Today's Beginning

Psalm 35:3b, "Let me hear you say, 'I will give you victory!'" Wednesday... Please, please! Sometimes we need to pray prayers of desperation, don't we? Maybe that is the prayer we need to pray today so David in his Psalms is a great place in the Bible for us to go. At least, I've found that so. David writes this prayer in Psalm 35:3b. He says, "Let me hear you say, 'I will give you victory.'" Do we need to pray that prayer today? Do you need to hear God say that to you today? Now too many times our lives seem to be in other people's hands. We are striving to sell our house and a person came through the other day and didn't like it because we have a beltway right behind our house. So they walked away. Now it was great to have a person come and see it on the first day it was on the Internet but we were a little disappointed in their not choosing our house. And there are so many situations that are not under our control, and maybe that i...

Jeremiah 4:1b (NLT), "If you wanted to return to me, you could." Tuesday... Yes, we really do have the power to choose. And our choice does make a difference. The book of Jeremiah tells of the choices Israel and Judah make and of course of the consequences, and there are consequences both in good and bad wants and choices. Jeremiah reminds them in 4:1b (NLT) of what the LORD says, "If you wanted to return to me, you could." There is definite power both in good and bad in our wants. The LORD is faithful to tell us. Have you stopped and analyzed some of the outcomes of your wants that you chose to do? And it is so important for us to realize the power we have in our wants. Yes they could blame God for all that was going to happen to them but Jeremiah reminds them, "If you wanted to return to me, you could." The first part of verse 1 says, "'O Israel' says the LORD, 'If you wanted to return to me, you could.'" Now along with an if co...

Psalm 33:6 (NLT), "The LORD merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born." Monday... Let's stop, look and listen. The writer of Psalm 33 in verse 6 (NLT) says, "The LORD merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed and all the stars were born." I, know, I know he worked a miracle when he made you and me but, and this is so important, but we don't have what it takes to do it all. No matter what we are facing it is not all up to us. Oh we have great ability and it is amazing what we can do, and yes the LORD created us but stop and look at this. Now it really does help for us to believe that God created the heavens and the earth and that he created you and me. And then to realize that he merely spoke and the heavens were created and to me that really makes a difference in what I am facing today. Yes, we do have such potential but in no way can I merely speak and what I am facing is taken care of but Go...

Romans 12:12 (AMP), " constantly rejoicing in hope [because of our confidence in Christ], steadfast and patient in distress, devoted to prayer [continually seeking wisdom, guidance, and strength]." Friday... Yes, let's keep at it and see what happens. What a tremendous chapter Paul writes while in prison in Rome. Romans 12 is so filled with encouragement and direction. Here in verse 12 (AMP) he says, "constantly rejoicing in hope [because of our confidence in Christ], steadfast and patient in distress, devoted to prayer [continually seeking wisdom, guidance, and strength." Yes, Paul was living in a house but he had a Roman guard with him all the time making sure he wouldn't leave Rome. He had court dates on his calendar but in the middle of all he was going through he writes in verse 12 encouragement in what we need to do in our lives. He says what he was doing, He was "constantly rejoicing in hope." No matter what he was going through he constantl...

Romans 11:33 (NLT), "Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!" Thursday... Now this is so important to see. Yes, it is important for us to really see how great God is in his mercy and his grace. We really don't deserve what he has done and is doing for us and others. Paul in his writing to the gentiles in Rome says in Romans 11:33 (NLT), "Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!" Yes, God has given us his Word and he has given us his Holy Spirit to show us his riches and wisdom and teach each of us his knowledge and show us his decisions and his ways but we are still humans with ideas of our own. Now there is a lot of discussion about the Jews of our day. Paul in his writing in verses 28-32 says, "Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you...

Romans 10:17 (NLT), "So faith comes from hearing, that is hearing the Good News about Christ."  Wednesday... We are always looking for good news. And in this world of TV and the Internet it is really hard to find good news. It really is. But Paul writes in his letter to the Romans in 10:17 (NLT), "So faith comes from hearing, that is hearing the Good News about Christ." But even so much of what is being shared is not Good News. Now Pauls says in verse 11 (AMP), "For the Scripture says, 'WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM [whoever adheres to, trusts in and relies on Him] WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED [in his expectations.]" Yes that is Good News but so many have not heard that. In verse 2 (NLT) Paul says about the children of Israel and probably a lot of us, "I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal." So many have not heard the Good News. Verse 3 says, "For they don't understand God's way of making people right with hi...