Wednesday... Do you want to feel good? Do you?

Psalm 106:3 (NLT) says, "There is joy for those who deal justly with others and always do what is right." We don't always feel joy in our relationships or in our actions, do we? There is no joy when we respond in a way that hurts someone and we do it too many times.

The MESSAGE says, "You're one happy man when you do what's right, one happy woman when you form the habit of justice." We sure do feel better when we respond to others when we build them up and not when we pull them down.

The NIRV says, "Blessed are those who always do what is fair. Blessed are those who keep doing what is right." So there is joy, there is happiness and there is blessing when we deal justly with people and we do what is right. But is is so easy to react from a selfish perspective.

Proverbs 16:2 says, "Everything a person does might seem pure to them. But the Lord knows why they do what they do." He knows if the intent is selfish. He doesn't bless that.

Here's another one, verse 5 says, "The Lord hates all those who have proud hearts. You can be sure that they will be punished." There is no joy, no happiness, no blessing in being proud.

Verses 7, "When the way you live pleases the Lord, he makes your enemies live at peace." Now that is a good thing, a good feeling, isn't it?

Look at this. Verse 8 says, "It is better to have little and do right than to have a lot and be unfair." But I thought that having a lot makes me happy. No, "Blessed are those who always do what is fair. Blessed are those who keep doing what is right."

Verse 16 (NLT), How much better to get wisdom than gold, and good judgement than silver."

And verse 20, "Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust God will be joyful."

It feels so good, it feels so good. 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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