Monday... This is so important for us to understand!

Psalm 66:18-20 (NLT) says, "If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened, But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me."

Two key words are right in front of us, "If" and "But". "If I had not confessed." That is so important. We must confess our sins. And then the second word, "But" "But God did listen." The writer of this Psalm had confessed His sins and God did listen to his prayer.

It is so important for us to understand that there are "Ifs" in the world. Over in Proverbs 6: 9-11 (NIRV) there is a silent "If". Here is what it says, "You lazy people" In other words if you are lazy. "how long will you lie there? When will you get up from your sleep? You might sleep a little or take a nap. You might even fold your hands and rest. Then you will be poor, as if someone had robbed you. You would have little, as if someone had stolen from you." The Message Paraphrase says, "You can look forward to a dirt-poor life, poverty your permanent houseguest!"

But there is also a "but". Verses 6-8, "You people who don't want to work, think about the ant! It has no commander. It has no leader or ruler. But it stores up its food at harvest time." The Message Paraphrase says, "at harvest it stockpiles provisions."

This is a pretty good reminder here on labor day that work has an important place in our life. doesn't it? If you are lazy, there will consequences but if you work hard there will be rewards.

There are "ifs" and "buts" that are important for us to understand. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

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Friday... We have this hope of expectancy.

Psalm 5:3 (NLT), "Listen to my voice in the morning Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly." Friday... We have this hope of expectancy. Now David found a great way to start his day. He says in Psalm 5:1-3 (NLT), "O LORD, hear me as I pray." And that is a great place to start. It really is. Morning sunrise He goes on, "Listen to my cry for help, my King, my God, for I pray to no one but you." And that is so important. We don't try to pump ourselves up by ourself. No, we pray to no one but you, God, my LORD, my King. Now this relationship with God is so, so very important. And then David says, "Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you" And that is so great. And then he says, "and wait expectantly." Yes, we have this hope of expectancy. We are experienced. That is what a relationship with God and a moment by moment connection does. It makes a difference in our daily wa...

Friday... Yes, we can know this to be true.

Psalm 12:6 (NLT), "The Lord's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over." Friday... Yes, we can know this to be true. Maybe this is what you want to say in this day in which we live. Psalm 12:1-2 (MSG) says, "Quick, I need your helping hand! The last decent person just went down, all the friends I depend on gone. Everyone talks in lie language; lies slide off their oily lips. They doubletalk with forked tongues." Do you ever feel that way?" Have you found that to be true? Well David the writer of this Psalm continues and says in verse 6 something to encourage us, to lift us up, to give us hope. Psalm 12:6 (NLT) says, "The Lord's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over." The Message Paraphrase says verses 6-8 this way, "God's words are pure words, pure silver words refined seven times in the fires of his word-kiln, pure on earth as well as in heaven, God, keep ...

Wednesday... It is amazing what we can see.

Psalm 3:3a (NLT), "But you, O LORD, are a shield around me." Wednesday... It is amazing what we can see. And what we see does make such a difference in our day. Now David, he writer of Psalm 3 starts this Psalm this way. He says in verse 1 (NLT), "O Lord, I have so many enemies; so many are against me." Yes, he is saying this to the LORD, the one he serves. Verse 2 says, "So many are saying, 'God will never rescue him!'" And that is so true with that outlook. So many of us get out of bed with that outlook every morning. It is amazing what we can see. Now I woke up this morning and eventually found myself outside on my couch with my Bible and I read this outlook in verses 1-2 from David. But I didn't stop there and neither did David. But that is an easy place to stop, isn't it? And it is true. Yes, David didn't stop there. Verses 3-4 says, "But you, O LORD, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high. I...

Today's Beginning

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