Thursday... But then can make all the difference.

It is so easy to let the cares of the world get us down. We look at a new day with a heavy heart, knowing that nothing good is going to happen. How do we know that? We know it because that is what we keep telling ourselves.

Asaph the writer of Psalm 77 must have been going through a very tough time. In verses 4-5 (NLT) he continues down his dark road that we too many of us also drive. He says, "You don't let me sleep. I am too distressed even to pray. I think of the good old days, long since ended." We could say that and many of us do about what we are going through. Verses 6-9, "when my nights were filled with joyful songs. I search my soul and ponder the difference now. Has the Lord rejected me forever?" That is a word that comes up a lot in our times of deep anxiety. The word forever, forever, forever. He goes on, "Will he never be kind to me? Is his unfailing love gone forever? Has his promises permanently failed? Has God forgotten to be gracious?" And this is a good one for us to remember, "Has he slammed the door on his compassion?"

And then verse 10, "And I said, 'This is my fate; the Most High has turned his hand against me.'" Now that really sets us into our deep dark mood. But then, but then. Verses 11 & 12, "But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty acts." Now that is a totally different way of thinking. That is thinking and remembering with hope, with anticipation, with a grain of excitement.

I love the Psalms. I love their honesty. They allow us to lament but they don't allow us to stay there.

Aspah writes in verses 13 & 14, "O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you? You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations." Just focus on the but then. And that will make all the difference. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

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Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do

Psalm 8:3-4 (NLT), "When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - the moon and the stars you set in place - what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?" Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do. No, not the fact that I can go out my front door and look out at night at the marvels of the sky. I can do that and it is amazing and it takes my breath away each time I see it. Yes, that is a fact but the reality of who did that and the wisdom and the faith that I have to believe that and to marvel that the one who did that cares about me makes such a difference in how I live my life. Yes, God really does. That is so wonderful for us to believe. And that is why faith and wisdom are so important. Now whatever belief you have at how that marvel happened must also be believed through faith. And the sad thing to me is that more and more people have been taught that there is no God and therefore he did not have a h...

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together!

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together! They really do. And this is what caught my attention this morning as I was reading Proverbs 2. Verse 1 (NRSVUE) says, "My child, if you accept my words and treasure my commands within you." Verse 3 (NIV), "Indeed i f you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, Verse 4, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, Verse 5, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." And verses 9-11, " Then you will understand what is right and just and fair - every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you." There will always be some effort we must do, some ifs for the thens to be realized in our lives. So many of us want to understand without the ifs. But the thens are so worth, so very worth the effort. Verses 5-6 in the Ampli...

Wednesday... Our unless can turn into useless.

Wednesday... Our unless can turn into useless. It really can. I have found that unless I give the correct email of my wife then I can't get what I wanted. I put an extra i in her email and I have been working for 5 days to get it changed. Unless has been useless. The writer of Psalm 94 uses this word and shows how important it is. Verses 17-19 (NLT) says, "Unless the Lord had helped me, I would have soon settled in the silence of the grave. I cried out, 'I'm slipping!' but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer." "Unless the Lord had helped me." So many people go on and on and on striving to live their life on their own but they keep slipping and doubting and living without hope and cheer. Yes the Lord has such unfailing love for us, he really does but unless we have a relationship with him and we turn to him and ask him for help then the unless turns in to useless because h...

Todays Beginning

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