S.O.A.P. 30 Day Challenge - Day #15, April 15, 2022 "Walking in Faith and Confidence."

S. Psalm 9:9-10 (NIV) The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

O. David writes (or even sings) that the Lord is a safe person to be with. He is likened to a stronghold, a place where an attacker can not get in. Further, those who place their trust in the Lord are never let down by Him. He always comes through for His people. God provides safety and confidence for those who place their trust in Him.

A. What a wonderful thing to know and to feel. I do not need to fear attacks from the enemy as long as I continue to place my trust in the Lord. He provides me a “safe place” - and I have confidence. I never have to wonder that He will never let me down. He will always come through.

P. Thank you Father for the truth of your word. You are a safe place to be and you keep your word ot those that rust you. Holy Spirit fill me and guide me to walk in faith and confidence. In Jesus’ name!

S.O.A.P. 30 Day Challenge Day #14, April 14, 2022 "NO Bleating Sheep in My Life"

S. 1 Samuel 15:22b-23 (NIV) 22 But Samuel replied:“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
    as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice,   and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,  and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”

O. Samuel teaches that God desires obedience over human justification or rationalization. When we do not obey God and follow our own reasoning, we set ourselves up to be our own god and God will hold us accountable. He likens disobedience to divination and idolatry.

A. I think this Life Connect Article sums it up (quoted partially), “…Sometimes I need to cull certain activities in order to make room for HIS priorities. I only have a specified amount of time and energy. Sometimes God will even establish what skills I must develop according to my gifts and passions. God may indicate which risks to take and which to avoid even when the likehood of success seem obvious to me. In the end God will not hold me accountable for what i have done as much as He will hold me accountable for what He has asked me to do - kill the bleating sheep. No side stepping. No self justification. No excuses. Then I can have the confidence to say to God, “I have carried out the Lord’s instructions” and not have the bleating of sheep in the background. (Life Connect Study Bible, page 326)

P. Thank you Father for giving me further enlightenment on this passage. Holy Spirit fill me and lead me to complete obedience to God’s call in my life so that there is not any sound of “bleating sheep” in my life. In Jesus’ name

S.O.A.P. 30 Day Challenge Day #13, April 13, 2022 “Authentic Leadership Called for and Demonstrated”

S. 2 Corinthians 13:5-6 (NIV) 5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? 6 And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.

O. Paul is encouraging the church of Corinth to look into their own lives and to be sure they are in the faith (beause at times their behavior was questionable and Paul needed to be firm with them). Paul also added that he and his leadershp also take time to test themselves, that is to look into their own hears and minds for self examination.

Thought: Paul is leading by example. He is not asking the people at Corinth to do anything that he and his leadership team are not doing or have done. Because of this, he is able then to (with autheniticity) ask they take a look at their own spiritual lives.

A. I deisre to live my life with such autheniticy for Christ Jesus. I am not above anything I might ask others to do. When I ask others to look into their own hearts, I must be able to have done that I or am doing that. Tough times calls for authentic leadership.

P. Thank you Father for your word - Thank you for Paul’s exemplary authentic leadership. Holy Spirit fill me and guide me to be a leader of such demonstrated authentic faith.