Todays Beginning

Wednesday... There are times that we must say, "no" but. There is so much in this world that we must say no to. There really is but living in the no all the time can be so discouraging. I love living each day in the yes, yes!  The Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NLT), "For all of God's promises have been fulfilled with a resounding 'Yes!' And through Christ, our 'Amen' (which means 'Yes') ascends to God for his glory." I love Proverbs 31:25. It is a part of a description of a virtuous, capable and excellent woman. She is unbelievable and this verse says about her, "She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future." The Amplified Bible says, "Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure; And she smiles at the future [knowing that she and her family are prepared]." So many live with a negative, fearful view of life. They wake up crying. Now there ...

Tuesday... Do we really have what it takes? In difficult times we might wonder as the writer of Psalm 60:10a (NLT) says, "Have you rejected us, O God?" And verse 11 says, "Oh, please help us against our enemies, for all human help is useless." Maybe that is where you are today. You are doubting yourself and wondering if you really have what it take to face another day. And you know that others don't have what it takes so you are really, really tired. Now if you stop and think you might realize that you do have what it takes. Verses 11-12 (MSG) says, "Give us help for the hard task: human help is worthless. In God we'll do our very best; he'll flatten the opposition." Now Proverbs 30:1b-3 (NLT) continues to tell us the problem. It says, "I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God." And here again is the problem, "I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense. I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy O...

Monday... But we sometimes can feel so useless. Do you ever feel useless? Some just feel that what they are doing is worthless but is that the truth? The evil one wants us to feel that way.  Monday can be a difficult time for those who have ministered on the weekend. After singing and preaching and teaching there can be a very definite meltdown physically and emotionally. And that can be a time when some let down their guard against the evil one. They can give in to the feeling of being useless and maybe feeling what we are doing is useless. And that is not a good thing. We can be so vulnerable to temptations.  Now the Apostle Paul understood this. Yes, for some Monday and any other day where we feel exhausted can be a battle and we can feel that we are losing and useless but Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 says a great word of encouragement. He says "But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ." Even on Monday. Even when we are emotiona...

Friday... So, how is it going? I am here in the United States in the middle of a Presidential election so there is a lot of negative talk going around. It just goes with the territory. But with the negative talk there can be a lot of fear. Fear is a powerful tool to make people dissatisfied. Politicians use it and so does the devil, so I ask you again, how is it going? King David was in the middle of being seized by some of his and his countries enemies. He was in a bad spot and in Psalm 56:3 (AMP) he says, "When I am afraid, I will put my trust and faith in You." And the You is God. Verse 4 says, "In God, whose word I praise; In God I have put my trust; I shall not fear." And from experience he says, "What can mere man do to me?" He then goes on and in verse 11 says, "In God have I put my trust and confident reliance; I will not be afraid." And again he reminds us, "What can mere man do to me?" Both candidates tell us over and over wha...

Thursday... It can be so hard but so worth it. In Proverbs 25:15a (MSG) there is this word that is very difficult to have. It really is but it can and will be worth it. Here is what this proverb says, "Patient persistence pierces through indifference."  Now this word came up again in 1 Corinthians 13:4a (NLT) and it says, "Love is patient and kind." Verse 7 says it in a little different way, "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." "Love is patient." And love through patience seems to show us clarity. Verse 12 says, "Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely." Yes, God not only knows what we are like now but he also sees what we can be if we are patient and trust him in wh...

Wednesday... We sometimes come with desperation and that's ok! King David wrote many of the Psalms in the Old Testament of the Bible and he had many, many desperate moments. And he wrote Psalm 54 in one of those moments. Are you desperate today? Life can come down hard on us and there doesn't seem to be anything that we can do but David says there is. Psalm 54:1-2 (NLT) says, "Come with great power, O God, and rescue me! Defend me with your might. Listen to my prayer, O God. Pay attention to my plea."  David was hiding from King Saul who was wanting to kill him. King Saul had not followed God as a king and he knew that God had chosen David to be the new king so he wanted to kill him and some people had told Saul where David was hiding so David was desperate. So many things can be happening in your life and you are desperate. Now God has great power and he can take care of us in any situation that we are facing. Yes he can but he wants us to pray to him and that can be...

Tuesday... So what do you really want? This matter of living by your wants can be a trap but it also can be a way to keep from falling into traps. One of my friends in my morning coffee shop and I were talking about the fact that a new donut shop is opening up close to where I live. I want, want, want donuts. People will ask me where do I want to go to eat and I tell them that I can't go to where I want to eat which is a donut shop. I have found a greater want that controls my other wants. I want to be healthy so donuts are not a part of my life.  Solomon in Proverbs 23:19-21 (AMP) writies, "Listen, my son and be wise, and direct your heart in the way [of the Lord]. Do not associate with heavy drinkers of wine, or with gluttonous eaters of meat, for the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, and the drowsiness [of overindulgence] will clothe ones in rags." But I want to eat, eat, eat and I want to drink, drink, drink. But our greater want takes care of the le...

Monday... We notice them everytime we go to church. My wife and I usually go to church on Saturday afternoon and we usually park in the outer parking lot. And there are three trees that we always pass and my wife will alway say, " I sure do love those olive trees." Now they are not the fruit olive trees because they are not allowed in our county but she loves them.  Psalm 52:8 (NIV) says, "But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God: I will always trust in God's unfailing love."  Now the problem with the fruit olive tree is that is releases a great amount of pollen at certain times of the year and causes people who are allergic to the pollen to get sick. So the county is trying to protect people. But what if that pollen of the fruit tree is God's unfailing love flowing through us then what a major difference that would make in our world. Over in Proverbs 22:8 it says, "Those who plant injustice will harvest disaster, and the reign of terro...

Friday... So, what is it all about? Good question, so what is all this that we are going through all about?  Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians in chapter 9, verses 24-25 (MSG) says, "You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes train hard. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold metal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally." And he goes on in verse 26, "I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving everything I've got." Back in Psalm 49 in verses 16-19, the writer writes, "So don't be impressed with those who get rich and pile up fame and fortune. They can't take it with them; fame and fortune all get left behind. Just when they think they have arrived and folks praise them because they've made good, they enter the family burial plot where they'll never see sunshine again." So, what is it al...

Thursday... This is interesting. We use so many different ways to explain and describe something. The writer of Psalm 48 uses the city of Jerusalem and it's walls. Verses 12-14 (NLT) says, "Go inspect the city of Jerusalem. Walk around the many towers. Take note of the fortified walls, and tour all the citadels, that you may describe them to future generations. For that is what God is like. He is our God forever and ever and he will guide us until we die." Now it is almost impossible to describe God but this helps. One thing the writer says is, "take note of the fortified walls." We can know that God is around us, protecting us like fortified walls. Verses 4-7 says, "The kings of the earth advance against the city. But when they saw it they were stunned; they were terrified and ran away." Now we build so many walls to protect us. Proverbs 18:11-13 says, "The rich think of their wealth as a strong defence; they imagine it to be a high wall of safet...

Wednesday... I do understand but it is tiring.  But fighting it seams is the way we elect a new President but it is tiring. I mean, someone tried to kill one of the candidates. After being in church Saturday and very much inspired we came out of church finding out that ex-President Trump had been shot. And I'm not minimizing how very wrong that was but that was taking it way too far. And for sure it need not be the way we individually live in our homes.  Proverbs 17:1 (NIV) says, "Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house filled with strife." The Amplified Bible says, "Better a dry morsel [of food served] with quietness and peace than a house full of feasting [served] with strife and contention." But so many homes are in total war. And it need not be that way. Verse 9 says, "Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends." And then verse 13, "If you pay good with evil, evil will never leave your house...

Tuesday... Each one of us see and describe what we are going through differently but... We each one have our own way of explaining what we are going through, don't we?  Some of us are maximisers, other are minimizers and neither one is better. We each one are different and we see what we are facing differently but no matter what it is and how you see it and describe it, God can handle it!  Now the writer of Psalm 46 shows the extremes. In verse 1 he states the basic reality and then he moves on into our fears and he maximizes them to make sure we really understand. Here is what Psalm 46:1-3 (NLT) says, "God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!" So what do you fear? The Amplified Bible says verse 1 this way, "God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable], a very presen...

Monday... Maybe we need today to be reminded of this fact. Life can be so complicated. I mean, think of what has happened this past weekend. Our ex-president was shot. It seems that he is going to be ok. But there could be other areas in your life that are very complicated. The writer of Psalm 44:1 (NLT) says, "O God, we have heard it from our own ears - our ancestors have told us of all you did in their day, in days long ago." Yes we can think of other days and be reminded of what God has done even in our own life but then we can say, "But today is different" and that is true but there is one fact that is the same and we need to be reminded of it no matter what we are going through. Maybe we need to be reminded of this fact today. I need help! Verse 3 says, "They did not conquer the land with their swords; it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory." And yes, we do need to be reminded of that fact. We may think we can do anything. Your mom and...

Friday... There can be some people that we want to prove wrong but. The Apostle Paul in writing a letter to the Corinthian church was tempted to prove some arrogant people there that they were wrong. But he was not about to go against God's plan. What should I do? Some arrogant people just get to us, don't they? We want to prove them wrong. Now the devil will do anything and use anyone to get us off track, even good reasons. Here is what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 4:18 (AMP), "Now some of you have become arrogant and pretentious as though I were not coming to see you." And we want so much to prove them wrong but is that the right thing to do? I'm going to do the opposite you say to prove you wrong. Again, the devil will use any method he can to get us off track. But Paul continues with a statement that we may overuse but it must be what we do. In verse 19a he says, "But I will come to you soon, if the Lord is willing." The Message Paraphrase says, ...

Thursday... I don't know what your today's story is. But he does. You may think that you are losing the battle of life. These can be tough times for so many. We just don't know what is happening and what is ahead. But our relationship with God and what he thinks about us and trusting what he is doing in us can make all the difference in how we handle what we are facing. Now Psalm 41:11-12 (AMP) says, "By this I know that You favor and delight in me, because my enemy does not shout in triumph over me. As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, and You set me in your presence forever." The Message says it this way, "Meanwhile, I'm sure you're on my side - no victory shouts yet from the enemy camp! You know me inside and out, you hold me together, you never fail to stand me tall in your presence so I can look you in the eye." Now Proverbs 11:2 (AMP) says, "When pride comes [boiling up with an arrogant attitude of self-importance], then come dish...

Wednesday... The truth has many sides to it. King David writes in Psalm 40:5 (NLT), "O Lord, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them." So true. I have had this proven over and over in my years here on earth. God's truth can be trusted. But then David's son, Solomon writes in Proverbs 10:3-5, "The Lord will not let the godly go hungry, but he refuses to satisfy the wicked. Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich. A wise youth harvests in the summer, but one who sleeps during the harvest is a disgrace." Our backyard here in the desert has a lot of greenery in it and we love it and most of it is watered without us having to do anything except pay the water bill. But we also have some pots of flowers that I go out and water each morning and each evening and they would die if I didn't do that. God has pro...

Tuesday... Where do I put my hope? And that is a great question, isn't it? I was in my spot at Aspire Coffee, my usual spot each morning and I overheard a young man talking to a barista about the fact that he had gotten to Double A in the minor leagues in baseball for the Detroit Tigers and then got hurt and had to give up on his dream. And he had come home. That is tough. King David in Psalm 39 was doing some analyzing of his life. In verses 6-7a he writes, "We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?" Good, good question. But David in 7b had the answer, "My only hope is in you." Now Paul in the New Testament had this church that had gotten off track and he wrote a letter to them. I have a friend who is on a trip and she sent pictures back of this town, the town is Corinth and Paul wrote two letters to the church there. They were going through a m...

Monday... This is one of God's most valuable gifts. And we need it, we need it today. Proverbs 8:11 (NLT), tells us. "For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it." Solomon the writer of most of the Old Testament book of Proverbs goes on in verses 12-14. He shares what comes with wisdom. He writes, "I, Wisdom. live together with good judgment. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment. All who fear the Lord will hate evil. Therefore I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech. Common sense and success belong to me." James over in the New Testament of the Bible writes in James 1:5, "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking." Yes, it is a gift from God and it is a valuable gift that you can ask for.  Yes, it is OK for you to ask for wisdom. But there are some requirements in being able to ask for it and to receive it. Verses 6-8 s...

Friday... We can do so much but. There is so much that we can do in whatever situation we are in. I mean, the internet is unbelievable. I love what I can find and share on here. I also love streaming. I love YouTube. There is so much to learn on there. But, but. Here is what I read this morning in Romans 15:4 (NLT). It says, "Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God's promises to be fulfilled." Yes, there is so much available to us but there is also the Scriptures. Not just the promises but there is so much that has been written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us hope and encouragement. Have you found that to be true? There was a key time in my life when I had gotten off track. I stopped and talked to people of wisdom. I read, read, read and I came up with a series of changes that I needed to make and one of them was to read a chapter of Psalms everyday. I have read for 40+ years a chapter depe...

Wednesday... We can be confident when annoyances come. I was outside on my couch with my dog, Turner and I was in the middle of reading Romans 14 and I heard a noise and felt something and looked down and my coffee was all over me. Now I jumped up and went in and changed out of my wet clothes into dry clothes and came back and finished reading but in a different chair. Now that was an annoyance and it had the ability to blow me totally off track from my routine. But it didn't. As I came to my coffee shop I started back my reading the Bible and I came across Proverbs 3:26 (AMP) and it said, "For the Lord will be your confidence, firm and strong, and will keep your foot from getting caught [in a trap]." Now annoyances can be a trap set out there to get us off track. But we can be confident when annoyances come our way. because the Lord is our confidences, firm and strong and he can keep us from being caught in a the trap if we put our trust in him.  Verse 6 says, "In a...

Tuesday... This is the best, yes, it is the best. So many of us strive each and everyday to be the best, to have the best. It seems to be so important. We are headed into the Olympics and those who are participants are rewarded when they are the best. They get to stand up there on that platform and they have a gold metal placed around there neck. That gold metal says that on that particular day, in that particular event they were the best. But there are so many more who also worked so hard but they don't have a metal.  Now here is what we each one needs to know, we need to realize this if we want the best. In our manual for living a successful life, David in Psalm 32:8 (NLT) gives this thought. "The Lord says, 'I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.'" When I was young our family traveled all over the United States. My dad was what was called an Evangelist. We went from church to church and our family would sing...

Monday... He has stored it for us. I don't know if you have had to rent a storage unit. We have had to, many times. Well, Psalm 31 tells of another type of storage. Psalm 31:19 (NLT) says, "How great  is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you." And we need to be reminded of this truth. Yes we need some goodness stored up, don't we? There is so much bad around us, isn't there? David then continues, "You lavish on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world." Yes, this is where we go when we need some goodness in our lives. And he wants to lavish us when we come to him for protection. And those around us will see how good a God he is. And we waste this opportunity so many times because we don't avail ourselves of this blessing because all we see is the bad. Verse 19 in the Amplified Bible says, "How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who [reverently] fear You, which You have...