Todays Beginning

Tuesday... Yes He did, and yes He does! I sat down at my Starbucks this morning and looked out the window and there they were. The mountains have a little snow on them. And then I started reading and Psalm 148:5 (MSG) said, "He spoke the word, and there they were!" There they are. God did that. Yes He did, yes He did! Verse 6 says, "He set them in place from all time to eternity; He gave his orders."   He goes on, verses 8-12 says, "Fire and hail, snow and ice, hurricanes obeying his orders; Mountains and all hills, apple orchards and cedar forests; Wild beasts and herds of cattle, snakes, and birds in flight; Earth kings and all races, leaders and important people, robust men and women in their prime, and yes, graybeards and little children." And yes, "graybeards and little children." I am a graybeard. That's me. That's me. There are some times that we need to just stop and realize Who He is and what He has done. Verses 5-6 (NLT) says, ...

Monday... We do so much to get it but do we really want it?  Do we really want attention? Do clothes, color and styling our hair get it? What about our talent, our abilities? We do so much for attention, don't we?  Well the writer of Psalms 147 thought it was what people wanted so in verse 11a (MSG) he writes. "Those who fear God get God's attention." Oh I, know in one sense we fear getting God's attention. We are afraid that He will see the wrong that we are doing. But this kind of fear is different than that. We want this kind of attention. And it is important to know that "Those who fear God get God's attention" isn't it?  Verses 10 - 11 in the Amplified Bible says, "He does not delight in the strength (military power) of the horse, nor does he take pleasure in the legs (strength) of a man. The Lord favors those who fear and worship Him, [with awe-inspired obedience], those who wait for mercy and lovingkindness."   We too many times ...

Saturday... We search for it but do we know it when we see it. It all depends upon our definition. Psalm 145:3 (AMP) says, " Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised, and His greatness is [so vast and profound as to be] unsearchable [incomprehensible to man]." And that is why it is so hard for us to really know it when we see it. But I do believe that "Great is the Lord" and my belief in that as a fact makes all the difference in how I face each day and live with confidence in each day. Verses 4 & 5 (NLT) says, "Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles."  My parents did that. They gave their lives to share that. And that is a major reason why I believe it and I too am sharing and living it as a fact. I just finished this morning the book of Matthew in the NT. It was the first book to introduce us to Jesus and the life He li...

Friday... You just get up. What do you do when you trip and fall? When I was 5 my Grandma Williams decided that it was time for me and my 4 year old sister to get up in her small church and sing. She practiced with us and when it was our time to sing, I tripped and fell and then hopped over to where we were supposed to sing. That is one way to handle tripping and falling. The writer of Proverbs in 24:16 (NIV) says, "The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked." Verses 15 & 16 in The Message says, "Don't interfere with good people's lives; don't try to get the best of them. No matter how many times you trip them up, God-loyal people don't stay down long; Soon they're up on their feet, while the wicked end up flat on their faces." Don't waste the tripping and falling, get up and learn from it and make use of the experience. There may be something there to share with others w...

Thursday... It can get very deep.  David it seems had it sometimes. In Psalm 143:7 He writes, "Come quickly, Lord, and answer me, for my depression deepens. Don't turn away from me or I will die." Now there is chemical depression where you need medicine to deal with it and then there is emotional depression which is what it seems David had here in this Psalm. And life can bring it on to the point that you feel like your going to die. Maybe that is where you are or have been or where someone you know is. It can be so difficult to deal with. He says in verse 4, "I am losing all hope; I am paralyzed with fear." Losing hope can take us to a dark spot and also living in great fear. No wonder he was depressed. But he goes on. In verses 5 & 6 he says, "I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done. I lift my hands to you in prayer. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain."  He then says in verse 8a,...

Wednesday... The word overwhelmed says so much. It really does. David the writer of Psalm 142 was trapped in a cave with no way out. King Saul was outside looking for him so he could kill him. To David that was what it meant to be overwhelmed. He was trapped with no way out. He just needed to wait and see if those looking for him would leave but of course he knew they could come in the cave and find him. Now what is overwhelming you may not be that but I'm sure you are feeling trapped. In verse 4 (NLT) he writes, "I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me." That is what you feel when you are overwhelmed, isn't it? He is letting us know what he feels when he is alone and overwhelmed but that isn't all that he says.  In verses 1-2 David writes, "I cry out to the Lord; I plead for the Lord's mercy. I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles....

Tuesday... It isn't always a straight line. I know we don't use maps anymore but I still like to look at them. Have you ever looked at a map of the United States and looked at the boundaries of the states? Some of them are straight but others are crooked. Now if you look at the crooked boundaries you will see they are usually rivers and rivers are never a straight line.  Now straight lines are so clean and they are shorter. We alway want to get to where we are going the fastest way because we are usually running late but maybe the fastest or the shortest or the most direct is not the best.  Proverbs 21:1 (NLT) says, "The king's heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord; he guides it wherever he pleases."   Now we may like to live our life in a straight line. Get up the same time, go to work the same way, eat the same thing.  We like to live our life in a routine. That is an effective way to live but maybe that is not God's way. He has some different...

Monday... He understood and knew what to do. King David understood. Oh he was a king but he also had so much trouble and so many difficulties. We can relate to him in so many ways and that is why I love to read his Psalms in the OT. Look at how he starts Psalm 140. He says in verse 1 (MSG), "God, get me out of here, away from this evil; protect me from these vicious people" Now we could say that, couldn't we? Verse 2 says, "All they do is think up new ways to be bad; they spend their days plotting war games." And I like how he ends this Psalm. In verses 12-13 he says, "I know that you, God, are on the side of victims, that you care for the rights of the poor. And I know that the righteous personally thank you, that good people are secure in your presence." Maybe that is what you needed to hear today. Listen, if you are a victim, God is on your side. Yes He is.  Solomon, David's son gives some great advice in handling difficult and vicious people. H...

Saturday... And we too can. King David, the writer of Psalm 138 had days where He needed help. And he gave us an example of what to do when we face those difficult days. In verse 3 (AMP) he said, "On the day I called, You answered me; And You make me bold and confident with [renewed] strength in my life." He then said in verse 7, "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me."  And He will do the same for us. He really will. Over in Matthew 22 it tells of another man who was going through a tough day. Jesus, God in human form was having these religious leaders trying to trap Him. They wanted to find a good reason to arrest Him. Verse 15 says, "Then the Pharisees went and conspired together plotting how to trap Him by [distorting] what He said." And then verse 23, "On that day some Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection [of the dead]...

Friday... It starts and then it cannot be stopped. It many times starts with a thought. You're listening to someone tell what they think and a thought goes through your mind that you disagree. You have a different opinion. Now what they are saying isn't really something that is totally wrong but it is different than what you think so you state what you think. Proverbs 17:14 (AMP) says, "The beginning of strife is like letting out water [as from a small break in a dam, first it trickles and then it gushes]." The Message says, "The start of a quarrel is like a leak in a dam." Think about the last quarrel that you had with your spouse or your kids, your parents or just a person you didn't really know. Was what they said really that wrong and what you said was really that right? Was it really that important what you said. But you did and it started as a small comment and ended with hurt feelings and a broken relationship. Was it really that important? The re...

Thursday... 26 times we are reminded. How did your Valentine's Day go? That is a day that we reinforce, we express our love to others. We do it by giving cards, candy, gifts or even by going out for a meal and for some by giving them a kiss. I hope it was a very special day for you but for some it was a very lonely day. They had no one to tell them they were loved.  But Psalm 136 is a reminder of a love that is everlasting to everyone. 26 times we are reminded that we are loved. The Amplified Bible sets this chapter up by saying, "The ancient rabbis said that the twenty-six verses of this Psalm correspond to the twenty-six generations from Adam to Moses. They maintain that since these generations were not given the Torah (Law), they could not earn merit and were sustained by God's 'lovingkindness'"  Now 26 times a statement is given and then another statement is repeated 26 times, a statement of which we all need to be reminded. Verses 1-4 in the NIV says, ...

Wednesday... It really does. Have you found that the way we respond to a question make so much difference in how it is received? It really does. Proverbs 15:1 (AMP) says, "A soft and gentle and thoughtful answer turns away wrath, but harsh and painful and careless words stir up anger." And then verse 2, "The tongue of the wise speaks knowledge that is pleasing and acceptable, but the [babbling] mouth of fools spouts folly." There is a whole lot of yelling going on and no one is listening but they are responding to the yelling and it is raising their emotions. But they aren't listening, they are responding. The NLT puts it this way, "A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness." Verse 4 (MSG) says, "Kind words heal and help; cutting words wound and maim." Now verse 15 shows where our responses come from. It says, "A mi...

Tuesday... Disappointments can shake our confidence. They really can. Confidence is very important in facing difficulties and disappointment. How confident are you when you are really disappointed in how a situation comes out? It can cause you not to try again. Let's say you got a bicycle given to you and you finally get enough confidence to get on it and ride. But you get on it by yourself because you are a very confident person and you fall and skin your knees. And that disappointment makes you less confident the next time you try. You may not even try a next time. But let's say your dad is by your side and he now has his hand on the bike balancing it as you try to ride it again. Your confidence is strengthened by your father's hand being there on the bike and you may wobble some but you finally will get your balance and you will start riding with confidence for the first time. Maybe you woke up this morning with disappointment. Something you wanted hasn't happened. I...

Monday... Oh if we really see seriously. Now Jesus, the Son of God came to this earth with a definite purpose. He found 12 guys to help Him to fulfill this purpose, to help them really see who He was and why He came. Matthew 17 tells of His taking three of the 12 up on a high mountain. Verse 3 (NLT) says, "Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus." And that was amazing to see these OT prophets but then verses 5-8 says, "a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, 'This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to Him.' The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground. Then Jesus came over and touched them. 'Get up,' he said. 'Don't be afraid.' And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they only saw Jesus." But I'm sure they saw Him differently and maybe even seriously. Now they came down from the mountain and a crowd met them and there was a man who had a s...

Saturday... There can be a calmness in our life. Yes there can. Psalm 131:1-2a (NLT) says, "My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matter or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed myself." The Message says, "I've kept my feet on the ground, I've cultivated a quiet heart." I have calmed myself, I've cultivated a quiet heart. Over in Proverbs 11:2 in the Amplified Bible it says, "When pride comes [boiling up with an arrogant attitude of self-importance], then come dishonor and shame, but with the humble [the teachable who have been chiseled by trial and who have learned to walk humbly with God] there is wisdom and soundness of mind." Boiling up with an arrogant attitude of self-importance doesn't sound like calmness but soundness of mind does and that comes from walking humbly with God. Calmness doesn't come from being proud but it does come from being humble, being dependent on Go...

Friday... He is so different, and can make such a difference. Some people are just like accountants. They remember every wrong, every slight, every hurt that we have done to them. One guy who was telling of a fight he had with his wife, said, "She became historical. She told me everything that I had ever done wrong." That is so true of many people. But is it true of God? Some think it is. Well the writer of Psalm 130:3 & 4 (NIV) says, "If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you."  It is hard to have a good relationship with someone who is keeping a record of every wrong that we have ever done. But there are some families like that. There is that one who always remembers where you have blown it. But there is one thing that will wipe the slate clean. It is called forgiveness. Now confession is the key to forgiveness but if the one I am confessing to doesn't forgive me then ...

Thursday... How do we handle annoyances? And we have a lot of them, don't we? At least make out that we do by the way we act. Well Jesus had a couple of those annoying times at least to us they would be annoying. Matthew 14 tells of a death of a close friend of Jesus. His name was John. He had been killed by King Herod and verse 12 (NLT) says, "John's disciples came for his body and buried it. They then went and told Jesus what had happened."  Now what do you do when you hear really bad news?  Well, verse 13a says, "As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone." And that's what we do. We tell our family that we need to be alone. But what if they don't let you, how do you respond to the annoyance of someone breaking in to your alone time? What are you doing? I said, I need to be alone, is a usual response, isn't it? I love the Bible. It picks up where we live and the annoyances of where we live. The rest of verse...

Wednesday... It really is true, it really is. I love what the Psalmist writes in Psalm 128:1-2 (MSG). It is so true and it is a good thing to stop and revel in it. Here is what he says, "All you who fear God, how blessed you are! How happily you walk on his smooth straight road! You worked hard and deserve all you've got coming. Enjoy the blessing! Soak in the goodness!" And we need to do more of that, don't we?. We really do need to soak in the goodness of how blessed we are. Now we do soak in the despair. It comes in so easily especially if we are online or streaming. It seems like everyone is at war with someone. And we as God-followers need to stop and dwell on how blessed we really are.   The Amplified Bible puts it this way, "Blessed [happy and sheltered by God's favor] is everyone who fears the Lord [and worships Him with obedience], who walks in His ways and lives according to His commandments. You will be happy and blessed and it will be well with yo...

Tuesday... It is useless, unless. In his time, Solomon was the wealthiest and the wisest man living. And in Psalm 127:1 (NLT) he writes, "Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good." He says "Unless the Lord, Unless the Lord." He goes on in verse 2 and says, "It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones." That last part of verse 2 the Amplified Bible says,,"For He gives [blessings] to His beloved even in his sleep." It is useless for us to do anything unless the Lord is a part of it. We cannot make a life on our own, it is useless to try. Oh Solomon was the richest man in his time but God was the one who gave it to him and in Solomon's wisdom he realized that fact. Now God blesses hard work. God gives blessings to those who work hard for Hi...

Monday... It can be done. I have lived in two different deserts in my life. I have lived in the Sonoran and the Mojave deserts and I have seen what water can do. I have also seen what can happen if the water supply is running low.  And the writer of Psalm 126 uses the desert as an example of our lives. He prays in verse 4 (NLT), "Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew the desert." We have had some rains this past year that are helping our water supply here in Las Vegas, in the Mojave desert. Water makes all the difference in the desert. And God makes all the difference in our lives. Now maybe this could be your prayer today. Verses 4-6 (MSG) says, "And now, God, do it again - bring rains to our drought-stricken lives so those who planted their crops in despair will shout, 'Yes!' at the harvest, so those who went off with heavy hearts will come home laughing with armloads of blessing." And that can be true in our lives today. Jesus over in Matthew 11:28...

Saturday... It is great when everything fits. I love IKEA. There is so much there to buy but if you do buy something you will probably have to put it together.  Are you a person who thinks you can do it without the instructions? How many times do you come down to the end and there is one piece and you just can't get it to fit? And that can be frustrating because you didn't read and follow the instructions, can't it? I can have trouble at the beginning with following instructions but I love them at the end when the pieces all fit together. I am finding that true coming down to the last years of life. Psalm 119:165 (MSG) says, "For those who love what you reveal, everything fits - no stumbling in the dark for them." The NLT puts it this way, "Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble." And that is so true. It really is. We have a great puppy. Well he is almost a year old and over 40 lbs so I guess he is almost not a puppy but we ...

Friday... We see things differently and it can make such a difference. Over in Matthew 9 there is a story that shows how differently we can see things. Verses 32b-34 (NLT) says, "... a demon possessed man was brought to Jesus. So Jesus cast out the demon, and then the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed. 'Nothing like this has ever happened in Israel' they explained." But the Pharisees said, 'He can cast out demons because he is empowered by the prince of demons.'"  Here we have two different views of the same experience.  The Message Paraphrase says, "The people were up on their feet applauding; 'There's never been anything like this in Israel!' The Pharisees were left sputtering, 'Smoke and mirrors. It's nothing but smoke and mirrors. He's probably made a pact with the Devil.'" Our view makes such a difference. It really does. It really does. Proverbs 3:21-26 says, "Dear friends, guard Clear Thinking and...

Thursday... Two responses to difficult situations.  How do you handle difficult situations? Over in Matthew 8, Jesus faces two difficult situations with two different responses. The first situation was that a Roman captain came up to Him in a panic. He said to Jesus in verse 6 (MSG), "Master, my servant is sick. He can't walk. He's in terrible pain." In verses 7-8, "Jesus says, 'I'll come and heal him.' 'Oh, no,' said the captain, 'I don't want to put you to all that trouble. Just give the order and my servant will be fine.'" And then verse 13, "Then Jesus turned to the captain and said, 'Go, What you believed could happen has happened.' At that moment his servant became well." Later in verses 23-25 it says, "Then he got into a boat, his disciples with him. The next thing they knew, they were in a storm. Waves were crashing into the boat - and he was fast sleep! They roused him, pleading, 'Master, sa...

Wednesday... What or who do you look up to? Does someone come to your mind? Well, it is both a what and a who that comes to my mind.  I love today's Psalm. It is a Psalm that has held me steady and it speaks of both the what and the who. And I was emotional as I read it this morning. Psalm 121:1 (MSG) says, "I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains?" I do look up to them and they make me remember but I don't get my strength from them. And then verse 2 says, "No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains." I love that verse.  So many get great peace and solitude and encouragement from being in nature. It is a great place to be. This morning, I am looking out on our foothills and as I was driving in to my coffee shop I could see Mt. Charleston and all the snow on it. I love those mountains but nature is just the middleman. They didn't just happen by themself, God created them. They are a reminder of God a...