Today's Beginning

Psalm 3:3 (NLT), "But you O LORD, are a shield around me; you are the glory, the one that holds my head high." Friday... I love its honesty. David writes in Psalm 3:3 (NLT), "But you O LORD, are a shield around me; you are the glory, the one that holds my head high." But that is not where he starts. Verses 1 & 2 says, "O LORD, I have so many enemies; So many are saying, 'God will not rescue him.'" Now, so many end there, they won't go on and they agree with what others say, "'God will not rescue him." Maybe that is where you are today. But not David and not Paul in the New Testament of the Bible. Yes, they understand that life can and will be tough but they are not alone. Paul in Acts 20:23 (NIRV) says, "Now I am going to Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit compels me. I don't know what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Spirit warns me. He tells me that I will face prison and suffering." There is...

Acts 19:21 (NLT), "Afterwards Paul felt compelled by the Spirit to go over to Macedonia and Achaia before going to Jerusalem. 'And after that,' he said, 'I must go to Rome!'" Thursday... But I must go to Rome. Have you ever felt that you needed to do something? You were driven to do it! Acts 19:21 (NLT) says, "Afterwards Paul felt compelled by the Spirit to go over to Macedonia and Achaia before going to Jerusalem. 'And after that,' he said, 'I must go to Rome!'" There are so many benefits with having a relationship with God. He has a plan and purpose for our life and we can and must be opened to it. Somewhere in all of Paul's journeys he felt that he needed to go to Rome. At some point in his life he felt that he was going there. And it made so much sence. He had gone to Athens and it made sense that if he was going to reach the Gentiles then he needed to go to Rome but not just yet. Now he had spent some time in the town of Ephe...

Psalm 1:1a (NIRV), "Blessed is the person who obeys the law of the LORD." Wednesday... Yes, there are blessings. And yes, there are dos and don'ts that brings about those blessings. Now the Amplified Bible amplifies what blessed means. It says, "Blessed [fortunate, prosperous and favored by God]" and that is a tremendous reward if we follow the dos and don'ts. The New International Version says verse 1 this way. It says, "Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but." And that word is so important. It shows the other side, it shows where the blessings come from, the dos. Verse 2 says, "but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night." Yes, they delight and meditate and they are blessed. Now, we can get so involved in and focused on the dos and don'ts that we miss the blessing. The New Living Translation s...

Psalm 150:6 (AMP), "Let everything that has breath and every brerath of life praise the LORD! Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah)" Tuesday... It is a great way to really express how we feel. And it really does make a difference in lifting up how we feel and it is also a great way to acknowledge who He is. The last verse of the 150 Psalms says this, Psalm 150:6 (AMP) says, "Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the LORD! Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah)" In these 6 verses in the Amplified Version of this Psalm the writer says, "Praise" thirteen times. Yes, praise really does make a difference in lifting up how we feel but there is more to it than our emotions. Praise lifts our focus from our feelings to God and to what He is like and what He has done and what He can do and we really do need a change in focus. So what is it? Well, Biblical praise is an act of expressing admiration, honor, and worship to God for who He is and what He has done....

Psalm 149:4 (NLT) says, "For the LORD delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them." Monday... We really do need to understand and know this. Psalm 149:4 (NLT) says, "For the LORD delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them." Yes we really do need to understand and know this. I love it. "For the LORD delights in his people;" The Amplified Bible says, "For the LORD takes pleasure in His people." We want so much to please God. "For the LORD delights in his people;" I then moved over to Isaiah 59 and in verse 1 (NLT) the prophet Isaiah writes, "Listen! The LORD's arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too dull to hear you call." And that is great to know. But he goes on in verse 2 to say, "It's your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not li...

Psalm 146:6b (NIRV), "He remains faithful forever." Friday... It can be easy or difficult. It all depends upon what is happening now. It really does. Let's say you are in a very difficult situation. Things are just not going the way you want and then the answer comes and you can relax. Now it is easier to believe Psalm 146:6b (MSG), "He remains faithful forever." after, than it is before but it is so important to believe it before and then be thankful after. Yes it is so important to spend time reading God's Word and definitely being thankful for what He does in our lives because it reinforces our faith in those difficult times. Verses 5-6 says, "Blessed are those who depend on the God of Jacob for help. Blessed are those who put their hope in the LORD their God. He is the Maker of heaven and earth and the ocean. He made everything in them. He remains faithful forever." "Blessed are those who depend on the God of Jacob for help." "Bl...