Wednesday... Where does it really start?

Now the word encouragement has different meanings. Yes, it means to encourage or lift up someone when they are discouraged or when they are down but it also means to encourage people to do what is right, to live the way God wants them to live.

I was reading this morning in Psalm 101 a word of encouragement by David, the writer of this Psalm and he said this in verse 1 (NLT), "I will sing of your love and justice, Lord. I will sing praise to you with songs." And that is so important for us to do. But he goes on. Verse 2 says, "I will be careful to live a blameless life - when will you come to help me? I will lead a life of integrity in my own home." The Message says, "I'm doing the best I can, and I'm doing it at home, where it counts." And we really do need God's help at home, don't we?

We can get up from praising God and start yelling at our kids and picking a fight with our wife or husband. Someone has said that our weakest link in our Christian life is at home. But we need to start each day with praising God and also asking for His help at being careful to live a blameless life at home, where it counts.

Have you ever had a fight on the way to church and then walked into church raising your hands in worship? And your kids are watching and your mate is watching.

David also writes in verse 3 (NIRV), "I won't look at anything that is evil and call it good." I didn't think they had tvs back in David's time.

He goes on in verses 4-5 (NLT), "I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil. I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors. I will not endure conceit and pride." And then he says in verse 6a, "I will search for faithful people." Who are your closest friends? Do they help you live a blameless life?

The Message says in verse 2, "I'm finding my way down the road of right living, but how long before you show up? I'm doing the best I can, and I'm doing it at home, where it counts." And we really do need God there helping us, don't we? And it really does start at home. 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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