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 out God's purpose and plan for our life. God knows what he is doing and we just need to trust him. It is not in our power but in his plan. Again, God knows best.

Verse 22 in The Message says, "And by the way, get a room ready for me. Because of your prayers, I fully expect to be your guest again."

Yes, Paul was hoping and expecting but he was also trusting. He was living not for himself and his own wants. He was living for God and his plan and his wants. Remember, trust always works. So let's pray and let's believe and let's trust God.

By the way, we can claim this, Psalm 60:12 (NIV) says, "With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our foes." 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...

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...

Todays Beginning

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