"Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure..." -- Psalm 16:5-9

When you are trying to pray and don't know what to say, just open the Psalms and read out loud.  Make the words your words and the prayers your prayers.  In this psalm, we have a prayer of gratitude for God's provision.  As you live your life, do you find yourself counting your blessings and thanking God for what you have, or are you just always wanting more?  Do you view life from a place of abundance or from a place of scarcity?  If you tend to take a more negative view, look around and find something each day to give thanks for. 

Readings:   2 Chronicles 1:1-3:17; Romans 6:1-23; Psalm 16:1-11; Proverbs 19:20-21

"David also said to Solomon his son, 'Be stong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you..." -- 1 Chronicles 28:20

What a blessing for Solomon, the son, to hear from David, his father, these words of encouragement.  David was at the end of his life, and had lived for God in the best way he knew.  Now, it was time to pass the torch and let his son serve as best he knew.  But he assured him of this: God would not fail or forsake him.  When you live faithfully, knowing that what you are doing is for God and by God's design, you too can live with the knowledge that God will not fail or forsake you.  And with that knowledge, you can proceed to live your life with peace of mind and with a spirit of trust that can carry you through adversity.  Remember, when you live in God, you can never ever be alone.  Do you know this? 

Readings:  1 Chronicles 28:1-29:30; Romans 5:6-21; Psalm 15:1-5; Proverbs 19:18-19

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand." -- Romans 5:1-2

Justified through faith... these are the words that Paul uses to try to explain to those who are righteous by the measure of cutural custom, but who have no personal relationship with God through Christ, where true redemption lies.  We also say "justified by grace through faith"... that is, even the work of faith does not justify us-- save us-- redeem us-- whatever term you wish to use... but it's only by the grace of God that we can know salvation.  Even working as hard as you can doesn't get you any closer to redemption.  It's found in the being... in the relationship... it's not as hard as you think.  Remember the key to any strong relationship is communication.  Begin by communicating with God what's on your heart-- even if that's doubt.  Share yourself with him.  Be yourself and be honest.  And just believe.  Through faith, you will find life.

Readings:  1 Chronicles 26:12-27:34; Romans 4:13-5:5; Psalm 14:1-7; Proverbs 19:17

"He who obeys instructions guards his life, but he who is contemptuous of his ways will die." -- Proverbs 19:16

There is no denying that Jesus was a messenger of love and grace.  And there is no denying that the gospel of Jesus turned the established religion upside down.  His message was one of faith over works.  It was one that turned away from the hyperlegalism of the day to a more humble and forgiving form of faith.  And I do not deny that the heart of the gospel is found in freedom from religious law.  However, that does not mean that laws, rules, and guidelines are unnecessary.  On the contrary-- we need them.  Rules inform us on how to behave with one another.  Laws provide a means of protection and defense.  To be a Christian free from the law does not give license to live a lawless life.  Instead, it means that there is a higher law-- God's law of love-- which should be the plumb bob-- the guide-- for all other laws.  It is the law that supercedes and provides a model for what laws should be constructed.  If say, there is a law against touching one's lips to another (perhaps in some cultures?), but one needs CPR, do you obey and deny it?  No.  God's law of love dictates that you save the life.  Jesus himself said he wasn't abolishing the law, but fulfilling it.

Readings:  1 Chronicles 24:1-26:11; Romans 4:1-12; Psalm 13:1-6; Proverbs 19:15-16

"But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."-- Romans 3:21-24

To a 21st century person, these words are confusing.  Who is Paul talking about when he uses terms like "Jews" and "Gentiles"?  Who was he talking to?  Paul was a powerful figure in his day.  He was a practicing Jew and a Roman citizen.  He was a scholar and a respected authority on the law.  And from his faith upbringing, he was taught that Israel were the people of God.  They were God's people, and in their mind, God belonged to them as well.  But Paul is setting the record straight, and telling his own people that they do not have exclusive claim to the Almighty.  He tells them that all people (Gentiles were non-Jews) belong to God, and that through Christ, all can know life and salvation in him.  This was hard to swallow for those who felt as though they belonged to the ultimate club.  They were insiders who had to share the prize they held on to so dearly.  But how can any lay claim to God over another?  It sounds silly in our day, doesn't it?  Or does it?  Have you recently heard anyone speaking condescendingly to others "by the authority of God" or "in the name of Jesus Christ"?  There are still plenty around who have no problem using the Lord's name in vain for their own agenda and gain. 

Readings:  1 Chronicles 22:1-23:32; Romans 3:9-31; Psalm 12:1-8; Proverbs 19:13-14

"A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense." -- Proverbs 19:10

While Grace is the thread that is most seen in New Testament writings, it was neither absent nor foreign in the Old Testament.  In this proverb, we see that the writer understood the spirit of grace.  In our youth, we can think ourselves to be so "right", so "in the know", so judgmental of others, that we often take a hard line against others when they falter.  At times, we even go so far as to define a person by their failings.  But that is where the power of grace comes in.  When we are filled with God's love, we come to view people for who they are, recognizing their brokenness, their struggles, their needs... and we love them anyway.  If we live long enough, we find that life humbles us to the point where we ourselves realize our need for grace.  Be gentle with each other.  Share the love and grace of Christ with as many as you can.

Readings:  1 Chronicles 19:1-21:30; Romans 2:25-3:8; Psalm 11:1-7; Proverbs 19:10-12

"You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things." -- Romans 2:1

Paul calls us out here.  For who among us are sinless?  Who among us have not fallen?  Who among us stands in a place to judge?  Our faith is not a judmental one.  In John, Jesus himself says that he did not come to condemn the world, but to save it.  So stop judging all you judgers... remove the log from your own eye before you worry about the speck in your brother's.  Uh oh... I think I'm realizing that I'm judging the judgers... what do I do now?

Readings:  1 Chronicles 16:37-18:17; Romans 2:1-24; Psalm 10:16-18; Proverbs 19:8-9