S.O.A.P.

Daily S.O.A.P Blog

Learning, Not Just Admitting

  • April 22, 2024
When confronted by my failures, I want to learn and grow forward–not keep repeating the same dumb decisions.
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Scripture
1 Samuel 26:21
“Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have acted foolishly, and have made a great mistake.”
Observation
Saul admitted his wrongdoing when confronted…but he was not truly repentant. He admitted guilt, but never truly changed his course.
Application
Scripture says that a double minded man is unstable in every way–and that’s what I see in Saul. The admission of guilt was not enough to turn his heart around, because he was still double minded.
I don’t want to be a Saul! When confronted by my failures, I want to learn and grow forward–not keep repeating the same dumb decisions.
Prayer
God, help me to learn your ways–and not merely admit my own shortcomings. Teach me to be daily more like you!
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Taste and See

  • April 18, 2024
God’s goodness cannot be fully grasped without experiencing it. The step of ‘tasting’ God’s goodness brings awareness of more wonder, more blessing, more goodness than could be seen before.
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Scripture
Psalm 34:8
“Oh taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”
Observation
God’s goodness cannot be fully grasped without experiencing it. The step of ‘tasting’ God’s goodness brings awareness of more wonder, more blessing, more goodness than could be seen before.
Application
There are glimpses I can get of God. I see His power displayed in nature. I see his provision in the lives of his children. I see his truth revealed in his word. But at some point, I must ‘taste’ his goodness for myself in order to more fully see him as he is. His goodness must be willingly experienced, to be fully understood.
This week, I choose to welcome all of God’s presence that I can see and understand, so that he can reveal his presence and power more fully to me.
Prayer
God, I don’t want to sit back and merely observe you! I want to experience you fully, and know your goodness like never before.
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You can also read past devotions on our website, by visiting https://www.newhopelegacy.com/soap/

The Cost of Worship

  • April 17, 2024
Worship always costs something. The only question is who am I worshiping, and what price am I willing to pay? Am I worshiping earthly success, and paying an eternal price? Or am I paying a temporary price in this life, to worship the Creator and receive an eternal reward?
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Scripture
Matthew 4:9-10
“And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.'”
Observation
There is a cost to worship. Jesus was faced with this cost when tempted–and he chose to pay the price of earthly power and authority in order to worship the Father. But truthfully, there would have been a corresponding cost if he had given in to temptation and worshiped the tempter: He would have had to pay the price of his relationship with the Father.
Application
Worship always costs something. The only question is who am I worshiping, and what price am I willing to pay? Am I worshiping earthly success, and paying an eternal price? Or am I paying a temporary price in this life, to worship the Creator and receive an eternal reward?
I choose to worship God alone. The temporary rewards of this life, are simply not worth the cost!
Prayer
God, may my heart be set on you alone–because you alone are worth of my worship!
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You can also read past devotions on our website, by visiting https://www.newhopelegacy.com/soap/

The Battle Is The Lord’s

  • April 15, 2024
Today’s SOAP journal is brought to you by a member of our NHL ohana, Dave Kidder!
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Scripture
1 Samuel 17:47
“And that all this assembly may know that the Lord saved not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s and he will give you into our hand.”
Psalm 9:9-10
“The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.”
Observation
So many times we see people try to fight things on their own, or relying strictly on material things to get situations done when they are struggling…instead of coming to God first for help, and relying on Him to guide them.
Application
Once again I need to put pride aside and ask Him for help. He will show me what tools are needed to get the situation done. I just need to seek His help.
Prayer
Thank you Lord for always being there to listen, always having an open door for us to find you! I pray that we can cast aside our fears and doubts, and come into your warm embrace–for you alone can handle whatever troubles us.
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You can also read past devotions on our website, by visiting https://www.newhopelegacy.com/soap/

Lost in Transit?

  • April 12, 2024
The same God who created the opportunity and made the promise, will be faithful to fulfill his promise whether the timeline is what I expected or not. Today I choose to wait on God, with my heart attuned to him–instead of trying to take control over that which I’ve not been given authority over.
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Scripture
1 Samuel 13:8-9
8 He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering.
Observation
Samuel notified King Saul of the specific day and time that he was planning to arrive…but the day came and went, and Samuel was nowhere to be seen. The people became restless and fearful, and started to drift away. Saul felt time running out, and realized the tide was shifting against him–and so he took the lead. Firmly. Decisively. Authoritatively. Just as a king should!
Unfortunately, his actions violated God’s law. Though it seemed to make sense from the perspective of kingly strategy, his decision was catastrophically damaging–and ultimately cost Saul his kingdom. The thing that Saul forgot, was that God himself had appointed Saul as king–not the people. The people were drifting away from him…but his kingdom was not dependent on the people to start with.
Application
Today I opened a dispute with a company, regarding an item that I ordered which has not arrived. The guaranteed delivery date was over two weeks ago, so I’ve notified them that I’d like a refund. In the course of opening a dispute, they wanted me to send them a photograph to document my issue. I’m not sure how they expected me to photograph the box that hasn’t arrived, so I sent them a photo of my empty hand instead. Hopefully that will suffice to get me my refund!
There have been moments in my walk with God when it feels like the package has been lost in transit. I know what God told me, and I know that his promises are trustworthy…but here I sit, empty-handed and waiting for the package to arrive! There’s nothing I can do to speed it up, or to find out for sure what is causing the delay. All I can do is wait where God said to wait, and ‘wait well’. Time may be running out, and the window of opportunity may be closing…but the opportunity didn’t come from human origin anyway– And the same God who created the opportunity and made the promise, will be faithful to fulfill his promise whether the timeline is what I expected or not.
Today I choose to wait on God, with my heart attuned to him–instead of trying to take control over that which I’ve not been given authority over.
Prayer
God, thank you for this reminder that you don’t operate on my schedule. Help me to wait on you, and trust that you are still sovereign even when it seems that you’ve missed the deadline. I trust you to fulfill your promises at the right time.
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You can also read past devotions on our website, by visiting https://www.newhopelegacy.com/soap/

Logic and Leading

  • April 10, 2024
In my life, there are needs that are plain to see, and decisions which must be made. But my own logic and reasoning will not accomplish the right outcome, if I neglect God’s voice in the process–and decisions made in absence of the Holy Spirit will have far reaching consequences.
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Scripture
1 Samuel 8:1-3
“When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. Yet his sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after gain. They took bribes, and perverted justice.
Observation
The nation of Israel is sometimes criticized for demanding a king, but the issue started with Samuel. Instead of seeking God to choose a successor, he appointed his own sons and turned a blind eye to their lack of character. Samuel’s lack of listening for God’s voice and tolerance of corruption in his sons resulted in the entire nation demanding something which was not God’s best for them.
Application
Logic and planning is not enough. Human reasoning says that a leader needs a successor–but Godly wisdom requires that even the plainly obvious needs must be entrusted to the hands of God.
In my life, there are needs that are plain to see, and decisions which must be made. But my own logic and reasoning will not accomplish the right outcome, if I neglect God’s voice in the process–and decisions made in absence of the Holy Spirit will have far reaching consequences.
Prayer
God, help me this week to operate in Holy Spirit wisdom…not just in logic and strategy. May the results of what I do, draw people closer to you–instead of driving them farther away from your perfect plan.
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You can also read past devotions on our website, by visiting https://www.newhopelegacy.com/soap/

Wondrous Things

  • April 9, 2024
This week, I choose to let my heart again be captivated by the wonder of the God that I serve–instead of staying daily distracted by that which cannot last.
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Scripture
Psalm 72:18-19
18 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. 19 Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!
Observation
This psalm of Solomon is a prayer for the blessing of God on Solomon’s kingdom, and a reminder of just how powerful God is. Solomon prayed for his kingdom to prosper, but he concludes the prayer by declaring again that all truly ‘wondrous things’ come from God alone. Though Solomon’s kingdom was a glorious place full of wondrous things, Solomon chose to focus his heart on the God who alone is truly wondrous and amazing.
Application
We live in a time of wonder. There are space programs and engineering feats to marvel at. There are technologies that captivate our attention, and entertainment options to keep us occupied. There are Google assistants and Siri’s and ChatGPT’s to give us information. There are great accomplishments being performed somewhere in the world every day…and it can be very easy to let all of these things capture our full attention instead of keeping our hearts focused on God. And although all of these things are amazing…none of them will last. My phone will be outdated next month, my apps will eventually seem glitchy and slow, Siri will be replaced by something else, SpaceX will be overtaken by another competitor, and Angry Birds is eventually replaced by Flappy Bird.
The truly ‘wondrous things’ are the things that last:
God’s love.
God’s faithfulness.
God’s abundant blessings.
God’s redemption story.
God’s power.
This week, I choose to let my heart again be captivated by the wonder of the God that I serve–instead of staying daily distracted by that which cannot last.
Prayer
God, thank you for this reminder of what is truly ‘wondrous’. Thank you for who you are, and for loving me! Help me to keep things in the right context, and not allow my heart and my attention to be consumed by that which may seem ‘wondrous’ for a moment, but will inevitably fade and pass away.
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You can also read past devotions on our website, by visiting https://www.newhopelegacy.com/soap/

The Personal Ambition Trap

  • April 3, 2024
Personal ambition is a tricky thing, and must at every moment be submitted to God’s heart and to Kingdom purposes. If that order ever gets reversed, then eventually I will find myself instead submitting God’s word to my own desires…and that can only lead to disaster.
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Scripture
Judges 18:19-20
“And they said to him, “Keep quiet, put your hand on your mouth and come with us and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be priest of the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and clan in Israel? And the priest’s heart was glad. He took the ephod and the household gods and the carved image and went along with the people.”
Observation
What a sad tale of a diverted destiny! This young Levite was destined to serve the one true God, but allowed his heart to be swayed by a profitable business opportunity. Now, not content with the deal he had made, he betrayed his employer’s trust and struck another deal for a promotion.
When his purpose shifted to personal advancement, no compromise on God’s word or God’s law was off limits in pursuit of his new goal.
Application
Personal ambition is a tricky thing, and must at every moment be submitted to God’s heart and to Kingdom purposes. If that order ever gets reversed, then eventually I will find myself instead submitting God’s word to my own desires…and that can only lead to disaster.
Today, I choose to seek first the Kingdom of God instead of my own opportunities for personal advancement.
Prayer
God, I want you to be pleased with me! Whether I serve in obscurity or visibility, may your kingdom and your desires be my highest goal!
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You can also read past devotions on our website, by visiting https://www.newhopelegacy.com/soap/

Seeking Counsel

  • March 21, 2024
The voice of the Holy Spirit is available to guide me. I must choose daily to seek counsel from the Counselor so that I can walk with confidence through the things that are unknown to me.
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Scripture
Joshua 9:14-15
“So the men took some of the provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.”
Observation
The men of Israel considered, but they did not consult God. They pondered, but they did not pray.
Though divine wisdom was available to them, they instead navigated by their own understanding.
Application
Some situations don’t seem like a big deal, but they have far-reaching consequences. When I live life by my own understanding and knowledge, it’s like driving at high speed down a dark highway with only a single dim headlight to illuminate the road…I simply don’t have enough foresight about what lies ahead, to avoid disaster!
The Holy Spirit offers me wisdom and counsel about the road ahead, far in advance of my own limited understanding. Yet I must seek His voice and pay attention to His prompting in order to benefit from His presence.
This week, I choose to seek counsel from the Counselor so that I can walk with confidence through the things that are unknown to me.
Prayer
God, thank you for your voice and your holy wisdom! Help me to remember each day to seek your voice to lead and guide me rather than leaning on my own wisdom.
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You can also read past devotions on our website, by visiting https://www.newhopelegacy.com/soap/

Aware of the Presence

  • March 20, 2024
I want to notice immediately when something has gotten off track in my heart, and I have stepped outside of God’s blessing. I don’t want to keep on trying to do things on my own power, but instead take the time to get my heart right before God. I don’t want to go, without his blessing and power leading the way!
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Scripture
Joshua 7:4-5
“So about three thousand men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai, and the men of Ai killed about thirty six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water.”
Observation
Thirty six people out of three thousand doesn’t sound like a lot to be killed in battle–yet it was enough to shake the Israelites so badly that they turned and ran from the enemy. God had been giving them such amazing victories that even a loss of thirty six men was enough to show them that God had removed his hand and his power from them. They instantly stopped what they were doing, and turned to God instead of working harder and harder to achieve their goal on their own strength. Once they regained God’s favor, they moved forward in victory again.
Application
For all their faults, the Israelites showed great situational awareness in this story but noticing when God’s favor left them. I want to be like that! I want to notice immediately when something has gotten off track in my heart, and I have stepped outside of God’s blessing. I don’t want to keep on trying to do things on my own power, but instead take the time to get my heart right before God. I don’t want to go, without his blessing and power leading the way!
Prayer
God, thank you for your love which confronts me when I stray from you. Help me to remain sensitive to your presence and your anointing, so that I would quickly course-correct back to you instead of relying on my own strength!
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You can also read past devotions on our website, by visiting https://www.newhopelegacy.com/soap/
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