Todays Beginning

Wednesday ... Then they will know, then I will know. I had a voice teacher when I was in high school who made a real difference in my life. The thing that was amazing about him was that in trying to teach me something about my voice, he could say the same thing so different ways until I understood what He was saying, what he was meaning.  We each one are different. As a parent each one of our children are different and it is so important for us to understand them, really know them in order to teach them. Saying what we are wanting them to learn cannot be said in the same way because each one of them learns in a different way because God created them a unique individuals. That is why we need to spend time with them in order to really know them. in order to teach them. I am reading in the Old Testament book of Ezekiel and I came upon this sentence at the end of Chapter 6. The last part of verse 14 (NLT) says, "Then they will know that I am the Lord."  We are all different and w...

Tuesday... Could this be what we need to pray? David in Psalm 60:1-5 (NIV) says, "You have rejected us, God, and burst upon us; you have been angry - now restore us! You have shaken the land and torn it open; mend its fractures," We need to pray that today! "for it is quaking. You have shown your people desperate times; you have given us wine that makes us stagger. But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow. Save us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered." And then God through Jeremiah says, Chapter 29:11-13 (MSG), "I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out - plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. When you come looking for me, you'll find me." Now this is very important for us to see."Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else,...

Monday... These four words set a person a part from others as they get up in the morning to face a new day. David in Psalm 59:16 (NLT) says, "But as for me." "But as for me."  Can that be said of you or do you live and do and react like those around you? You say, but as for them. I'm not going to be an individual, I'm going to be like them. Now that can be a good thing if they are living in a way that is making a positive difference. The influence of a person striving to do something that will make a difference for good in people's lives can be a very good thing but too much of the time it is not a good thing to follow the crowd. So what did David do? What set Him a part? Verse 16 says, "But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love." Too many people wake up and complain and gripe. They wake up angry with life. They wake up in despair not in joy. They wake up feeling weak. David woke up...

Sunday... At last, at last, then at last it seems like we are coming to the end of this pandemic. Then at last we may be able to all get together. Then at last we may be able to not be afraid. This has been a difficult time, but it looks like the end is at last in sight. So how will we handle it? What will be the new normal? David in Psalm 58:11 (NLT) has a then at last moment. He said, "Then at last everyone will say, 'There truly is a reward for those who live for God; surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth.'" Yes, we live in an ungodly, wicked world. It shows through in so many ways. As we read the Old Testament of the Bible we see how God handles unbelief and disobedience. It is never a pretty sight. And He had a right to destroy us but He didn't totally do it. But I hope He got our attention. Oh I don't believe He caused this but He did allow it. If there is anything we take out of this it is that, "There is a reward for those who live...

Saturday... Could all of this we've gone through and are going through been a trap? The Evil One does that. Jeremiah18:22 says, "For they have dug a pit for me and have hidden traps along my path." And then David writes in Psalm 57:6 (NLT), "My enemies have set a trap for me. I am weary from distress. They have dug a deep pit in my path, but they themselves have fallen into it." I love that, "they themselves have fallen into it." In verses 1 & 2 David writes, "Have mercy on me, Oh God, have mercy! I will look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by. I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me. He will send me help from heaven to rescue me, disgracing those who hound me." Yes, all of this could be a trap. But we have One who protects us, who changes the purpose of the trap, who hides us and rescues us and disgraces those who set the trap. I love that. Psalm 5...

Friday... Oh, if we could really see what is ahead. That would make so much difference, wouldn't it? My wife, Margaret and I live on the third floor of an apartment building while our home is being built. We have such a great view. Yesterday my wife was talking on her phone and she was also looking out at our neighbor with her two dogs as they were out walking down below in a patch of desert. Margaret suddenly put down her phone and ran out to our balcony, yelling at our neighbor. From where Margaret was she could see a coyote stalking the two dogs. From her vantage point she could see what was about to happen and she warned our neighbor and yelled at the coyote who finally starting walking away. The dogs were safe. Our neighbor couldn't see what was about to happen but from Margaret's vantage point she could see it all. And God from His vantage point can see all that is happening and about to happen in our life.  That's why David in Psalm 56:13 (NIRV) could say, "...

Thursday... Do you feel overwhelmed, really overwhelmed by your troubles?  David felt that way in Psalm 55:1-2, "Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not ignore my cry for help! Please listen and answer me, for I am overwhelmed by my troubles." In verses 5-7 (NLT) he says, "My heart pounds in my chest. The terror of death assaults me. Fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can't stop shaking." He had it bad. He continues, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest! I would fly away to the quiet of the wilderness." It is so good to know that other people are feeling the way you feel, isn't it? I love the honesty of the Bible. Verses 16-18 says, "But I will call on God," You may not be able to fly away like a dove but you can call on God. David goes on, "Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the Lord hears my voice. He ransoms me and keeps me safe from the battle waged against me, though many still opp...

Wednesday... It is so easy fo us to forget, it really is. Isaiah 51:1 & 2 (NLT) says, "Listen to me, all who hope for deliverance - all who seek the Lord! Consider the rock from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were mined." We need to remember who is our Lord, who is living in us and with us and through us and we need to remember what He has done for us. Isaiah 53:5 - 6, "But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's path to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all." Verses 10 - 11, "But it was the Lord's good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord's good plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anquish, he will be s...

Tuesday... Maybe that is the reason why we wake up with dread.  Psalm 53:5 (NIV) says, "But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread." Do you face your day overwhelmed with a new day? You would rather stay in bed. Why is that? What is the reason? Well David in this Psalm in verse 4b says, "... they never call on God." Isaiah 48:17 says, "I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. If you only had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea." I love the sound of waves.  Isaiah 49:10 (NLT), "They will never hunger nor thirst, The searing sun will not reach them anymore. For the Lord in his mercy will lead them; he will lead them beside cool waters. And I will make my mountains into level paths for them." And then 50:4 (NIV), "He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen li...

Monday... I am reading in the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament of the Bible and I found this word from God to me personally and I claim it, I claim it today. Maybe it is what you needed to see and hear today. Isaiah 46:3b-4 (NIV) says, "...you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." I didn't realize how much I needed to hear that but I did. God is working in our lives in such an unbelievable way. Way beyond what I could ever have imagined. But still there is a future that is unknown. And of course there is anxiety in facing the unknown. But God said, through His messenger Isaiah, "Even in your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you." The Amplified Bible says, "Even to your advanced old age I will carry you! I have made you, and I will carry you;...

Sunday... Do you realize that God wants to personally speak to you today? He really does.  He knows what you are going through. He knows that you are afraid. Things are happening in your life and you are feeling so alone. And in Isaiah 41:10 (NLT) He says, "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." And then in verse 13 He says, "For I hold you by your right hand - I, the Lord your God. And I say to you," Yes He says to you, you personally. He says, "Don't be afraid. I am here to help you." God is saying to you, personally, "I'm here, right here in your life, right here in your situation. You are not alone. I am here and more that just that, I want to strengthen you and I want to help you and hold you up. I am here, so don't be afraid." The MESSAGE puts it this way, "Don't panic. I'm with you. T...

Saturday... Here is something to think about at the beginning of this new day, at the beginning of this new weekend. Isaiah 40:28 (MSG), "God doesn't come and go. God lasts ." He lasts, He really does. Do wants something to last? A relationship that you have to last, good health to last, a good mood to last, your money to last, your car to last. Do you want things to last? Well, God lasts, He really does. "He doesn't come and go, God lasts." We may not but He does. Isaiah goes on, verse 29 - 30, "He's Creator of all you can see and imagine. He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything , inside and out." Wow, He lasts, He doesn't get tired and He knows everything. Isaiah goes on, "He energizes those who get's tired" Do you get tired? "He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble ...

Friday... It is so easy for us to compare and complain, isn't it? We so many times feel like we are losers. But let me tell you something today, we will win!!! This has been a very difficult time, hasn't it? This pandemic has been rough. But this is not the end. No it isn't. The writer of Psalm 49 in verses 1-3 (NLT) said, "Listen to this, all you people! Pay attention, everyone in the world! High and low, rich and poor - listen! For my words are wise, and my thoughts are filled with insight." Then verse 5, "Why should I fear when trouble comes, when enemies surround me? They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches." And we compare and complain. Look at them and what they have and look at me and what I have. But in verse 6 the Psalmist says, "They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches. Yet they cannot redeem themselves for death." Verse 8, "Redemption does no come easily, for no one can ever pay enough to live forever and...

Thursday... Do we realize what we really have? Do we? We have access to the greatest of all greats who has ever been and will ever be and it is so easy for us to take Him for granted. The Psalmist didn't. In Psalm 48:1 (NLT), he says, "How great is the Lord, how deserving of praise." Oh we love to throw the word great around. Wow, Gonzaga is a great team. Mookie Betts is a great baseball player. NCIS is a great TV show. And we love to give them praise. And maybe they deserve our praise. But "How great is the Lord, how deserving of praise." He really deserves our praise. What have all these others done for us? We just love to throw that word, great around. Verse 9 says, "O God, we meditate on your unfailing love." Just stop and think, meditate on what He has done for you, what He is doing for you. Here, the greatest of the great loves you with an unfailing love. He really does and He shows it to you everyday. He deserves our praise. "O God, we medi...

Wednesday... We are not in this alone. Somehow we need to come to realize that this is true. We are not alone. Back in 2 Chronicles in chapter 32, King Sennacherib invaded Judah and made his way with his army to destroy Jerusalem and the people there were afraid. So King Hezekiah, the king of Judah encouraged them by saying in verses 7 & 8, "Be strong and courageous! Don't be afraid or discouraged because of the king  of Assyria or his might army, for there is a power far greater on our side! He may have a great army, but they are merely men." And here it is. This is true of us too. "We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!" And of course those "words greatly encouraged the people." Is that what you needed to hear today? Is it? The Amplified Bible says, "With him there is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles." I also read this this morning. Psalm 47:1-3 (AMP)...

Tuesday... Let me introduce you is something we all need to have done. We have been in this time of pandemic for a year. And we have changed, haven't we? Who we are in times of normal is different from times of trouble. We are either bitter or better. It is all depends upon how we have responded to what we have gone through. Are you in anyway surprised at how you have responded? Do we need to be introduced to the new us?   Now the same can be said of our view of God. If we have become bitter then our view of God has probably changed and that for sure has affected our view of what we have been going through and who we have become. Well, there is a verse in Psalm 46 that tells us what we can do if we really want to know who God really is. Verse 10 (AMP) says, "Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God." So we need to stop and be quiet and think and be introduced to the real God.  Think back on what has happened in your life in these 12 months. Can you see God ...

Monday... These two phrases caught my attention as I was reading this morning in 2 Chronicles. They were two phrases about two different Kings of Judah. It seems that success is within our grasp. The first phrase was in 2 Chronicles 25:2 (NLT), "Amaziah did what was pleasing in the Lord's sight, but not wholeheartedly." The MESSAGE says, "He lived well before God, doing the right thing for the most part. But he wasn't wholeheartedly devoted to God."  It is good that he did what was pleasing in the Lord's sight, but here is the problem, he did the right thing for the most part. And that showed up to be his downfall in his later days. He wasn't fully committed and God knew it. Oh God, may we be fully devoted to you not for the most part but wholeheartedly. And then in chapter 26 we read about King Uzziah. He was sixteen when he became king, and verse 5 says, "Uzziah sought God during the days of Zechariah, who taught him to fear God. And as long a...

Sunday... There is something we need to remember in the good times and the bad. The writer of Psalm 44 says in verse 3 (NLT) something that we need to remember. He says, "They did not conquer the land with their swords; it was not their strong arm that gave then victory. It was your right hand and strong arm and the blinding light from your face that helped them, for you loved them." You, God loved them and You love us. We need to remember in our good times where they came from and why they came. You love us. You love us. But then the writer goes on and tells a different story in this Psalm. He tells of feeling of being tossed aside. Feeling mocked and scorn. Jesus could have felt that on the cross couldn't He? Life isn't always winning battles. Pandemics comes, loss of jobs come. And we can say as the writer wrote in verses 17 & 18, "We have not violated your covenant. Out hearts have not deserted you. We have not strayed from your path." Verse 21 says,...

Saturday... Our perception is not necessarily reality.  Oh in difficult times we say what we are feeling but it isn't always true. It is just what we are feeling. Do you sometimes in very difficult times wonder what David wondered here is Psalm 43:2 (NLT), "Why have you tossed me aside?" Oh it is a lie from Satan but in difficult times it is easy to believe the lie, isn't it? He goes on, "Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies?"  Now these thoughts come through our minds and our emotions but we can't let them stay there very long. David then said, verse 3, "Send out your light and your truth, let them guide me." I don't want to dwell on the lie, I don't want to get into great aloneness and deep struggles, no I need You, God, to guide me through the dark, send me the light and Your truth.  And he is then brought back to the words of Psalm 42:5, 11 and now here in Psalm 43:5, "Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart...

Friday... Do you ever talk to yourself? Do you? What do you talk about?  David in Psalm 42:5 (MSG) had one of those conversations with himself. He said, "Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you singing the blues?" Do you have conversations like that? Do you? If you are down in the dumps or singing the blues then I'm sure it is a good thing to ask why? So if you are, then why? Just be honest. Now there could be a lot of things in our lives that could cause us to get down in the dumps but there are also a lot that can lift us up too. And David had the right idea. He said, "Fix my eyes on God - soon I'll be praising again." I'm tired of being down in the dumbs, at being discouraged. Yes there is stuff in my life that is not the best but I'm going to fix my eyes on God, on what He is like, on Who He is and all the good that He has done and is doing in my life and soon I'll be praising again. And David says, "He puts a smile on my f...

Thursday... Here is a tremendous word of encouragement for us today. It is found in 2 Chronicles 16:9 (NLT), "The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." He is searching for you. He is looking for you and He will strengthen you. Yes He will. Then David writes in Psalm 41:1-3 (MSG), "Dignify those who are down on their luck; you'll feel good - that's what God does. God looks after us all, makes us robust with life - lucky to be in the land, we're free from the enemies worries. Whenever we're sick and in bed, God becomes our nurse, nurses us back to health." And then verses 11-12, "Meanwhile, I'm sure you're on my side - no victory shouts from the enemy camp! You know me inside and out, you hold me together, you never fail to stand me tall in your presence so I can look you in the eye." And then verse 13, "Blessed is God, Israel's God, always, always, alwa...

Wednesday... We love to pat ourselves on the back, don't we? David here in Psalm 40:1 (NLT) did that. He said, "I waited patiently for the Lord." And we do that too, don't we? Oh, this past year has been tough but I waited patiently, I was so patient, I am so patient. And that is a good thing. Patience is a good thing but having eyes to see is a better thing. Here is what I mean. Maybe in our patience we have missed seeing God working in our lives. Maybe God has been patient with us. Maybe He has been working through all that has happened but we haven't been looking to see what He has been doing.  Look back on this year. Can you see how God has been working in you? Maybe you have grown in areas in which you needed to grow. Maybe your faith is stronger. Maybe your patience is greater. Maybe your way of looking at life is different. Maybe God has been patient with you in acknowledging your dependence on Him. Maybe you have learned to see the good that has happened t...

Tuesday... Now we have our good days and we have our bad days and God understands and cares. I love David and his honesty and his emotions. And I love that God allows him and us to be honest. And that He understands. Yes He does. Look at this. David said in Psalm 39:2 - 4 (NLT), "But as I stood there in silence - not even speaking of good things - the turmoil within me grew worse. The more I thought about it, the hotter I got, igniting a fire of words: 'Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered - how fleeting my life is." He must have been having a bad day. He then says, verses 6 - 7, "We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?" He is dealing with what life had thrown at him and he comes to a point where he asked a good question. A question that on our bad days we too ask. Again he said, "Where do...

Monday... What do you want? Now that is a good question to ask here at the beginning of a new day, a new work week, isn't it?  I do that with my family every year heading into their birthdays and Christmas. I ask them to make a list of what they want. And that is what God did with Solomon the son of David in 2 Chronicles 1:1 (NLT) as he "took firm control of his kingdom." Verse 7 says, "That night God appeared to Solomon and said, "What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!"  Now that would be a great question for God to come to us and ask at the beginning of another work week, "What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!" And I think that God is asking that of us, "What do you want?" I also think God already knew what Solomon's answer would be but He still asked him. It was very important for Solomon to come to grips with his answer as it is with us. Verse 8 - 10 (AMP), "Then Solomon said to God, 'You have show...

Sunday... Are you being harassed? Are you? David writes in Psalm 143:11 & 12 (MSG), "Keep up your reputation, God - give me life! In your justice, get me out of this trouble! In your great love, vanquish my enemies, make a clean sweep of those who harass me. And why?" I love this, "Because I'm your servant." End of subject. I'm your servant. God shows us in His Word what to pray. And there is power in praying His Word. The Amplified Bible says it this way, "Save my life, O Lord, for Your name's sake; In You righteousness bring my life out of trouble. In Your lovingkindness, silence and destroy my enemies and destroy all those who afflict my life, for I am Your servant." You are God's servant and you will be taken care of. He cares about you. He knows what you are going through.  Psalm 37:34 - 38 (NLT) says, "Put your hope in the Lord. Travel steadily along the path. He will honor you by giving you the land. You will see the wicked ...

Saturday... What is happening in your life and what do you need? I love how David puts it. In Psalm 138:7-8 (MSG), he says, "When I walk into the thick of trouble, keep me alive in the turmoil." Are you in the thick of trouble? Are you? Here is what he asks and this may also be what you need to ask. He says, "With one hand strike my foes, with your other hand save me. Finish what you started in me, God. Your love is eternal - don't quit on me now." The NIV says, "The Lord will vindicate me." Now that is real faith, real confidence. The NIRV says, "Lord you will show that I was right to trust you." The AMP says, "The Lord will accomplish that which concerns me. Your [unwavering] lovingkindness, Lord, endures forever - Do not abandon the works of Your own hand." Yes there may be trouble in your life. Yes there may be someone who is causing you great distress and great pain. And you may feel all alone and you don't seem to be able ...

Friday... A night of good sleep can make such a difference. For sure it can if God is at work, and He always is. David in Psalm 30:5b (NLT) says, "Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning." Have you found that true? You go to bed with a heavy heart, and then wake up with peace and joy and courage. There are so many benefits of a relationship with God and this is one of them. The whole night and day thing is His idea. He knows how the burdens of a day can weigh us down but oh how a night of sleep can make such a difference. Because, He is at work inside you and all around you. He can make such a difference. And He also knows the importance of sleep. He created it. I think there are two good things for us to do. One is at night to give Him the burdens of your day. All that happened, give them to Him. Now there may be some forgiveness you need to give but for sure there are some burdens you need to give away. And then the morning. Start your morning wit...

Thursday... Is there something holding you back from having an enjoyable day? What is there that you are feeling anxious about today, even fearful of?  Well David in Psalm 34:4b (MES), says, "He freed me from my anxious fears." Would you like that to happen to you? Well, God freed David and it seems that He can and will do the same for you and me. Anxious fears have a way of slowing us down, even stopping us and for sure ruining our day. Margaret and I live in NW Las Vegas and Margaret today has a Doctor's appointment downtown. Now let's say, I had some anxious fears about taking her to her appointment. I mean, it's in downtown Vegas and there are freeways and streets with cars on them and then it's a Doctor's office. There are sick people in Doctor's offices and there may be people there who don't wear masks. You know there still is a virus out there. So many anxious fears can rob us of our enjoying our day. Verses 4 - 7 (NLT) says, "I prayed...

Wednesday... Do you ever feel surrounded? There is no way out. Trouble is all around you. Maybe that is the way you are feeling this morning. David felt surrounded but in a good way. Psalm 5:12 (NLT), "For you bless the goodly, O Lord; you surround then with your shield of love." Now that is a whole different feeling, isn't it? Yes, you are surrounded but you're surrounded with a shield of love. Look at Psalm 33:21 & 22, "He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us Lord, for our hope is in you alone." Why not pray that prayer right now? Just pray, Dear Lord, You are my help and shield. I trust You. Would you please surround me with Your unfailing love. My hope is in You alone. Just pray that, Please surround me with Your unfailing love.  And then visualize that. Nothing will be able to attack you that doesn't come in contact with His unfailing love. Now that is a way to ...

Tuesday... I found a good hiding place.  We have four granddaughters and we love playing hide and seek with them. Of course the hiding is not out of fear but out of fun. But there are times in life that we sure would like a good hiding place from our troubles. Well David found one. In Psalm 32:7 (NLT) he says, "For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory." We love to win, we love to sing songs of victory. He goes on in verse 8, "The Lord says, 'I will guide you along the best pathways for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.'" Do you need that today? Do you need to know that He is your hiding place, that He will guide you, that He will advise you? He is and He will. He then says in verses 10 & 11, "Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust in the Lord. So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy all you whose hearts are pur...

Monday... What type of song do you sing to start your Monday? It really does make a difference. I know, I know. Getting up on a Monday can be difficult, can't it? You had a good upbeat song to sing Friday night through Sunday afternoon but then the song started changing to the blues. And then came Monday morning. No way did you want to get up and head off to face a new week. Psalm 40:2 & 3 (NLT) says, "He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along." Now here it is, "He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord." Do you need God to help you get out of the mud of despair? Do you need a new song of praise?  He continues, verses 4 & 5, "Oh the joys of those who trust the Lord... O Lord, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to l...