Todays Beginning

Saturday... We don't know but this we can know.  These last three years have been difficult, haven't they? We don't know what is ahead and I believe that is a good thing but the writer of Psalm 91 does gives us some do nots as we face this new year. He says in verses 5 & 6 (NLT), "Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, and the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday."  Ok, but I've just gone through some of that and all I can think about is the possibilities. But we need to go back to the beginning of this great Psalm to help us with what we may be facing. Verses 1-4 leading up to the do nots says, "Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God and I trust him. For he will rescue you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feat...

Friday... And make our efforts successful. I am a grandpa and with that fact comes grandpa jokes. My kids and grandkids have heard them over and over and the jokes don't get any better. One of them is, when I am using my debit card to buy something and when the word approval comes up on the screen I say, "I love that word, I need affirmation and I never get it when I use cash." I know, I know, that is dumb but I am a grandpa. But it also is true. It really is. We all need affirmation, don't we? The writer of Psalm 90 in the last verse, verse 17 (NLT) says, "And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful." Now earlier he writes what many of us would write at the end of 2022. In verse 13 he says, "O Lord, come back to us! How long will you delay? Take pity on your servants!" Maybe that is what you are feeling and what you would pray at the end of this year. You may not feel you need aff...

Thursday... I'm going to keep on singing. We flew out Christmas afternoon to Denver, Colorado to be with Brett, our son and Marissa and Ashlyn and Addison. We had such a good time with them but we set late last night for our time to fly home to Las Vegas. Brett took us a little early while it was starting to rain with snow on the way. We wanted him to get home before it started and it started about an hour before we were to leave. Now they have a system to take care of the plane for it to fly in that kind of weather. So they took us to a spot and they started spraying this de-icer all over the plane and then they put on a sealer. Now they could have said, just go on but they knew that would be dangerous. So they faithfully took some extra time to make it safe for us to fly. They were faithful in doing what needed to be done to make us safe and they did their job. And we made it home about 30 minutes late but we made it home. Now being faithful at doing what needs to be done is so i...

Saturday... It begins with trust! Have you ever thought about what could be in those presents under the tree? I know you have. The truth is you are excited about what is in those wrapped up packages. You know it's going to be good because you trust the one who is giving you those gifts. And Psalm 84:12 (NLT) is so true, "O Lord of Heaven's Armies, what joy for those who trust in you." It begins with trust. It doesn't say fear it says "What joy for those who trust in you." Do remember when you stopped believing in Santa Claus? It was really fun for awhile but one day you woke up and said, "I don't believe anymore", and some have grown up and they have quit believing in God and that is too bad. God isn't Santa Claus. He is real. Verse 11 says, "For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing for those who do what is right." And then,"O Lord of Heaven's Armies, w...

Friday... It is just so easy at this time of the year. It really is. We look around and see all that our neighbors are able to give to their kids or we look under the tree at the presents that have our name on them. It is so easy to compare and it is so easy to envy. Proverbs 23:17a (NLT) says, "Don't envy..." But it is so easy to long for what others have or what they can do. I look back on My Christmases and I see so many different things. When I was a child, I many times would just get one present. It was all that my parents could do. There was another time that there were two Christmas trees with presents under them for 11 of us. It took over 3 hours for us to open them all. It was unbelievable. But I don't remember one present that I got from that Christmas but I do remember the gifts that my parents gave out of sacrifice and love for me as a child. Yes it is so easy to envy at this time of the year. Now the verse goes on. It says in verses 17 & 18, "Don...

Thursday... But they are different. We as parents will probably have more than one child and each one of them are different. And there can be deep concern and deep guilt and also deep pride as a parent in there. Because we love them. And God understands. Look at Proverbs 22:2 (AMP), "The rich and poor have a common bond; The Lord is the Maker of them all." Now when God gave free choice to each of His children, that was a great risk. But He did it anyway. Now at some point each one took up the responsibility for their own actions. And God still loved them. And God still loves us because He is our Maker. Going on, verse 3 says, "A prudent and farsighted person sees the evil [of sin] and hides himself [from it], but the naive continue on and are punished [by suffering the consequences of sin]." That is one side. And God sent His Son to die and take care of the consequences of their wrong choices that they were free to make and they did make. Now I'm not sure that G...

Wednesday... Do we really know what it is? There is a word that we hear everyday and say probably everyday. And it is said in so many different ways. But do we really know what it is? 1 John 4:10 (NIVR) says, "Here is what love is." So what is it? "It is not that we loved God. It is that he loved us and sent his Son to give his life to pay for our sins." Now that is love. I was thinking today about Jesus sitting one day right beside His Father and the next day he was a baby in a manger. And He did that for me. Now that was love. I mean, He was the Son of God in heaven who had angels all around Him and then He woke up in a stable with animals all around Him. Now that was a major change. And He didn't do that because He did something wrong, He did that because He loved me and you. Verses 11 & 12 says, "Dear friends, since God loved us this much, we should also love one another. No one has ever seen God. But if we love one another, God lives in us. His lov...

Tuesday... Yes, we can be bold and free. There can be so much about us that weighs us down and enslave us, but God's Word tells us that we can be bold and free. We can be confident. The Apostle John over in his first letter wrote in 3:20-21 (MSG), "For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves. And friends, once that's taken care of and we're no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we're bold and free before God."  Do you live in that world, always condemning yourself? Now there is a guilt that God takes care of though our confessing it to Him and asking Him for forgiveness and when He does forgive us then that guilt is washed away, it is taken care of. But there is also a debilitating self-criticism that keeps us a prisoner. Verses 18-20 says, "My dear children, let's not just talk about love, let's practice real love.  This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's re...

Monday... This loan will be paid in full.  Have you found it hard to pay back your loans? Christmas is a time that we so much want to give but we just don't have enough so we find it easy to use those credit cards or find someone who will give us a loan but then comes the new year and we have to pay them back and it is so hard. And in turn, it is usually an impossible time for us to give a loan, isn't it? But God is wanting us to give Him a loan?  And that is a loan that we really want to give, isn't it? Now, it's not that He needs what we have but He knows others that do, so when we are giving to them we are in fact giving a loan to God. And this is the perfect time to do it.  Here is how Proverbs 19:17 (MSG) puts it. It says, "Mercy to the needy is a loan to God, and God pays back those loans in full." And that is a loan we really do want and need to give. But we in our self-centered focus and our high opinions of what we think tend to want to give judgement...

Saturday... This is one of the reasons why. There are so many reasons why I have a relationship with God and here is one of them. Psalm 77:19-20 (NLT) says, "Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters - a pathway no one knew was there! You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep. with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds." I love reading on a daily basis the Bible and about how God has worked in other people's lives and the possibility of how He will work in my life.  Now the phrase that jumped out at me in these two verses is, "a pathway no one knew was there." Think of this, these people were being chased by a great army and they came up to the Red Sea. They thought they were trapped. From their perspective it was over. They had nowhere to turn. Maybe that is where you are. You are about to face a new year and life had brought you to a brick wall and you have nowhere to go and you are desperate. You don't have any ide...

Friday... Our city was built on this. Proverbs 16:33 (NLT) says, "We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall." I live in Las Vegas, Nevada and this city was built on gaming, throwing the dice. And a whole lot of people come to give it a try. There are hugh beautiful buildings built on the fact that most of them lose. The second part of this verse is also extremely important. It says, "but the Lord determines how they fall." Somehow we forget that God is a Sovereign God. That what happens in our lives is not totally on us but is on Him. We may throw the dice but He determines how they fall. Now in His plan He has given us a free will. His Sovereignty doesn't control our actions but the outcome goes through Him.  You see, our relationship determines a whole lot on how He responds. Let's say that you are a Christ follower and you have deep needs and you decide to throw the dice to meet those needs. The problem is you are depending on chance to...

Thursday... We use so many different methods at this time of the year. We use the method of you better watch out a whole lot. They even sell the Elf on the Wall to get our attention. I mean having someone sitting on a shelf and watching us and sending messages to Santa can really help on motivating us to being good. But the rest of the year we don't have the Santa Claus is coming as a mode of motivation but at this time of the year we use it a whole lot.  Being rewarded for being good or bad and the Santa Claus is coming to town is a tremendous motivation. But the reality is that God is always here. Proverbs 15:3 (NLT) says, "The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good." And I love that fact.   Psalm 75:1 says, "We thank you, O God! We give thanks because you are near. People everywhere tell of your wonderful deeds." I love the fact that is is near and that He is watching out for me and what I am doing and what is happening all...

Wednesday... Now let us catch hold of this today. The Psalmist writer of Psalm 74 had some discouraging words to say. He asks in verses 10-11 (NLT), "How long, O God, will you allow our enemies to insult you? Will you let them dishonor your name forever? Why do you hold back your strong right hand? Unleash your powerful fist and destroy them."  He does go on to say in verse 12, "You, O God, are my king from ages past, bringing salvation to the earth." And that is a good reminder. But the Old Testament had a different slant to how God worked. Now look at 2 Peter in the New Testament. The people who Peter was writing to also had gone through some difficult times. He says in verses 1b, "I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior." Jesus had come to earth to make a difference in how God works. He goes on in verse 2, "May God give you mor...

Tuesday... There is a whole lot of anxiety going on. There really is, isn't there? This is a very special, joyful time of the year but there is also a lot of stress and anxiety that comes with it so maybe 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) could be a great reminder for us. It says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." There are those around you who care for you but they don't have the resources that God has to take care of you. He really does care for you. And He is the only one who can take care of it all. Verses 6-7 in the Amplified Bible says, "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time, casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]." And that is a great reminder, isn't...

Monday... This is a great picture at what you may be going through. There are necessities that we normally go through but they have some difficulties coming from them. Look at this verse. Psalm 72:6 (AMP) says "May he come down like rain on the mown grass." Now we are in the season where our grass is not growing and when it is not growing then we don't need mowing but you may be in the season when in your personal growth you are growing but you may need to be mowed. And maybe that is what you are going through. The grass is growing but it needs to be mowed. I wonder if the difficulties that we go through are there to refine us and renew us and refocus us and make us better. To the grass the mowing may not be fun but it sure look good after it happens and then the rain is so refreshing. It is exactly what is needed after the difficulty. Stop and look at what you are going through. Does it have a purpose that makes you look better?  What if the grass said, "I never eve...

Saturday... Such honesty. He tells it like it is. I love the Psalms. David is so honest. He tells it like it is. We seem to think that after we become a follower of Christ, that everything goes our way and we always get up each morning ready to face our day. But David shows a different and honest view. Look at Psalm 70. In verse 4 (NLT) David writes, "But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, "God is great!" And may that be so.  But then verse 5 says, "But as for me," and here comes his honesty, "I am poor and needy; please hurry up my aid, O God. You are my helper and my savior; O Lord, do not delay." The Message says, "But I've lost it. I'm wasted. God - quickly, quickly! Quick to my side, quick to my rescue! God, don't lose a minute."  And that is where we are so many times, isn't it? And David shows that that is Ok. God always loves us and is...

Friday... The lights are really significant. They really are. I lived in El Paso, Texas for a bit and I loved the Luminaries there at Christmas. The Luminaries are a Mexican tradition where they place a lighted candle in sand in a sack to symbolize lighting the way to the manger. At the church where I was the Youth Pastor, we put out hundreds of Luminaries on Christmas Eve. The whole town was lit up with Luminaries. It was so beautiful. We this year have Luminaries on our walkway leading up to a nativity outside our front door. They are really significant to us. The lights of Christmas as so beautiful. We on the street of our new community have started the tradition of lights on and around our houses. And the Christmas lights are really significant. Our outsides are dark during the year but are lit up at Christmas. Look at what 1 Peter 2:9b (NLT) says, "you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light." Oh I know that the...

Thursday... There is so much more. This is a tremendous time of the year. Margaret and I ask for lists from the eight members of our family. I love it. We are half way from getting all their presents bought. It is such a fun time of the year. Now I'm sure for some, gold would be on their list. At least what it can buy. But the Bible has something to say about gold. My dad had a message he preached which was titled, Better than Gold, and his text was Proverbs 8:19 (KJV) and it says, "My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold." The NLT says, " My gifts are better than gold, even the purest gold." The MESSAGE says, "My benefits are worth more than a big salary, even a very big salary, the returns on me exceed my imaginable bonus." We need to be reminded of this, don't we? 1 Peter 1:4 (NLT) says, "And we have a priceless inheritance - an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay....

Wednesday... This is such a good thing to do. It really is! We have a part in making a difference in people's lives. We really do. The writer of Psalm 67:1-2 (NLT) says, "May God be merciful and bless us. May his face shine with favor on us. May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere." And that is so important. You see, we as Christ's followers are His examples of what He can do and has done in people's lives. The Message says, "God mark us with blessing and grace." And the world needs that to be shown by us especially to those who have wandered off. James in the NT talks about this. In 5:19-20 he says, "My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God's truth, don't write them off. Go after them. Get them back and you will have rescued precious lives from destruction and prevented an epidemic of wandering away from God." And we are in such an epidemic as that. And we have be...

Tuesday... We are so good at remembering from a bad slant. And there is power in that. The bad times in our past have the ability to hold us back but remembering the good from it also has great power. The writer of Psalm 66:5-6 (NIV) says, "Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind! He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot - come let us rejoice in him." And over and over the children of Israel are reminded of what happened at the Red Sea, of how they walked across on dry land. God saved them. Now we are celebrating one of those great miracles. It is the miracle of God sending His Son to earth to save us. And we need to "come and see what God has done and rejoice in him." There is power in remembering. I remember a truck that I got as a young child and the fun I had with it. I remember an American Flyer train that I got. It was used but it was a gift of love from my mom and dad. So many memories that we have from thi...

Monday... But it is more than words. Yes it is. Psalm 65:1 (MSG) says, "Silence is praise to you, Zion-dwelling God, and also obedience." It is so easy for us to think that it is all in what we say. James 3:13 says, "Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here is what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts." He goes on in verses 17 & 18, "Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor." The Amplified Bible says, "And the seed whose fruit is righteousness (spiritual maturity) is sown in pe...

Saturday... Maybe we need to reboot. I have been having some trouble the last two days at connecting to my Starbucks app so I've been going up and personally giving my order instead of online. Well I gave my personal order this morning and then set down and decided that I needed to reboot my phone and I did and it worked. Maybe we sometimes need to just reboot. We get in a rut and things just don't work out. We feel like we are having trouble connecting with our family and even God and maybe all we need to do is reboot. We need to step out of our rut, our routine and do things a little different. Maybe we are taking our family and even God for granted. David writes in Psalm 63:1, "O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water." Maybe he needed a reboot, a refocus. Maybe he needed a change of focus. In verses 5 (MSG) he says, "I eat my fill of prime rib...

Friday... So, where do you get it? Here are two answer to that question. Proverbs 6:6 (NLT) says, "For the Lord grants wisdom!" And then James 1:5 says, "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God." Now both of the writers of these statements knew what they were talking about. The first writer was Solomon the son of King David and he was known to be the wisest man in his time. God came to him and told him that He would give him anything he wanted and Solomon asked for wisdom.  And then James, the second writer grew up with the wisest man who ever lived. He was Jesus' human brother. They both knew what they were talking about. Now Solomon continues in verses 6-8, "For the Lord grants wisdom!" But he doesn't stop there. "From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him....

Thursday... So where does peace come from? Now it doesn't seem to be something that we see around us. We don't seem to be living in a world of peace, do we? I mean, there is that war over in Europe and the unrest in China. What about the unrest in our relationships?    So what does the writer of Proverbs 1:33 (NLT) mean when he says, "But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm." We want that don't we? The Amplified Bible says it this ways, "But whoever listens to me (Wisdom) will live securely and in confident trust and will be at ease, without fear or dread of evil." So this peace comes from something that I do.   Solomon starts this book, this chapter by saying in verses 1-4 (NLT), "These are the proverbs of Solomon, David's son, king of Israel. There purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successfu...