Be the Church

We Will Not be Shaken

Read Psalm 15

Lord, I praise You that You hold me upright. I praise You that I am able to plant seeds of righteousness and hope.

I have been hurt badly in my life, Lord. But, I have hope in You. You said, "He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not" shall not be moved. I have always tried to continue in You in spite of the hurt.

I have not asked for repayment when others sought help from me (although I have praised You when that repayment came, right on time!). And, I would never hurt anyone intentionally.

I have done my best to live right and speak truth, even when it wasn't easy, and even when others hate me for it.

I ask You today, Lord, to be who You say You are; to be who You have ever been to me, and to continue to be my strength, my shield and my hiding place.

I can't imagine a day without You, Lord. I can't imagine life without You at all.

Thank You, Lord.

In Jesus's Holy Name I pray, Amen!

Psalm 15 Description: Psalm 15 begins with two related questions: LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? (v. 1). These are questions worthy of our consideration as Christian business professionals seeking to integrate our faith and our work. The psalmist answers the questions with the following description: He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken (vv. 2-5, NIV). Using this psalm as a basis, Southwest Baptist University''s College of Business and Computer Science is devoted to educating Psalm 15 professionals, who exemplify traits including integrity, service, respect, charity, faithfulness, truthfulness, humility, and perseverance. The devotions in this small volume draw readers'' attention to the need for believers to exemplify such character traits. Contributions from the SBU faculty and administration remind us of the necessity to approach life and work with a biblical worldview. This volume is an abbreviated version of another Resource Publications book, A Noble Calling: Devotions and Essays for Business Professionals, also available from Wipf and Stock Publishers (www.wipfandstock.com). Endorsements: Too often, Christians attempt to compartmentalize life and live in a dichotomous world. Psalm 15: Integrating Faith and Work presents a compilation of devotions challenging the reader to develop a Biblical worldview for all facets of life, including ministry and professional careers. The contributors clearly show that spirituality should not be divorced from professional life. This book is an excellent source for professionals who desire to integrate faith with all aspects of life. --C. Pat Taylor, President, Southwest Baptist University About the Contributor(s): David Wesley Whitlock serves as the Associate Provost, Dean of the College of Business and Computer Science, and Professor of Business at Southwest Baptist University. He holds BS and MBA degrees from Southeastern Oklahoma State University and a PhD from the University of Oklahoma. Other books by Whitlock include Opportunity: Introducing Free Enterprise and Business and A Noble Calling: Devotions and Essays for Business Professionals, which he coedited with Gordon Dutile. Both are available from www.wipfandstock.com. Gordon Dutile serves as the Provost and Professor of Biblical Studies at Southwest Baptist University. He holds a BS from Louisiana Technical University and MDiv and PhD degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dutile is also the coeditor, with David Whitlock, of A Noble Calling.

The Fool

Lord, I pray that those who question Your existence have their eyes opened to Your daily blessings and the miracles around them each day.

I don't want to be as the rich man in the synagogue who thanks You that I am not like them -- but I am no fool. But, I praise You that Your enemies will be brought low. And, I ask You to fill me with more of You, that I may share with those who don't seem to have enough of You.

Lord, I also praise You that when I fail, when I "tear up my witness" of You, that You are Gracious and Forgiving; that You understand that I am but a mere imperfect mortal human being who still has lessons to learn.

Teach me, O Lord, that I may know Your ways, and that I may not stray from the path that You have set me on.

In Jesus's Holy Name I pray, Amen

Your Love Defends Me

Read Psalm Chapter 11

Lord, I thank You and praise You that you are my hiding place. You make my way before me safe. You ensnare those who would harm me in their own traps. You protect me with Your wisdom and You reward me with Your grace.

I ask You to continue to teach me Your ways, Lord. I ask You to let me know You by the works You call me to do each day. I ask You to help me have more faith, more desire, more longing, and more appetite for you.

I ask that You show Yourself to those who don't know You as You have shown Yourself to me.

Thank you for the many blessings that You have given me. And, thank You for your son, Jesus.

In Jesus's Holy Name, Amen

Psalm 10: Why Does God allow Evil to Thrive?

Lord, I don't know why You allow evil to exist in the world. I don't know why bad things happen to good people. I don't know why the innocent suffer. But, I know You are God. I know You have a plan. I know the evil men of this world will not get by with it forever.

I trust You, and I praise You, that your mercy allowed me the chance to be redeemed through Your son. I pray for all those who walk the dark road to come to the light. I pray that You can use ME to show someone the light.

I thank you for your forgiveness, and I pray that You can be my strength to forgive for Your glory when the opportunity arrives.

In Jesus's Holy Name I pray,
Amen



Psalms
Chapter 10
1 Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?

2 The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.

3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.

4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

5 His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.

6 He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.

7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.

8 He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.

9 He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.

10 He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.

11 He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.

12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.

13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.

14 Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.

15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.

16 The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.

17 LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

All Things Under My Feet

Lord, this passage says that You have made me a little lower than the angels and crowned me with Glory and Honor.

It also says that You have placed all things under my feet.

Lord, help me to take what You have given me so I may give it back to you tenfold, for YOUR glory.

Thank You for all Your blessings on me. No matter how I feel or what I am going through, YOU are my courage and my reason to remain persistent and determined.

In Jesus' Holy Name, Amen.

Psalms Chapter 8

1 (To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David.) O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;

8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

9 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

I Am Called

Every day I hear people say that they feel that they are "called" to do this or that. When I get a new job, someone always says, "Maybe this is your calling." I am guilty of saying, "I feel I am called to do this..."

Today, listening to Christian talk radio, I heard God speak to me, as He so often does when I am focusing on Him and His Word. He told me, "You are called to do one thing in life. One thing. That ONE thing is to glorify ME."

So, in anything I do from now on, I will ask myself, "Is what I am doing glorifying God?"

The truth is, no matter where I am, or what I am doing at any given moment, I am there by the Grace of God. I am there for a reason: to glorify HIM. So, if I am working in a burger joint, I must make sure that what I am doing is glorifying God at that moment.

For instance, if I am cooking on the grill, and my co-worker looks bothered by something personal, I should try to find out if it is anything I can help him or her with. I should offer words from God that edify and encourage him or her. I should offer my time to help him (serve) to solve his or her problem. And, when they thank me later, I can tell them to thank Jesus, because HE is the reason I did it.

In this way, my mission is where ever God places me at any given moment.

What I do to Glorify God tells the world who I am:

I am a princess of the King of the Universe.

I am a warrior for Christ.

I am a child of the Living God.

I am who God has called me to be.

Who are you?