executing Your will, with courage and humility. We seek to serve You better and better each day. In the Holy name of Jesus we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Law of God, September 9

Law of God, September 9

Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?"
Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
'And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment.
"And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.
"And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."
Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."...

Mark 12:28-34 www.solascriptura.com

Jesus, the scribe (lawyer) in this quotation of Your words, is often referred to as being a member of a group that doubted that You were the Son of God. Here the scribe says to You, after You answered his question, "well said Teacher". Jesus, help us to never speak to You as if You were a mere man, offering our opinion of Your words, as though we were in a position to evaluate what You say.

Yet, You say to the scribe who endorses Your words, "you are not far from the kingdom of God." Jesus, we know that knowing the truth, such as the two greatest commandments, which summarize the 10 commandments, is not the entire issue. Help us today to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that the truth can become a pivot point for a daily commitment to love You with our whole heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
Move us, Jesus, from agreeing with You to being empowered by You, to be renewed by your strength, mercy and grace as people committed to fulfilling Your laws. In Your Holy name we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Bruce Caldwell

Peace, September 8

Peace, September 8

"... the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

John 14:26-27 www.solascriptura.com

Jesus, these two verses form the foundation of our understanding of Your presence with us and in us. You earlier told us that unless You went to be with the Father, that the Holy Spirit would not be sent. You assured us that Your ascension would result in a powerful result that touches each of us.

The Holy Spirit is the gift You gave us. You did not leave us to our own resources. You told us that the Holy Spirit would teach us all things and help us to remember Your statements to us. You have told us that the Holy Spirit is the great Enabler, the Counselor and the Comforter.

Jesus, it is impossible for us to go forward in service to You without the gift of the Holy Spirit. If we try to serve You in our own power, with our own understanding, we will fail. It is Your power in us that makes it possible for us to serve You. Help us, this day, to be cleansed and refreshed by the power of the Holy Spirit and to experience the enduring peace of Your presence. In Your Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Courage, September, 7

Courage, September, 7

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; you will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me.
The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; do not forsake the works of Your hands.

Psalms 138:7-8 www.solascriptura.com

Dear God, we all have various kinds of difficult situations, troubles that seem to come at us, whether deserved or not. When we are within Your will, we know we will still have difficulties and troubles, but the Psalmist says You will stretch out Your hand against our enemies.

Father, losing at least some battles here is almost guaranteed. Help us not to get discouraged, not to give up hope in You. You allow us to be tested; You put us in situations that cause us to exercise our spiritual strength and our powers of discernment. Help us, today to know that we need to rely on You if we intend for our actions please You.

The Psalmist has it right, "The Lord will perfect that which concerns me". You will cause every challenge, met in Your strength, to end up in victory, either here or there. We commit ourselves to seeking Your will in good times and bad times. Bless us this day, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

God’s Children September 6

God's Children September 6

Then He said: "A certain man had two sons.
"And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood.
"And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.
"But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.
"Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
"And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
"But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
'I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,
and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."'
"And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
"And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
"But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.
'And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;
'for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry.
"Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
"So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.
"And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.'
"But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.
"So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.
'But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.'
"And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.
'It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.'"

Luke 15:11-32 www.solascriptura.com

Jesus, this sentence, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours." clarifies for us an important principle that You have taught us many times. It is how we finish that counts, whether we are the lifelong loyal child or the one who sinned greatly and finally came back to You. The reward for committing our lives to You is the same whether we serve long or briefly. Just as a small pile of sins does not make us more worthy, neither does a large pile of sins make us less worthy.

Sin is sin and salvation is salvation. All sin, small and large, requires cleansing and let us be happy when our sinful brother or sister is redeemed. The reunion will be less satisfying if any of our loved ones are absent. Fill our hearts with gratitude for the salvation of every soul we pray in Your name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Narrow Gate, September 5

The Narrow Gate, September 5

To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.
They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.

Titus 1:15-16 www.solascriptura.com

Father, we, in our original flesh, prior to Your filling our hearts with the Holy Spirit, were very impure. Our minds and consciences were dulled, but never unaware, of our sins. Father, we have accepted, by faith, the forgiveness and healing of Jesus. Our perspective has changed and we are able to know You Jesus and to know what You expect of us. Your expectations are pure and undefiled.

Again we are taught that to "profess" to know You but to have impure thoughts and impure behaviors is not o.k. Help us, today, not to simply profess our faith, but to live our faith in complete obedience to Your word. Help us not to disqualify ourselves by misbehaving or worse yet, professing but not believing. We hear of dysfunctional families but You Father remove our stony hearts, replacing them with a new heart that is able to keep pace with Your perfect will, if we but seek You.

Teach us that finishing well is better than starting out well. Help us to grasp the fact that, without a doubt, finishing badly produces a terrible result. Give us perfect fidelity, to You, and to each other, every day We pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Worship, September 4

Worship, September 4

So they came to Jerusalem. And Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.
Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"
And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.

Mark 11:15-18, www.solascriptura.com

Jesus, very seldom did You show anger outwardly. Here You teach us a great deal about what a church should not be. It is not a place where the focus is on raising money, advancing personal interests, or a place where social relationships rise above our purpose in being there.

You bring us to church to worship, together, to sing praises, together, and to jointly support the ministry of the church and You teach us elsewhere it is good to be in the House of the Lord.

But here, the focus is on the primary function of a church and the Body of Believers and that focus is prayer. When we gather together You expect us to think of our time there as a time we spend listening and speaking of You, lifting our spirits up to Your Spirit, seeking refreshment that only You can provide. We are taught to pray unceasingly and particularly when we enter into Your presence, together. What a joy it is Jesus to be welcomed by You.

Bless our worship we pray, in Your Holy name, amen

Bruce Caldwell

Temple of God, September 3

Temple of God, September 3

We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.
For even Christ did not please Himself...

Romans 15:1-3 www.solascriptura.com

Jesus, we see from Paul's words that You lived among us and did not focus on pleasing Yourself. You eventually made the ultimate sacrifice for us and You made it clear it was a very painful act. The suffering was one thing but absorbing all of the sin of mankind meant at least a temporary separation from the Father.

Jesus, we sometimes feel that we must "have our way". We too often focus on our rights and our needs. Help us today to see that You set the perfect example for us. In loving You with all of our hearts, mind and soul, we serve You. In loving our neighbor as ourselves, we serve them.

We humbly pray for more patience as we place our hopes and needs before You and as we extend Your love to others. It is much easier for us to "wait upon the Lord" knowing that Your will for us is what is best for us, even when we beg You to intervene in difficult circumstances, than to be patient with our neighbor.

Help us to show the same consideration to our neighbors and friends as we do to You. Keep us from rejecting people simply because they are irritatingly persistent at times. What a wonderful thing it is when You honor our persistence instead of getting impatient with us. Give us a servant's heart towards our neighbor, we pray, in Jesus' name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Forgiven, September 2

Forgiven, September 2

Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O LORD; let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.
For innumerable evils have surrounded me; my iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of my head; therefore my heart fails me.
Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; O LORD, make haste to help me!

Psalms 40:11-13 , www.solascriptura.com

Father, here King David admits that his iniquities have overtaken him. Father, at times some of us feel the same; our iniquities weigh so heavily on us that we don't know how You could possibly love us or forgive us. That is the miracle, Father, that makes life worth living. It is never about the present, with its moments of difficulty, but it is about the future. We know that is only true if we admit, as David did, that we need Your help.

We do, at times, feel we need to say "hurry up Lord" because we are overwhelmed with a sense of our impotency. We can not win when it comes to fighting the power of the flesh but You teach us we never need fight that fight alone. It is the Holy Spirit, sent by You, Jesus, which empowers us and leads us away from sin.

We pray, this day, that You do not withhold Your tender mercies from us and that as we sense Your forgiveness, love and mercy, help us extend that kind of attitude towards others. We pray these things in the name and in the power of Jesus. Amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Salvation, September 1

Salvation, September 1

"Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled." But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

"As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. "And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

John 17:1-19 www.solascriptura.com

Jesus, here You pray to the Father that none of us who choose You and obey You will be lost. You, in this situation, and for all time, are our Advocate. We know that Judas, the son of perdition, chose badly and that he suffered for his choice. Jesus, help us not to choose badly but to in fact be loyal and loving toward You and the Father, forever.

Jesus, You tell the Father that You gave us the Word, Your personal testimony. Your Word is a light unto our feet and a lamp unto our path. Jesus, help us, this day, to know Your word, to store it in our hearts that we might not sin against You.

You have told us that You have chosen to not take us out of this world, yet, so we could serve You in proclaiming the Word. We have been "sent" by You. You have prayed to the Father that the evil one will be kept from us. What a bonus, Jesus; Satan held at a distance from Your children. Help us this day to find ways to bring glory to Your name. In Jesus' Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell