SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Hebrews 13.

Scripture

“Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.” –Hebrews 13:5

Observation

Most people love money. Believers should not!

Free: to love money is a trap. Financial freedom doesn’t simply mean I have plenty of money; it means I am content with what God has provided for me.

Contentment: the key is to realize I have God! He will never desert me! He provides the things money can’t buy, and these are the things that bring true security, happiness and satisfaction.

Application

Don’t love money. Don’t be greedy for more than I need. Be content. If God increases what I have, be a generous giver. My money is simply stewardship entrusted to me by God. It is His, not mine, and I must use it for the purposes He has designed.

Trust God to meet all my needs in the future as he has in the past.

Prayer

Father, thank you for being a generous provider who will never desert me. You are my Helper! You are my Provider! All that I have comes from You.

I acknowledge and confess to You the pride that wants to be self-sufficient. I pray along with the Proverb, “Give me neither poverty nor riches” lest I violate integrity in order to survive or lest I have so much I lose sight of my daily need for You. Our culture is so greedy, and I would be naive to think it has not defiled me as well. Help me to be aware and on guard against every form of greedl

Father, fill my heart and soul with love for You and others so that there won’t be room to love money. And with that, help me follow John Wesley’s advice: “Earn all you can; save all you can; give all you can.”

To do so will be good stewardship. Help me to do so without loving money or being defiled by greed.

In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen

SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Hebrews 5.

Scripture

“But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” –Hebrews 5:14

Observation

Mature Christians need solid food. Unfortunately, many believers are stuck and can only handle milk.

A mature person is someone who has “practiced” the Christian life. He has some time and experience in being a Christian. Therefore, he can discern between good and evil.

An immature person has difficulty discerning between the two.

Application

Be careful not to choke spiritual infants on solid food. Be patient with them. Without becoming arrogant, never forget that my decades of following Christ have taught me things that spiritually young believers don’t know. They still lack discernment but will gain it over time as they practice righteous living.

Prayer

Father, there is so much to learn and grow in to become mature in Christ. Thank You for all You’ve taught me through the years. Help me stand firm in discernment and teach Your ways to younger believers. Please continue to feed me with solid food.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen

SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Isaiah 57.

Scripture

“For thus says the high and exalted One who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.” — Isaiah 57:15

Observation

There are two places where a person can meet God: one is a high, holy place which only He inhabits. The other is a place of humility, brokenness, and contrition which is the place of humble, repentant sinners–people who are poor in spirit.

Application

I must have times of contrition over sin and make sure I have a humble spirit before God. But I am also grateful that, by God’s grace, I have been raised up and seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6).

Prayer

Father, I confess that I have no hope to walk with You apart from Christ. You expose me and bring me low in order to exalt me in Christ to a high and holy place with You! Thank you for grace that goes far beyond forgiveness to actually making me holy!
Amen.

SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Isaiah 56.

Scripture

“For the leaders of My people–the Lord’s watchmen, His shepherds–are blind and ignorant. They are like silent watchdogs that give no warning when danger comes. They love to lie around, sleeping and dreaming. Like greedy dogs, they are never satisfied. They are ignorant shepherds, all following their own path and intent on personal gain. –Isaiah 56:10-11

Observation

God’s leaders are to be shepherds who protect the flock from danger. They should warn and sound the alarm. God’s leaders play a vital role, but these leaders were failing. They are called blind, ignorant, and greedy, following their own path and intent on personal greed. They’re even referred to as “dogs” twice — an incredible insult.

Application

I am one of God’s leaders–a watchmen who must warn people of danger and a shepherd who must protect the flock. Woe unto me if I remain silent or just look out for my personal gain. And yet, this rebuke can be applied to so many Christian leaders today. They don’t warn; they refuse to engage in any conversation or preach on any issue that might offend. They fear men more than God and are more concerned with weekly attendance and offerings than they are with the holiness of the people of God. I mustn’t be like this, and I must also have the courage to rebuke other leaders who are like this.

Prayer

Oh, God, Your church lies devastated and ravaged because Your watchmen are silent, fearing men and failing to warn Your people of the sin which is entangling them. So many fear men; so few fear God. So many see their provision as coming from men rather than from You.

Father, protect me from ever falling into these traps. Help me to faithfully warn the people and to open their eyes to the dangers surrounding us. And I pray for my fellow leaders to have courage and faith to speak Your words with full conviction and no partiality.

All this I ask for Your glory,
Amen.

SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Isaiah 55.

Scripture

“Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord…’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'” –Isaiah 55:7-9

Observation

God’s ways and His thoughts are infinitely superior to ours. True conversion calls on us to change the way we think and act. It takes faith and humility to acknowledge the superiority of God’s ways and to embrace them.

Application

Embrace God’s thoughts and His ways.

When I disagree with God, be quick to repent and acknowledge His ways are right and true.

Boast in the Lord. His ways are better. Don’t affirm the thoughts and ways of man in order to not hurt someone’s feelings. Expose them and call them to repentance.

Prayer

Father, I do believe Your ways and Your thoughts are infinitely superior to the best that man can come up with. I praise You for Your infinite wisdom, knowledge and love. It is the most foolish form of pride to think I’m smarter or wiser than You–or even that I care about myself more than You love me. Therefore, I freshly dedicate myself to You and simply say, “Teach me Thy truth.”

Lord, I desire to walk in Your ways and demonstrate the superiority of Your ways in EVERY area of life: relationships, conversations, values, planning, money, recreation, health, etc. Might I have the wisdom to discern, the humility to embrace, and the faith to obey You in ALL your ways.

This is life indeed!

In Jesus’ Name, I pray,
Amen.

SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Isaiah 54.

Scripture

“Enlarge the place of your tent; Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not; Lengthen your cords and strengthen your pegs. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left. And your descendants will possess nations and will resettle the desolate cities.” — Isaiah 54:2-3

Observation

God has always wanted His people to expand their territory and thus, expand the Kingdom of God.

“Be fruitful and multiply…” Genesis 1:28

“Go and make disciples of all the nations…” Matt 28:19-20

And here, enlarge…stretch out…lengthen…spread abroad…possess nations…

Application

Spare not! Keep advancing the Kingdom. Do not fear for God is with me! No weapon formed against me will prevail (vs. 17).

Prayer

Father, You want to bring the whole world back to Yourself and have followers in every nation. Thank you for raising me up to be a gospel worker. Use me in my remaining days/years to expand Your Kingdom with great zeal, courage and wisdom. Might I spare not, but give it all I’ve got. I know I won’t regret it!

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Isaiah 48.

Scripture

“They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts. He made water flow out of the rock for them; He split the rock and the water gushed forth.” Isaiah 48:21

Observation

God led the Israelites into the deserts–a difficult and dangerous place where one would not normally want to go. But while there, He provided for them and met their basic needs–usually in miraculous ways.

Application

Be open to God leading me in ways that might not make sense in my human wisdom.

Prayer

Father, You always provide my daily necessities. You have led me to places that were risky and humanly lacked sense, but You always took care of our needs. Our culture seems to battle between preparing myself to care of my family and looking to the government to do so.

Personally, I want to look to You! I want Your hand to guide me, protect me, and provide. I want to be a living, breathing, demonstration of the living God showing Himself strong!

And all the world will see and glorify You!

Amen.

SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Isaiah 47.

Scripture

“You felt secure in your wickedness and you said, “No one sees me”; your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me.” –Isaiah 47:10

Observation

It’s possible to FEEL secure even when we aren’t. The Babylonians were about to receive sudden disaster, but they didn’t realize it.

Their knowledge led them to the false sense of security. Knowledge can make a person proud and over-confident, as if he has total control over his destiny. This pride was expressed in the claim, “I am” (a name and title reserved for God).

Application

I am not the “master of my own destiny.” I have a part to play, but my life can change dramatically and suddenly, in ways beyond my control. Therefore, always stay humble, in God’s will and dependent on Him.

Prayer

Father, I work hard to educate myself and do the best I can in life, but ultimately, my life is in Your hands. And that is the most secure place for me to be and where I most want to be. Let Your grace, Your love, and Your angels continually surround me, I pray.

Amen.

SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Isaiah 46.

Scripture

“I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, “My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.” –Isaiah 46:9-10

Observation

God is more than an idea we have opinions about; He is real, He has demonstrated Himself, and there is no one like Him.

God alone knows and declares what is to come

God will always accomplish His purposes

Application

Discover God’s purposes and get on His side. His purpose will prevail, and I can be a winner with Him.

Prayer

Father, I praise You as the one and only God. You reign over all–including Your enemies. You will accomplish all You purpose to do. Father, might I not presume I know or project my desires upon You. Sometimes I wonder what You are doing and am confused by what happens. But I trust Your wisdom, love,  and power will ( in due time) prevail. And so, I follow and I trust You.

Amen.

SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Isaiah 45.

Scripture

“Woe to the one who quarrels with his maker–an earthenware vessel among the vessels of the earth! Will the clay say to the potter, “What are you doing?” or the thing you are making say, “He has no hands?” –Isaiah 45:9

Observation

God is our maker. He has every right to form us and make us just as He desires. The pot has no right to question the Potter’s work, design or plan. Often, the Potter has a purpose the pot simply doesn’t grasp.

Interesting: On a simple anecdotal note: I’ve noticed that people who are really into “modern art” and like to paint or sculpt weird designs often judge God for what He does. Evidently, they feel they have the right to do whatever they want with their “pots,” but the Almighty Potter doesn’t.

Application

Work with the Potter. Allow Him to form my life without complaining. Be “soft clay”–not hard and dried-out clay–in the hands of God.

Prayer

Father, thank You for the way Your skilled and loving hands have formed my life. Might I always be clay easily molded by the Potter’s hand so that You can use me in whatever way You desire.

Amen.