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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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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