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From Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

August 2
The Mountaintop

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalm 81:8-16 | 2 Chronicles 32:1 – 33:13 | Romans 15:23 – 16:7 | Proverbs 20:16-18

Today’s Scripture Focus: 2 Chronicles 32:1 – 33:13

“In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.” (2 Chronicles 31:21 NIV)

The crisp, cool air blows through your hair as you as gaze upon the majestic beauty of other mountain peaks. You are above them all. You are on the mountaintop. It’s an exhilarating place to be, a dangerous place. It was quite an adventure to get there and even more difficult to stay there.

Hezekiah found the way to the mountaintop. “In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience…

August 1
Blessing Instead of Bleeping

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalm 81:1-17 | 2 Chronicles 30:1 – 31:21 | Romans 15:1-22 | Proverbs 20:13-15

Today’s Scripture Focus: Romans 15

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NIV) 

There seems to be a whole lot of bleeping going on these days. You know that high-pitched bleep that somehow tries to cover over certain words—curses, mostly (but you don’t have to be a lip reader to know what is being covered over). In the movies or on cable, we get the full effect of the curse in all of it’s glory (or lack thereof). Of course, what should we expect from the mouths of a world that is living under the curse.

There’s a lot of cursing…

July 31
Thank God For Broccoli

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalms 80:8-19 | 2 Chronicles 29:1-36 | Romans 14:1-23 | Proverbs 20:12

Today’s Scripture Focus: Romans 14:1-23

“If you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib, if you’re a vegetarian, eat vegetables and thank God for broccoli.” (Romans 14:6 The Message)

I met a man in India whose first words after baptism were, “Does this mean I now have to eat beef?” The thought was utterly repulsive to him. Years of believing that eating beef was a sinful act—perhaps the most sinful act in his system of belief—meant that this young believer had a very sensitive conscience and many scruples when it came to his diet. It seems to me that this is exactly the kind of believer Paul has in mind in the text. If you were to invite him into…

From Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

July 30
Starting and Finishing Well

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalm 80:1-7 | 2 Chronicles 26:1 – 28:27 | Romans 13:1-14 | Proverbs 20:11

Today’s Scripture Focus: 2 Chronicles 26:1 – 28:27

Uzziah was off to a great start. Things were going extremely well, maybe too well. Then he crashed and had a hard time finishing the race. He had good intentions and a great start, but lost his way near the end of the race.

Uzziah, the King of Judah, started out young—he started out well. One of the keys to the race is finding the right advisors. He had a great one: Zechariah. “He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.”

Don’t underestimate the importance of spiritual advisors in your life, people…

From Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

July 29
Medium Rare or Well Done?

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalm 79:9-13 | 2 Chronicles 24:1 – 25:28 | Romans 12:1–21 | Proverbs 20:8-10

Today’s Scripture Focus: Romans 12:1-21

“Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:1-2a NIV)

Regardless of how you like your steak, we all want to hear the words, “well done” when we stand before Jesus some day. I guess that’s the way God likes his living sacrifices: well done. But if he were to check on his living sacrifice today, where would you be in the process? Medium-rare? Medium-well?

I believe Paul gives us some indications…

From Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

July 28
I Stand In Awe

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalm 79: 1-8 | 2 Chronicles 21:1 – 23:21 | Romans 11:13-36 | Proverbs 20:7

Today’s Scripture Focus: Romans 11:13-36

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God That God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36 NIV)

Some truths set my mind on a major “spin cycle”—my mind spins and spins and spins and just can’t quite grasp the complexity of the truths. The trinity is like that. The incarnation—Christ coming as God in human flesh—is another such truth. Thinking…

From Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

July 27
What To Do When You Don’t Know What To Do

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalm 78:65-72 | 2 Chronicles 19:1 – 20:37 | Romans 10:14 – 11:12 | Proverbs 20:4-6

Today’s Scripture Focus: 2 Chronicles 19:1 – 20:37

“O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.” (2 Corinthians 20:12 NIV)

Jehoshaphat’s words could often be our own: “We don’t know what to do, we’re looking to you” (The Message, 20:12). Facing a battle that seemed too big to overcome, he was tempted to discouragement and fear. Instead he admitted his confusion—his weakness—and looked to the Lord for help.

So, what should we do, when we don’t know what to do? Jehoshaphat’s example is a…

From Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

July 26
The Agony and the Ecstasy

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalm 78:56-64 | 2 Chronicles 17:1 – 18:34 | Romans 9:22 – 10:13 | Proverbs 20:2-3

Today’s Scripture Focus: Romans 9:22-10:13

“Brothers my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.” (Romans 10:1 NIV)

Do you know the agony and ecstasy of being an intercessor? Paul did. He clearly understood that intercession was at the heart of the work God had called him to. Yes, it was often a struggle to “pray through” as he stood in the gap for those he ministered to. He knew the agony of intercession—but he also knew its joys. Paul knew that intercession (praying faithfully and intensely for others) was essential to ministry—he couldn’t do ministry in his own strength and power. He had a prayer burden: “my heart’s…

July 25
Time After Time

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalm 78:32-55 | 2 Chronicles 14:1 – 16:14 | Romans 9:1-21 | Proverbs 20:1

Today’s Scripture Focus: Psalm 78:32-55

They tested God again and again and provoked the Holy One of Israel. [42] They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe. (Psalm 78:41-42 ESV)

How quickly we forget. The children of Israel had plenty of opportunities to learn. Time after time, they saw the faithfulness of God – his miraculous intervention. Time after time, they drifted from wholehearted devotion and proved rebellious and unfaithful.

They had seen so many miracles, yet “in spite of all this, they kept on sinning. In spite of all the wonders, they did not believe.” It all started out in simple things. They longed for the way things used to be (Egypt). They grumbled and complained at his provision…

From Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

July 24
Nothing Can Separate Us From His Love!

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalm 78:17-31 | 2 Chronicles 11:1 – 13:22 | Romans 8:22-39 | Proverbs 19:27-29

Today’s Scripture Focus: Romans 8:22-39

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? [37] No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. [38] For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, [39] neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39 NIV)

Nothing can separate you from Christ’s love! Nothing! Absolutely nothing. Despite the things you do, he…