Thursday... He really knows us and he won't.

I love the Psalms and their honesty. The writer of the longest Psalm, Psalm 119 at the end of the first section says something that I know we all feel at some time in our life. Verse 8 (NLT) says, "I will obey your degrees. Please don't give up on me."

At 76 years of age I still need to pray that prayer. "Please don't give up on me." I love the honesty of the Psalms.

It is so easy for us to give up on people, isn't it? They maybe don't live up to our standards but God gives us grace and help and so should we.

Verses 4-8 says, "You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your degrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should! I will obey your degrees. Please don't give up on me!"

That is so good. That shows our desire and our commitment to live as he wants us to live but it also shows our need for his grace and his help. Now if we aren't trying, then that is something different.

How gracious are we with our family, with our friends, with our church? We have not arrived and neither have they. And maybe our prayer could be, Please let us not give up on them.

The Message puts it this way, "I'm going to do what you tell me to do; don't ever walk off and leave me." We need him, we do. We can't do it alone. And they need us and him too!

The Amplified Bible says it this way, "I shall keep Your statutes; Do not utterly abandon me [when I fail]." We really do need him. We think we have what it takes in ourselves but the truth is we need his grace and we need his help, don't we? Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

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Tuesday... It is so worth it. It really is!

Tuesday... It is so worth it. It really is! Look at this, Proverbs 5:21-23 (CEV) says, "The Lord sees everything, and he watches us closely. Sinners are trapped and caught by their own evil deeds. They get lost and die because of their foolishness and lack of self-control." That is true of so many. Now look at this, Luke 15:1-7 says, "Tax collectors and sinners were all crowding around to listen to Jesus. So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses started grumbling, 'This man is friendly with sinners. He even eats with them.' Then Jesus told them this story: If any of you has 100 sheep, and one of them gets lost, what will you do? Won't you leave the 99 in the field and go look for the lost sheep until you find it? And when you find it, you will put it on your shoulder and carry it home. Then you will call in your friends and neighbors and say, 'Let's celebrate! I've found my lost sheep.' Jesus said, 'In the same way there is mo

Tuesday... Let's be smart.

Tuesday... Let's be smart. Proverbs 12:16a (CEV) says, "Losing your temper is foolish." It really is. And it is so hard to take it back. That is not smart. There are always consequence when we lose our temper and they are usually not good. Think of the last time you lost your temper at home, at your kids, at your spouse, at your pets. at your life, at where you live, at where you work. There are always repercussions and they are not good. The New Living Translation says, "A fool is quick-tempered." The Message says, "Fools have short fuses and explode all too quickly." The Amplified Bible says, "The [arrogant] fool's anger is quickly known [because he lacks self-control and common sense]." It just is not a good thing. is it? But then the rest of this verse, this proverb (CEV) says, "ignoring an insult is smart." It really is. I have striven in dealing with people to give them a benefit of doubt. They didn't mean that, they

Friday... But, can be such a beautiful word.

Friday... But, can be such a beautiful word. It really can be life changing. Look at what Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians. In 2:1-3 (NLT) he says, "Once you were dead because of your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil - the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else." There it is, there it is. That is the way we are living or have lived. Dead is a definite word of finality. At least the devil thought so and maybe you do too. And then verses 4-5 starts by saying, "But", that beautiful life changing word of opportunity even though we are dead. Yes, we are subject to God's anger, "But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even t

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