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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Tuesday... I wonder what would happen if we didn't take the credit?

Nehemiah 6:16b (NLT), "They realized this work had been done with the help of our God." Tuesday... I wonder what would happen if we didn't take the credit? Over in the Old Testament in the book of Nehemiah it tells of a major task that through the leadership of Nehemiah was accomplished. The walls of Jerusalem had been torn down and God had laid it on Nehemiah to build those walls back up. It was definitely an almost impossible task but Nehemiah 6:15-16 says, "So on October 2 the wall was finished - just fifty-two days after we had begun. When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God." Now, we so many times want to take credit for doing the impossible. It would make such a difference for us. But I wonder what would happen through us if God got the credit? Psalm 96 tells us what we are to do. Verses 2-3 says, "Sing to the LORD; praise his name. ...

Tuesday... We just have trouble listening.

1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT), "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." Tuesday... We just have trouble listening. Over in Jeremiah 25:4 (NLT) it says, "Again and again the LORD has sent you his servants, the prophets, but you have not listened or even paid attention." And Jeremiah went on to tell what was going to happen. There will be consequences if we do not listen to what God says through his Word. Now the Apostle Paul over in 1 Corinthians was having a problem with some professed Christ followers who were having trouble at listening. And we too can have problems at listening. We can think that being a Christ follower means we do a lot of finger pointing and we give up on people who don't do what we say. We can even do that in our families. But Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT), "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." In verse ...

Thursday... Yet, now this is true.

Colossians 1:22a (NLT), "Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body." Thursday... Yet, now this is true. Now Paul a prisoner in Rome is writing a letter to a church in Colossae. And in Colossians 1:21 (MSG) he says, "Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds" The NLT says "This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated by your evil thoughts and actions." And that is where so many in this world live today. They are blowing it and they don't know what to do. Yes, they are hostile in their minds and they are engaging in evil deeds but there is Good News. Now Paul in verses 19-20 sets the stage for an answer to those who don't want to live that way. He says, "For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and earth b...

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