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, whether in personal conversation or by our letter. May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech."

That is so good. "May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech."

The NLT says, "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say."

Again the Psalmist writes, "Fix my eyes on God - soon I'll be praising again." Earlier the Psalmist writes in verse 6, "When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse everything I know of you." It's all in the focus. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

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Thursday... Maybe we need this word today.

Psalm 57:1b (NIRV), "There I will stay until the danger is gone." Thursday... Maybe we need this word today. There are words in life that give us confidence no matter what we are facing. Now we have to believe them in order for them to have an impact. David wrote Psalm 57 while he was in a cave hiding from Saul who wanted to kill him and he says in the last part of verse 1, "There I will stay." It was a safe place and Saul didn't know that he was there. But he doesn't stop there. With confidence he said, "There I will stay until." And until is definitely a word of faith and confidence. "There I will stay until the danger is gone." Do we need that today? Let me give you the whole verse. In verse 1 David says, "Have mercy on me, God. Have mercy on me." And that is a great place to start in times of trouble. Maybe that is what we need to pray today, "Have mercy on me, God. Have mercy on me." It is so great to have someone...

Tuesday... We just have trouble listening.

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Friday... It is so exciting but wait a minute.

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Today's Beginning

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