SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Matthew 28.

Scripture

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” –Matthew 28:19

Observation

GO: “To move, to proceed from one place to another, as opposed to:

• resting, not moving
• coming from there to here

This word, “GO,” is at the heart of the Great Commission. It implies that we are to take action, to take initiative. It also implies movement toward something–as opposed to simply resting or expecting potential disciples come to us.

Application

Jesus says, “Go.” And “Go” I will.

Prayer

Father, Your Son, My Lord, says, “Go” with the gospel and make disciples of Jesus Christ. The world says otherwise. It criticizes anyone who actually goes. It expects us to be silent unless they come to us. They expect us to be still, to be quiet, to be at rest. And much of the church seems to be listening to the world. Might it not be so with me! Might I GO with the gospel and ignite others to go as well!

For Your glory and until the whole world hears! Amen.

“The command has been to “go,” but we have stayed–in body, gifts, prayer and influence.” –Robert Savage

“Not called!” Did you say?
“Not heard the call,” I think you should say.
Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help.
Go stand by the gates of Hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father’s house and bid their brothers and sisters not to come there.
Then look Christ in the face–whose mercy you have professed to obey–and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world.” –William Booth

Here is a guest SOAP journal from Mandy, Administrative Assistant for TSCM.

SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Psalm 103.

Scripture

“But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him…to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.” –Psalm 103: 17-18

Observation

The life of man is brief. “He flourishes like a flower of the field, but when it’s gone, it’s place knows it know more.”
God sees us. God remembers us. God values us. His steadfast love is for those who fear Him–to those who keep His covenant and remember to do His commandments.

Application

“Know the Lord your God is God. He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.”

Prayer

Lord, deepen my understanding of who You are. May I remember Your faithfulness and remember that You are Lord over creation and the universe. You know all things past, present and future. Lord, I want to keep Your commandments, fear You and always experience Your steadfast love. Lord, You are the only truth in this world. Help me to hold fast to Your Word and commands. Your Word gives life. Thank You for giving me life.
To you be the glory, Amen.

SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Psalm 27.

Scripture

“The one thing I ask of the Lord–the thing I seek most–is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in His Temple.” Psalm–27:4

Observation

The closeness of God was the ONE THING David sought. David was a busy man–a shepherd, a warrior, a king, a man on the run for his life. And yet, he had a PRIORITY of ONE THING–for he loved God!

Application

Fight for this “ONE THING” priority. Spend time with God first thing–early in the morning–or the business of the day crowds it out. Be an early riser and make sitting at God’s feet–delighting in His perfections–my ONE THING priority.

In my meditation on God, I want to utilize the scripture, fresh translations of the Word, but also music and poetry–especially the poetry found in old, time-tested hymns.

Prayer

Father, this has been and probably will be a life-long struggle–to live this ONE THING priority. Life is busy and interferes with seeking You, but I also get so easily distracted with the dumbest of things that rob me of time with You.

This year, this month, this week, this day, indeed, this hour–might I truly live out this ONE THING desire of my heart: to seek You, to know You, to delight in You, to meditate on Your perfections.

When I seek You in this way, my soul is at rest!

“My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.'” (Psalm 27:8)

So, Lord, here I come!
In Christ’s name, Amen.

“Oh Lord, You’re Beautiful
Your face is all I seek
For when Your eyes are on this child
Your grace abounds to me” –Keith Green

“There is something indomitable about “one-thing” people. They know what they want and are determined to get it. Nothing can stand in their way.” –William MacDonald

SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Psalm 25.

Scripture

“The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant.” –Psalm 25:14

Observation

God has secrets that He reveals to whom He chooses. He chooses to reveal them to people who fear Him.

secret: intimacy, counsel
fear: to stand in awe, honor, awe, afraid

Application

Fear the Lord; Stand in awe of Him; Deepen my fear of doing anything that would displease the Almighty.

Focus always on God. Everyone (myself included) fears displeasing men. But to focus on the fear of man hinders the fear of God.

Unbelievers often mock the idea of “fearing God.” And yet, most of them are terrified by the fear of man, particularly the fear of peer pressure.

There are so many promises for the fear of God. I must meditate on these. And the fear of God is so absent in our day/our culture; I must be more aware of this in my own life.

Prayer

Father, I believe you have secret counsel that You only reveal to those who seek You with all their heart; to those who stand in awe of You; to those who fear you.

Through the grace of my Lord Jesus Christ, I know You have forgiven all my sins. You’ve delivered me from the fear of eternal torment and assured me of eternal life. I’m grateful for that assurance.

But, Father, might I never abuse that assurance. Might I have a holy fear of displeasing or disobeying You.

Father, teach me to have a godly, reverential fear of You on a much deeper level. And, Father, might You reveal Your secret counsel to me! There are so many areas where I need to know Your ways and Your paths!

I love You, I fear you! And I follow You!

In Christ’s Name, Amen.

SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Psalm 16.

Scripture

“As far as the saints who are in the earth, they are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.” –Psalm 16:3

Observation

NLT: “The godly in the land are my true heroes!”

Saints: God’s holy people. These are the people we are to respect, look up to, value and consider heroic. We are to delight and take pleasure in them.

David honored God’s holy people who are on earth now. This is important. Throughout Jewish/Christian history, people have had a tendency to oppose godly prophets while they were alive and honor them once they were dead.

Application

I have so much more reason to delight in and honor God’s people than David did. He honored them because of their godly character; I can honor them because they are a temple of the Lord! Christ dwells in them! In honoring God’s children, I am honoring Christ!

The celebrities honored by the world are often ungodly and even known for their ungodliness. I must choose carefully who I look up to and honor because I will tend to become like those people.

Prayer

Father, thank You that there are godly people in my life who I can look up to as “heroes” and models to emulate. Help me to choose my heroes carefully. And help me to carefully consider and intentionally choose who I elevate in my mind as someone to delight in.

Help me to delight in Your children; every one of them! Give me a deeper love and emotional excitement for the people who are Your chosen treasures. Let me see them as having been valuable enough that You would die for them and that I would value Your people in a similar way.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen.

SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Psalm 15.

Scripture

“In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord.” –Psalm 15:4

Observation

These are two of about eleven characteristics of a godly man listed in Psalm 15.
Despise: hold in contempt, disdain; to be loathsome
Reprobate: A vile person; flagrant sinner
Honors: To hold in high estimation; to esteem

Application

There’s something natural about us to laugh at or be interested in vile, sinful people and their behavior. But a godly person is to hold such behavior in contempt. We are to be disgusted with it. And, although we are to love sinners and seek peace with our enemies, their may be times when, as in this verse, we are to consider the person contemptible and loathsome.

At the same time, we are to honor and hold in high esteem all who fear the Lord and seek to please Him.

I find times when good Christians violate  these qualities. For some reason, it’s not unknown for Christians to be more critical and mocking of other believers who may have certain proclivities and more respectful of unbelievers/ungodly people who, though not “weird” by worldly standards, nevertheless, engage in some pretty disgusting sinful behavior.

Which bothers me more: A Christian whose cultural taste is way out of date or a “hip” person who uses foul, blasphemous language?
A Christian with some wild worship practices or a nice unbeliever cheating on his wife?

I could go on, but the point is simple: learn to love and value what God values and learn to despise what God despises.

Prayer

Father, help me to live both of these qualities. Might I hold in high esteem EVERY person who lives for You, even if some of what they do is very different than what I’m comfortable with.

Likewise, might I hate evil. Show me how and when you want me to despise the EVIL DOER as well. All of this is because I love You above all else! Make me a channel of  Your love and of displaying both your love and your holy and righteous indignation to others.

For Your glory, Amen.

Here is a guest SOAP journal from Mandy, Administrative Assistant for TSCM.

SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Malachi 1.

Scripture

“When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands? says the Lord.” Malachi 1:13

Observation

God desires (and is worthy of) honor and respect as our Father and Creator. He doesn’t want the leftovers or the unwanted/excess. He wants the very best–the things most important to us. He wants the first fruits of our time, energy, thoughts, money and heart.

Application

God deserves the best of my heart, life, money and time. He deserves all the credit in my life, and He deserves thanks in all things. I wouldn’t have anything or be who I am today without the power of His love and mercy.

Prayer

Lord, all my life is yours. May I live in light of that. May I leave the things I care about in Your hands and trust that You will work for my good. Thank you for the gifts you give (and have given) to me and for the spiritual blessings I have through Christ Jesus. Amen.

My daily journaling from God’s Word, SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Psalm 9.

Scripture

“The wicked boasts of his heart’s desire, and the greedy man curses and spurns the Lord.”–Psalm 9:3

Observation

The wicked boast about themselves. They spurn the Lord. The righteous boast in the Lord and deny themselves. These wicked are the essence of PRIDE.

The Psalm further describes this progression:
vs. 4 He says to himself, “There is no God.”
vs.11 He says to himself,” God has forgotten.” He has hidden His face; He will never see it.”
vs. 13 He as said to himself, “You will not require it.”

Same as today; things don’t change. Today skeptics say:
1)There’s no God (doesn’t exist)
2)But there might be a higher power, an impersonal force (doesn’t see)
3) If there is a God, He loves me and will not judge me.

Application

In our increasingly secular, anti-theist culture, I must continue to confront people with the reality of the God of the Bible–a God who is there, who sees and who judges. And in a culture that is more and more about SELF, I must more aggressively boast in the Lord!

Prayer

Father, I praise You as being the God who is there, the God who sees, and the God who will hold people accountable. The skeptics don’t believe this; I fear many Christians have lost sight of it as well.

Father, I pray that my LIFE would be a prophetic message of Your reality. I pray that I will LIVE in such a way that a person couldn’t remain an atheist once they get to know me and see my life–my faith.

I pray I will never abuse Your mercy by using the blood of Christ as an excuse for ungodliness.

Father, I boast in You! I boast in the Cross! I live in light of eternal judgment!

For Your glory, Amen.

My daily journaling from God’s Word, SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Psalm 8.

Scripture

“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for Him? Yet you make him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!” –Psalm 8:3-5

Observation

The heavens belong to God! He made them to display His power and bigness! David sensed this long before the invention of the telescope. He felt awe as he looked into the night sky.

And he felt small–insignificant. Don’t we all when we look at the stars? I’m just one person in billions on a planet that is just one of billions. I shouldn’t count. I shouldn’t have value. And yet, down deep, we know we have value; we’re not insignificant! Where does this innate sense of value come from? From God our Creator! He gave us value! This inner sense that tells me I matter makes no sense unless there is a God who made me in His image!

Application

Make time to go out and look at the night sky. Allow myself to FEEL God’s presence and awe during those times!

Prayer

Father, You are the great and awesome Creator of the heavens and earth; of life; of all things seen and unseen! I praise You!

I realize I’m less than a speck in this universe, and yet, I know I have value and significance. It’s because You have created me in Your image–just a little lower than You Yourself! What an honor!

Father, live in me! Show Your mighty power in me and through me. Help me fulfill Your purposes for my life.

For Your glory! Amen.