S.O.A.P.

Daily S.O.A.P Blog

God Opportunities

  • January 21, 2024
Scripture
Luke 21:10-13
10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. 12 But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. 13 This will be your opportunity to bear witness.
Observation
God has a unique idea of what an opportunity looks like! When I see wars, conflict, natural disasters, persecutions, and oppression…I generally don’t think of it as an opportunity.
The opportunity that God defines in these verses is not an opportunity for self-gain and self-acclaim…rather these times of crisis are opportunities to testify to the power of God.
Application
When things are going well, I enjoy telling people about what’s happening. When my tasks are running smoothly, or I made good progress on a project, I don’t have any problem telling people about how well things are going for me.
Times of crisis are another story! When the car breaks down, or someone treats me unfairly, or an unforeseen bill arrives in the mail, or an ungodly leader makes a decision which negatively affects me…I don’t tend to see those moments as ‘opportunities’ at all.
This verse reminds me that if my goal is to point people to the Savior, then opportunities are to be found in every situation and every season. When my goal is to show people how strong He is, then the moments when my own strength runs out become open doors to tell people about the God who is faithful and strong.
This week, I choose to look for the ‘God Opportunities’ in every situation…so that He would receive the glory that He is due.
Prayer
God, thank you for your goodness and your faithfulness! Help me to see the ‘God Opportunities’ each day, and not miss a chance to tell someone of your power and your faithfulness.

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Knowledge and Love

  • January 20, 2024
The greatest amount of knowledge can leave a situation completely unchanged for the better…but the smallest amount of love will inevitably make its mark on the world around it.
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Scripture
Luke 20:45-47
45 And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 47 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
Observation
The scribes ran a great PR campaign to prove their spiritual maturity. They knew the right information, they wore the right clothes, they knew the secret handshakes, they prayed the right prayers, and they got the right recognition at gatherings. Unfortunately, their carefully-groomed appearance and reputation glossed over one critical fact: They lacked love.
Though they knew the right information, their hearts lacked transformation. Though they prayed long-winded and holy sounding prayers to God, they never took the time to hear God’s reply to the prayers they prayed. Though they frequently were honored…they gave no honor to the most vulnerable members of their society.
Application
“Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Cor. 8:1)
A little bit of knowledge can inflate an ego faster than almost anything–but love builds others. Knowledge must prove itself, and when challenged…it must defend itself. Love needs no defense or claim of sufficiency–it simply offers itself with an open hand. The greatest amount of knowledge can leave a situation completely unchanged for the better…but the smallest amount of love will inevitably make its mark on the world around it.
Today, I choose to walk in love. Instead of seeking self-advancement and laboring to improve my public image, I choose to let the love of the Savior flow through me to impact the world. It may not bring me the best robe or the best seat at the party, but it will make a lasting impact somewhere in the world.
Prayer
God, thank you for this reminder of the importance of love. Help me to obtain the knowledge that I need for the journey, but may I never become so infatuated with knowledge that I forget to love people. Give me eyes today, to see those that you want to love through me.

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Sojourning

  • January 19, 2024
There are tasks to be done, and calendars to manage. There are responsibilities to juggle, and emergencies to deal with. But none of them hold a candle to the importance of keeping my attention fixed on the eternity before me when this life ends.
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Scripture
Genesis 47:8-9a
8 And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the days of the years of your life?” 9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years…
Observation
Jacob’s response to Pharaoh showed a remarkable insight into his view on life. He didn’t say ‘My life has been 130 years’…rather, he said ‘my sojourning has been 130 years’. To ‘sojourn’ in his day was to journey as a traveler, or to live as an immigrant in a foreign land. Jacob viewed his entire life (all 130 years!) as merely a journey toward a destination, a visit to a place that was not his true home. Though his life on earth was far longer than any of us would dare to dream of today, he still kept his eyes on eternity.
Application
I had the privilege a few days ago of visiting and praying with a precious saint in the church family who was nearing the end of his journey on earth. He had experienced many amazing things, and lived a full life. He had stories he loved to tell, and accomplishments that many could not hope to match. Yet the thing that I have always appreciated the most about him, is that he kept his eyes on eternity. He knew that this life, whether long or short, is not forever–and that the eternity before us is what gives meaning to these short years here on earth.
Last night, his journey ended. And I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that right now he is glad that he spent his 92 years here on earth…looking toward eternity.
Today, I choose to keep life in perspective. There are tasks to be done, and calendars to manage. There are responsibilities to juggle, and emergencies to deal with. But none of them hold a candle to the importance of keeping my attention fixed on the eternity before me when this life ends.
Prayer
God, thank you for the hope that I find in Jesus Christ! Thank you for the peace of knowing that my eternal future is secure, because of the price that you paid for my sin. Help me to keep my eyes on eternity, rather than letting my attention be consumed by the hustle and bustle and meaningless busyness of a life focused on this earth. Keep my eyes on eternity, and give me the grace and wisdom to point others to an eternity with you as well.

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Don’t Lose Heart

  • January 18, 2024
Discouragement is to be expected, but not accepted. The solution is not to stop praying, but rather to press on in prayer until a response from God is received.
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Scripture
Luke 18:1
“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.”
Observation
Prayer is powerful. Prayer is effective. Prayer is modeled by Jesus, and prayer is taught and commanded for his followers. Yet prayer can also lead to discouragement! What a surprisingly blunt acknowledgement we see in this verse: discouragement is to be expected, but not accepted. The solution is not to stop praying, but rather to press on in prayer until a response from God is received.
Application
I’ve faced discouragement in prayer–but I never noticed before how directly Jesus dealt with this subject. More often than not, my discouragement in prayer results from me not getting what I want, when I want, the way I want it.
The following parable in this chapter reminds me that there is power in prayer–not to merely get what I want, but rather to receive what I need from God in the right way, at the right time.
This week I choose to press on in prayer and to not let my heart become discouraged.
Prayer
God, thank you for this reminder about the power of prayer! Help me to trust your heart and your timing, so that I would never lose heart but rather trust you each day.

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Community

  • January 17, 2024
God built me for community–to live in community, grow in community, and serve in community. I have a responsibility to fulfill the community role for which I was created–not just looking out for my own happiness and gratification, but also for the health of the family.
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Scripture
Luke 17:1-3
“And he said to his disciples, ‘Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the seas than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him…”
Observation
Followers of Christ are created to live in community, not just proximity. The spiritual growth and health of each one is a personal responsibility, but also a family responsibility.
Application
God built me for community–to live in community, grow in community, and serve in community. I have a responsibility to fulfill the community role for which I was created–not just looking out for my own happiness and gratification, but also for the health of the family. On the flip side, I must have the humility to accept the presence, voice, and accountability of the rest of the family, in order to keep growing as God intends for me to.
This week, I choose to value and walk in community.
Prayer
God, thank you for the Body of Christ, this precious community in which you’ve placed me! Help me to daily value each member of the family- to love them well, and to also value their voice in my life.

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Defining Success

  • January 16, 2024
I need to make sure that I’m seeking success on God’s terms, and not based on my own self-serving ideas. The result probably won’t look anything like I would have expected or chosen…but it will look exactly as God intends for it to look.
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Scripture
Genesis 39:2
The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.
Observation
Joseph was a slave…and he was successful. Joseph was not free to pursue his own desires and dreams…and he was successful. He had been betrayed by those closest to him…and he was successful. He had been forcibly taken from his family and culture…and he was successful.
Application
God’s measure of success doesn’t look like mine. I have my own criteria for success, which usually centers on one main thing: me. My possessions. My freedom. My options in life. My ideas. My dreams.
Joseph had none of those things–and yet, God said he was successful. Why? Because he was fulfilling the role that God needed him to play, and he was faithfully doing the best that he could to honor God with the resources he was given. His success was God-focused, not self-focused.
This week, I need to calibrate my tape measure to the one that God uses. I need to make sure that I’m seeking success on His terms, and not based on my own self-serving ideas. The result probably won’t look anything like I would have expected or chosen…but it will look exactly as God intends for it to look.
Prayer
God, thank you for this recalibration for my heart! Help me to gauge success by your standard, and not by my own ideas. May you be glorified in my life as you accomplish your plans in and through me.
 
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The Decision to Worship

  • January 14, 2024
I can’t wait until my issues are solved, in order to give God my worship–rather, I must make the decision today in the middle of the uncertainty and struggle…to worship him. He is worthy of my worship, and he will show himself strong in my life to fulfill my future as I honor him with my present.
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Scripture
Genesis 35:5-7
5 And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. 6 And Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him, 7 and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother.
Observation
Jacob was essentially on the run at this point, watching over his shoulder for the people of the land to attack him due to his sons violent vengeance on behalf of their sister. As Jacob journeyed to the place where God had instructed him to build an altar, God caused the people around them to experience a sudden, unexplainable, irrational fear. God protected and guarded Jacob, but Jacob didn’t see it until he made the decision to worship. God’s protection was always there–but it was made visible and accessible in Jacob’s life when he decided to purify his house and worship the Almighty God.
Application
God knows my fears, and he knows the dangers and obstacles that surround me. He is patient, despite my shortcomings and imperfections. He stands ready to strengthen and defend me, but requires that my attention remain on him. I can’t wait until my issues are solved, in order to bring him my worship–rather, I must make the decision today in the middle of the uncertainty and struggle…to worship him. He is worthy of my worship, and he will show himself strong in my life to fulfill my future as I honor him with my present.
This week, I choose to worship the God who saves.
Prayer
God, thank you for your presence and your faithfulness! Help me not to waste my time and energy worrying about the problems and issues of this world–but rather keep my focus on you, and direct the attention of those around me to your glory, majesty, and goodness. Thank you for strengthening and protecting me through every season and every battle!

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The One Thing

  • January 12, 2024
Jesus’ mission was more important than his approval rating in the polls–because the mission was the only thing that mattered in eternity.
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Scripture
Luke 12:13-15
“Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’ But he said to him, ‘Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?’ And he said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions’.”
Observation
This doesn’t seem like the right way to win friends and influence people! Not only did Jesus not assist this guy with his problem…his response actually portrayed the guy in front of him as the source of the problem, and told him to quit being covetous! Jesus is all about integrity and ethical living…so why would he shut the guy down this way?!
Application
Jesus came to earth for a purpose: to restore mankind to relationship with the Heavenly Father. The people around him wanted to position him in their lives to fulfill their own objectives, but he refused to play along. He knew his mission and his purpose, and was confident and unafraid in refusing to accept the expectations and demands of those who would distract him from the mission.
The mission was more important than his approval rating in the polls–because the mission was the only thing that mattered in eternity.
Prayer
God, help me to keep the mission as the main thing! Help me to recognize the things which move the mission, and to reject the things which don’t accomplish your purpose in my life.

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Walking in Blessing

  • January 11, 2024
God’s blessing is not a cosmic game of bingo–rather it is a path in which I can choose to walk, by following his word.
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Scripture
Luke 11:27-28
“As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!’ But he said, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it.”
Observation
This woman saw the blessings of God as strictly an ‘experience’, which some lucky people received and others didn’t. Jesus revealed to her that God’s blessing is available to all who walk in his ways.
Application
As a friend of mine likes to say, “When I do right things, God blesses the right things that I do.” God’s blessing is not a cosmic game of bingo–rather it is a path in which I can choose to walk, by following his word. This week, I choose with God’s help to walk in his ways so that I can fully experience his blessing.
Prayer
God, I want to walk in your ways! Help me this week to not just ‘hear’ your word…but also to ‘follow’ your ways.

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Walking in the Promise

  • January 10, 2024
The promise was given by God, and it was plain to those around Isaac…but at some point, he still had to make the decision to walk in the promise.
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Scripture
Genesis 26:2-3
And the LORD appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father.
Observation
What an amazing promise God gave to Isaac! What an incredible way to start this season of his life, with the confidence that God had a plan and a purpose, and would fulfill what He had established. Unfortunately, Isaac still operated as though he was not walking in promise. He allowed fear and insecurity to control his decisions and path, and nearly lost his marriage over the imagined foes along the way. Abimelech knew that Isaac was going to receive the promise–and he finally sent Isaac away, because he knew that Isaac’s destiny was great enough to be a threat to his kingdom in Gerar. The promise was given by God, and it was plain to those around Isaac…but at some point, he still had to make the decision to walk in the promise.
Application
There’s a difference between knowing what God has promised…and walking in God’s promise. Too often in my life, I’ve let the real and imagined obstacles on my journey cause me to operate in fear, instead of standing confidently on God’s promise. If I walk in fear, I put the fulfillment of God’s promise at risk. Not because the obstacles are greater than God, but because I can make them bigger than God in my mind. This week, I choose to keep my eyes on the promise-giver. I choose to walk in the promises of God, and give him the opportunity to show himself strong in my life. I know he will not let me down, and history will demonstrate that my trust in Him has not been misplaced.
Prayer
God, thank you for your promises in my life! I choose today to walk in your promise instead of in fear–and I thank you for being greater than any obstacle I could face. May you be glorified as I keep my eyes on you!

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