Saturday... Does it sometimes feel like a wasted effort?

From an honest needy heart David in writing Psalm 28 might have felt the same way but he didn't stop there. He knew that prayer was not a wasted effort. He was careful in not dwelling on and listening to his feelings.

In verses 1-2 (NLT) he says, "I pray to you, O Lord, my rock. Do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you are silent, I might give up and die. Listen to my prayer for mercy as I cry out to you for help, as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary." In reality he knew that it wasn't wasted effort. He knew it was. necessary in order for him to survive. He said, "For if you are silent, I might give up and die." I'm sure if you also felt that it was wasted effort then you would just give up but don't do it because it is not true.

Later on in verses 6 & 7 he says, "Praise the Lord! For he heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and shield." And here is the key. "I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst our in songs of thanksgiving." He trusted the Lord not his feelings.

What if we believe the lie that prayer is a wasted effort. But what if we don't. Verse 8a says and we believe it, "The Lord gives his people strength." Again, "The Lord gives his people strength." Let's hold on to that fact, to the reality that He has done that and that He is doing that and that He will do that. So just pray out to the Lord, your rock.

Listen it is not wasted effort. Verses 6 & 7 (MSG) says, "Blessed be God - he heard me praying. He proved he's on my side; I've thrown my lot in with him. Now I'm jumping for joy and shouting and singing my thanks to him." Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

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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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