Today's Beginning

Psalm 35:1 (NLT), "O LORD, oppose those who oppose me, fight those who fight against me." Thursday... Each day is different. Yesterday was a beautiful day. It really was but today the wind is blowing and the clouds are hiding our mountains. Yes, we can praise God on the beautiful days but we also need him when the wind is blowing and we can pray, "O LORD, oppose those who oppose me, fight those who fight against me." (Psalm 35:1 NLT). Now we can expect each day to be beautiful but the wind does blow in our lives. David's prayer continues in verse 2, "Put on your armor, and take up your shield. Prepare for battle, and come to my aid." And maybe that is the prayer we need to pray today. I love verse 3. It says, "Lift up your spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Let me hear you say, 'I will give you victory!'" There may be a battle in there but know this, listen to God when he says, "I will give you victory." The NIVR...

Psalm 34:1 (NLT), "I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak his praises." Wednesday... Let's keep at it. Well, it's a new day. We have never lived this day. Now how we face it at the beginning of our day goes a long way in how we will handle it. David said in Psalm 34:1 (NLT), "I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak his praises." There are four words that will make a difference in this day. The first three are, "at all times" and then "constantly." And that last one hit me this morning. It was definitely a word of encouragement. Of course at all times and constantly are saying the same thing. They are reinforcing each other. So how do we normally wake up most of the time? Rick Warren said that we wake up each morning with "Good Lord it's morning" or "Good Morning Lord." We do have choices in how we start each day. Yes, we have no choice in what we will face but we do have a...

Psalm 33:18 (AMP), "Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon those who fear Him [and worship Him with awe-inspiring reverence and obedience], on those who hope [confidently] in His compassion and lovingkindness." Tuesday... We can hope with confidence. Now hope is more than wishing. Wishing says, "That would be nice." Hope says, "I believe this can happen." I can say, "I hope the Dodgers win their 3rd World Series Championship in a row." If you don't know, the Dodgers are a Major League baseball team out of Los Angeles, California. I have been a Dodger's fan for almost 70 years. Now my hope is more on the wishing side, "That would be nice.". So I do wish, I do want. In my reading today I came across Psalm 33:18 (AMP) which says, "Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon those who fear Him [and worship Him with awe-inspiring reverence and obedience], on those who hope [confidently] in His compassion and lovingkindness." Hope and ...

Matthew 18:21-22 (AMP), "Then Peter came to Him and asked, 'Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered him, 'I say to you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven.'" Monday... It is so important to Him. Now I'm not sure if we realize how important forgiveness is to God. Well Matthew 18:21 (AMP) says, "Then Peter came to Him and asked, 'Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him." It's a number's thing and Peter is our hero. He asked for a number. He asks, "Up to seven times?" And that really seems reasonable, doesn't it? I mean, seven times is a lot of forgiveness. But not to Jesus. Verse 22 says, "Jesus answered him, 'I say to you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven." But that is way too much. That is unreasonable because of what they did to me. Now I left a phrase out at the end of ve...

Matthew 17:27a (NLT), "However, we do not want to offend them." Friday... It is so easy to live by our rights. Now Matthew 17 starts with Jesus taking Peter, James and John up this mountain. And while Peter was talking, verse 5 (NLT) says, "But as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them and a voice from the cloud said, 'This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great pleasure. Listen to him.'" Yes, it was God speaking to them and telling them who Jesus really was. Then go to the end of this chapter. Verse 24 says, "On their arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and asked him, 'Doesn't your teacher pay the Temple tax?'" Now Peter didn't say what many people would say, "Don't you know who this is? He is the Son of God. He doesn't have to pay any tax." Now let's not get into politics and taxes but into our actions and attitudes and responses. Verse 25 says, "'Yes, he doe...

Psalm 26:3 (NIRV), "I have always remembered your love that never fails. I have always depended on the fact that you are faithful." Thursday... There are things we really do need to remember and share. David writes in Psalm 26:3 (NIRV), "I have always remembered your love that never fails. I have always depended on the fact that you are faithful." And right before this in verse 2 he says, "LORD, test me. Try me out. Look deep into my heart and mind." And at a time like that we need to remember verse 3. Now later in verse 11 (AMP) he writes, "But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; redeem me and be merciful and gracious to me." God is in the business of growing us and he comes with love that never fails, faithfulness, mercy, grace and with redemption or another way to say it is deliverance. Now he doesn't force all this upon us. We can live with no regard for what he wants to give and do in and through us. Now Proverbs 26:1 (NIV) says, ...