Thursday... Let's take care of those differences and hurtful memories.

And that is a great way to live.

Paul in Ephesians 4:3 (NLT) says, "Make every effort to keep yourselves united together with peace." It is so hard to live with someone and be in conflict, isn't it? Always remembering something they did especially in your past. Well, making an effort in the here and now can make such a difference in each day and in our futures.

Verse 2 says, "Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowances for each other's faults because of your love." That is such a great idea.

The Message says it this way. "I don't want anyone of you sitting around on your hands. I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline - not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences." What a great idea. And in our homes is a great place for us to start and continue to do, isn't it?

Now later in this chapter Pauls gets practical. In verses 26-27 he writes, "And 'don't sin by letting anger control you.' Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil."

Let's say someone does something to you and you become angry at them. Now if you do nothing about this anger before you go to sleep then it becomes a part of your memory, a hurtful memory but if you forgive them and resolve the conflict before you go to sleep then the Spirit wipes it from your memory. In other words, the devil won't have a foothold in your memories. Even if they haven't asked you to forgive them, just forgive them before you go to sleep. As verse 3 says, "Make every effort to keep yourselves united together with peace."

Verse 27 in the Amplified Bible says, "And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness]."

Verse 32 says, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." He isn't asking you to do something that he hasn't already done to you.

Now this is important for us to see. Yes, someone is bad to you and God will judge them and deal with them but even if you haven't done what they did, you will be by judged by God, held responsible for your reaction to what they did to you. This is so important for us to see.

Remember, "And 'don't sin by letting anger control you.' Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry." And "Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowances for each other's faults because of your love." And, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Your being forgiven and forgiving is a big deal with God.

So let's take care of the wrongs done to us by others and not let them become a controlling part of our memories. Let's work it out before we go to sleep so the Spirit can take care of it before it becomes a controlling, painful memory. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

Monday... He did it by Himself

Isaiah 44:24b (AMP), "I am the Lord, Maker of all things. Who alone stretches out the heavens, Who spreads out the earth by Myself." Monday... He did it by Himself. Many have a tendency to think very highly of themselves and what they can do. Oh we do have great ability but we are not the source. Yes it is important to have self-confidence but we are limited. The prophet Isaiah in 44:9-10 (NLT) says, "How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don't know this, so they are all put to shame. Who but a fool would make his own god - an idol that cannot help him one bit?" Now later in verse 24 (AMP) he writes, "For the Lord, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb says, 'I am the Lord, Maker of all things, Who alone stretches out the heavens, Who spreads out the earth by Myself.'" I love that. "By Myself." Now we do need confidence but we are foolish to ma...

Friday... We have this hope of expectancy.

Psalm 5:3 (NLT), "Listen to my voice in the morning Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly." Friday... We have this hope of expectancy. Now David found a great way to start his day. He says in Psalm 5:1-3 (NLT), "O LORD, hear me as I pray." And that is a great place to start. It really is. Morning sunrise He goes on, "Listen to my cry for help, my King, my God, for I pray to no one but you." And that is so important. We don't try to pump ourselves up by ourself. No, we pray to no one but you, God, my LORD, my King. Now this relationship with God is so, so very important. And then David says, "Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you" And that is so great. And then he says, "and wait expectantly." Yes, we have this hope of expectancy. We are experienced. That is what a relationship with God and a moment by moment connection does. It makes a difference in our daily wa...

Friday... Yes, we can know this to be true.

Psalm 12:6 (NLT), "The Lord's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over." Friday... Yes, we can know this to be true. Maybe this is what you want to say in this day in which we live. Psalm 12:1-2 (MSG) says, "Quick, I need your helping hand! The last decent person just went down, all the friends I depend on gone. Everyone talks in lie language; lies slide off their oily lips. They doubletalk with forked tongues." Do you ever feel that way?" Have you found that to be true? Well David the writer of this Psalm continues and says in verse 6 something to encourage us, to lift us up, to give us hope. Psalm 12:6 (NLT) says, "The Lord's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over." The Message Paraphrase says verses 6-8 this way, "God's words are pure words, pure silver words refined seven times in the fires of his word-kiln, pure on earth as well as in heaven, God, keep ...

Todays Beginning

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