Today's Beginning

Psalm 81:13-14 (MSG), "If only My people would listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways, how soon I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes." There can be those times. So many times we have those times of desperation when if we would turn to God then something could happen. But in those times when we do come to God we must also really listen to Him. Psalm 81:13 (MSG) says, "If only My people would listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways, how soon I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes." Yes, the listen part is very important when in those times of desperation we do come to God. Verse 7 says, "You called out in distress, and I rescued you; I answered you from a cloud of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah." Now there is a story here. In Numbers 20:2-3a it says, "Now there was no water for the congregation, so they gathered against Moses and Aaron. The people quarrelled with Moses....

Galatians 2:21 (NLT), "I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die." Friday... There is definitely a difference in the two. But we needed both. When in Genesis our two representatives headed in a different direction than God's plan so he then set out to get us back on his plan. In the Old Testament there was no Jesus on earth as a human but it all was laid out to bring God's Son into the world to get us back on track. But a lot had to happen before he came. It is said that the Old Testament is His story so we do need it but it has a different purpose than the New Testament. It was built upon laws and obeying them and their were major consequences in disobeying those laws. I read today Psalm 78 and Jeremiah 48 in the OT. Yes there were consequences. But I read also Galatians 2 in the NT and Paul showed the difference that Christ's death and Resurrection made. The Jews ...

Psalms 77:19 (NLT), "Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters - a pathway no one knew was there!" Thursday... We just don't always know. We think we do but we really don't but we can stop and remember by looking back. Psalms 77:19 (NLT) says, "Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters - a pathway no one knew was there!'" We just don't know it all. So what is it you are facing and you have no idea what to do? The writer of Psalms 77 in verses 1-3 said, "I cry out to God; yes I shout. Oh, that God would listen to me! When I was in deep trouble, I searched for the Lord. All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven, but my soul was not comforted. I think of God and moan." Verses 9 says, "Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he slammed the door on his compassion." It can be so easy to blame God. Verse 10, "And I said, 'This is my fate; the Most High has turn...

2 Corinthians 13:11 (NLT), "I close this letter with these words: Be joyful, Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you." Wednesday... Let's encourage each other. Paul had some problems with one of the churches he had planted so he sent them two letters to deal with the problem. It is so difficult to correct someone you love but you know you have to and Paul was having a problem doing it. Now Jeremiah, a prophet in the Old Testament wrote down what God told him to say to His people who were totally disobedient to God. It was very tough stuff. God eventually had a nation attack them and destroy their city and then take those who had not been killed but left a few and they too did not follow God's commands. They left were God told them to stay. Now this shows what kind of God we serve. In Jeremiah 46:28 it says, "'Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant, for I am with you,' says the LORD. ...

Psalm 75:1 (NLT), "We thank you, O God! We give thanks because you are near. People everywhere tell of your wonderful deeds." Tuesday... We each seem to need to do it. Yes, we seem to want or need to boast but God has some problems with it. In Psalm 75:4 (MSG) God says here, "I said to the arrogant, 'Do not boast.'" So what do we do? Verse 1 says (NLT), "We thank you, O God! We give thanks because you are near. People everywhere tell of your wonderful deeds." But I did it. But are you sure? Paul over in his second letter to the Corinthians in chapters 11 & 12 tells of all the different things that he went through and did. In 12:1 he says, "This boasting will do no good, but I must go on. I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord" and especially one unbelievable one but in verse 5 he says, "That experience is worth boasting about, but I'm not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses....

Psalm 74:12 (NLT), "You, O God, are my king from ages past, bringing salvation to the earth." Monday... So, who is it we really are reminding? Now Asaph in writing Psalm 74 seems to be reminding God. But is that really the one he needs to be reminding? In our situations in our lives where things are not going the way we want we use whatever methods we can to have hope. Maybe that is where a lot of us are today and we need some reminders and that is why I spend time in the Bible every morning. I need to be reminded and reinforced in my faith. Now Asaph starts this Psalm out by saying in verse 1a (NLT), "O God, why have you rejected us so long?" Could that be a question that a lot of us have at the beginning of this day? I love the honesty of the Bible. Maybe some of you are saying that and this is a great place to come. Here is a reminder. Verse 12 says, "You, O God, are my king from ages past, bringing salvation to the earth." Verses 16-17 says, "Both...