Wednesday... But He did listen, He did listen.

Have you ever been talking with someone and you realize that they are not listening. Just because I am talking doesn't mean there is a conversation. The other person must be listening. Now if it is really something that is important then it is imperative that they listen.

David over in Psalm 66:16 & 17 (NLT) says, "Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me. For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke." When David cried out, God listened. He did and He did something for him.

But then verse 18 reinforces an important Biblical truth. It gives the reason why He listened. It says, "If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." Sin in our heart that we have not confessed to Him and asked Him to forgive us for severs our potential communication with Him and thus His blessings to us. He doesn't listen if there is sin in our hearts.

When Jesus was on the cross about to die, He took on Himself all the sins of the world and God turned His back to Him, His only Son. Because God is holy He can't be where sin is but Jesus death, His sacrifice took care of those sins and He could then communicate with His Father again. And His death makes it possible for our sins to be taken care of when we confess them so we can communicate with Gid

But He goes on. Verses 19 & 20 says, "But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me." Unconfessed sin really does make a difference in my communication with God and it does makes a big difference in my life.

So an honest confession needs to be a part of our prayer with God.

The MESSAGE says, "If I had been cozy with evil, the Lord would never have listened. But he most surely did listen, he came on the double when he heard my prayer. Blessed be God: he didn't turn a deaf ear, he stayed with me, loyal in his love." He did listen. 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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