Matthew 6:13 (NIV)
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
Every time you repeat the Lord’s Prayer, you’re asking God to post His Wrong Way signs on your journey of faith. Miss a Wrong Way sign on the highway, and you’re headed for a ticket at best or an accident at worst.
What happens when you miss God’s Wrong Way notice?
Lord God, teach me to follow your roadmap
and not my own.
Psalm 23:3 (ESV)
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Isaiah 30:21
And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
“This is the way, walk in it.”
“How do I hear God’s directions?” you ask me. Start by studying the Bible. The word you hear behind you sounds a lot like Scripture.
Saul was on a road trip for the purpose of persecution. In his mind, he was on a mission to do God’s will.
Acts 9:1-3 (GW)
Saul kept threatening to murder the Lord’s disciples. He went to the chief priest and asked him to write letters of authorization to the synagogue leaders in the city of Damascus. Saul wanted to arrest any man or woman who followed the way of Christ and imprison them.
God used His light, voice and power to get Saul’s attention and turn his plan upside down.
What speed bumps has God used to redirect your plans?
Christ spoke gently on the road to Emmaus. He acted forcibly on the road to Damascus. Where do you find yourself?
On his way to Damascus, Saul was knocked to the ground and made blind. At Emmaus, Christ’s followers listened, saw and understood.
Luke 24:31-32 (NLT)
Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him [Jesus] . . .
They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”
127 Egyptian Christian churches previously operating without legal permits have received government approval. This brings the number of legalized churches to 1,021. An estimated 3000 churches existed before 2016.
According to Persecution.org,
“Most of the Middle East’s Christians live in Egypt, where they are subject to indiscriminate mob violence, discrimination, and other acts of persecution. The federal government has made a number of symbolic gestures towards Christians, but has not taken steps to ensure that the root causes of persecution are addressed on a local level. The official state religion is Islam, leaving Christians to live as second-class citizens.”
Lord, watch over our Christian brothers and sisters in Egypt. They are part of Your kingdom, where they are much-loved and never second-class. Change the hearts of those in authority, strengthen the hearts of the believers and strike fear into the hearts of those who wish to do them harm.
Psalm 106:3 (NASB)
How blessed are those who keep justice,
Who practice righteousness at all times.
Keeping justice, practicing righteousness. I know I fall short, Lord. It’s easy to say, hard to do and worth the effort. Give me strength, show me how.
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God.”
“Under God.” It’s all about our nation, right?
I’m a child of God. He’s my Lord and King. I simply can’t expect the nation to be under God if I’m not.
Happy birthday, USA. May there be many more, under God.
Proverbs 31 Ministries’ First 5 published my lesson on Psalm 138 this morning. First 5 encourages readers to devote the first 5 minutes of their day to God’s Word. I’m excited to be part of such a noble cause.
You can download the free app or read the lesson here.
I love my country. It’s not perfect, and I’m tired of the infighting. But my roots are here, and I’m not planning to leave anytime soon. I like what’s good, and I pray over what’s not working.
In a sense, however, I’m just visiting.
Philippians 3:20 (NIV)
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Howdy-do, United States. I’m just passing through on my way home.
