Todays Beginning

Wednesday... Is he exaggerating? Is he? When I read Psalm 91, it is easy to think the writer is exaggerating, especially with what we have just gone through, but I believe he isn't. He really isn't. As I was outside this morning looking up into the blue sky and reminiscing about my life, looking back on the 76 years that I have lived I could see some difficult days in there but I could also see it as a whole, up to this point, as an unbelievable life. Look at verses 14-16 (NLT). "The Lord says, 'I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them with a long life and give them my salvation.'"  I have had the privilege of living 76 years. Now I believe that I have some more years ahead of me on this earth but at some point I will move over into a new life like my dad and mom and that will be an everlasting life. I believe that. But even if t...

Tuesday... Oh to be satisfied, glad, approved and successful. Moses is the writer of Psalm 90 and he prays a prayer we each one could pray each morning. In verse 14 (NLT) he prays, "Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives." Oh without a doubt, God's unfailing love goes way beyond our needs and our expectations and in that we can sing for joy. We each morning, each day, can tap into God's unfailing love. Oh I know we want family and friends around us who love us but we also have in the back of our mind and heart that we could do something that would cause them to quit loving us. Yes, their love is wonderful but their love is not unfailing. It is unbelievable and it can make such a difference in our lives but we aren't perfect and we can fail them and hurt them and in turn lose their love. But God's love is unfailing.  He goes on in verse 15. He says, "Give us gladness in proportion to our former mise...

Monday... He sometimes uses disagreement. He really does. Over in the Acts of the Apostles in the NT, there came up two points of disagreement that were used for good by God. One was the disagreement over whether new believers should be circumcised which was a requirement of the law of Moses before Jesus death and resurrection. Acts 15:1-2 (NLT) says, "When Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch of Syria. some men from Judea arrived and began to teach the believers: 'Unless you are circumcised as required by the law of Moses, you cannot be saved.' Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them, arguing vehemently." Now this disagreement needed to be faced with so many Gentiles coming to the faith. They needed to see how Jesus death and resurrection made a major difference in the law. A new view of the law came into view and it needed to be dealt with and redefined. Verse 4 says, "So the Apostles and elders met together to resolve this issue." So they dealt with this diffi...

Saturday... He has not left us. If we really look we will see Him. Over in Acts 14, Paul tells some people some good news. In verses 16-17 (NLT) he tells them about God and he says, "In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts." Now if we really look we will see God but we must not take what He does for granted. In Proverbs 27:23-27 (MSG), the writer says, "Know your sheep by name; carefully attend to your flocks; (Don't take them for granted; possessions don't last forever, you know.) And then when the crops are in and the harvest is stored in the barns, you can knit sweaters from lambs' wool, and sell your goats for profit; There will be plenty of milk and meat to last your family through the winter."  Two things, "but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodn...

Friday... He said this about him and He will about us too. The Apostle Paul was speaking to a group and talking about the past history of the Jews and he said this in Acts 13:22 (NLT). He was talking about the first two Kings of Israel and Paul said, "But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do." Wow, what a thing to say about a man. Well from that great recommendation, I have spent a lot of time in the book of Psalms of which King David wrote so many. David, of whom God said, "I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart." God believed in him and used him, even though he was imperfect. Well, I also read this morning one of his Psalms, Psalm 86 and over the years of reading this Psalm, I have highlighted a big portion of it. Look at verse 11 (AMP). David, a man after God's own heart wrote this. He said, "Teach ...

Thursday... What he intended didn't happen but what they intended did happen and they were surprised. In my reading in Acts 12 this morning two words in verses 4 & 5 (NLT) jumped out at me. Here is what the verses said, "Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover. But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him." The first word is intended and the second is prayed. Yes, things happen to us that are intended to imprison us, keep us in bondage and hurt us. The devil intends to harm us to get back at God. But, but is such an important word, but. What do you do when bad is happening to you? Yes it is happening because someone intends to hurt you and bring you down. But when we have things happen to us a very good thing is to ask our church or maybe they hear that we were going through a bad time or we earnestly pray or have our famil...

Wednesday... Yes, I will have it for today, tomorrow and the next day. We need this everyday. I'm sure you need it for today. Psalm 84:5 (NASB) says, "Blessed is the person whose strength is in You." And then verse 7a says, They go from strength to strength." Verse 5 in the NLT says, "What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem."  There is strength in focus. Verses 5-7 in The Message says, "And how blessed all those in whom you live, whose lives become roads you travel; They wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks, discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain! God-traveled, those roads curve up the mountain, and at the last turn - Zion! God in full view." There is strength in focusing on God each and every day. He doesn't give you the strength today for tomorrow. Each day is different. Today I'm in a valley, tomorrow by a spring and then there is a curve up a mou...

Tuesday... Two four letter words that are far apart. Both of them are found here in Proverbs 23:17-18 (AMP). The first one is the word envy. It is such an empty word. It has no power in it except to make us depressed, discouraged and dissatisfied.  Here is what it says, "Do not let your heart envy sinners [who live godless lives and have no hope of salvation]," And there is the other four letter word. It is the word hope. Here it is again, "Do not let your heart envy sinners [who live godless lives and have no hope of salvation], but [continue to] live in the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the Lord day by day. Surely there is a future [and a reward], and your hope and expectation will not be cut off." And there is a big, big difference in the two. So what is envy? It is a discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck. In no way does envy lift you up.  But hope is another thing. It is a feeling of expectation and a de...

Monday... And He loves them both and He knows what He is doing. I read Proverbs 22:2 (NLT) every month. Here is what it says, "The rich and poor have this in common: The Lord made them both." And He loves them both. He really does. He knows that some can handle being rich and some can handle being poor. He knows where we can really make a difference and He knows what will draw us to Him and what will drive us away. He knows us and He loves us and He doesn't love one person more than another. He knows what He is doing. He can be trusted. So how do you think you would handle being rich or handle being poor? He knows you and me way more than we do. He made us. By the way, He knows that you might not accept being poor and you need the challenge to become rich. He also knows if you would give if you are rich or if you would hoard. He knows us and He loves us and He created us and He has a purpose for us if we give Him our life. I like how The Message puts it, "The rich an...

Saturday... It is a difficult word but at certain times it is necessary. I go to two different coffee shops six days a week and I have problems with waiting for my drink. At one of them I pre-order and it is usually there when I walk in and the other one, they see me coming and they usually have it there when I walk in but today I had to wait.  I must have needed this verse today. Now waiting can be difficult but there is another word that I see in Proverbs 20:22 (AMP) that makes a big difference. Here is what the verse says, "Do not say, 'I will repay evil.'; wait [expectantly] for the Lord, and He will rescue and save you." Do you have some evil that has happened in your life and you are ready to do something about it? Taking care of evil toward you by someone else is not to be taken care of by you. It is not a do situation it is a waiting situation, waiting expectantly for God to take care of it. It is not a waiting with no hope, it is a waiting with expectancy. Ps...

Friday... But I'm in a hurry and I'm angry. I love being reminded each month as I read these verses in Proverbs 19.  Verse 2 (NLT) says, "Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good, haste makes mistakes." And verse 3, "People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord." For some it is always his fault. They think he causes all the bad in the world. Oh we may not stop and read his word on a daily basis, we are always in a hurry. We think we have the answers and without going to him in his word or striving to hear what his Spirit has to say, we do, do, do without listening, without seeking and then we blame. But it is not just us who does this. Psalm 79:9 says, "Help us, O God of our salvation! Help us for the glory of your name. Save us and forgive our sins for the honor of your name." And then verse 12, "O Lord, pay back our neighbors seven times for the scorn they have hurled at you." And if you do this, verse ...

Thursday... So let's set our hope anew. Many are coming to the end of another school year. They are preparing for and then taking tests to find out what they have learned. And then comes summer which leads them to another year. It is a cycle that we all have gone through. Now each new year, each new month, each new day has a cycle in it and so does each new generation. The writer of Psalm 78 in verses 2a-4 (NLT) says, "I will teach you hidden lessons from our past - stories we have heard and known, stories our ancestor handed down to us. We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his wonders." When we were young our mom would tell us a story from the Bible every night before we went to sleep. And they have stayed with me. Both of our parents taught us hidden lessons, stories about the glorious deeds of the Lord and about his power and his wonders. And it has made a major diffe...

Wednesday... So what kind of trouble are we in today? We all can have trouble about us. Trouble came about because of Adam and Eve and their doing what God told them not to do. And so trouble entered this world. Yes, we all can have trouble. So what do we do? Psalm 77:2 (AMP) says, "In the day of my trouble I [desperately] sought the Lord." Verse 1 says, "My voice rises to God, and I will cry aloud. My voice rises to God, and He will hear me."  Now some don't have that kind of relationship with the true God. Their god doesn't start with a capital G. And they have no memory of anything thing that their god did for them but if our God starts with a capital G then there are memories of His helping us in times of trouble and a good place to start in our time of trouble is to remember what He has done before. That gives us confidence, that strengthens our faith. The Psalmist writes in verses 11-12, "I will [solemnly] remember the deeds of the Lord; Yes, I wi...

Tuesday... We can get so distracted. I am sitting here in my coffee shop and there is a big window looking out on a mountain and I am here striving to get a thought to write. Now the view can distract me until a thought or a word comes to me and the word for today is the word distracted and I now no longer see the mountain.  Now life has so many distractions that can get us off the path that God has for us. Proverbs 16:17 (NLT) says, "The highway of the upright avoids evil; those who guard their ways preserve their lives." Without a doubt, evil can be a major distraction. Even as Christians we can get so distracted by all the evil that is around us to the point that we lose sight of God and his plan and his glory and his greatness. The Amplified Bible says, "The highway of the upright turns away and departs from evil; He who guards his way protects his life (soul)." So let's not get distracted by evil. Verse 20 (NLT) says , "Whoever gives heed to instructio...

Monday... So, what do we talk about? Psalm 75:1 (NIRV) says, "God we praise you. We praise you because you are near to us. People talk about the wonderful things you have done."  When we see someone from afar we have a different view of who they are and what they look like and in talking about them we describe them differently than from someone who is close to us, who we really know. Now we all have an opinion but is it the right opinion. Now if I don't go to church, if I have never read the Bible or know anyone who has a relationship with God then I have a different view of God and it may not be a correct view but it controls what I think of him.  There are some sho people play the blame game with God. A baby gets cancer, it's God's fault. A person's house burns down and they lose everything, then it's God's fault. Now that makes sense if you don't really know God. And of course that view means that you don't want to have a relationship with a...

Saturday... A longing fulfilled is so sweet. I am about to have another birthday. The number is really not that important except that is has longevity attached to it. And there is some benefit attached to longevity. I have found that many who in their older years have not found life to be fulfilling but I have. I love doing what I do everyday and it really is fulfilling to me. I understand what Proverbs 13:19 (NIV) means when it says, "A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest running from evil." The NLT says, "It is pleasant to see dreams come true, but fools refuse to turn from evil to attain them." God for sure is each and every day fulfilling a dream he has put in my life. I love doing what I am doing right now. Sharing a word from God's Word to those who need something to encourage them six days a week.  Now that is not true of everyone. The writer of Psalm 73:1-3 says, "Truly God is so good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure. B...

Friday... It doesn't overtake us. He uses it. I was reviewing yesterday and some of the troubles that people are going through and I found this phrase this morning in Proverbs 12:21 (NIV). It says, "No harm overtakes the righteous, but the wicked have their fill of trouble." Now we all do have trouble but it doesn't need to harm us, or overtake us. We need to see that today. That is what having a relationship with God does for us. Our troubles do not harm us or overtake us because we have a God who uses all things for our good and his glory.  I just finished yesterday reading the Gospels and today I started reading the Acts of the Apostles. The Apostles had just gone through an impossible situation. There leader had been killed and now it was all on them. Really, really a bad time but was it? Yes, Jesus left them in his physical presence but he left his Spirit to live within them and empower them and change them. God took something bad and turned it into good.  Those ...

Thursday... How do we handle it?  How do we handle advice? Especially if we didn't ask for it? My dad always said, "Advice not asked for stinks." I've tried to live by that when I am thinking about giving advice when the other person hasn't asked for it. But it may be a good thing for us to listen. God speaks to us in so many different ways. I love the story in the last chapter of John where the disciples after Jesus had been killed and then He had showed Himself to them and it seemed like they didn't know what to do so they went back to what they knew to do, they went fishing. That is what they did before Jesus ask them to follow Him. They did what they knew to do but they were having a difficult time catching fish. John 21:3b (NLT) says, "So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing." Verse 4 goes on, "At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn't see who he was." Verse 5, "He called out, 'Fello...

Wednesday... They give so much insight and wisdom. I don't know how long I have been reading a chapter in Proverbs everyday. Today is the 10th day of this month and I read chapter 10. They give so much insight and wisdom. Verse 2 (NLT) says, "Tainted wealth has no lasting value, but right living can save your life." The Message says, "Ill gotten gain gets you nowhere; an honest life is immortal." But you might say, 'I need money, money any way I can get it" But that isn't the whole truth. You can also lose it fast.  Verse 3, "God won't starve an honest soul, but he frustrates the appetites of the wicked." The Amplified Bible says it this way, "The Lord will not allow the righteous to hunger [God will meet all his needs], but he will reject and cast away the cravings of the wicked." And then verse 4 (NLT), "Lazy people are soon poor, hard workers get rich." The NIRV says, "Hands that don't want to work make ...

Tuesday... But I don't deserve this. Look at these two portions of scripture. Verses 20-21 (NLT), "Their insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. If only one person would show some pity; if only one would turn and comfort me, But instead, they give me poison for food; they offer me sour wine." And then verse 29, "A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips." The first one is in Psalm 69 written by King David and the second one is in John 19 talking about Jesus who was on a cross being killed for us and for sure he didn't deserve what was being done to him but he knew that God was at work and Jesus trusted him. There are going to be things that happen to us that we don't deserve and here is the key, we are not better than Jesus. Life can be rough and we don't deserve so much of what happens but we are not going through it without God. There is a lot of sour wine t...

Monday... This is true and has been proven true. So let's believe it! I don't know what you are facing today. I'm sure that for some of you your burden is so very heavy. And David writes in Psalm 68:19 (NIV), "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burden." He daily bears our burden. The NLT says, "Praise the Lord; praise God our savior! For each day he carries us in his arms."  The Amplified Bible says, "Blessed be the Lord, who bears our burden day by day, the God who is our salvation." You may have felt a lift when you sang those songs at church this past weekend. You may have felt that lift when that person came and put their arm around you and said, "I'm praying for you."  Maybe they even stopped and prayed for you and that gave you a lift. Maybe you have awakened this morning and in reading this blog you feel a lift. Those are ways that you may feel a lift but here is the key, he is with you every minu...

Saturday... We wonder sometimes about this. Now David knew exactly about this and he wrote in Psalm 66:18 (NLT), "If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." Have you ever wondered why it seems God is not answering our prayers? And David personally knew about this. He had sinned against God and because of that he had lost his connection with God and Nathan, a prophet came and let him know what had happened and David here in verses 16-20 says to us, "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. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened, 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."  We need to know that in the day in which we live. Solomon, David's son reminds us of some things that God hates. In Proverbs 6:16-19 he w...

Friday... But it is just for us. We have a tendency to think that we are the only ones that God loves. I mean the Bible is in English but the truth is it didn't start that way. It was translated from its original language into English. We are not the only ones who matter to God even though we think we are. We seem to think that COVID was just in the United States but it was all over the world. We really can have a high opinion of our worth even though Christ died for all of the world. Now Psalm 65:8-9a (NLT) which was originally written in Hebrew says, "Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy. You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile." We tend to think that God only takes care of us but he takes care of the whole earth. So is there a danger in us only caring for us and our needs? Now maybe we need to sit back and realize that God doesn't just b...

Thursday... So where are you headed, what path are you on? And this is such an important question.  Solomon over in Proverbs 4 gives some very good insight into this question. He says in verse 23 (AMP), "Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life." The NLT says, "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." What is it that is directing your life, where are you headed? He goes on in verse 24 (AMP), "Put away from you a deceitful (lying, misleading mouth), and put devious lips far from you." Have you worked or been with people that you can't trust what they say?  Earlier verses 18-19 (MSG) says, "The way of right-living people glow with light; the longer they live, the brighter they shine. But the road of wrongdoing gets darker and darker - travelers can't see a thing; they fall flat on their faces." Some people are so dishonest and when they stumble, and they will stumble,...

Wednesday... Do you have trouble in the night? That can be a time with we are vulnerable and when all of our problems and unresolved issues seem to attack us in our sleep. David in Psalm 63 was out in the wilderness of Judah. Night can be that to many of us. It seems that we can get lost and everyone is asleep and we feel all alone.  Well, David gives some very good advice. In verse 6 (AMP) he says, "When I remember You on my bed, I meditate and thoughtfully focus on You in the night watches." Life and its difficulties love to attack us in the night watches but it is also a great time to focus not on them but to meditate and thoughtfully focus on God in those night watches.  David continues the thought in verses 7-8 and shows us what we are to meditate and thoughtfully focus on about God. In verses 7-8 he says, "For you have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings [where I am always protected] I sing for joy." The whole key here is to change our focus in our w...

Tuesday... His honesty is such an encouragement. King David, the writer of many of the Psalms in the Old Testament has deep emotions, deep feelings. His honesty is so encouraging.   Here in Psalm 62:3 (NLT) he says, "So many enemies against one man - all of the trying to kill me. To them I'm just a broken-down wall or a tottering fence." Do you ever start your day feeling like you are a broken-down wall or a tottering fence? But he doesn't stop there and that is why the Psalms are so important to me as I start each day. Yes, I too have my days where I feel like a broken-down wall and a tottering fence. He goes on in verses 5-8, "Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation." Not my emotions, not what other people think. "He alone is my rock and my salvation. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me." And then, and this is so good, "O ...

Monday... This is a such good thing to do but. Psalm 61:1-3 (NLT) says, "O God, listen to my prayer! From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me."  And that is such a good thing to do but what if his response is different than our expectation? How do we handle that? Over in John 11 there was a situation that didn't happen the way that some who were close to Jesus expected but it shows how he responded and why. The friends where Lazarus, Mary and Martha and it seems that Lazarus was very sick and they sent word to Jesus what was happening. And their expectation was that he would come and heal him. They were his close friends and they knew he had healed others so they expected him to come at once. But he didn't. So how do you handle it when God doesn't deal with your situation the way that you expect him to? It can reall...