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Arise and Abide

Author: Curtis Perea

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A daily Devotional Podcast where married couple Curtis and Sally Perea read a portion of scripture then discuss what stood out to them, and apply it to their day to day growth.
1056 Episodes
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The Reign of King Asa

The Reign of King Asa

2024-03-2713:42

Reading 1 Kings 15:9-31. In this reading, we see a picture of two kings, one of Judah, one of Israel. Nadab who had a short-lived reign or reign of only two years compared to Asa who had a reign of 41 years. Nadab did what was evil in the Lord's sight and followed the example of his father. King Asa made a choice to follow after God. They thought they had come up with the solution they need, but nothing has changed. These idols are manmade things that are elevated instead of God. It's about humbling ourselves and lifting up God. 2 Chronicles, chapter 16, in verse 12, “In the 39th year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease. Yet even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the Lord's help but turned only to his physicians.” So, despite this long reign, a long life, in the end he's distracted, his eyes are taken off the Lord. He goes to the king of Aram for protection. He goes to doctors and physicians for healing when he should have been going to God. Without God's Holy Spirit to bring God's own word and truth back to remembrance, we are stuck in the same pattern. God is good. It's lowering these things that we make ourselves and elevating God, letting him bring us up, giving all of our cares and worries to him because he cares about us.
They Will Learn

They Will Learn

2024-03-2409:43

Reading Psalms 83. Written around the time of the exile in the tension of war and hardship. Wanting God to destroy God’s own enemies while making themselves an enemy of God. The tension of needing the Savior to come. The call for the nation of God to realize they serve God alone. Israel was called to represent God, now disciples are called. The need for believers to remain in the Lord in the face of difficult situations, circumstances, or in the face of difficult people. To set yourself up for success in these trials, enter them from a place of remaining in Christ. Increase your intentional time of prayer and devotion. Gain life from the Word of God just as God spoke life into existence. God is supreme over all the earth. When facing difficult people take encouragement in knowing they are acting out of a dark place in their heart from which they need to be set free, and that they too will learn the goodness of God. The memory of God will not be wiped out.  
Know the Lord

Know the Lord

2024-03-2012:34

Reading 1 Kings 15:1-8 and 2 Chronicles 13. During a Abijam's rule and the story that we read in chronicles, I see this example of how despite Abijah not being faithful, God remains faithful. Abijah was not faithful, he recognizes the promise that God had made to David. More importantly, he recognizes the difference between a living God and the man-made gods that Jeroboam had made for himself. It's in a moment of distress that Abijah starts to declare the goodness of God and the difference between Judah and Israel. There’s a big difference between knowing the Lord and knowing about the Lord. But God, is faithful to his promise no matter what. Sometimes people can see God's faithfulness in their life and then perhaps think that they're all good that they don't need to change their life at all because God's faithfulness is being experienced. But the reality is God's faithfulness should be drawing us to know God more. God's plan and promise to continue to use the descendants of David to shine like a lamp. Pointing to Jesus who is going to be the ultimate light that comes into the world to shine and represent the goodness of God and the faithfulness of God and be the king that sits on the throne forever.
I Say You Are Gods

I Say You Are Gods

2024-03-1707:08

Reading Psalms 82. God sitting in judgment, calling out what's going wrong. How the people in power are judging unjustly favoring the wicked. God understands our human condition that we have neither knowledge nor understanding and walk in darkness. Jesus quotes this psalm in John 10:34 confronting the Jewish leaders who were corrupt and oppressing the people of Israel. Humans have taken this role of leadership and forgot what their true role is, is to shepherd and care and tend to the needs to feed the sheep. Our opinion is our opinion because we believe it to be right. Because we believe our opinion is right, we often take that seat of judgment. Mark 1:15. “The kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe.” We need to change our mind that we have it all figured out and we need to submit it all to God and ask Him for the wisdom. Ask Him for the understanding. Ask Him for the proper judgment so that we can be free of that burden as well as that consequence of being the judge.
Reading 1 Kings 14:1-31. Jeroboam recognizes that he has separated himself from God, that he's turned his back on God. He can't approach Ahijah who’s the very one who gave him the prophecy that God was going to bless him and make him king. Jeroboam was right in recognizing that his sin had separated him from the right to approach God. And it points to our need for Jesus to give us that right, to approach God, to cleanse us and make us holy before God. Twice in the book of Judges in chapter 17:6 and in 21:12, it said, “In those days, Israel had no king, all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.” And I see that continuing in Jeroboam's life and in Rehoboam’s life. 2 Chronicles chapter 12 verse 8, really stood out to me, “so that they will know the difference between serving me and serving earthly rulers.” God showing his people. Ok. These are the choices you made. So, experience life with an earthly king versus a heavenly king. Matthew 18:6, “If you cause any one of these little ones who trust me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.” When we have that divided loyalty, when we're not following after God, our life is lived as a bad example. The cost of being the disciple is the ultimate surrender of our perceived right, to be the king of our own life, to go where we want to go, to do whatever seems right in our own eyes. Ezekiel 34:23 says, “and I will set over them one shepherd, my servant David and he will feed them and be a shepherd to them. And I the Lord will be their God and my servant David will bring peace among my people. I the Lord have spoken.” God's heart is that somebody feed the sheep to care for them to nurture them. God's heart is that somebody feed the sheep to care for them to nurture them.
Reading Psalms 81. A picture of how things are supposed to be. A call to celebrate the Lord, to listen to, to focus on God, to live in that good life in that abundant life that God has for us as we press into God and turn from all the worthless things in life. Remembering that God is our strength. Verse six, “I heard an unknown voice say now I will take the load from your shoulders. I will set free your hands for their heavy tasks.” Like Jesus's words in Matthew chapter 11 verses 28 and 30 when he says, “Come to me, all who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest, take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear. And the burden I give you is light.” If you are just going after what you want and how you want it. You are rejecting God and how God says it should be. We need to remember that God is more empathetic than we ever could be. Jesus came for everyone, so God is pursuing each and every one of us. Let him finish the good work, He started.
Reading from 1Kings 12:25-13:34. Jeroboam didn't trust God's promise to Him. He's thinking to himself about the people going to Jerusalem to worship at the temple and how they will kill him, and Rehoboam will become the king. He tries to take control of the situation himself. The human tendency to try to hold on to it for ourselves instead of seeking after God. The picture of a king who's been given a great promise, who chooses not to seek after the one who's made the promise but tries to hold on to that promise in his own strength. And the prophet who isn't trying to hold on to anything really. He's just trying to obey the Lord. And what I see in both stories is how we need a savior. When his hand instantly became paralyzed, he knew that he needed God to fix that. What we need to do is learn to trust God. Learn to trust His word and learn to walk it out. Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding, seek His will in all you do. And he will show you which path to take.” Take it to God. 1 Corinthians 13:12. “Now we see things imperfectly like puzzling reflections in a mirror. But then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete. But then I will know everything completely just as God knows me completely.” When Paul wrote that he was saying that God's plan was being revealed to us in the gospel. It does require trust because we're not going to have that perfect clarity.
Shine Upon Us

Shine Upon Us

2024-03-0309:50

Psalms written during the time of the exile are a picture of what life is like apart from God and an example for us to follow in those moments when we feel like God is far. It doesn't change the situation, but when we are in a bad situation or circumstance, we need to redirect our perspective, off of how it feels like God is far, to the goodness of God. They're asking God to listen and look down, like the sun shines down. And that repeating line reminds me of the priestly blessing from Number 6:24 that says, “May the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” I see the story of the prodigal son in this Psalm and this anticipation of coming back to the father, potentially being rejected because he had left. And yet the father is just there like he's always been waiting for the son and ready to receive him. We can see everything that's happening, but we don't always understand why. In John 15:6 it says “Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers, such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.” And in Psalm 80 verse 16, it says “for we are chopped up and burned by our enemies. May they perish at the site of your frown.” So the psalmist is talking about Israel being a grapevine that now feels chopped up and burned. And if we look at that in the context of Jesus' teaching, it was because they were trying to live apart from the vine.
Today’s reading is 1Kings chapter 12 verse 1 through 24. God's plan prevails, God's true to his word, and what God says will come to pass. Both David's firstborn and Solomon's firstborn follow bad advice. Because of his lack of seeking God's wisdom or God's advice in this situation, he chooses the advice that he believes will make him appear strong. Rehoboam has forgotten that his true strength come from God and to have success as king, he needs to rely on God's strength. It's a good story to look on and reflect on. Are we willing to serve in the places that God puts us? Are we going to God for the advice? Are we relying on God's strength or are we trying to position ourselves in a way that we can gain confidence in our own strength? Neither Absalom nor Rehoboam went to God for any sort of counsel or direction. We should be seeking that advice and be listening to the Holy Spirit for that right answer. Not the right answer that sits best with me, but the right answer that when I hear it, I know that God was speaking it to me. Sometimes we read in scripture about people that are more concerned about pleasing people. So this speaks to the leadership situation where it's pointing out that this leader paid no attention to the people and he refused to listen to them. I need God's strength, wisdom and power in front of me and I need to follow in behind the Lord. Despite the whole story being such an example of Rehoboam not listening, not taking the advice he should. It concludes with him listening and the people of Judah and Benjamin listening and returning home, not continuing on fighting against the relatives.
O God of Our Salvation

O God of Our Salvation

2024-02-2509:58

This Psalm describes the situation after Jerusalem's fall to the Babylonian armies in 586 BC. This was the time of Zedekiah's rule as king 2 Chronicles chapter 36, reading from verse 12. In Psalm 79 we see that the Babylonian army had come showing no mercy to the Israelites. God had done so much for Isael and they turned their back on God. all people have this tendency to lose track to get distracted, to chase after something other than God's presence, God's will, and God's word. He knows this about us, but He loves us and He sent a savior for us. The tragedy of all of this is that the Israelites were there to represent God to give glory to God's name and for them to be a light to all the surrounding nations. But instead, they took on the darkness from the surrounding nations and began to scoff God themselves. When we're busy chasing after our own glory, thinking about our own name or legacy, we lose track of the purpose behind being the light for God's glory and surrendering our way to follow his way. If you genuinely love somebody, then you want them to be able to receive the fullness of your love and for them to receive that, I will need to speak their language. So why do people only want to show God love the way they want to love God when God has done so much for us? Call on God during the hard times but be at a place in your relationship with God where when those times come, God is close, and you are close to God's heart as well. God will respond. God does come to the rescue. He has in my life continuously and I know that He will in years as well.
The picture I see in this passage is how God continues to work and be faithful to his promises while letting the consequences of our human choices play out in our future or present circumstances. I see in the scripture how we're at a point in time where God's favor is conditional upon the people's obedience, especially the king. There's that truth, that there's things that we're going to experience that aren't our fault. But what I see in this is the situations when God allows us to be challenged or come against opposition to get our attention so that we might go to God. God's correction and discipline, He describes it himself here like a father would do for his son. And we see that playing out in Solomon's life just as God had promised. That image of the descendant of David shining like a lamp pointing to Jesus and also pointing to the role that the Israelites served during that time as a light to the rest of the world representing God. God gives peace. And as Jesus said, the peace he gives is not the peace, the world gives, he gives us peace of heart, of mind, of soul. When I feel the headaches of life coming at me, when things just aren't going the way I think they should, I can take comfort in the truth that God provides the peace and I can repent of the way I'm seeing it. I can change my perspective and look to God, I can enter his peace again. And so can you!
Open to Instructions

Open to Instructions

2024-02-1816:42

The opening, “O my people listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying for. I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past stories we have heard and known stories our ancestors handed down to us,” screams of Jesus inn Matthew 13:34&35. we're supposed to continually go to the word reminding ourselves so that we can teach it to our Children so that it will be ingrained in them. It will be their source for answers also because it is a relationship that God has with us and all people. This relationship with God is ongoing guidance and relationship. We can't put our children's faith into the Lord. The Lord is drawing them to himself and wants them to open their heart to him so that they can have an intimate relationship that God wants with all people. the story of the people of Israel isn't just a story so that we can be like, wow, they really messed up a lot. It's a story to see our own human nature and how we fail to put our trust in God. Because of our own failings and our choices, we're separated from God. Yet he always comes back, rescues us, and forgives us. God hears all, God sees all, and God is looking for me to look to him. John 16:33 where Jesus says to his disciples, “I have told you all this that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows but take heart because I have overcome the world.” there's this bit of hope left at the end of this Psalm and where we are positioned today day, seeing the fruit of that hope and the promise that came true in that Jesus has overcome the world.
Solomon’s Many Wives

Solomon’s Many Wives

2024-02-1416:15

Wisdom is not a cure for pride, and it does not cure our sin nature. Even though God gave him wisdom like nobody else would have, in his mind, he still had an ‘I can handle it' sort of attitude. What God said would happen became true and Solomon’s wives turned his heart away from God. Solomon either didn't listen or he didn't think it applied to him. Wisdom does not make you immune to temptation, even Jesus was tempted. The lies of the enemy are aimed at putting doubts into the minds of people, looking to make them question what God has said and follow their own judgements. God wants our whole heart. God saw that these things would turn his heart away from Him. And the heart of God is to have our full heart, our hearts turn to Him. We're called the love God and love people. Who God says is good for you and who God says is not good for you is something we should pay attention to. When we go after whatever we want without considering who God would pair us with, we're going to miss out on what God has for us because we're going to insist on what we want. And when we do that, we just set ourselves up for failure, we set ourselves up for a fall. 1 Corinthians 13:12. Our personal experience and our perspective on the world is so partial and incomplete. Psalm 37:4. Mark 12:29. God is good, He gives us warnings when He sees us going in a bad direction, and He is merciful, even in His anger.
Reading from Psalms 77. The picture of someone who is crying out to God. The change comes in the second part when the psalmist remembers the goodness and the greatness of God, despite their circumstance. I don't know anyone in their spiritual journey who hasn't had a moment where they felt like God was far where they felt like they were in a deep pit waiting to be rescued. I know that's been true in my life when I'm so focused on the things that are going wrong around me, my perception of how it should be is not the reality I'm experiencing, I will become obsessed almost by my perception of the injustice or whatever it is. What happened to the good old days? But when we're in that place, it's not that the good old days are long gone it’s that I need to change my perspective back to the goodness of God. God renews our minds and changes our thoughts. God’s Goodness and might are bigger than any problem or situation you may be in. God is literally at work in your life and my life, drawing us to himself, bringing all these things back to remembrance in our minds so that we have an opportunity to change our perspective from whatever it is we're caught up on, back to the goodness of God. John chapter 16 verse 33 Jesus continues to encourage his disciples; I have told you all this so that you will have peace in me here on earth. You will have many trials and sorrows but take heart because I have overcome the world. Romans 12:2 says, don't copy the behavior and customs of this world. But let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think, then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. When we change the way we think through the Spirit of God, then we can see His good and pleasing and perfect will for our lives.
The Queen of Sheba

The Queen of Sheba

2024-02-0719:23

This week’s passage in 1 Kings 10:1-29. Beginning with a summary of Chapter 9 to set the context before the scripture. This chapter, looking across Solomon's time as King, is showing when everything was really good. It paints this really extravagant, crazy picture. It leaves a little bit of an unsettled feeling in my heart because it just feels like too much. The main focus and point of this chapter is seeing the heart of God to bless his people, the answer to Solomon's prayer and the promise that He had for Solomon. The picture that was standing out to me (Curtis) in this scripture is: God is faithful to His word and He calls us to be faithful to Him. God is true to his word and despite our human failings, God is still faithful to His word and his promises. Solomon is in this position where there's this opportunity to forget that it was God who blessed Him with all of these things. The wisest thing to do is to know God's word and to put it in our hearts, just like we were reading in Deuteronomy, just keeping a copy of God's word close to us and keeping our hearts turned towards God from the low times to the high times. That's still so important. The importance of humility, the importance of dependence on God and surrendering our quote unquote right to excess. Though the failings are happening, God is still faithful to his promises and patient, so patient with us to get back into line, to come back into the fold, to follow the Lord his ways and his instructions. Our call is to humility and surrender. God wants a good, long life for people because He is so faithful and good.
This week’s passage is Psalms 76. This psalm is written following a victory over the enemies of Judah. Possibly written during the time of Isaiah 37:10 when the king of Assyria was threatening King Hezekiah. Hezekiah went to the LORD in his distress and the LORD delivered Judah. The truth still applies today as we can look and contrast the difference between the kings and powers of the earth and the true power and might of our living God. The victories God brings glorifies His name.  The Psalm gives encouragement, builds faith, and gives hope for all who are still waiting to see the victory. The testimony of others can be an encouragement to my soul. How we can see God’s character in the Psalmists words. God is glorious, God is feared, He rescues the oppressed and His boldest enemies are silenced. Verse 10, human defiance enhances God’s glory as God uses it as a weapon. When Jesus came, God used the Pharisees pride and defiance as a weapon against the enemy for victory over sin and death. Even when the enemy thinks he is winning by darkening the hearts of man with pride and defiance, God’s goodness and love can overpower the enemy through sacrifice. It is the goodness of God that breaks our pride. God knows the road we are on leads to destruction. He sees us in our mess and makes a way for us to be free from the road we are on that leads to destruction, He draws us to himself and rescues us. 
This week’s passage is 1 Kings 8:54-9:9. The favor God would give the people of Israel was conditional on their obedience to the Law of Moses. God’s response is not all roses and flowers, the expectation of obedience is the same. God already knew the failings that would come. God sees the people’s tendency to abandon the LORD unless they remember and turn their heart’s continually towards the LORD. Israel was to represent God to the rest of the world. God was please with the Temple because of the Heart attitude of the people who built it who wanted to honor God and glorify the name of the LORD. Jesus came to clarify the Law to the people so they would see God’s heart clearly because He is Love. Everything in the Old Testament is pointing to Jesus. God made a way for us, and His presence is always with us.
Reading Psalms 75. This Psalm paints the picture of the sovereignty of God. Everything worth starting is worth starting in a place of thanks and recognition of God’s presence. The contrast of people everywhere telling of God’s wonderful deeds and all He has done and giving praise, vs the picture of people raising their fists in defiance. You can spend your life praising or complaining. The psalmist is bothered by the defiance of the people. God will bring justice in God’s timing and God alone will judge, deciding who will rise and who will fall. Our job is to praise God and proclaim His wonderful deeds. The repeated theme throughout the bible of the cost of following the LORD and the call to go and make disciples. God’s ways and plans are so good and so different than the way humans use strength to force submission. The wicked often do not like to be corrected. We need to encourage each other and find encouragement in the word to continue despite the wicked’s negative reception to the truth of God.   
This week’s passage is 1 Kings 8:22-53. Solomon understands that God will not be contained by a building. The purpose of the temple was to honor the name of God and give the people a place to turn to and worship the LORD. Remember how big God is and His presence within you. Solomon asking God to always forgive the people when they turn to God with their whole hearts. Solomon identifies who God is, His character and attributes. You’ve witnessed what God can do; you can trust God. Solomon asks God to do all the things that are inline with God’s own character. Solomons prayer is a cry of dependence on God. All the wisdom God gave Solomon and his human nature still tried to over complicate the people ability to go to God, you do not have to turn towards Jerusalem to have God here you, see you, or rescue you. Solomon’s wisdom compared to David’s heart for God. Solomon’s prayer foreshadows all the ways in which Israel will inevitably mess up. Despite having all the wisdom, Solomon didn’t have the same heart as David. God really wants your whole heart. Because troubles and trials will come, we should be proactive in our faith praying continually and at intentional times. We are living in this world, but we have the opportunity every day to go out and follow Jesus, seeking His kingdom, and the promises and plan He has for us in the Kingdom of God.
Reading Psalms 74. The repeating theme of the Psalm where the author finds himself in a place where all is lost, needing saving, and reminding himself of all God’s goodness, faithfulness, power, and ability to rescue no matter the situation. The psalmist is calling God to remember as well as calling God to stand up for God’s own name. Jesus was always glorifying God and when God helps us, God glorifies God’s own name. The nation of Israel was supposed to represent God’s goodness and love and be a holy nation.   We can look solely at our situation and circumstance, or to turn to God. Even if all the places we’ve built to worship God get burnt down, God is bigger than the buildings and is still with you. The enemy and their attacks seem so small compared to all God has created and has charge over, God is sovereign.
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Comments (8)

Cindy Osborne

Name dropping. Appropriate. Thank you for these devotionals.

Jun 18th
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Cindy Osborne

The challenge is real and His mercies are new each day.

Feb 22nd
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Cindy Osborne

I'm unable to put into words how much comfort your devotionals are to me.

Aug 8th
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Cindy Osborne

This podcast, and Curtis' prayer, is God's gift to me...especially today.

May 6th
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Cindy Osborne

James...perfect

May 6th
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Cindy Osborne

Enjoying this devotional very much. The sweet and spontaneous way that you complement and reflect each other, while both reflecting the Father.

Jan 30th
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Cindy Osborne

OMGosh, I'm her mom! I must be. I've been praying God would grace me with a parking space since pregnant with my third 27 years ago!

Jan 28th
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Cindy Osborne

lovely. so beautiful. what I need to hear.

Jan 27th
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