Thursday... What we ask for can be unnecessary.

Sometimes what we ask for in our prayers is unnecessary. Look at how David starts his prayer in Psalm 141:1 (MSG), "God, come close. Come quickly! Open your ears - it's my voice you're hearing!"

Now from God's point of view that is unnecessary because He is always close. If we have a personal relationship with Him He is even in our heart. His Spirit is in us and He knows our voice. It just is that we need that reinforcement, that confidence. We need to reinforce the fact that He is close and He does know our voice. And He does.

Now there is an unless in there, unless we are not close to Him. There are so many things in us that can get in the way of God. Yes He may be close but we are not looking for Him, we are not close to Him. Later David says in verse 8, "But God, dear Lord, I only have eyes for you. Since I've run for dear life to you, take good care of me." And that is what He wants to do for us but for it to happen that is what we must want too. It's all in the relationship.

Earlier in verses 3-4 (NLT), David says, "Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips. Don't let me drift toward evil or take part in acts of wickedness. Don't let me share in the delicacies of those who do wrong." Verse 5 goes on, "Let the godly strike me! It will be kindness! If they correct me, it is soothing medicine. Don't let me refuse it." And that is why it is so important to be close to those who love you and love God. God wants to use them to keep us on track. Again it is the relationship.

And back to verses 8-10 in the NLT, "I look to you for help, O Sovereign Lord. You are my refuge; don't let them kill me. Keep me from the traps they have set for me, from the snares of those who do wrong. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, but let me escape."

And that is what He wants to do for us. It's all in the relationship. 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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