6 JUL 22 Wednesday SOAPS DEVO

 6 JUL 22 Wednesday SOAPS DEVO

(Scripture, Observation, Apply, Pray, Share)

Reading Plan: Psalm 119:1-24; Deut. 1:1-18; Romans 9:1-18; Matthew 23:27-39

S-I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.  I praise you, O Lord; teach me your decrees.  I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches. Psalm 119:11-12, 14

O- The writer comes to a place in his life where his joy is to live a life pleasing to God. He finds that the word becomes a treasure to know God deeply, his expectations, and wisdom.  It causes him to rejoice because he has them to read, study, and apply to his life.

A- I will not take for granted the treasure that I have and will apply them to my life.  I will read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them so that I can please God with my daily life.

P- Lord, thank you for your word.  Help me Lord to study it and apply it to my life.  Give me the boldness to share it. Amen.

S- V, A

5 JUL 22 Tuesday SOAPS DEVO

 5 JUL 22 Tuesday SOAPS DEVO

(Scripture, Observation, Apply, Pray, Share)

Reading Plan: Psalm 5, 6; Num. 35-1-3, 9-15, 30-34; Romans 8:31-39; Matthew 23:13-26

S- What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy-full of greed and self-indulgence! You blind Pharisee! First, wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.

O- Some say that the church is filled with hypocrites, but I think they mean sinners.  Everyone comes into the faith broken and misfits.  They are made clean by Jesus’ blood and made right with God.  Hypocrites currently sin in a particular way and tell others not to do it.  They give an impression that they are right, but are not.  

A- I will examine myself before I correct others.  I will graciously correct others, knowing that God desires more for them.  I will look for accountability to help me to stay on the right path.

P- Lord, there are many who put up a good front in order to make themselves look better than they are.  They are hypocrites.  Help us to be honest with ourselves and confess any sins we have not brought before you.  Help us to be good models for others and pleasing to your sight.  Amen.

S- DBS, 

1 JUL 22 Friday SOAPS DEVO

 1 JUL 22 Friday SOAPS DEVO

(Scripture, Observation, Apply, Pray, Share)

Reading Plan: Psalm 140, 142; Num. 24:1-13; Romans 8:12-17; Matthew 22:15-22

S-And since we are his children, we are heirs.  In fact, together with Christ, we are heirs of God’s glory.   But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.  Romans 8:17

O- We love the benefits of being connected to God through Jesus and hope to be in heaven when we die.  We cannot hope for this eternity in glory if we will not submit our lives in totality to God’s will.  That means we will share in his suffering being rejected when we share the gospel, experience hostility and indifference, and possibly persecution and death.

A- I will bless the Lord in the good times and the bad.  I know that the path to life is a narrow road that leads to suffering for a little while, but is nothing compared to the glory I will see.

P- Lord, each day I yield my life to you come what may.  Empower us to do your will even if it means that I will suffer because of it.  In that suffering, I know that it brings you glory. Amen.

S-K, R,

30 JUN 22 Thursday SOAPS DEVO

 30 JUN 22 Thursday SOAPS DEVO

(Scripture, Observation, Apply, Pray, Share)

Reading Plan: Psalm 131, 132; Num. 23:11-26; Romans 8:1-11; Matthew 22:1-14

S- Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God.  It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. Romans 8:5, 7

O- We can get confused about people and why they do what they do.  Why do they think that way? How can they not see their ways are wicked and evil? How can they be hostile to God? The reason is they are not capable without the Spirit residing in them.  Their nature swims in evil and drinks it with pleasure.  This is why we pray for them and share the good news.

A- I will not look down on those that are hostile to God and his ways, but lift them up to the Lord.  I will accept the reality that there are many that reject the invitation the Lord is offering.  I will press on to search for the ones that will turn from their evil and put their trust in Jesus.

P- Lord, we see evil and wickedness in our country.  People are dominated by their sinful desires and become hostile when they are confronted with truth and the gospel.  Break through their darkness and bring them to the light.  Empower us in these days to faithfully pray, care, and share. Amen.

S- M, T, G, E

28 JUN 22 Tuesday SOAPS DEVO

 28 JUN 22 Tuesday SOAPS DEVO

(Scripture, Observation, Apply, Pray, Share)

Reading Plan: Psalm 121, 122, 123; Num. 22:21-38; Romans 7:1-12; Matthew 21:23-32

S- When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death.  Romans 7:5

O- The bible is clear that every person is born into sin and by nature desires and chooses sin.  The law of God acts as mirror to reveal to us who we are.  We have all sinned and fall short of God’s standards.  No one is good.  Without Jesus, we all perish in our sins.

A- I will rejoice in God my savior that made me spiritually alive through the death and resurrection of his Son.  I am reminded when I read the law of God my imperfection and sinfulness.  I will remain thankful of being set free from the bondage of sin and death.

P- Lord, you are good to us and great in your faithfulness.  Thank you for showing mercy to us and revealing yourself to us.  Help us to live into this new life you have given us and to be free from sin’s hold.  May we live lives that are pleasing to you. Amen.

S- D, E