Saturday... We have been searching for the right trees.

We have gotten the keys and are in the process of moving into our retirement home. With all the situations involved with what our world is going through we decided that building a new house here in the desert of Las Vegas was best for us. Now here in Vegas, we are responsible for the landscape in our backyard and trees are an important choice here in the desert. So we have been doing all we can to figure out the best trees to survive and to thrive. We have loved it.

So as I was reading in Psalm 92 these verses caught my attention. Verse 12 (NLT) says, "But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow like the cedars of Lebanon."

Now Palm trees in the desert are signs of water, of an oasis. And the cedars were used in so many ways to build great buildings. Craftsmen used then in building the Temple in Jerusalem. Maybe God wants to use us, to help us flourish in this desert of despair and fear and pandemic. And then He wants to use us to build His kingdom, He wants us to flourish in this day in which we live.

And then the Psalmist goes on in verse 13, "For they are transplanted to the Lord's own house. They flourish in the courts of our God." We are where God wants us.

Verse 14, "Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green." I love that. I love that. Even at my age I will remain vital and green. That is my prayer.

Verse 15, "They will declare, 'The Lord is just! He is my rock! There is no evil in him!' "

The MESSAGE Paraphrase puts it this way, "Good people will prosper like palm trees, grow tall like Lebanon cedars; transplanted to God's courtyard, they'll grow tall in the presence of God, lithe and green, virile still in old age." I love it, I love it! Yes, yes! #todaysbegininng

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Monday... He did it by Himself

Isaiah 44:24b (AMP), "I am the Lord, Maker of all things. Who alone stretches out the heavens, Who spreads out the earth by Myself." Monday... He did it by Himself. Many have a tendency to think very highly of themselves and what they can do. Oh we do have great ability but we are not the source. Yes it is important to have self-confidence but we are limited. The prophet Isaiah in 44:9-10 (NLT) says, "How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don't know this, so they are all put to shame. Who but a fool would make his own god - an idol that cannot help him one bit?" Now later in verse 24 (AMP) he writes, "For the Lord, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb says, 'I am the Lord, Maker of all things, Who alone stretches out the heavens, Who spreads out the earth by Myself.'" I love that. "By Myself." Now we do need confidence but we are foolish to ma...

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 ...

Todays Beginning

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