Todays Beginning

Saturday... But it always works. There was a book that was written a long time ago that had a great impact on the world. It had an impact on me. It was written by Norman Vincent Peale and called The Power of Positive Thinking. There is power in positive thinking but it doesn't always work the way we want it to. Look at this verse written by Paul who was in prison to his friend Philemon. In 1:22 (NLT) he writes, "One more thing - please prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that God will answer your prayers and let me return to you soon." Now the positive thinker or the prayer warrior would say it is done but Paul never made it out of prison. What happened? We seem to be looking even in our Christian experience to find a way to get what we want, what we hope for. We say it, we claim it and it happens. We want that power, don't we? But the key is to not get what we want but to live out what God wants, what he is planning and to trust him. It's all in living o...

Friday... Here is a great way to start your day. We have so many ways that we start our day. So many times it is easy to start by remembering what the day before was like. David in Psalm 59 had so much trouble all around him and that is where he could have started. He could have been discouraged even before the day started and that can also be true of us. I won't go through all the negatives that are happening around us but it can really be discouraging, especially if we start our day by turning on the News or Instagram or Facebook or whatever we follow.  Now they didn't have radios and computers and TVs back in David's day but there were always people around him telling him all the bad news. Verses 14-15 says, "My enemies come out at night, snarling like vicious dogs as they prowl the streets. They scavenge for food but go to sleep unsatisfied." So much of what we feed on doesn't satisfy us, does it? Another way to say it is, "Or growl if they don't ...

Thursday... This is so true! Have you found it true? Proverbs 28:1 (MSG) says, "The wicked are edgy with guilt, ready to run off even when no one's after them; Honest people are relaxed and confident, bold as lions." Have you found that true? You tell a lie and you're on edge because you are afraid you will be found out. Or whatever sin has you in its grasp. You try to be confident but the guilt keeps you looking over your shoulder, hoping you won't be found out. Look at this one. Verse 4 says, "If you desert God's law, you're free to embrace depravity; if you love God's law, you fight for it tooth and nail."  Now this one is tough. Verse 9 (NLT) says, "God detests the prayers of a person who ignores the law?" I don't think a lot of people realize that. Here is an important one. Verse 13 says, "People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy." It may seem ...

Wednesday... It really can make a difference. Our hungering really does make a difference. Proverbs 27:7 (NLT) says, "A person who is full refuses honey, but even bitter food tastes sweet to the hungry." Let's say you are in a very good situation. No problems, no real difficulties, so you have no desire for a deeper relationship with God. You have it all handled. You're full, you're not hungry. You don't want anything it seems from God even though you need it. You don't feed on God's Word, you don't connect with God through prayer. you've got it handled. You're not hungering after a relationship with God that feeds you each day. And therein is a real problem. You're hungering can make such a difference in your circumstances and your circumstances can make a difference in your being hungry.  I am going to the Doctor today not because I am sick. I'm going because I need a checkup. Now I would never go to see a Doctor because I feel gr...

Tuesday... What can they really do? King David in Psalm 56:4b (NLT) asks this question, "What can mere mortals do to me?" I know, I know, there is a lot that they can do and are doing. And we too many times live in fear of what others can do, don't we? When we live a life without God, there is so much that they can do. Oh I know that mere mortals are messing us up in a lot of ways but it is only if we let them. David says in verse 3 and the whole of verse 4, "But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?" And that question is put into a different perspective. Later in verses 8-11 he says, "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. My enemies will retreat when I call for help. This I know, God is on my side. I praise God for what he has promised; yes, I praise Go...

Monday... What do we need today and where do we go to find it? Those are good questions on a Monday morning. Well, the Apostle Paul in his second letter to young Timothy has a great idea. He says in 3:16-17 (NIRV), "God has breathed life into all Scripture. It is useful for teaching us what it true. It is useful for correcting our mistakes. It is useful for making our lives whole again. It is useful for training us to do what is right. By using Scripture, the servant of God can be completely prepared to do every good thing." Look at that again, "By using Scripture, the servant of God can be completely prepared to do every good thing." Now that is a great place to go. I read this, this morning. Psalm 55:1-2 (NLT) says, "Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not ignore my cry for help! Please listen and answer me, for I am overwhelmed" I love reading the Psalms everyday. There is always an encouraging word there. Are you overwhelmed? King David, the writer of this ...

Saturday... There may be another way that is better. We are living in a world of confrontation, aren't we? We have all these opinions and we are right and they are wrong but how do we change people's minds especially when they really are wrong. It is all in the way we approach them and of course we need to know what the truth is. Let's say you take your right hand and make a fist and then take your left hand and start pushing the right. What happens? The right starts pushing back. But what if you reach out your right hand with it opened up to shake hands with your left. Then the left will reach out to shake hands. The way you reach out to people determines many times their response and reaction to you.  Now the Apostle Paul knew this to be true. In his second letter to the young preacher, Timothy in 2:23-24 (NLT) he says, "Again I say, don't get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind t...

Friday... Yes, we are too! Now Paul writes two letters to young Timothy and he starts this second letter this way. He says in verses 1 & 2 (MSG) of chapter 1 of his second letter to Timothy, "I, Paul, am on special assignment for Christ, carrying on God's plan laid out in the Message of life by Jesus. I write this to you, Timothy, the son I love so much. All the best from our God and Christ be yours!" Do you know what his special assignment was? Between these two letters he wrote to Timothy, Paul was put in prison and he didn't look at it like a horrible thing to happen to him, he saw it as a special assignment from God. It wasn't how he thought his life was going to happen but when it did, he saw it in a different way than what so many do when they head into trouble such as you may be headed into. What a difference it would make if we saw it as a special assignment from God.  The Amplified Bible says it this way, "Paul, an apostle (special messenger, per...

Thursday... Is it enough for us to enjoy? Paul in his first letter to young Timothy gives some important advice and encouragement on this. He says in 6:6-8 (NLT), "Yet true godliness is itself great wealth. After all. we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content." And then in verse 17 he says, "Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment." Two words here that are so important for us to see. The first one is the word enough and the second is enjoyment. He tells Timothy and us, "So if we have enough food and clothing." The Message says, "if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that's enough." And the NLT says "So if we have enough food and clothing, let us b...

Wednesday... Is there more than just expecting? Now living with an attitude of expectation can have great results. Psalm 50:15 (NLT) says, "Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you." If God has said that then I can expect it to happen. But there is more to it. So how do we handle getting what we feel we deserve or expect? It happens like we expected and then is that the end? Well the Psalmist has more to say. In Psalm 50:14-15 He says, "Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory." There is more to it than just expecting. Verse 23 says, "But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God." It seems that being thankful is very important to God and so it is very important to us. If we feel that we deserve to get what we want, that we exp...

Tuesday... It can be such a waste of time. Now the reality of life is that it is pretty short. I'm at the age that I wonder where it has gone. And I am at the point of my life that I don't want to waste any more time on things that don't make a difference. And Paul in his first letter to the young Timothy deals with this. In 4:7 (NLT) he writes, "Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives tales. Instead, train yourself to be goodly." Over in Proverbs 19:3 it says, "People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then they are angry at the Lord." Like it is his fault.  Now he had a different plan but our representatives ruin it. Now he did create us with the power to choose and they made some really, really bad decisions that were really foolish and we have suffered the consequences. But it isn't God's fault. Do you realize that if we would have followed all the laws in Leviticus that there would be no diseases? Death was not ...

Monday... This is a reality beyond all realities. There is so much that we have to learn and experience from God's Word. There is so much practical, life changing truth, there really is. If we are not in the Scriptures on a daily basis then we are missing out on so much. And the Apostle Paul in his first letter to young Timothy in 3:16 (NLT) shares a reality beyond all realities.   Here is what he says, "Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith. Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit, He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory." That is definitely the truth of our faith. That is a reality beyond all realities and it can make all the difference in our lives if we accept it and believe it. Now if you start in Genesis, the first book in the Old Testament you will see God's plan and see what would have happened if we, his creation would have lived with G...

Saturday... We think we've got it all figured out.  We really do. But Solomon in his book of Proverbs in the Old Testament of the Bible has a different perspective. Look at what Proverbs 16:1 (MSG) says, "Mortals make elaborate plans, but God has the last word." We make all these plans. We have it all figured out. But it is so important to have God in our life. It really is.  Verse 2, "Humans are satisfied with whatever looks good; God provides for what is good." Now this is important. Verse 3 says, "Put God in charge of your work, then what you've planned will take place." The Amplified Bible says, "Commit your works to the Lord [submit and trust them to Him] and your plans will succeed [if you respond to His will and guidance]." We think we have it all figured out but do we really? This is a good one. Verse 7 (MSG) says, "When God approves of your life, even your enemies will end up shaking your hand." Now we need to understan...

Friday... It can be detest or delight. I'm sure you don't want to have someone detest you but delight is another story, isn't it? It sure does make a difference in our relationship with them, doesn't it? Well Proverbs 15:8 (NLT) says, "The Lord detest the sacrifice of the wicked, but he delights in the prayers of the upright." The Message says, "God can't stand pious poses but he delights in genuine prayer." He knows if we are genuine and he delights in genuine prayers. "He delights in the prayers of the upright." Being upright and praying genuine prayers makes a difference in our relationship with God. It really does. Have you ever had someone be overly nice to you and you know they don't mean it? Verse 3 says, "God doesn't miss a thing - he's alert to good and evil alike." We can't fool God. Now Paul in his first letter to young Timothy says this in 2:1-4 (NLT). He says, "I urge you, first of all to pray...

Thursday...  Even when we are ignorant, he is merciful. Over in 1 Timothy 1:12-13 (NLT) the Apostle Paul writes, "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief."  He goes on. In verses 15-16 he says, "This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners' - and I am the worst of them all." Now we may feel that way in our ignorance about ourselves. He goes on, "But" That is such a great word. "But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners." We've checked off so many people, even ourselves, but God hasn't. He is so patient. Paul continues, "Then oth...

Wednesday... Now this can and does make such a difference. And we are seeing a real attitude problem in the day in which we are living. Now the word encouragement can mean we are striving to lift people up when they are down but it also can be striving to get others to do better. And our attitude in that can make such a difference. Paul in his second letter to the Thessalonians in 3:8-10 (NLT) says, "We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to be an example to follow. Even when we were with you, we gave you this command: 'Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.'"   He goes on in verses 11-12, "Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people's business. We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to ear...

Tuesday... Life has its ways of bringing us down. The writer of Psalm 42 ends this Psalm in verse 11 (MSG) by asking some good questions. He writes, "Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues?" Do you ever get up in the morning and ask yourself the same questions. Life has its ways of bringing us down. Satan has his ways of bringing us down.  But the Psalmist doesn't stop there. That's why I love the Psalms, I love the Bible. The Psalmist continues. He gives us the answer. He shows us what to do. He says, "Fix my eyes on God - soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's my God." The New Living Translation says, "I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again - my Saviour and my God." It's all in the focus. Paul in his second letter to the Thessalonians in 2:15-17 (MSG) says, "So friends, take a firm stand, feet on the ground and head high. Keep a tight grip on what you were taught,...

Monday... These words quickened my mind this morning. I love reading the Bible every day. I really do. Now I usually read a Psalm, a chapter in the Proverbs and a chapter in the New Testament. But I decided this month to read instead of Proverbs the other book that King Solomon wrote, the book of Ecclesiastes and these words in chapter 11 quickened my mind this morning. I wonder if they will speak to you. Verse 2 (NLT) says, "But divide your investments among many places, for you do not know what risks might lie ahead." In our getting ready for retirement this is very good advice. And verse 4 kind of goes with it. It says, "Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest." That make sense in so many ways. Perfectionism keeps us from venturing out and keeps us from taking so many potential steps, investments and risks in our life.  By the way, what is perfect weather to you, or a perfect job, or perfect friends, or perf...

Friday... But we can live with confidence. Solomon in Ecclesiastes 8:17 (NLT) says, "I realized that no one can discover everything God is doing under the sun. Not even the wisest people discover everything, no matter what they claim." And yes, that is so true. The NIV says, "Even if they know, they can't really comprehend it." And that is true. Now 1 Thessalonians 5:2 (NLT) says, "For you know the day of the Lord's return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night." Yes, we don't know when that will happen. But there are two "buts" in verses 4-8. It says, " But you aren't in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won't be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. For you are all children of the day, we don't belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. ...

Thursday... There is so much of it going around. But is it a good thing? And does it show what God wants us to show?  Solomon over in Ecclesiastes 7:9 (NLT) says, "Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool." In The Message it says, "Don't be quick to fly off the handle. Anger boomerangs. You can spot a fool by the lumps on his head." Being angry is foolish. David in Psalm 37:8-9 (NLT) says, "Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper - it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land." Anger is not the way to go. It really isn't. And then Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 says, "But we don't need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another. Indeed, you already show your love to all the believers throughout Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them more." A...

Wednesday... This is way beyond our capacity to understand. We may think we have a great mind, a great capacity and we are God's greatest creation but it is way beyond our ability to understand God. David writes in Psalm 36:5-6 (MSG), "God's love is meteoric, his loyalty astronomic, his purpose titanic, his verdicts oceanic. Yet in his largeness nothing gets lost; Not a man, not a mouse slips through the cracks."  Maybe in what you are going through you need to be reminded of that fact. And it is the truth. "Yet in his largeness nothing gets lost. Not a man, not a mouse slips through the cracks." The New Living Translations says it this way, "Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heaven; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths." And all of that is way beyond our capacity to understand and for sure, so is this. "You care for people and animals alik...

Tuesday... Have you ever prayed a prayer like this? King David did. In Psalm 35:26 (NLT) he prays, "May those who rejoice at my troubles be humiliated and disgraced. May those who triumph over me be covered with shame and dishonor." I love the honesty of the Psalms. I'm sure we have all at some time wanted to pray a prayer like that. Well King David did and he was a man after God's own heart. Life can be so tough and so can people. And God understands how we feel and he is ok with us just letting our feelings out to him. He loves us. He cares about us. And he knows that we need to let him know how we feel. So if that is the way you feel, go ahead and let him know. But David doesn't stop there. He goes on in verses 27 & 28.  He prays, "But give great joy to those who came to my defense. Let them continually say, 'Great is the Lord, who delights in blessing his servant with peace!' Then I will proclaim your justice , and I will praise you all day lo...

Monday... Yes, the adventure of trying can have a great reward. There are some people who have never taken the risk to taste something that they have never tasted. We have a five year old granddaughter who doesn't try new stuff to eat. She may never have eaten it but she knows that she won't like it so it is hard to get her to try something new. But the adventure of trying something new can have such a great reward if we just try. Now there are so many out there who just won't try having a relationship with God. They have a preconceived notion that it just isn't for them. But King David in Psalm 34:8 (NLT) says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him." The Message says, "Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see - how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him." Verse 6 says, "When I was desperate, I called out, and God got me out of a tight spot." There is an experience that they wouldn...

Saturday... Some have experienced this.  King David did. In Psalm 32:3-4 (NLT) he said, "When I refused to confess my sin, my body waisted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat." Yes, so many have experienced this. King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 2:1-3, "I said to myself, 'Come on, let's try pleasure. Let's look for the '"good things '" in life.' But I found that this is meaningless. So I said, 'Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?' After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during this brief life in the world." We try in so many different ways to find happiness and joy and so many times what we do leads to what King David said, "my body waisted away, a...

Friday... They found out. Now King David was the writer of many of the Psalms. In Psalm 31:1 (AMP) he says, "In You, O Lord, I have placed my trust and refuge; Let me never be ashamed; In Your righteousness rescue me." Through many experiences he found this to be true. In verse 3 he says, "Yes, You are my rock and my fortress; For your name's sake You will lead me and guide me." Now his son Solomon followed him as King and he was known as the wealthiest and wisest man of his time. He wrote a big portion of the book of Proverbs and in it he shared his wisdom. But then he wrote another book called Ecclesiastes and in chapter 1 verse 13 he says, "For in much [human] wisdom there is much displeasure and exasperation; increasing knowledge increases sorrow." The key word is human.  But then back to verse 2 he says, "'Vanities of vanities' says the Preacher." In verse 1 he introduces himself, "The words of the Preacher, the son of David...