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 dad told you that you could do anything you want to do but. And we may be living in one of those but-times where we are just not getting it done.

The writer continues and he is talking about God, "It was your right hand and strong arm and the blinding light from your face that helped them," and here is the fact that we need to over and over be reminded of, "for you loved them." And you love us.

And then verse 9 says, "But now you have tossed us aside in dishonor. You no longer lead our armies to battle." But even in these times we must be reminded that God loves us. And verse 26 reminds us that we can pray, "Rise up! Help us! Ransom us because of your unfailing love."

There is this picture of someone being pushed off a cliff but they have this rope wrapped around them and we can see that at just the right time before they hit the bottom the rope keeps them from being crushed. That rope in the lives of those who have put their trust in God is God's love. But those times of free fall can be rough, can't they? Yes, that is where trusting in God's unfailing love comes in.

Here is another way to put it. Everything that happens to those of us who have put our daily and lifetime trust in God must go through God's love. Now whatever is happening may be happening to us to destroy us. That is its purpose. The devil and his followers hate God and those who are followers of God and hurting us is his way of getting back at God. Now whenever that is happening to us it's purpose is to hurt us, to destroy us but when it goes through God's love the purpose is changed to something that is good for us, that will bring glory to God. It may be the same thing but its purpose is changed when it goes through God's love.

Satan hates God and he killed his only Son but God changed the purpose from hatred to love and to saving the world by bringing his Son back to life.

Maybe we need to be reminded of the fact that no matter what we are going through, God loves us and we can pray to him, "Rise up! Help us! Ransom us because of your unfailing love." And remember that in his time he will answer it because he does love us with unfailing love. And also remember, "It was your right hand and strong arm and the blinding light from your face that helped them, for you loved them." And he love us too! Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

Tuesday... I wonder what would happen if we didn't take the credit?

Nehemiah 6:16b (NLT), "They realized this work had been done with the help of our God." Tuesday... I wonder what would happen if we didn't take the credit? Over in the Old Testament in the book of Nehemiah it tells of a major task that through the leadership of Nehemiah was accomplished. The walls of Jerusalem had been torn down and God had laid it on Nehemiah to build those walls back up. It was definitely an almost impossible task but Nehemiah 6:15-16 says, "So on October 2 the wall was finished - just fifty-two days after we had begun. When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God." Now, we so many times want to take credit for doing the impossible. It would make such a difference for us. But I wonder what would happen through us if God got the credit? Psalm 96 tells us what we are to do. Verses 2-3 says, "Sing to the LORD; praise his name. ...

Tuesday... We just have trouble listening.

1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT), "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." Tuesday... We just have trouble listening. Over in Jeremiah 25:4 (NLT) it says, "Again and again the LORD has sent you his servants, the prophets, but you have not listened or even paid attention." And Jeremiah went on to tell what was going to happen. There will be consequences if we do not listen to what God says through his Word. Now the Apostle Paul over in 1 Corinthians was having a problem with some professed Christ followers who were having trouble at listening. And we too can have problems at listening. We can think that being a Christ follower means we do a lot of finger pointing and we give up on people who don't do what we say. We can even do that in our families. But Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT), "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." In verse ...

Thursday... Yet, now this is true.

Colossians 1:22a (NLT), "Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body." Thursday... Yet, now this is true. Now Paul a prisoner in Rome is writing a letter to a church in Colossae. And in Colossians 1:21 (MSG) he says, "Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds" The NLT says "This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated by your evil thoughts and actions." And that is where so many in this world live today. They are blowing it and they don't know what to do. Yes, they are hostile in their minds and they are engaging in evil deeds but there is Good News. Now Paul in verses 19-20 sets the stage for an answer to those who don't want to live that way. He says, "For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and earth b...

Today's Beginning

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