Today's Beginning

Revelation 8:4 (NLT), "The smoke of the incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of God's people as an offering on the gold altar before the throne." Thursday... Our prayers really do make a difference. There are things we do in life that we hope makes a difference. Well, John from his vision of heaven and the end times says in Revelation 8:4 (NLT), "The smoke of the incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of God's people as an offering on the gold altar before the throne." Yes, our prayers will make it to the gold altar before the throne. Now we worry about the judgement part of the throne so this is a real encouragement. Our prayers as God's people will make it to the gold altar before the throne. Verse 3 in the Amplified Bible says, "Another angel came and stood at the altar. He had a golden censer and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints (God's people) on the golden altar in...

Proverbs 14:22 (NLT) says, "If you plan to do evil, you will be lost; if you plan to do good, you will receive unfailing love and faithfulness." Wednesday... Having the right plan is the place to start. It really is. Proverbs 14:22 (NLT) says, "If you plan to do evil, you will be lost; if you plan to do good, you will receive unfailing love and faithfulness." Yes, having the right plan is the place to start. Verse 22 in the Amplified Bible says, "Do they not go astray who devise evil and wander from the way of righteousness? But kindness and truth will be to those who devise good." Yes, there is an end result depending on our plan so that is the place to start. What do we want out of our life? Verse 2 says, "He who walks in uprightness [reverently] fears the Lord [and obeys and worships Him with profound respect]. but he who is devious in his ways despise Him." The NLT gets right to the point, "Those who follow the right path fear the LORD; ...

Proverbs 13:12 (NLT), "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life." Tuesday... Yes it is coming! What or who are we putting our hope into to give us victory? At the beginning of the NFL season there was a team that everyone said was going to be the great team for this football season. The Green Bay Packers fans were so excited, they had a lot of hope. We are now at the beginning of the playoffs and the Packers looked like they were going to continue their run but then came the fourth quarter and the Chicago Bears came back and won so the Packers fans' hope was gone and of course they were sick. My Pastor just came into the coffee shop and we talked about that game. He is a Bears' fan so he is excited. His hope is still alive. Now I am a major sports fan but after all these years I have learned to not put my hope into my teams winning. Oh I used to get sick and get in a bad mood when my team lost but I finally realized that I had no con...

Proverbs 12:15 (NLT), "Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others." Monday... So where do I go? Yes, where do you go when you need advice? Proverbs 12:15 (NLT) says, "Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others." The Amplified Bible says Proverbs 12:15 this way, "The way of the [arrogant] fool [who rejects God's wisdom] is right in his own eyes, but a wise and prudent man is he who listens to counsel." Now that is so easy for us all to do. We are smart, we have experience, we've made wise decisions before but it still is important to stop and seek out God's wisdom. There is a reason why God has given us the Bible, there is a reason why he has given us Godly people in our lives, why he has given us the Holy Spirit, and why he has given us as Christ-followers direct access to God through his son, Jesus. There is a reason why we cultivate a channel to God through prayer, reading the Bible, going to chur...

Proverbs 9:12 (NIRV), "If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you. If you make fun of others, you alone will suffer." Friday... If can be such an important word in our life. It is so easy to put people down, isn't it? We think that is the way to build us up, but is it? Proverbs 9:12 (NIRV) says, "If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you. If you make fun of others, you alone will suffer." And there are two ifs in there and it is so important for us to listen to them. Now the writer writes in verses 10-11 another if. It says, "If you want to become wise, you must begin by respecting the Lord. To know the Holy One is to gain understanding. Through wisdom, you will live a long time. Years will be added to your life." That is definitely a reward. The Amplified Bible says verses 10-12 this way, "The [reverent] fear of the LORD [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of wisdom [its start...

Proverbs 8:1-2 (NIRV), "Doesn't wisdom call out? Doesn't understanding raise her voice? At the highest point along the way, she takes her place where the paths meet." Thursday... So what do we do? Which path do we take? So what do you do? Is it all on you? I love the time that I spend each morning in my Bible. I have read a Psalm everyday for years and in a systematic way I read the Proverbs and then I read a chapter in the New Testament. Each one has its place in my walk through life. Now the Proverbs definitely has a place when making a decision and we are making some important decisions at a key time in our life. Today is January 8 so I read Proverbs 8 and it started this way. Verses 1-2 (NIRV) says, "Doesn't wisdom call out? Doesn't understanding raise her voice? At the highest point along the way, she takes her place where the paths meet." That "where the paths meet" is a great place for wisdom. The Amplified Bible says, "Does not...