Today's Beginning

Psalm 18:2 (NLT), "The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I feel protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me." Wednesday... They really can be tough to move. I don't know if you watched many of those old westerns on TV. I loved them. We now live in Nevada but we go across the desert to get to Los Angeles. Now as you head down the Pass to LA you will see road 395. If you take that road north you will see so many big boulders. If you head up to the town of Lone Pines you will see where they filmed a lot of those old Westerns. There are boulders all over the place. Those cowboys were filmed all over them. We also lived in Colorado looking up at the Rocky Mountains. Yes, those boulders are tough to move and they can be a great place to hide from your troubles. Now David was being pursued by King Saul who wanted to kill him and during that time he wrote Psalm 18. Here is what verse 2 says, "The LORD is my rock, my fortress, a...

Proverbs 17:27 (AMP), "He who has knowledge restrains and is careful with his words, and a man of understanding and wisdom has a cool spirit (self-control, and even temper)." Tuesday... Our reactions can be different at different periods of our life. Now Proverbs 17:27 (AMP) says, "He who has knowledge restrains and is careful with his words, and a man of understanding and wisdom has a cool spirit (self-control, and even temper)." One things about being 78 going on 79 is to be able to see life through experience and hopefully with wisdom and knowledge. That of course can come from a life with Christ and spending time in His Word. But time doesn't always make a difference in a positive way. Verse 28 says (NLT), "Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent." I love that. But at different periods of life we have different needs and responses. Now I am fighting through this time of my life with rememberi...

Psalm 16:8-9 (NLT), "I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety." Monday... We can be so needy and not know it. I mean, we wake us this morning and face this new day with confidence because we know that God is with us. Psalm 16:8-9 (NLT) says, "I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety." Yes that is accepting that we are needy and we know that we have someone with us who can handle anything we need. And that is a great way to live. But there are sometimes that we really don't know that we are needy and that we really do need someone else. Now I sometimes have trouble with this. My personal confidence can be too high so I don't realize that I do need help when someone offers it. Proverbs 16:18 (MSG) says, "First pride, then the crash - the b...

Psalm 13:3 (NLT), "Turn and answer me, O LORD my God! Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die." Friday... So this is that day. I so many times respond to people and they come back at me with a, "Are you serious?" and I come back with a "You must see the twinkle in my eye." I strive to spend my days with a twinkle in my eyes. But sometimes for me and for so many people they don't live with that twinkle. Outside situations can take that twinkle from you. Yes, this can be one of those days. This is Friday the 13th. Now David writes in Psalm 13:3 (NLT), "Turn and answer me, O LORD my God! Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die." Yes there are times in our life when that needs to be our prayer, for God to restore the sparkle to our eyes. Yes, there are many who face today with some fear and anxiety in their eyes. Today is Friday the 13th and they know something bad is going to happen and that is why Psalm 13:3 is a great verse for tod...

Proverbs 12:25 (NLT), "Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up." Thursday... This really can weigh us down. Worry really can but an encouraging word does really cheer us up. Solomon writes in Proverbs 12:25 (NLT), "Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up." So what are we worried about today? Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount spent some time on this subject of worry. He knows us and he has a better way to handle the difficulties that we can face every day. In Matthew 6:27 Jesus asks, "Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?" Can they? I know that we too many times have tried by worrying but did it work? Verse 27 (NIRV) says, "Can you add one hour to your life by worrying?" Of course not! It is definitely a waste of time. Isn't it? And here is the encouraging word. Verse 31 (AMP) says, "Therefore do not worry or be anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted) saying, 'What...

Psalm 11:1 (AMP), "In the LORD I take refuge [and put my trust]; How can you say to me, 'Flee like a bird to your mountain." Wednesday... There is so much advice out there and it does make sense. Now King David writes in Psalm 11:1 (AMP), "In the LORD I take refuge [and put my trust]; How can you say to me, 'Flee like a bird to your mountain." If we haven't settled the first part then the second part of this verse can make sense. Yes, running away from my problem can make sense. I mean if someone is going after me then running to the mountains does make sense. But David doesn't stop there. In verses 2-3 he goes on and says, "For look, the wicked are bending the bow; they take aim with their arrow on the string to shoot [by stealth] in darkness at the upright in heart. 'If the foundations [of a godly society] are destroyed, what can the righteous do?'" And that makes sense to the nonbeliever. They don't live from the perspective ...