I am back! God you are the Lord of all! I want to seek you!

Well I am finally back. I have not posted for about 2 weeks. They have been crazy weeks, but really my whole life is crazy. Honestly I try to do too much and I am running like crazy. At some point I believe I will crash, but for now God has given me the energy, faith, purpose and joy to keep running! However, I also need to learn the value of rest and Sabbaths, for God has given them to us and called us to them. This is because God loves us and knows that rest is good for us. Let us do all things to the glory of God! Whether that is school, sleeping, praying, socializing, ministry, or even rest all glory to you Lord!

Through all of this I know God is good and faithful! Here are two verses that sum up my heart right now.

Deuteronomy 4:39

New International Version (NIV)

³⁹ Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. 

Psalm 63:1-4

New International Version (NIV)

¹ You, God, are my God, 
   earnestly I seek you; 
I thirst for you, 
   my whole being longs for you, 
in a dry and parched land 
   where there is no water.

 ² I have seen you in the sanctuary 
   and beheld your power and your glory. 
³ Because your love is better than life, 
   my lips will glorify you. 
⁴ I will praise you as long as I live, 
   and in your name I will lift up my hands. 

Daniel’s Thoughts:

I hope to get back to posting regularly. I have really enjoyed writing and sharing blog posts. This has blessed me and my personal walk with Jesus. I hope that my thoughts and prayers would bless you as well!

Daniel’s Prayer:

Lord

 You are God of heaven above and earth below

There is no other!

You are good when there is nothing good in me.

You are faithful always.

You are my God.

I want to follow you

With all of my heart, soul, mind and strength

For

I have seen your glory and power!

And your mercy and love!

All glory to you Lord!

Amen

Jeremiah 29: 10-14 God's promise

Jeremiah 29:10-14

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity.^[b] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

Daniel’s Thoughts:

God makes a promise to his people who are exiled. What would it feel like to be exiled from their homeland? They are God’s people and have the priests and prophets. Yet in being exiled I can imagine their doubt and fear. I have the same fears and doubts sometimes.

Is God real? Does he care for me? Has he forsaken us? How can God be good and in control and allow this.

I remember what God has done in the past, but somehow in the moment the fear and uncertainty overcome what I know to be true.

Yet God promises to never leave or forsake us. He promises to work all for out good.

To Israel he makes this promise for their future. When his people seek him and turn back to him in exile they will find him and he will gather his people and bring them back from captivity.

Let us hold on to a similar promise. For in the new covenant, I believe that we ourselves keep us from God more than anything else. We choose to turn from God.

Sometimes even when we don’t seem to turn from God life does not go as planned. Sometimes it feels like we are in exile. Life just does not go as planned. We suffer and so do those we love. Yet somehow in all of that God is present. God is somehow working even our suffering for our good. I don’t understand. You may say this is what happened to me, how can that be God’s plan. How can that be good? My answer is I don’t know, but God does. I can tell you the story of a man at the Men’s retreat at my church who lost his wife. Then after moping for two years he was able to remarry. But that same year he remarried he got into a financial scam and lost all of his hard earned savings and support for his retirement and new wife. Then his new wife suffered from severe health issues. I don’t see any hope in this or anything redeeming. Yet now years later he is able to look back and see how God used all of this to bring this man closer to our Lord. He is able to see that God used this for good. He now relies much more on God. All of this taught him that he is not in control. in some ways he is actually thankful for what happened to him. And I am happy to say that his wife is doing much better and through hard work this family has recovered financially.

Daniel’s Prayer:

Lord

God you and your ways are a mystery.

Our God has plans for us.

To prosper us and give us a future.

In the hard times God will bring us back to him.

He will never leave or forsake us.

When we turn and seek him with all our hearts

We will find him

He will fulfill his promises.

Thanks be to God!

Amen

Wisdom of the Lord not the World

1 Corinthians 1:18-19

<sup>New International Version (NIV)


18</sup> For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹ For it is written:

   “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
   the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”^[a]

Proverbs 9:10

New International Version (NIV)

^{10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, 
   and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.}  

Daniel’s Thoughts:

Currently I am on a men's retreat focused on gaining wisdom with my church: Evergreen Lutheran Church. 

I will keep this simple. I think the first thing we need to know is that there is there are two kinds of wisdom (James 3:13-18). The Wisdom of the World and the Wisdom from heaven. To the world God's wisdom is foolishness. But to those who are being saved 

The Cross is God's plan in all his wisdom and to us the cross is the very power of God! 

Wisdom that we need begins with the fear of the Lord! 

All wisdom and purpose in our lives comes from our relationship with our God. We need to seek to understand and trust God and the work of Jesus on the cross. We must grow in relationship with our savior and our father through the Holy spirit and scripture. This relationship is more than personal and more than belief, it is a living and active faith that is revealed in our actions. 

Daniel’s Prayer:

Lord

You are eternal

All else fades. 

Your wisdom and plan is the cross

This is foolishness to the world

your very power to us!

I want to live my life completely to you

not as a sacrifice but as a gift

for in you is life:

the best possible life. 

I want to seek wisdom

not of the world

but your wisdom

Let me start by growing constantly

in relationship with you

in life, in prayer, in study of your Word.

Help me to trust in you

and live out my faith in action

From this will come life, joy, blessing and wisdom!

Amen

Hardship: From God for our Good!

Romans 5

New International Version (NIV)

And we^[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we^[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Hebrews 12

New International Version (NIV)

⁵ And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

   “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, 
   and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 
⁶ because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, 
   and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

 ⁷ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 

^{. . .}

 ¹⁰ They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. ¹¹ No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

 ¹² Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. ¹³ “Make level paths for your feet,”^[b] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Daniel’s Thoughts:

Human nature is lazy and we dislike hardship and suffering. But God does not promise us an easy life, he promises us hardship and suffering that will work for our good and the good of others. God also disciplines us to teach us. God gives commands to guide us and then disciplines us when we falter so that we may share in his holiness.

Let us rejoice then in our suffering and the hardship in our lives. For they are gifts by God for our good.

I think too often we pray for the wrong things. We pray for the things we want, we pray for painful events to end or stay away. Instead I think we ought to pray to God asking for strength to endure. We ought to pray that we would bring about a harvest of righteousness in our lives and the world by enduring.

About 2 months ago I prayed to God asking for him to teach me to endure. God has done so, but not with some instantaneous switch in my brain. God has been teaching me to endure by putting difficult situations in my life. My work and my ministry have not flourished as usual. But God has been using that to center me on him and teach me to endure.

Daniel’s Prayer:

Lord

Thank you Lord

For our future hope

For salvation

And Also

For hardship and suffering

I want to rejoice in you and in all things

I can do all things through Christ

As you give me strength

Please continue to teach me God.

I pray not for an easy life, but I pray for a life that would

Bring me closer to you

And grow in maturity and holiness

All for your glory Lord!

Amen

Proverbs 29:18 Vision keeps us Alive Spiritually!

Proverbs 29:18

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁸Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Daniel’s Thoughts:

Vision is what could be and should be. Vision must be guided by God, his commands and his will. With vision we can bring a little of God’s kingdom. Without vision people and ministries lose purpose and go off track.

I know in my life when I don’t have vision for God’s plan in my life then I feel lost. But I often don’t seek God’s vision for my life. I just do what I am used to.

Vision leaks. We have to be constantly seeking vision and recasting vision for ourselves and others. For our plans and work can become overwhelming and fail to bring about the good we intend when they lose vision.

Who carries vision? – The leader in the context. In your life you must carry the vision. We must take charge and lead and carry the vision!

What is your vision for your life, for the people around you, for your bible study or etc?

Daniel’s Prayer:

Lord

Let our visions and dreams be centered on you

Guide us with your Holy Spirit

To go where you call

Give us vision

Help us carry vision

Let us bring your kingdom here and now

Amen

2 Corinthians 9:6-15 Giving out of the Abundance of God!

2 Corinthians 9: 6-15

New International Version (NIV)

Generosity Encouraged

 ⁶ Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷ Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ⁹ As it is written:

   “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
   their righteousness endures forever.”^[a]

 ¹⁰ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹ You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

 ¹² This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. ¹³ Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. ¹⁴ And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Daniel’s Thoughts:

As I have read the Old Testament often amongst all of the sacrifices and offerings to God I have wondered about the willingness of these people to give to God. Yet I love the verses which are abundant in scripture that we should give what our heart brings us to give, not out of guilt or reluctantly but out of thanksgiving and joy!

God is a God of abundance and not scarcity! He provides for us abundantly so that we have all we need and all that we need for his work.

When we give generously we are blessed abundantly.

Verses 12-15 gives so much vision for what it is to give and how it is a way to partner in ministry! As I prepare for my time as InterVarsity Intern and maybe full time staff this is a blessing to see how in the bible vision for fund raising. For I will be fund raising to support my career on staff. This is not a burden, but a part of ministry to partner with other people for their support of my ministry so that together we can live out God’s calling to college students.

Daniel’s Prayer:

God

I want to trust in you alone

I know that you are a God of abundance and not scarcity!

Let my offerings to you be generous and from my heart

I want to give out of joy

I want to trust in you

Let my security be in you and not money or success

Give me vision for ministry and fundraising

I believe you have called me to ministry

I trust you will provide abundantly for this call.

I want to trust in you

God you have provided for me. 

All I have is yours given to me as a gift.

My life has been blessed and I have lived in abundance.

Keep changing my heart to give

Out of love and not obligation

In wisdom and patient care

God let my hope and my trust be in you!

Thanks be to you for all we have!

Amen